SUSAN Morley used often to visit the homes of her little Sunday school scholars; and one afternoon she set out for this purpose, with the wish too, of seeing one who had been absent from the class the day before.
For some time the child had come regularly but when a little friend called for her as usual on the previous Sunday, she found her in tears, because her mother had said she should never go to the school again. As soon as Susan heard this, she decided to go at once and visit her little pupil, though from what she had learned of her step-mother, she had not much hope of inducing her to let little Bessie come.
Turning down some narrow streets, she made her way into the close, dingy-looking alley, in which was Bessie’s home. Groups of dirty children were playing about in the gutters; and women with untidy hair, lounging at their doors, stared at her as she passed; but quietly looking up to the Lord for guidance, she made her way through the midst of them, and at last reached the door of the miserable house, in a garret of which she had been told her little scholar lived.
The staircase was narrow and steep, with scanty light, but at last she reached the top. To her surprise, while pausing for a moment before knocking at the door, she heard a little voice inside singing. It was the old familiar hymn, sung so often at the Sunday-school, “There is a Happy Land,” and the little singer seemed to sing with such heart, that Susan did not like to interrupt her till she had finished. When at last she knocked, no one said, “Come in,” and she knocked again, saying, “Bessie, dear, I’ve come to see you.”
The door was not opened, but a little voice answered, “Oh, please, teacher, mother’s taken the key, and I’m locked in with the babies. I’ve got to take care of them till she comes home.”
“Never mind,” replied Susan, “but tell me why you did not come to school yesterday!” The child did not answer, and there was a sound of sobs. At last she said, “Mother won’t let me come; but I do so want to hear more about Jesus, and I’m trying to speak to Him as you told us.”
You may be sure Susan did not lose such an opportunity of telling a needy one, of the precious Saviour. She spoke to her, as well as she could through the closed door, about the loving Saviour who died for little children, and who would wash away her sins, if she asked Him, in His own blood and give her His Holy Spirit, to teach and guide her in the right way, and would, through His own great love, bring her to the happy land, she had been singing about. Then taking a little card from her pocket, she slipped it under the door, and told Bessie to try and learn it by the next time she came. Bessie read the words on it aloud, “I love them that love Me, and those that seek Me early shall find Me.”
“Do you know who says that?” asked Susan.
“It doesn’t tell, teacher; but I should think it must be Jesus, because you said He loves us.”
“And do you love Jesus, Bessie?”
“Oh, yes! I do love Him.”
“Why do you love Him, dear child?”
“Oh, Teacher, because He died to save us from going to that dreadful place, and because He’s so good to us.”
“And do you know what the verse means, when it says, ‘Those that seek Me early shall find Me?’”
“Does it mean early in the morning, teacher, before we think of anything else?”
“Yes, we should think of Him, as soon as we wake in the morning; our first thought should be of Him and of His love; but it means something more,—that while you are young, quite in the morning of life, you should seek Him as your Saviour and your Friend; not wait until you are grown up, because you may never live till then; and the sweet promise for children is, ‘Those that seek Me early shall find Me.’ I am glad, Bessie, you are seeking Jesus early.”
“Yes,” answered the little one, “and I hope I shall see Him some day. I often lie awake at nights, and through the cracks in the roof, I sometimes see the stars, and they look so bright, and I know Jesus made them, and I say to myself, Jesus’ home is brighter even than those stars; and someday I hope I shall be there, if my naughty heart is washed clean. And when the babies are cross, and my arm aches with nursing them, I sing my hymns, and say my verses over, and I forget I’m tired, I’m so happy!”
Before Susan went down the rickety stairs, she promised to ask Bessie’s stepmother to let her come back to the school, but told her to try to be gentle, obedient, and patient, and thus show her love to the Lord Jesus, who had loved her with so great a love. Then she carefully made her way, through the dark passage to the house door, hearing as she went, the little voice singing the old hymn once more, and with feelings of deep thankfulness, she thought to herself, Truly “of such is the kingdom of heaven,” so simply had this little child received the message of
Christ’s love into her heart and as a little palm tree flourishing in the midst of a desert land, because its roots are watered by a hidden spring, was bringing forth in an ungodly home, and with every outward disadvantage, the fruit of holiness, to the glory and praise of God.
ML 03/21/1909