Chapter 6
With grief the mother turned away and the sick man drew near to the sick child’s side.
“Well, my little boy, how is it?” he asked kindly, “don’t you get tired lying here?”
“Sometimes,” replied Daniel with a smile, “and then mother puts me on her lap and sings to me, and that rests me.”
“But do you never long to use your hands and feet? do you never want to shout and sing when you hear other children?” His face brightened as he said,
“Why, it won’t be long before I have a great deal better hands and feet than these, and I shall sing a great deal better than any one can sing here.”
“I can’t say, my child.”
“Why, Jesus says so. Don’t you know Jesus?”
The man was deeply affected, for a ment there was silence. Lilly had folded her hands on the bed, and now her earnest eyes traveled from one face to the other, her lips were parted eagerly.
“I’m afraid I don’t know Jesus as you do, my little one.”
“It’s easy,” he said, with a bright smile, then added, while his face grew brighter, “it’s so good.” The way in which he said it, made every word go to the heart of the listener.
“Easy for you, my child, but for me, a man grown careless in these things, who has sought pleasure in everything else, it is not very easy.”
“Why, it’s only, ‘Come unto Me’” said Daniel. “Don’t you see? it’s only ‘Come unto Me.’ Mother, please, you say the verse for the man.”
“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” said Mrs. Marks softly. “It means weary of sin, weary of a guilty conscience.” The man hid his face in his hands,
“Tired, tired,” he murmured, “yes, I am weary—heavy laden, too, with sin and infirmities, both of mind and body.” Another silence, then Lilly spoke up,
“Papa wants to feel happy in the long nights, too.”
“It’s Jesus makes me happy,” answered Daniel at once. “That’s because He comes to me, and when I ache the most, I can smile and sing,”
‘Jesus can make a dying bed
Feel soft as downy pillows are,
While on His breast I lay my head
And breathe my life out sweetly there.’”
“My dear little boy,” said the man, as he lifted his head, “you have done me good. I see that those who have lost hope in the world, can be happy and even trmphant. O, for his faith!” he added, turning to Mrs. Marks. “I would give half of my fortune—yes, all, to be able to rest serene and cheerful as he lies there.”
“Dear, sir, it costs nothing,” said the mother in her straightforward manner. “Salvation and peace are without money and without price. Jesus shed His blood for sinners, finished the great work of salvation, and it is without money and witut price. It is just to look to Christ and live. We are not saved by what we can do, but by believing on what Christ did when He died on the cross.”
“Now, father, can you say ‘Jesus!’” said Lilly springing to her feet, supposing all his sorrows past. The question so sudden, came with a flood of sweet and bitter recollections, that the man burst into tears, and not being able to recover his self control, he motioned to Lilly to come, and they left the cottage.
Can you, dear reader, say ‘Jesus’? What does Jesus mean? SAVIOUR. Can you look up and say from your heart, Jesus my Saviour? Is He your Saviour? O, how full of love He is. Claim Him.
ML 07/27/1941