IT is some years since I was told the story of little Frank, but I think I remember all the details, and will put it in my own words.
A good many years ago there lived a lady and gentleman who had one little boy, Frank.
He was a great treasure to them, and everything that they thought could make him happy was given him; yet the only thing which could have made the little fellow really happy they kept entirely from him. They did not themselves love or believe in God, or in the Lord Jesus Christ, and had made up their minds that if possible they would never let him hear the name of God.
One morning, when Frank was about six years old, he was having breakfast with his parents, when he caught sight of a poor and feeble old woman coming up to the house.
In a minute the servant came into the room, saying that a poor woman was at the door begging.
“O, send her away,” said Frank’s
father, “we cannot have beggars coming here,” or words to this effect.
But Frank’s tender little heart had been touched by the sight of the poor woman, and he exclaimed, “O! no, father; she is hungry; let me go and give her something.”
So to please the child, his father let him take what he liked off the table, and he ran out with the servant, and gave it to the old beggar-woman. She was evidently touched with the kindness of the little boy, and said,
“Thank you very much,” then, putting her hand upon the child’s head, she said, “God bless you, little gentleman.”
Frank went quietly back to his breakfast, but presently asked,
“Who is God? The poor woman said, ‘God bless you.’ Who is He?”
His father and mother looked at each other, saying, “How unfortunate!” They then tried to put the child off, but his attention had been arrested, and he still inquired,
“But who is God; and why did she say, ‘God bless you’ like that?”
They then tried to make him think it was no one that he need trouble to know about; for the old woman it might be different.
Still the little fellow was not satisfied. He often asked them, questions which they found it difficult to answer, and at last they began to think it would be better for him to mix more with other children.
Their great object still was to, prevent his thinking any more about God, but they little knew the means which God would use to bring their child to a knowledge of Himself.
We all have immortal souls, and nothing which this earth can give brings either rest or blessing to them.
“Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matt. 11: 28, 29, 30.
Utterly unsatisfied and unblest is everyone who does not know God, for He is the Source and the Foundation of every blessing. No rest can there be for the conscience or heart apart from the rest which Jesus gives; and sad was the state of Frank’s parents, not only respecting the Lord Jesus for themselves, but trying to shut out their little boy from the knowledge of Him and of His finished work.
After making some inquiries they heard of a very select school, kept by a lady.
At their request she duly called to see them, and everything seemed most satisfactory on both sides, until they told her that they did not wish him, to have any religious instruction, or ever to be spoken to about God, or Jesus Christ.
Miss Wood (as I will call her) was an earnest Christian, and she at once said she could not receive Frank upon such conditions.
His parents, however, had been so pleased with her, and with all the arrangements of her school, that they would not take her refusal, but begged her to go home and think the matter over, telling her that it could be so easily arranged for the little boy not to go until an hour later than the other scholars, when the religious instruction would be over.
Rather reluctantly Miss Wood consented to this wish, and upon reaching her home she made it a matter of earnest prayer, desiring to know from God what His mind was with regard to it.
As she prayed there gradually came to her the conviction that she was to take Frank, trusting in God to open a way for him to hear about the Lord Jesus.
Soon after this, Frank became one of her scholars, and a very interesting little pupil he was. But before long he found that the other children went to school much earlier than he did, and he naturally wanted to know the reason. “Why may I not go with the others?” he would ask. And he persisted in his questioning as to why it was.
I daresay none of you will be surprised when I tell you that, being an only child, he was—well, perhaps I must say, rather spoiled, and allowed to have his own way a good deal.
So after a time Frank’s mother and father said, “It will be better to let him go at the same time as the other children, and we can let Miss Wood have some toys for him to play with, either in the garden, or in a room, should it be a wet morning.”
So this arrangement was made, and Frank started off to school at the same time as the other little children.
Miss Wood often prayed for, and was very interested in, her pupil Frank, but she strictly kept the promise which she had made to his parents. Still, I am sure this must have been a great test to her faith, and I am sure she must have felt at times that she might have been mistaken in thinking that God would have her take him in this painful way.
ML 07/06/1924