Some time ago; I led a little girl; in a distant city, from a wretched home, where both parents were daily drunkards, to a Sunday-school. We had neatly clothed her. In a little time she took great delight in her school. More than once or twice, the unnatural parents sold her clothes from off her back for rum, and we would clothe her up again. It cost a good deal to keep good clothing on poor little Mary. But as often as her clothes were sold, I would see that she had new ones. She became very much attached to the school, and loved dearly to sing her Sunday-school hymns. She went to more than one school; for she would go morning, afternoon, and evening. She soon gave pleasing evidence that she nad became a child of God.
You have heard of the burning of the P. Mills. When they fell, Mary was at work in one of the basement rooms, with some other little girls whom she had taught to sing her hymns with her.
At first they were not hurt, but closely confined. Piles of timber and rubbish lay above them. We could talk with them, and cheer and encourage them. We passed down food and coffee to them. All this went on until the cry of fire was raised! The ruins were all soon wrapt in one sheet of flame. In the midst of all the noise, and above all, I could hear the voice of my dear little Mary, my Sunday-school scholar, striking up and singing, with her little band of singers, her favorite hymn, beginning My heavenly home is bright and fair,
We’ll be gathered home;
Nor death nor sighing visit there,
We’ll be gathered home;
We’ll wait till Jesus comes,
We’ll wait till Jesus comes,
We’ll wait till Jesus comes,
And we’ll be gathered home!
I stood with streaming eyes, and heard her sing till her voice was lost in silence. And she went up to heaven in her chariot of fire— “gathered home.”
How glad I was that I led her to the Sunday-school—glad that I never became weary, when her clothes were sold, of clothing her anew, so that she might go again. It was but a little done, and now she was “gathered home.”
Dear Children, if flames of fire should over-take you, would you be ready to go to be with the Lord Jesus?
ML 11/18/1945