MATILDA COUSINS had a kind and tender mother, who loved the Lord Jesus, and who sought to train her little ones to love Him, too. Thus, at the early age of four years, little Matilda began to think whether she were really fit to go to heaven or not. She knew God could not look upon sin, and that she often did naughty, sinful things, and many times the tears rolled down the little cheeks when she thought that perhaps, after all, she should never go to heaven. But before very long, Matilda saw her sins were laid on Jesus—that He bore them all on the cross, and believing in Him, she began to love Him as her own Saviour.
Mr. Cousins did not know or love God, and Matilda now sought in various little ways to be a comfort to her mother, who had many sorrows and difficulties. When she could read, her first wish was to have a Bible of her own, and this desire was granted to her. One day a missionary, who often called upon Mrs. Cousins, brought Matilda a beautiful reference Bible, and on receiving it her joy was so great that she clasped it in her hands, saying with great emphasis, “Precious treasure, thou art mine.”
This dear child’s love to the Lord was not without its fruit, and she sought how she might be useful to those around her. She had many little brothers and sisters, and hearing one day of a school near, where she might be taught knitting, she thought how delightful it would be to make socks for them all.
Matilda was too useful to her mother to be spared in the day, so the kind person who kept the school consented to have a little evening knitting class for girls who were busy all day.
She always began with prayer, and whilst the little ones were knitting, she would sometimes read a portion of God’s Word. Matilda thoroughly enjoyed these evenings, while some present only listened to make fun of the kind teacher who sought to lead the little ones in the right way.
May this story urge on some little Christian child to serve the Lord—to follow in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus, who went about doing good. Who knows how rich the blessing of serving others and forgetting self?
ML 10/06/1918