Jean was a bright pretty girl, and a favorite of all her companions at work. She was just sixteen, and she was looking forward to a life of pleasure. God had given her a good home, and a fine voice, which she used to sing all the popular songs as they came out. In the factory where Jean worked, there was a Christian girl who used to speak to some of her companions about the Lord Jesus. She had often spoken to Jean, but had met with laughter instead of interest. “Don’t worry about me, Margaret, I have a long life ahead of me.” So Margaret would walk quietly away to pray for her friend.
One afternoon Jean went home from work feeling sick. Her mother thought it was just a cold, but before morning she seemed so much worse that a door was called. He at once found it to be a very serious infection, and gave very little hope of recovery.
“Mother,” cried Jean, “send for Margaret to come and pray for me.”
Margaret came, and at once began again to tell Jean of God’s love in sending Jesus to die for her. But that was not at all what Jean wanted. “Pray God to make me well again,” she said. “If God will make me well, I shall try so hard to be good, and will go to church too, and read my Bible.”
Margaret was shocked to hear all this strange talk, and she knelt down, and cried to God to awaken poor Jean to her need of a Saviour before she died.
They parted soon, never again to meet on earth. “Mother,” said Jean. “I will not die. Oh, Mother, Christmas is coming, I cannot die! I have so many parties and so many plans for the holidays, I must not die.”
Before morning, Jean was in eternity.
Dear young reader, you may be young and healthy, hut you may be in eternity tonight. I beg of you to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour right now before you set aside this paper.
ML 07/16/1950