Dorothy Day was a dear little girl about five years old, the daughter of a Christian. One of the delights of the day to father and daughter was the little prayer time at its close, and the confidential chat after, before Dorothy pillowed her curly head and went to sleep.
One evening, after the prayer time, Dorothy held up her little hand and said:
“This finger and this thumb have been very naughty today, father.”
“Why, what have they done?” inquired Mr. Day.
“Can you not guess?” said the child, thinking that her wise father knew everything about her day’s doings. But though he thought of many of little Dorothy’s childish doings, he failed to tell the exact thing to which she alluded.
“They took some raisins out of the cupboard,” confessed his little daughter, and, after a pause, she added, “and put the raisins into my mouth.”
Hiding an amused smile at the sincerity and simplicity of his darling, Mr. Day inquired;
“Did anybody tell those naughty fingers to do it?”
“I did not hear anybody tell them,” replied the child simply.
“What part of my little girl caused those naughty fingers to take the raisins?” again asked the father, in the hope of teaching his little daughter a profitable lesson. “Was it her curly hair, her head, or her heart?”
“Her heart,” quickly replied Dorothy, realizing that it was something within her which caused the fingers to act. Then, in simple language, her father set before her the Scripture truths, that “out of the heart are the issues of life,” (Prov. 4:2323Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23)), that God, who knows “the secrets of the heart,” (Psa. 44:2121Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. (Psalm 44:21)), has declared that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Jer. 17:99The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9).
Like a faithful father, he explained to her that as the source or spring of herself was wicked, therefore she was a sinner, and included in the great “all” when God says,
Then taking a piece of black cloth, he wound it round the naughty finger and thumb to indicate their black Character. Mr. Day put the matter in such an interesting and simple way, that the child nestled closer between his knees, and looked inquiringly into his face.
“But what made my Dorothy know that those naughty fingers were naughty, and what led her to think of confessing to father?”
Dorothy could not answer this question, so her father went on to tell her that it was her conscience that told her act was sinful, and that it was her conscience that brought before her when speaking to God in prayer that sin, and holiness could not dwell together.
Thus, sweetly, Mr. Day was able to set before his darling child, her need of knowing her sins forgiven, for if conscience led Dorothy to confess to father at the close of day, what about the time when “every one of us shall give-account of himself to God?” Rom. 14:1212So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12). Surely the desire must be implanted in each heart to know their “sins forgiven”; and any boy or girl may rejoice in this now, for God’s. Word says,
If you, my reader, have not already done so, why not take Him now as your Saviour?
ML 04/26/1936