Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-10-12
5irssias Ssahing.
Charlie Bells First Prayer.

All through the days Of autumn, little
ChsrEr Bell coutIived to meet Mr.. Green
often, and always asked him, when the
should prevent his fathers getting drunk,
and make a good man Of him"
'Nhca the law is made said he one
niglt, there will be more happy children
than W.. There's poor Mike Runson's lit
tie boys won't they be glad, thought Il
ard row long will it be before the good
law cot~--i am almost tired of waiting
said CT vile.
Il don't know. l am afraid it will be
longer than | thought it would. DR..
Wentworth says if we get alaw to suppress
the rum trade in the spring it will be as
soon as we can expect
IN the springp exclaimed Charlie
10 dear! o dear must we poor children,
who have drunken parents suffer through
anchor dreary winterl Must we go half
clotl d, cold and hungry, so long % it
is drca&ml! | wish the men who make
such lA-s could know how hard it is Tor us,
and tLsa they wouldn't wait till spring, in
deed thsr wouldn't they'd put a stop to
it right A~Ay. But they don't know, and
never "a They have nice houses, warm
clothc-, AL good things to eat, so they
don't m,LA much about them that are suf-
fering Id dying all around them
'Ch-slH,' said Mr.. Greene, taking the
boy l., The hand, you say just as | used
to, but I is all wrong. There are many
noble r-.G among the wealthy and infu.
entail " oar land, who are lahoring HARD
for US, ~Lo arc e%xerting all their power
to get tLis law of which we have talked
so often. And we must help them all W,
oan. 1t is but little we can do, it is true, bu
we can PRAY, and if VIC pray earnestly, W,
have tho assurance that the Lord will hca
our prayers and answer in his own goo'
time
what, PRAY! Me PRAY said Cbarli
giving . low short laugh, and drawing h
hand away.
sYcs, why notr said Mr.. Greene.
CD III my a~n't know how. never pra,
work asking the LofdIor5.Hmake ouec
], thuueh z and again the boy laughed.
Mr.. Greene could not forthe life ofhil
SUPPRESS "a smile at the boys oddity, b
he smd seriously.
'Didu't your mother never learn you
say, Our father who art in hcavenP
NO
Nor, Now / lay me down to sleel
No, is that the way to prayf
One way said Mr.. Greene. Butwould
you like to learn to prayp
20 yes, but I've no one to teach me-
piled Charlie.
poor child, ] will teach YOU said
man, and taking the boys hand again
led him into a corner of the fence,
the I'VE knelt in the dim starlight. 7
there was a moments pause, and W
in low solemn tssOs, the reformed Inc
ate pronounced the Lords prayer,
child listened eagerly. His little hs
were elapsed, his eyes appraised, and
young heart thrilled to the music of
beautiful words. He scarcely breat
. till the amen was said-then laying
little hand on Mr.. Greene's arm, he v
pered
Did God hear that, up in the sky
'les, hope So replied the man.
'rhGn please say it again. 1t is be
hl W talk so to Cod
Aud the man complied with the cl
request and though there were some
words which be did not quite unders
tue general meaning Of the petition
plain to him rs day. And all the
b 'uie DC kept saying to himself, Our
or who art in heaven, hallowed bC
name There was a world of holy
in the words, and they awoke a respo
melody in the child's heart, which wa
and strange. As he climbed the old
way in the darkness, and entered his
room, ~ said half aloud, If it makes