Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-08-27
Child-Like Faith.

Parents who neglect the religious train
ing of the little ones, unconsciously lose
much that would be of spiritual benefit to
themselves, besides the Incompatible loss
to the children thus neglected. Nothing
can be more touching or beautiful than the
simple and perfect trust and confidence of
n child's faith in God. Its doubts and fears
are so easily removed. 1t comes to you
with troubled face. Some puzzling ques-
ton, concerning God, has arisen in its lit
tie mind, and how anXiously it awaits your
answerl What can be more gratifying to
a mothers heart than to see its face bright
en- and the clouds disappear, as your answer
is slowly impressed on its mind? AS it re.
sumes It's play, perfectly satisfied, you will
surely discover q new beauty in those
words, "A child-like faitil.n
The following truthful incident heauti-
fully illustrates the practical benefit and
controlling influence resulting from, the
pious training ofchildren; ...t'..
One afternoon, through the absence of
their mother, two little children, Willie
and Edie, aged respectively seven and
five years, Were left alone. She was nee
essarily detained from her home until af-
ter dark, and the children vainly watched
for her coming, until they could no longer
distinguish one object from another in the
fast>gathering darkness. Their only light
being dim one, proceeding from the stove,
it was no wonder that an underlined fear
came creeping into their little hearts but
Willie, being the older, put on a brave
"outside" for while, answering cheerful
ly to Edie's question, "Arn'tyou afraid "'
mo, what do you suppose can hurt me
here?n But when Edie crouched down
in alright, declaring, between her sobs,
that she heard something, he unconscious
| ly realized the need of higher power than
| his own. Taking hold of her hand he
said, "Please don't cry, Edie; let us pray.
God can take care of us, even if there was
| a lion right in the room. Don't you re-
member how mamma told us about Daniel
| how he was put right in among lots OF
| lions, and God came and shut
their mouths SO they couldn't bite
| at all ?' Couldn't they growl, either ?''
! "Well, / don't know, for sure, about that ;
| but know God could make them stop
growing, if He wanted to, for L tell you
God can do anything" well, Willie, il
make mamma Gomez MAY be He will,
if we ask Him to-" Clasping her little
hands together, Edie said, ooh, God,
please make mamma come home, and
| make it light so we can see." "Why,
| Edie, that isn't the way to pray; we must
| kneel down, and try to think what a big
| God He is, and how He knows all about
whether we have been good or not"
| "Then let's kneel down." and Willie re-
peated the Lords Prayer, and then said,
''Please, God, we know we have been
very naughty, lots of times, but we want
| you to help us to be good. Please take
care of us, and make mamma come home
quick, for we are all alone.n Edie then
said her little prayer, Now L lay me
down to sleep" They arose from their
knees with a peace of mind they could
not express, and, young as they Were, they
realized perfect trust in the Willingness
and ability of God to care for them under
any circumstances.