The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1873-10-18
Emma's Secret.

"Emms and Jim and win como to
spend the day with me, mamma" cried
Tom Jones. GLOW glad amp
ri am glad too," said Mrs. Jones.
"The poor children do not ocen havo
holiday, and 1 hope they will make the
most of this one"
eyes, that they shall; and 1 will holp
them to do it." said Tom, catching off
his hat and throwing it into the air.
"Of with you, then, said Mrs Jones:
and the happy childIen were soon out
in the barn playing in the hay, with
shouts of laughter that might be heard
over half the farm. Tired Of this at
length they began to hunt for eggs;
then they fed the chickens; then Tom
said.
"ThiS is ali good fun, but 1 am tired
of it. Let us go down by the bridge
and skip stones on the water"
"Will your mother let you go so far7"
said little Will. "And won't we any of
us fall into the water and get drownedi"
Tom laughed.
II guess would not ask you to go
unless | was sure my mother would let
me-" he said. "And as to falling into
the water, we shall not be such geese az
that"
81 thought it was ducks that went
into tho water, and not geese" said
Will.
At that they all laughed aud ran
along the path that led to the river.
ooh dear I! what a nice place this isl'
said Emma as they came to the gre on
bank by the waters side. "What a
pretty little bridge, and what grand old
trees III lived there, should spend
half of my time on thia very spot"
"No, you would not," said Tom.
"You would have lessons to learn and
work to do, aud all sorts Of tiresome
things to keep you from having good
time, just as l do"
"Why, Tom," said Emma, az do not
think it keeps US from having u good
time because We have duties to attend
to.
"I do" said Tom. .I love to play,
and hate to work. So therew
He stopped down, took up a stone
and prepared to throw it into the va.
fer.
eyes, perhaps you do" said Emma.
"But then We do not live to please our,
selves. you know"
"What do we live for thsn!" said
Tom.
"Why, to please Jesus" said Emma
My mother says We ought just to live
for that, aud nm trying to do it,"
Bother !" said Tom, impationtly, as
DO tprned away from her. al don't
profess to be be Christian"
She laid her hand gently upoa him,
aud gave him sad but earnest glance as
she said.
"But, Tom, you ought to be Chris.
tain. If you are not, you must be shut
out from heaven, and from God, aud
from all things that are good and pleas
ant"
81 want to live in heaven" said Jim
"It is such beautiful place-ever SO
much prett:er even than this"
"How dOyou come to know so much
about it? said Tom, shortly.
"Why, itis all in the Rible,' said Jim
"It is easy enough to find it. We read
it very often-Emma and do"
Tom began to skip stones, and to
talk very fast about other things. He
never liked to think about serious sub.
jaOta. Pretty soon the tsa-bell rang,
and they all went in to find quite q lii.
tlo feast prepared for them by kind Mrs.
Jones.
After tea she told them stories till it
was timo for the children to go home i.
AS they came to kiss her good. night,
she said to Emma:
"Wsll, my dear, have you had a hap.
py day ?"
"oh, SO very happy! said Emma;
land l thank you for being SO kind to
u.s."
Mrs. Jones stood in the door to
watch them ss hey walked away.
"Poor things !" "she raid; they do not
have many bright days"
"Yes, they do" said Tom. II do