St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-12-07

Pi"oo W ouy Cne OOok and so ran up
to one and, by no means shyly, said, 81
say, where can l buy a Bible ~
Ihe man looked at him Indignantly.
None of your chatting, or rll Bible
you" Tommy didn't care to risk a
blow, and so hung on to the next stage
and was soon within sight of the big
| building. There it stood, but, though
Tommy went all around it, not a store
was open, not single book was to be
seen He stood looking at the place
where he remembered seeing the Bible,
thinking what to do next, when a gen
tleman came out of the store. Here
was chance.
'Oh, sir! Bobby wants Bible awful.
I've ninety-four cents to buy one for
him; will that be enough and can YOU
give it to me right off ?n
The gentleman had stopped at Tom
my's first word, and now turning to the
door, said, ''Come in here, I'll risk tax
ing Bible for you. And now,n said
he, as he drew the boy into the store,
"who is Bobby 2"
He's my brother, sir. He's little
feller and lame, but just the best He
can read, and he wants to read the true
stories. He'd rather have Bible than
a good dinnerp; And Tommy looked
as if he couldn't describe Bob's desire
for Bible in stronger terms.
''See, here is Bible," and the gen
tleman took plainly bound one, of
excellent type, from the shelf. 'Pll
mark what l want Bobby to read to-
morrow, and then if you'll tell me where
you live III come to see him.
Tommy described the alley and warn
ed the gentleman of the big rat hole
near their garret door, and then asked
the price of the book.
ave will say thirty CENTS" said his
friend, ''and here are two cards for
Bobby to keep; tell him the words are
out of his Bible," and he slipped in two
plainly printed texts. 81 hope you'll
have real THANKSGIVING"
''Prime, sir, thank you. Bob says
must go to the House, and now I'll get
him something good, too. Good night,
SIR"
No one ever travelled faster than
Tommy, as he hurried home. "Pve got
it," he said, as he stumbled to the bed
land see, Pve bought dip and some
matches for you to look at it,"
The boys looked at the new Bible
and Bob heard every word the gentle
man had said, even to the hope that
they should have ''real Thanksgiv-
ing" Tommy had remembered the
words, but thought little of them, but
Bob, as he always did, tried to get al
their true meaning.
"a real Thanksgiving | guess he
knows what it means. Amt these cards
lovely Oh, Tommy See, Giving
thanks always for ali things. Thanks
be to God for his-his, (this is hard
word something Why
Tommy, giving thanks is just thanks
giving turned round, amt it ?"
"Oh, you're cute one, Bobby! You
ought to be scholar. Now, what's Oh
the Other card gn
Slowly, but with no stumbling, fol
the words were not hard, he read "Fol
God so loved the world that he gave his
only begOtten son, that whosOever be.
lieveth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life y Even as Bobby
read his brother was dropping to sleep
and so, as the dip was half burned anC
they would want it again, the boys lay
down for the night. Tired as Tommy
was, he washed his brothers face, fol
the little fellow fancied he could sleeI
OCOtCi IL HIS lttSC
ed. If Tommy's own hands became g
title cleaner in the kind act it was for,
tunate, for he cared little about tidying
up except for the mission school.
Bobby lay awake, too excited to sleep
and tried to remember what was print
ed on the cards, but could only repeat
means, he thought, for thank Tommy
It,,
sure thank her for tidying up my room
and washing me all over. But then
can't be giving her thanks all the time
and Tommy is away, so if that il
Thanksgiving can't keep it all day
Giving thanks Thanksgiving" and re,
peating the words again and again
} Bobby fell asleep. Was it the comfort
of the Holy Book that gave him such 6
quiet sleep? Bob had not had such {
lovely rest in weeks, and never opened
his eyes till Tommy was starting of
before dawn for his morning papers.
''Thank you, Tommy; thank you"
I "For what, Bob I'm off, but II
bring home IA jolly breakfast, and there's
part of my supper if you're hungry
Herald = Times = 'Tribuner Good
!, BY"
"Good-by, and thank you, Tommy
Bobby lay still, waiting for the light
He was tempted to light the dip, bu
Tommy had made him promise never
to strike "a match when he was alone
so he tried to be patient. "This ii
Thanksgiving Day." he thought. 81
! only Widow O'Brien comes up Pll thanh
her." Slowly the dawn crept up. There
} was no fire in the room, and Bob was
, chilly, but as soon as he could see h'
strained his eyes to read the cards agaiL
'H'Thanks be to God'-why, then, weir,
to thank God! 1 wonder how 1 can
Tommy says they sing to him and pra.
to him at the mission school. l wish
knew how. l would like to give hin
thanks. l wonder if he'd hear me al
r the teacher told Tommy he hears then
at school. | mean to try"
, Slowly and with IL strange feeling il
, his heart, feeling as if One were pres
ent with him that he had never know
before, Bobby said, 81 thank you, God
} for my Bible and for Tommy-he's sucl
, good brother, and for Mrs. O'Brien-
it's so nice to be all washed and hav,
the bed made. And / thank you 70
these cards, and thank yOu that it
? getting little warmer and the sum
shining Oh, thank yOu"- and through
! Bob's closed eyes strange, happy tear
trickled-'I thank you for everything !!
e Perhaps his thanksgiving had enlight
: ened his mind /; at any rate, as Bo
read again and again that wonderful
text that "God so loved the world"
! seemed as if he began to understand il
e s'Tommy said Jesus was Gods Son am
| that he died for us. That must be wha
this means. His Father gave him fo