St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-11-09

lows, though they must have heard 1t
before, were quite struck with the
thought it contained. 1t was in Romans,
9Th chapter and 2Sth verse: sAnd we
know that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his pur-
pose"
Things had been going very crooked
lv at the Thorne's house lately. Even
Charlie could see that. His father
looked worried aud troubled, and was
often very cross indeed, "almost ready
TO bite your head off, if you speak to
him." as the boy complained to his sis
ter Sara. He was not one bit like the
ioily father who used to come into the
dining-room in the evening, and have
u frolic with his children, before they
settled down with states and maps, at
the large table, for their hour of study.
Mother, too, looked sad, and cried
good deal. Elsie and Fanny stopped
taking music lessons, and Sara was try
ing to teach them, instead of the Pro-
lessor, while the last and most annoy
ing thing of all had occurred on Satur-
day. The horses and carriage had been
sent away to be sold, including the
pony, which belonged to the boys; and,
as though this had not been enough,
Mr.. Thorne had said to Charlie and
Ned:
"You boys must make the most of
this term at the academy. You'll have
to attend the public school after Christ
mas"
Father has had heavy losses" Sara
explained. "He may have to give up
his business and be clerk himself, and
mother thinks that we'll be obliged to
move out of this house into smaller
one on some quiet little street.
Charlie thought of it in church. "All
things work together for good" he said
to himself. "They are working together
for bad, in our family, / think; there
never was fellow so unfortunate as
and my pony is gone, and very likely
some Irishman will get him, who will
beat him, poor Don, and never give
him any sugar to eat; and I'll have to
go to school with all the North Side
boys, and life is dreadful, dreadful !"
You understand that he did not say
this aloud, because it was in church,
and the minister was preaching. He
Just kept thinking it over, kind of ac
com paniment, such as the piano can
make to a song, while the good German
preacher, kept on talking.
sTo them that love God"
81 WONDER" thought Charlie, eff we
belong to Them"
Now the fact was that though he was
twelve years old, going on thirteen,
this was the first time that any wonder
of this kind had ever entered Charities
head. If you had asked him whether
or not he loved God, he would have
answered, "Why, certainly" and he
had supposed that his mother and father
and the whole family, were of those
who loved God. Yet now that he be-
gan to consider it, he remembered that
they never prayed together in his home,
as they did at grandpa Carriers that
they never asked a blessing ON their
food; and that they neuer said their
prayers IN the morning, though he and
Ned generally kuelt down, and ratified
off '.Our Father and Now l lay me"
before they went to sleep at night. His
own good sense showed him very plain
ly that this was not the way to treat
dear Father and Friend whom they
loved.
"All things do not work together for
good for U.S." went on the whisper in
the busy little brain, "because we do
not love God"
By this time, the man who was
preaching had gotten to another part of
his discourse. He was reading another
verse, and the boys, who did precisely
what they observed their good Sunday
school teacher do, found the places i'll
their Bibles, and followed the reading
with their own eyes. Charlie Thorne,
too, as if he had never heard it before,
read and listened to this sweet and true
and grand text, Romans 8: 81: "He
that spared not his own Son, but deliv
cred him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely give us all things "
The few sentences in which the ser
mon was summed up spoke of the great
love of God the father, who was willing,
for enemies like us, to spare the very
dearest thing he had, his only Son,
While Charlie listened, he became
very glad and very sorry. Very glad,
because he saw, all at once, that he was
a child of God, brother of the dear
Saviour who died on the cross and
very sorry because, in all his life, he
had never loved him, nor praised him,
nor done anything but forget all about
him. You may think it strange that so
much could happen to him in so short
time, but it is perfectly true. Charlie
Thorne walked out of church Chris
tian boy. He had gone there thought
less. He left and went home believing,
with his whole heart on the Lord Jesus
Christ. Such a change may take place
with you, if you choose, in a moment.
When he reached the house, dinner
was ready, and everybody had taken
his or her usual seat. They were wait
ing for Charlie. He came in, hesitated
moment, and then said, and it was
brave thing to say:
.'Father, I've heard something this
morning which makes me feel that we
all ought to be different here. Won't
you please ask blessing before we be-
gin 2"
His father for a moment looked vexed.
Ned pursed up his mouth and gave a
sort of silent whistle. Sara seemed
gently surprised. The others stared.
Tears gathered in the mothers eyes.
She feared lest harsh reproof should
fall on her boy. But the father only
said:
"Ask one yourself, Charlie, if you
want to-"
The little fellow did not stop or STAN
mer. He said quite simply, but rever-
emily,
''Dear Lord Jesus, please let all things
work together for good to us, and make
us all to love thee. Amen"
From that hour great change came
nvar the Thornas Fathar and mather