, 1881-02-04
Poor Johnny smiled and said, "Of


course"
why do you say, of course?" johnny
smiled again. drew himself up into Il
small heap on the sofa, looked out of the
window, and then replied, "Of course
every pretty girl wants to be loved"
And wouldn't You like to be loyed?"
"You have no right to put such ques.
tion to poor miserable shape like me.
But Miss Barberry loves me-'tis won
der. There is nothing on this earth too
good for her to bring me--when | am
sick, she bathes my head, and tells me
strange stories. see the good woman
coming home now.
Miss Barberry came IN, seated herself
on the sofa beside the lame boy, and
slipped a parcel into his hand, then she
turned to Mary, saying, "This boy and L
feel blessed sympathies-we are both
malformed."
"Not you, Miss Barberry," answered
Mary
eyes, me; according to your grand
pas teaching. l am malformed. He
says, tis the mind makes the me-and
my mind is more malformed than John
ny's body. 1 try to comfort this poor
child with some ideas l got when was
servant at Deacon David's-the old man
used to :ead deal in his Bible to Eber,
and he talked deal to him too. He did
not talk his piety to me, for l wouldn't
let him; bu. somehow his words stuck TO
me, and now give them to johnny. I
tell him to cheer up-the old body is
nothing-he will throw it off in few
days"
Lame Johnny smiled sadly as lie said.
81 wouldn't mind the old body if it did
not ache so hard"
Dear child" said Miss Barbarry-.
and she brought pillow and fixed it
carefully under his head, telling him his
back ached from sitting too long-then
she turned to Mary and said : Il sup
pose you read the Bible?"
"Yes, 1 read it daily"
"And do you believe it is true?"
"Inot only believe it true, but l know
its true"
Miss Barbarry drew her chair near,
and looking Mary earnestly in the face,
asked OF him: "How do you know it is
true?"
Mary blushed and hesitated a moment
and then said:
"I feel it to be true; and DO You not
think the heart wiser than the head? In
other words, do you not believe what we
feel deeply, is more convincing, more
satisfactory, than what we only think?'
"a thousand times more SO. | have
felt too much in my life, and sometimes
| have not felt right-what do you do
them"
"Igo to my Bible, and there ] always
get help"
you do? Well, l never believed in
that book. My father and mother pro-
fessed to believe in it, but they didn't
read it often. know they didn't think
it of much account, anyway; they always
kept it laid up on the top shelf in the
secretary. They were very careful ont;
they wouldn't let it get hurt for any.
thing, and have always taken good care
of the book Lately / have taken to
reading it. Isn't it wonderful book,
Miss Pearl?"
Every wonderful. / have always read
it, ever since l could read at all. 1t was
my mothers great comfort i'll all her
trouble. What, Miss Barberry, has led
you to feel an interest in the book 2
"Oh, haven't much interest in it, but
/ am reading il some, and | am reading
it because | am so tired and weary OF
life. To tell the truth, amt we'll; |
won't live long"
"Why don't you call in doctor, and
take some medicine?'
II don't want any of their medicine.
r l,iI 1nt - Of
the world, and | won't let one on 'em
keep me here. / am dreadful tired of
living. can't sleep nights. My heart
keeps jumping about, and starts me If /
happen to fall to sleep for little min
ute, but it beats all the time in hurry,
and it makes me in hurry. Do you
know anything in the Bible that speaks
directly to such poor sinner as / am ?"
II know great many promises and
invitations that are spoken expressly to
you"
Tell me one, Mary-I forgot myself,
and am calling you Mary-excuse me"
81 like to have you call me by that
name. 1t reminds me of home and my
mother"
"Well, then, I'll call you Mary for
there seems tenderness in the word, and
you have kind o got near to me. am
blighted being. All the JOY of my life
is buried in the mournful past. If L be-
lieved in the bible, / might get some
comfort there. AS told you, 1 have
took to reading it lately, and | find,
many likenesses of my poor lost self in
it. There is the Prodigal Son, wandered
off so far into strange country that he
had nothing to eat. L am the same. |
have travelled into the wilderness Of sin,
and | am famishing there What can 1
do, Mary?'
Do what the Prodigal Son did-rise
and return to our Father. There is
prent welcome waiting for yOu."