The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-11-09

while, although, as yet, she knew moth
ing OF that Heavenly Friend who could
so fully sympathize with her in her home
less and friendless condition, drawn Q
her even more closely to himself because
of it all. She did not know then that ,
her sake, as for ours, He become poor.
This child had yet mission to perform
the Importance of what she knew moth
ing, nor how, through her sufferings, she
was to come to the Shepherds fold and
learn OF his wondrous love to Just such
as she.
1t happened one day that kind lady
coming on her rounds of charity to visit
woman In the house where Gretchen
slept, and hearing a piteous moan, fol-
lowed the sound and found the poor
child in great suffering and alone.
Touched to the heart by such a sad pic
ture of misery, she applied at once to
one OF the noble institutions of the city
where little children who are homeless
and Migrants are cared for most tender
ly, not only in their bodily but spiritual
wants, no matter what their nationality,
and obtained ready admittance for our
poor Gretchen.
*
And now, with her sweet pale face and
shrivelled limbs, in room filed with
sunshine and flowers, lay our little
friend. She had been at the Home a
year, spending much of her time in bed,
growing weaker every day; laying
quietly and looking up at the blue sky
by the hour together: for the love of the
hnaT1tifr11 ~, -
though deformed and poor and suffering.
God had given it to her. Thanks be to
him that so much that is beautiful is as
free as air.
Mrs. P, an earnest Ohristien woman,
who brought with her what money could
not buy-sweet, loving words and sunny
smiles, -came every day to read to, our
patient little sufferer, sometimes pretty
story, but always from a small blue vel
vet book with gold clasp, which she
brought with her, and from which Gret-
chen would commit verse or two, as
she was able, now and then. You can
guess what it was. Yes, it was the BIZ
BILE for dear Gretchen had learned in
this year at the Home to love and trust
that Saviour who had done SO much for
her, and to glorify him through her
sweet patience and gentlenesS in her suf-
ferings. Many heart in the Home was
uplifted and cheered by her noble exam
pie. To them she seemed like an
"Angel of light
Just pluming her wings for a heavenly flight
Sometimes she would fail asleep and
have such beautiful visions-pictures of
that far-away land to which she was fast
fastening. During night of great suf-
fering, losing herself for few moments
at time she said to her attendant
" Do you ever dream the same dream
over? 1 dreamed tonight that Jesus
came and stood beside me; I could not
see his face, but he was so gentle, and l
asked him if he would forgive me, and
take me to be one of his angels in heaven
and let me leave this poor aching body
behind that had given me so much trou-
BILE, and he said, Yes, thy sins are all
forgiven and then l woke, and pretty
soon went to sleep again, and 1 saw
him again and l asked him the same
question, and he always told me, Yes :
and just then beautiful company of
children, all clothed in white, with their
crowns and harps, gathered around me
and sang SO sweetly that piece that has
soothed me SO often in my pain, only they
seemed to alter the words little for me.
You know it:
Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on his gentle breast,
There, by His love o'ershaded,
Sweetly thy soul shall rest
Hark It's the voice of angels,
Borne in a song to thee,
Over the fields of glory,
Over the jasper sea-
1 k1aoaO that shall be with Jesus, with
my crown and harp"
Just at the close of the following day,
while many of the inmates of the Home
were standing around her bedside-some
of whom had been won to Christ by the
words and example of this dear sanity
child, so poor in this worlds goods, but
of such infinite value to her Heavenly
Father in the richness of her soul, she
looked up at them, and in clear, calm
voice repeated these words: They shall
hunger no more, neither thirst any more
neither shall the sun light upon them, or