The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-12-13
Thou Understandest My
Thought Affair Off"


Thought Affair Off"
Mary was kneeling down by the side OF
her bed, her eyes closed and her hands
clasped If her mother had seen her she
would have thought she was praying, and
she would have been pleased that she
knelt 50 long. But she was only saying
her prayers" not praying. Her mind
was full of the young people down in the
parlor, whose shouts of merriment came
sounding up the stairs every few min
utes, and of the happy evening she had
had. They were all older than herself,
and though her mother had allowed her
to sit up an hour later than usual, the
time had come. when Mary knew it would
not do to beg for little more time
But the longer she knelt the more her
thong hts wandered away from what she
was trying to do. The words, some Of
them, passed through her mind, but that
was all. At last she jumped up.
It's no use" she said, hurrying into
bed. 1--we tried my best. Well no.
body will know I couldn't get through
the Lords Prayer even. However, its
the first time in good many years that
1 went to sleep without saying it.
But Mary felt uncomfortable the few
minutes she lay awake She had been
brought up to feel that she must pray at
least twice day, Just as much as she
must eat her meals. She didn't feel
quite right especially when mother came
in and asked God to take care of her lit
tie girl and make her His child.
Mary's first dream was very strange
one She thought she was sitting in her
little bedroom reading. But instead of
the pretty wallpaper, covered with rose
buds and delicate ferns, she found, on
glancing up from her book, that the walls
were all white. AS she looked she saw
fair-looking being, an angel she supposed,
beginning to write on them. What was
he trying to write? "Our Father which
art in HEAVIER" the Lords Prayer. But
what were those many words and lines
that came after? q wonder what play
they're at now? How they laugh
think mother might have let me sit up
longer. [ came so near winning that last
game, and Hallowed be'-Anna Ross
said that she would teach me that new
crochet stitch tomorrow. o dear
lOTSOG. w mere ulu L ledNS Oll 1uJ
name. Thy'-Meta Johnson said she
didn't have to go to bed till ten, etc.
We don't like to tell all the foolish
thoughts Of our little girl, which she saw
were soon filling the pure white walls.
1t seems too dreadful to put such words
side by side with our Saviour's beautiful
prayer. Mary felt SO ashamed and
grieved as she read on that she would
gladly have covered her eyes, but they
seemed held open and made to look.
"Blot it out blot it out t. she cried t
last Il can't bear it. never thought
those things would look so dreadful when
they were written. Can't something be
done? Must 1 always have it there ? [
will rub it out myself"
But it was of no use, she soon found.
The letters seemed to stand out more
distinctly than ever, and on, on the an
gel wrote, soon filing the walls with
what passed through her mind in so
short space of time.
Nothing you can do can blot it out,
said the angel at last; one thing only
can"
Mary looked up to hear what he had
10 say uOIe, OuJ uSI Joy Woo oO - ca y
that she awoke with start. Oh what a
relief to see, by the light of the moon that
filed her room, that the pretty rosebuds
and ferns were still there, and no angel
was writing down those foolish thoughts
of hers.
Ny little friends, I don't need to ask
you what only can blot out all these
wrong thoughts and words and deeds Of
ours2 But I should like You to send me
some texts about it, won't you? OF course,
it is unnecessary for me to ask any Of
you if you know about the angel who
wrote on the wall Of Belsbazzar's palace.
But isn't there a book where all these
things are written down, and remain
written, unless blotted out by that one
thing of which the angel spoke2 There
are other illusions to this book or these
books. Who writes in them, and when
will they be published And how many
things are spoken Of as written in them
I can think of at least five things. How