The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-06-28
Ghilarrn's Column.
Thou Understandest my
Thought Afar 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 so 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
minutes, and of the happy evening she
had had. They were ali older than her
self, 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
thoughts 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. I've tried my best Well, nobody
will know l couldn't get through the
Lords Prayer even. 1 guess it's the
first time in a good many years that l
went to sleep without sayingit."
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 little
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 we1a all white AS she looked she
saw fair-looking being, an angel she sup
posed, begi-"ing to write on them. What
was he trying to say Our Father
which art in heaven the Lords Pray
er. But what were those many words
and lines that came after? al wonder
what play they re at now How they
laugh [ think mother might have let
me sit up longer l 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 forgot. Where did I leave off?
Thy name. Thy'-Meta johnson said
she didn't have to go to bed till ten, &c.
We don't like to tell 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 at
last; can't bear it. 1 never thought
those things would look so dreadful when
they were written. Can't something be
done? Must l 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 filling the walls with what
passed through her mind in so short a
space of time.
4" 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
to say more, but her JOY was 50 great
that she awoke with start. o. what
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, don't need to ask
you what only can blot out all these
wrong thoughts and words and deeds Of
ours? But 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 Belshazzar's
palace. But isn't there book where all
these things are written down, and re-
main written unless blotted out by that
one thing of which the angel spoke? 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
many can you find j.?