The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-05
FOR THE LITTLE FOLKS.
Holding the Light.
American Reformer.

American Reformer.
A dear little boy, of five years, who had an
old-fashoned Spartan mother. was brave enough
ordinarily but was afraid to be left alone in the
dark. To cure him of this fear his mother de-
cided to send him to bed alone, and to have the
light taken away, which had usually been left
until the little fellow was asleep.
This was a sore trial to the boy and possibly
to the mother, but most of all to the boys sis
ter, girl of about ten years of age. She could
not forget her own times of trembling and of
terror OF looking under the bed and hiding her
head under the blanket. Her heart ached for
the little fellow undergoing such heroic treat
ment, and she used to steal up stairs with her
bedroom candle, and stand just outside her
brothers door
Are you there, sister,
yes Willie
Can have the light"
mo, Willie; mother says no"
do bring it,
mo; but III let it stay right here"
"Will it shine inl"
YES all across the floor don't you see7 You
Then pause, and soon the sleepy voice ask
ing:
Are you there, sister?'
Yes Willie"
win you surely stay"
Surely
Till I'm all-every bit asleepl You won't let
the light go out till I'm gomez"
mo, Willie"
Nor leave me aloneF
mo, brother never"
And all this in the briefest whisper possible,
and if the mother heard she did not heed, for
the children were not forbidden to comfort each
other in their own fashion, until by and by the
boy outgrew his fear.
Years passed, and the lovely boyhood and
brilliant youth were left behind. Willie had
outSrown his sister in size, and strength, and
knowledge, but not III goodness or faith. Life
parted them early, and their lives went separate
ways Her love and her letters and her prayers
followed him, but evil temptations crept closer
to him than these. and little by little he became
the victim of drink. 1t did not conquer all the
good in him at once. but at intervals he yielded
and slowly and surely went down, Then it was
that she failed him She had been so proud
Of his talents of his power to win all
the world could offer, and now he made
her so pitifuly ashamed, When he repented
she found it hard to relent She hated the sin
so bitterly that she almost included the sinner
She hardened under the shame of it and lost
faith in his efforts and promises; and while she
did not give him up she made him feel ashamed
to come with his bemoanngs to her, when she
knew that before the next temptation his re
solves would 90 down like dead leaves in the
wind And so the distance widened, and she
suffered much, and he went down and down.
At last his health broke, and life drew nea. its
close. Then she found him, and drew near to
him, nearer and nearer till the day he died
Lying with his hard in hers, he looked up at
her, as a child might to his mother, and said
family:
DO you remember, sister"
Remember what, Willie"
Tho light the light; how I was afraid. and
used to stand by the door and hold the lightl'
Yes, yes, | remember; it was so long ago"
and she turned her face away to hide the tears
Never mind sister it's all right now. l feel
like a child again, and I'm not afraid"
mot afraid of the dark. No, you know who
goes with you, Willie, when we come to the
dark" She could not go on.
1.-The dark valley" he finished for her. Eyes
| know Him. / see Him, sister, and you held
the light, but, but
But what. brother!'
But you didn't keep on holding it always
you left me so many times in the dark 1t would
have been good, sister. if you had-held it
every time-but," suddenly seeming to realize
that he was troubling her, he drew her face
down as she bent over him. and whispered: "but
now I'll be still I'm tired-you will stay till /
go to sleepl'
Eyes, Willie yes; 1 will never leave you
again"
"And-and-you will hold the hght-for-"
LAS long as you need it, dear"
mo, no. not for me-not for me-for all the
other-the other"-and the old smile lit up his
face-''the other boys in the dark
There was no answer in words. He would not
have heard it if there had been, for with his
pleading for the boys in the dark his life went
out and he was asleep.
Such lessons need not to be repeated to any
heart on which such bitter scourging has fallen
once But the boys in the dark are many, and
many the sisters, and Mothers and wives that
ought to be holding the light