The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1885-07-15
" Holding the Light"
BY AUGUSTA MOORE.

Not for many day have Tread story
that so deeply and tenderly touched me
as the one in a late Evangelist under the
words " Holding the Light I read as
in dream of the past. Gradually
memory separated between the story that
1 was reading and the story that l had
known.
Once there were some motherless chill
dren. Their father was far away. They
were in the care of one who had forgot
ten the heart of childhood. One of these
children was girl the other, boy OF
three years, or nearly that. They were
slender, nervous creatures, and had been
most tenderly cared for by an affectionate
mother. They had never while she lived
slept out of their mothers room, and she
had been in the habit of reading to them
or lepeating to them hymns and Bible
stories after they were in bed. Of the
blackness of darkness which settled down
on these poor little ones after their moth
er death and their fathers departure,
pen could not tell.
When little Pete found himself put
away alone in a strange house, in high,
strange chamber, to go to sleep all by
himself he was terrified nearly out of his
senses. His little sister understood but
too well the state he would be in; and
finding it useless to entreat that she
might sit with him, she hid herself until
the coast was clear, and then crept quick
ly to the door of what seemed to her like
a prison chamber, and whispered through
the key-hole Pete Pete I
20 Sis ! are you there Do come in
The baby's voice " as choked and quiv-
ering, and the girls loving heart bled for
him and o how she did long for her
mother to return from the dead, and open
the door that she had been forbidden to
unlatch.
i daren t come in, Pete. She will not
let me, and you must keep stock still,
dear, or she will hear you, and come and
drive me away.
Will youstay right close there all the
time. Sis P
Yes, Pete; I will not stir away till
you are sound asleep, and pretty soon
she'll let me come to bed Now keep
still, and don't be one 1lite afraid
Greatly Gained and comforted, the
baby obeyed, only now and then saying
cautiously Sis, you there ?
Yes, dear, right here. l will not
leave you. Go to sleep.
At last the faithful ear discovered that
the baby slept. To be very sure, Susy
whispered through the key-hole Pete
baby Pete + There came no answer, and
Susy knew that the troubles of her darl-
ing brother were over for that ime.
Then silently she glided away.
The years went on. The children were
neglected. The boy was left to run in
the city streets. An old German woman
made for him, and gave him drink that
was made 80 sweet he learned to love it..
The brother and the sister were parted
by destiny. Whst she could do to hold
and influence her brother for the good
the sister did so far as she knew how.
She never failed him where it was in her
power to aid But there was no comfort
of home nor shelter from temptation for
either of them, and before Susy knew it,
her brother was a drunkard What the
woes are that throng the path Of the
drunkard and of all who love him, they
only, beside God, can know. Susy knew
them till she longed to die. But she
never forgot that Christ said Till seven
ty times seven, and she always listened
to the poor sinners repentings and re-
solves and promises and renewed hopes
and although she soon lost all faith in
her brother, she chung with grasp which
| only the destroying Of her spirit could
have loosed, to her God.
And in Him alone she believes and
hopes to-day. His promise has been
given to her. All power is His. His
word to her is Be Of good cheer" and
" Let not your heart be troubled" Her
prayers desire and effort are to obey her
Lord and she leaves all things that are
too hard for her poor mortal heart, tc
Him, feeling that as surely as lie lives
and loves, He will grant her the desire
Of her heart, being able to keep thai