The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-25
A Curly-Headed Boy.


Mother" little Robert said, as he trudged
along by her side. Where are you goings Are
we going to Mr.. CALDWELL to-day2"
YES" said the mother. He has a book for
me and some little tracts that I'll read to you
nice stories; my boy will like them" Rober!
pushed the black curis back from his forehead,
and said nothing, only trotted on the faster, for
he liked to be read to.
When they arrived at the minister's house,
Robbie said he would wait in the ga arden, for he
wanted to see how the potatoes were doing.
The truth was. his mother and Mr.. Caldwell
sometimes had long talks aoout things he did
not understand, and he grew tired of trying to
listen. So he went to the garden and walked
about and waited, but came back in time to
have the minister pat his head and call him his
curly-headed little boy, and ask him what he
meant to be when he was a man. Then homo
again, and the book and the tracts were read to
Robbie. Much of them he did not understand,
but he asked many questions. and his mother
explained AS well as she could, and it was a very
happy childhood.
The years passed, and by and by Robert was a
big boy, old enough to go away from home to
earn his living; and as he had been fond of the
garden when he vas a little fellow, he was fond
of it still, and went to work under a gardener.
1t was the night before he was going away; his
mother came to his room for a little talk.
And, Robert" she said, as she was going,
there is one thing l want you to promise me,
will you?"
Il don't know about that, said Robert; 81 must
know what it is first"
No" said the mother, 81 want you to promise
first, and then l will tell you.n
BIS, mother, IA boy mustn't promise a thing
until he knows what it is about; l can't do
that"
1T is a good rule, generally" she said, 'but
don't you think a mother is different from other
peopleg You can trust her"
THAT is true" her son said, after a thought
full pause. II car trust you. mother, where
can't myself; well. go ahead; l promise; now,
what is itF'
Il want you to read a few verses in the New
Testament, and pray to God for his blessing on
1t, every day of your life, wherever you are.
And remember, my son, you have promised"
Robert was not the boy to break his word; if
he had been he would have been more careless
in passing it. Often he was tired and sleepy,
and sometimes he felt like anything else rather
than reading the Bible and praying; but there
was his promise; he never broke it.
Not so very long after that, though, he grew to
LOVING the reading ahd praying so that he felt he
could not do without them.
Soon afterward he was walking through the
street one evening, and he saw a hand bill which
told about a missionary meeting. 1t was an old
bill, and the meeting was over; but something
about 1t interested Robert.
He wanted to know more. He studied the
name on the bill, and finally made up his mind
that he would 60 to the mans house and find out
all he could. The man was a minister. Away
rushed Robert. but by the time he had knocked
at the door he began to wonder what he would
say, and what the minister would think of him.
he had half a mind to run away; but the door
was opened, and he went in.
There is a long story between that and the next
two years, but it was just two years from that
time that the London Missionary Society sent
Robert to Africa. That was the year 1922.
Eighteen years afterward he came home to make
a visit: he had become a very eloquent speaker,
and great crowds of people gathered to hear him
tell about missions in Africa.
AT one meeting there was an old minister, who
listened with great interest, and was finally in
vited to meet the missionary at a friends house
and have a talk with him.
When they met in the parlor, almost the first
words the old man said were: your name re-
minds me of a good woman I used to have in
my church in Cambridge. Her name was the
same as yours. She used to come to my house for
books and tracts, and / had long talks with her.
She was a very good woman. She had a little
curly-headed boy, in whom l was much interest
ed. | have often wondered what became of him."
oh" said the missionary, his face aglow, lit
can't be that you are Mr.. Caldwell! Why, L
ought to know you. and you ought to know me.
I'm the little curly-headed boy. l remember
your house and the garden, and the corner
where the potatoes grew, and everything"
l wonder how many Of my pansies guess that
| have been telling them about the great mis-.
sionary to Africa?
If you want to be better acquainted with the
'curiy headed boy" and the great things he did
for Christ. you must read the life of Dr.. Robert
Moffat