Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1888-12-15

to you, Milly, be honest, believe III
Jesus, fear and love your Heavenly
Father, and be sure that God will
provide for you in his own good time,
as he sees best"
1t had often been very hard for
Tangles, the struggle against tempta-
tions Of which | trust most children
know nothing, and she had often felt
sOrely inclined to steal and cheat, as
most of the other boys and girls that
she knew did but then her mothers
words would come into this brave lit
tie girls mind, and she would repeat
that part of the Lords prayer which
she had been wont to say morning
and evening at her mothers knee
in which we pray not to be led into
temptation, but to be delivered from
evil.
Oh, if ali children, and grown peo-
pie, too, would but say these words
when they feel themselves being
drawn into doing anything which
they might possibly get laughed at"
if they did not do, how much sin
would the world be saved!
If the boy or girl, when tempted to
tell lie or to behave wrongly, and
the weak man, when pressed by his
so-called friends to drink with them,
would stay to repeat that part of our
Lords Prayer, the first downward
step would often be stayed; and sure
ly, since the Savior himself conde-
scended to teach his disciples these
words, should we not try, however
weakly and falteringly to follow his
blessed precepts?
However, to return to little Tan
giles. That Christmas eve, the child
felt utterly wearied and disheartened.
All her efforts to gain an honest liv-
ing seemed to fail, and, as she sat in
the gloomy archway, with her chilled
feet tucked under her scanty rags, she
felt that there was never to be any
comfort or happiness for her again.
How she longed, syith an unspeakable
longing, to be in that beautiful place
where there was no more cold OF
hunger, and where all tears shall be
wiped from our eyes!
: Presently her thoughts went back
} to the Christmas year ago, wher
she had sat with her mother in theil
, bare, desolate attic, and heard the
story of the beautiful star which
l guided the wise men of old to thu
2 lowly manager in Bethlehem, where
| lay, as little, helpless babe, the in
5 FAINT Jesus.
81 WONDER" thought Tangles
whether, if 1 went and looked abou
S God would send me a star to show M
l the way to heaven. | s'pose it's {
r long way off, and ] shouldn't know
e which way to go; but p'r'aps some
where in the world there's q Ions
, ladder reaching up to the clouds
and very likely when got to the tol
: the angels would show me the rest O
! the way, for, oh do want the Lore
e Jesus to take care of me, and to SCI
: mother and father. I s'pose," con
: tinued the child to herself, "the RICH
a way would be to see if / could flint
: one of the stars as 'ud be so kind as t
D show me the way, like as if I was
e wise man, only you see Pm nOt-onl.
. miserable little girl. l don't s'pos
/ the wise men had matches with 'em
4 so IN leave mine on the steps," Ant
4 Tangles put her basket carefully Oh
t one side, and ventured out again int
If the cold, dreary street.
a All the shops were shut now, an,
t the soft snow was falling noiselessly
hiding away all the dirt and uglines
n under its white covering. How Bit
It terly cold it was Tangles pulled he
h scanty rags closer round her, and he
d teeth chartered as she put her littl
IS bare feet on to the snowy pavement
d but she was too much absorbed in he
h new hope to give more than a pass
It ing thought to such discomforts, an
o eagerly peered round her in search {
t, the star that would lead her to tn
o Holy City.
d at must be uely big and bright,
a thought Tangles-"quite different
the other stars as winks at me whe
Is it's fine night. They amt bi
IF enough; why, l don't expect they
e know it themselves! want q beaut
D. full big one as 'ud twinkle, twinkle
N right afore me till i found the ladder
y and then give me light up so as
e wouldn't fall" So the child wen
IS down this street and up that-nt
as knowing or noticing where she Wf