The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-05-03
Little by Little.

Louise Parr, a young girl of sixteen,
offered to take class in the mission
school, and was given seven ragged,
unkempt boys of ten or twelve years OF
age. She began early to teach them to
spell, and continued to do this for two
or three Sabbaths. After studying the
alphabet she would read to them a
chapter of the bible and try to explain
it. But one sunday DR.. Storrs, the
old pastor, saw that the boys were
whispering and scuttiing, while Louise
sat Indifferent, silent, and despondent.
AS lie walked home he Joined her.
"What was the matter?" he asked.
"They know nothing. 1 know little
more. When I thought of the months,
POSSIBLY the years, it would take TO
leach them to read the Bible, and OF
all the doctrines and wisdom and
divine meaning in it which I do not
understand, 1 concluded to give it
up. It is of no use to try. 1t is the
learned doctors and great saints who
must help the world. I am nothing
but stupid, weak child.
eyes," said the old minister,
thoughtfully, "God has put great
store of truth here in the world to
feed our souls; in the Bible, in nature
in the thoughts and lives of men.
"Suppose," he said. suddenly, THAT
you should see piled up here in the
field all the bread and meat which you
will eat in the course of your life. Ii
would appall you. You would turn
from it in horror. But you gladly re-
ceive it, mouthful at time, and II
gives strength and nourishment to
your blood and brain.
"Your soul will be fed by God in
the same way. You are weak and
feel your need of greater knowledge
He does not expect you to become as
wise and holy as an apostle or martyr
in an hour, but slowly-as the body
grows.
"Human beings do not reach noun.
tain nights by one mighty leap, but
foot by foot, tramp, tramp through 3
the thorny brush and over rocks, and
through pleasant places, too; by hard
labor and happy rests. But they reach
it at last, aud stand in the sunshine
above the Clouds"
"l can understand that" said Louise,
"But it certainly seems to be folly TO
me to try to help these boys. They
are so ignorant, 30 Indifferent, and SO
vicious. And they are but two OF
three out of the hundreds like them
in our town. And our town Ia one
out of millions in the world, with ig-
norance and vice in all.
The old pastor was silent for a long
time, as they walked along the path
thu ough the fields. He said at last,
"What terrible drought we have had
this summer. The ground has been
baked with the heat, and the vegeta-
tation scorched from the Atlantic to
the Mississippi.
"When the rain came last week, sup
pose each little drop of water, as 1t
left the cloud could have thought and
said:
"'Why should fall upon the vast,
arid plain? What good could do? 1t
needs countless drops to freshen the
ground and bring it to life again
"But the rain-drop did not know
what God knows, that one drop may
wet the earth above a buried acorn,
and help it to become a great tree
which shall give shade and comfort
to men for centuries"
Louise made no answer to the doc,
tors parallels, but when she reached
her home she held out her hand, say
ing; ,., ,o,,,,,os
get discouraged. I will try again."