The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-09-14
A LITTLE SUNBEAM.

Once on time little sunbeam start
ed on journey through streets. over
houses, peeping through the tiniest
cracks. and binding the eyes of the new
baby who was called from Dreamland
in very abrupt way by this inquistive
visitor. But life to our little sunbeam
meant more than mere fun and frolic;
SO as winter merged into spring it gained
strength for its life work and settled
down, learning more and more as one
day followed another in rapid succession.
1t knew it was made for purpose. for
God makes everything to fill place. So
our FESTIVE little sunbeam travelled far
and wide, seeking place to make it's
home.
1t found in its wanderings an open
shutter of grand mansion. Here's
my place" the sunbeam said, "for there's
no people on the face of this earth 80
miserable as the rich, with their ever
lasting worry over their possessions.
Well, here goes! I'll see what can do
to cheer the life of this poor rich lady,"
With that the sunbeam entered the
spacious parlor and glowed in all its
heavenly splendor. 1t made a lovely
picture in the darkened and richly-cur-
tanned room. 1t was beginning to feel
quite at home when two ladies came in.
One, the owner of all this elegance, said
as she. sprang to shut out our little sun
beam: "Oh, dear! to Think Of that hor-
rid sunshine being on my best carpet
and fading it all out. I'll not have any
sunshine on my carpet. can tell you
that" So our little friend pushed on.
This time il went to the other end Of
town, miles away from the mansion
where it was treated 80 shamefully.
Here rows after rows of tenement houses
lowered so high that You would wonder
why the top stories did not blow off with
the first strong wind. In the streets
were groups of ragged children quarrel
ing, throwing stones and mud balls at
one another. well" thought the sun
beam "these children get as much sun
as my lady who sent me flying from her
parlor few minutes ago; and that's just
none at ALL"
On went the sunshine. Passing a
saloon where young man was stagger-
ing out into the street, it turned the cor
ner, came to an alley, went in. and
mounted. Peeping in window of the
first story, it found it was not wanted, SO
it tried the second, the third, the fourth,
until it reached the top. Here it found
a plant. sickiy looking geranium. "Ha!
hal" it thought. II can put new life in
to that poor little thing. l guess I'll
stay"
Now it SO happened that in that same
room lay girl sick with malarial fever.
The dreadful odors from the alley below
had SO poisoned her, that poorly fed as
she was, she had suddenly been taken
sick, and was so sick at this time that
the mother had thought her Mollie
WOuiQ AO'CA gov dp uSd
A few days before this, Bobby, who
sells newspapers and lives in the same
house. had bought geranium for Mol
lie. and she had watched it grow until
she seemed almost to be a part of it.
How eagerly she watched i'll The buds
on it hooked SO lovely she felt sure they
would bloom. One day she pulled her
mother down to the bed and whispered:
Mother. il my flower lives | believe l
shall too, for I've asked God that it
might be so.'
The poor mother had but little hope,
for by this time the plant showed so
sadly the need of sunshine. From that
time two watched the little buds with
an eagerness about equal. But when
the sun refused to shine for days, their
hearts fell. and they began to think God
had forgotten all about them.
The next moment our little sunbeam
came to the window and rested on the
little plant. When Mollie saw this she
tried to clap her thin little hands as she
called: Mother. mother, sunbeam is
shining right on my plant. and it's going
to grow and I'm going to get WE'LL"
You can imagine what hard job that
sunbeam had, to shine right through
the dirt in the flower-pot until it found
the roots, and then to warm them, and
warm them until it put new life into the
little plant.
Before long it lifted up its head. opened
it's scarlet buds. and so delighted Mollie
that she laughed right out loud.
When the second bunch Of buds came