Year: 1867

For the Children.


Thomas Stafford was walking one day


with his mother. when they saw before


them blind man, lei by little boy


Thomas looked at him very earnestly


and seemed to be thinking about him
tand to pity MIN.


Mother said he, does not the LORD
love that blind man 2


Yes, indeed: why do you ask such .
iquestion p


Because should think he would u AXE
him see, as he opened the eyes of the
blind when he was on the earth. Can be
not open the eyes of the blind now as
well as he. could then p


Yes, my child, for you know you have
read in his holy Word that he has all
power in heaven ard in earth he allows
that man to be blind. because he loves
him he looks into his spirit, and knows
what will do that man good, both now
and forever. When you ran so earnest
ly to take away that piece of meat from
your dog the other day, was it because
You did not love Fido. or because you
did p


Because did, for you know some
poison had been put on it to kill those
troublesome rats in the barn, and knew
it would poison him, bnt it does not
hurt us to have eyes to see with ?
! No; but as you knew what was good
for your dog, but could not explain it 10
him, so the Lord, who has infinite knowl-
| edge OF what is good for each one of his
children, does not always permit us to
understand why he takes from US what
we think is good for us


! DO You think he knows that it will
be good for Mr.. Jones to be blind 2


Il have no doubt of it; and if he sub
mits patiently 10 this great loss, &C
knowledging that the Lord allows it to
be so, and that therefore it must be best
for him, he will be made to understand,
at some future time, how i. has done
him good, or saved him from harm


Now they came near enough to speak
to Mr.. Jones, and Mrs. Stafford bade him
good morning, and said:


You look happy, my friend, this
pleasant day


He returned the salutation, and then
said, in tone full of pleasure:


How beautiful the day is How de-
fghttul these Summer breezes playing on
the face especially when we can pett
cefe it as an external expression OF its
heavenly correspon ent, the pleasure of
being useful to others in acts of love is
cause of grateful emotion


While this. my little friend kindly
guides me, and leaves me no care for
myself. have been thinking OF the cor
-respondence OF the atmosphere to us;
as it brings to me invigorating brcezes,
replete with warmth from the sun, and
fragrance from the fields, l realize it as
an expression of the Lords love Of
blessing his creation, breathing into man
the breath Of life, and ever filling it with
good in never ceasing activity, and then
saying to us, Go thou and do like
wise : take of my love of serving, and
be useful to others in every possible
way


Il am glad said Mrs Stafford, shat,
though deprived of bodily sight, the
sight of your mind is SO clear. 1t will
enable you to be of use in enliveing the
thoughts of others, though deprived of
many other ways Of serving them
see you are not deprived of the gift of
sight, without compensation


After they had passed on, Thomas
said: 81


Il think Mr.. Jones is a good man !; he
is not sad because he is blind but what
did you mean by compensation ?


Perhaps 1 can tell you. Did you not
come to me yesterday to tell me how
happy you we're that You could use your
penknife again, now that your finger has |
got well When you were whiting last
week, you did not think of being glad |
because your fingers were all at your
command; and did not the pleasure you
felt in your finger getting well. in some
measure make up to you, Or compensate,
for its temporary loss? and did you
ever before know how pleasant it was to |
feel well, and move about freely, as you |
did, when your fever left you last Spring? |
Can you think how delightful it will be |
to Mr.. Jones, when, after the death of
the body, his spiritual eyes are opened ; |
or how very happy your dear sister must
have been when her poor emaciated body /
was cast Off, and she awoke with a body /
in perfect health and vigor9 So every |
trouble We bear well will have its com
pensa.ion.