Year: 1871




the sweetest and most touching we eve


read-was published in the "Christial
Observer" nearly ,wo years ago. Be sur,


to read it


: "Does you love God ?"


The question came from q sweat pair oi
lips. Opposite sat young gentleman of
striking exterior. He and the child were
travelling in stage coach The latter sal
on her mothers knee. Her little face,
beautiful beyond description, looked oui
from frame of delicate frame work. For
four hours the coach had been toilipg on
over an unequal road; and the child had
been very winning in her little ways-lisp
ing songs, lifting her bright blue eyes to
her mothers face, then falling back, in a
little, old fashioned, contented way, into
her mothers arms, saying, by the mute
action, 81 am happy here"
| For more than On hour tbs dear babe,
scarce yet entering the rosy threshold of
her fifth year, had been answering the
smiles of the young man, who had been
pleased with her beauty. He had nodded
bis head to her little tunes; he bad offered
her his pearl-handled pen-knife to play
with; aud at lest his heart went over to
| her at every glance. The mild blue eyes,
full of the innocence of holy love and a
| trusting faith. made his leap with purer
| Joy; and, as the coach ratified on he began
to wish the end of the journey not SO very
near.


The Child had been sitting for the last
fifteen minutes regarding the young man
with glance that almost seemed solemn !;
neither smiling at his caresses nor at the
dear face that bent over her.
A thoughtfulness seemed to spread over
the young brow that had never yet been
shadowed by care and as the coach stop
ped at the inn door, and the passengers
moved uueasily. preparatory to leaving,
she bent towards the young man and lisp
ed. in her childish voice, these words
"Does you love God p


He did not understand at first in the con-
fusion, and bent over nearer and the
Does you love God ?" the tho1ghtful,
inquiring eyes, meantime, beaming into
his Own.


The young man drew back hastily, blush
| ing up to the very roots of his hair. He
looked in a sort OF confused, abrupt way
at the child, who, frightened at his man
ner, had hidden her face in her mothers
bosom, turned to the coach door. gave an
! other look back as If he longed'to see her
, face, and then he left tho coach.
| He hurried to his hotel. but the little
voice went with him. There seemed an
echo in his heart, constantly repeating the
question Of the child, "Does you love
God ?"


Several gay young men met him at his
hotel. They appeared to have been Wait
ing for him. and welcomed him with mirth
that was almost bojsterous. They had
| prepared an elegant supper, and after he
had been to his room, escorted him to the
table. The full CLEAN of the gas fell upon
the glistening furniture; red wines threw
shadows of lustrous crimson hue athwart
the snowy linen. There was mirth, wit,
faces lit with pleasure-everything to
charm the eye and please the palate but
| the young man was conscious of O void
never experienced before. His heart
| anon he seemed to hear the words, docs
you love God ?"


His name was Gilbert Only twenty
three years of age, he was good scholar
esteemed by his friends genius. Already
he had made his mark as q writer !; bat he
had never thought, as he thought to night.
on the solemn import of the question,
"Does you love God ?"


It came to him when he held the red
wine to his lips it was heard among the
clatter of the billiard balls, and the shouts
of merry laughter that filed the wide
room everywhere. Which ever way he
turned, he saw the earnest glance of the
blue eyed child, heard the low voice sing
ing, the low voice laughing, the low voice
asking thrillipgly, "Does you love God 2"
1t followed him to his bedside. He had
tried to drown it IN wine. in song, in care
less levity. He strove to sleep it away,
but he heard ii in his dreams.
The next night he met g fashionable
friend. He was to take her to some place
of pleasure. She was very beautiful in
dazzling robes. The gieam of pearls and
the lnftre of silk and lace We'd with each
other to enhance her loveliness; but even
as she came sailing into the room with
smiles upon her red young lips, and q well
como in her words, there came, too. float
ing noiselessly at her side, the presence of
that angel child. The better feelings her
innocent presence awakened were yet
warm and, before he knew it, the young
man said, quickly and earnestly, "Does
you love God 2"


"What do you mean p exclaimed the
young girl, with a start of surprise.


81 was thinking, as you came in, of
lovely child saw yesterday" he replied.
Gas was in the act of leaving the coach,
she suddenly looked up and asked me that
question"


''And what, pray, put it in the caild's
head ? What did you answer ?"


81 am ashamed TO say I was not pre-
pared with an answer" replied the young
man, casting down his eyes.


That night pleasure had no qualification
for him. His feet trod IangHldly the
mazes of the dance /; his smiles were forced; ;
and more than once it was said of him,
''He does not seem himself"


No, he was not like the gay, thoughtless
self of former years. There was still
pool lying in his bosom, the waters of
which had never before been disturbed
Now little child had dropped pebble
in it, and the vibration was to go on
through eternity.


Dust-soiled and travel-weary, a thought
full man walked through the principal
atreet of a large Western city. AS he
walked on, apparently absorbed in his own
meditation, his eye suddenly encountered
face looking down from window of
ardsome house. His whole countenance
suddenly altered. He paused an instant,
locking eagerly at the window and in
another moment his hand wason the bell
l Z III Il.