MRS. Frankham often passed Ben on the road to and school, and she always had a kindly smile for him, and sometimes a pleasant cheering word.
"Are you still trying to be a brave soldier?" she asked the morning after the adventure in the wood. And when Ben answered with a nod-"Yes, ma'am, as hard as I can:" she replied-"That's right; the Good Captain is watching, and it will be worth all the trouble when we get His smile.”
Ben gave her a pleased look.
"I heard father say last night he wanted to speak to you about going to see a poor man, who is sick and is not happy. I think he is going to die. Do go and see him!”
"That I will most gladly: and will you go too?"
"If you'll let me," replied Ben, "I would like to go and take him some flowers-he likes flowers.”
"I will come in after dinner, and speak to your mother about it, Ben. By-the-bye, when does your father come in-at mid-day?”
"A quarter past one till a quarter to two," replied the boy.
"Very well, I will try to come then, and I shall bring some roses with me.”
At the appointed time Mrs. Frankham called at Wood Cottage, and heard all that Harry Gray could tell about John Craig.
She was very much interested in the account of the family, and started off with Ben to pay them a visit. Mrs. Craig received her visitors very gladly.
"I am so anxious that poor John should get peace and rest in his Savior, for I fear he has taken his father's complaint, and it may be he will never rise from his bed again. He is used to my words, and though he listens he seems to get little good; but from you perhaps the arrow will strike him.”
"If the Lord guide it. I trust He will give the right word, my friend.”
Mrs. Craig led the lady and Ben into the neat little room, where John lay, and after speaking a few kind words to the sick man, Mrs. Frankham said, "This little boy told me about you: he was so anxious I should come and speak to you: he has brought you some flowers, for he says you are fond of flowers.”
"So I am," replied John, faintly, and eagerly taking them from Ben's hand, he put them in a little glass, where their fragrance reached him. "I like little boys too, I am so fond of little children.”
Ben sat on a stool near the bed, and the sick man scarcely took his eyes off him for some minutes, not till he forgot everything else in his desire to lay hold of the Words of Life.
"What I want," said he, "is some one to speak to me of the Savior. I have wandered from Him, and want to get back, if He will have me; but I sometimes wonder if He will.”
"You doubt His willingness. Listen, His Word says-‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness' (1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)). He is faithful. We forget Him; He never forgets us. It is sad to grieve Him, but the only way is to confess it to Him, take a humble place before Him, and He will pardon for His own name's sake.”
"Tell me more; I see it plainer now," said John; and as he spoke a fit of coughing racked his feeble frame.
Little Ben was sitting and watching first one and then the other intently.
Mrs. Frankham continued, "In order to get rest and peace we need to see that we are lost; and can do nothing to save ourselves; but that Jesus stretched out a strong arm to save us. He undertook our cause, and bore our sin in His own body on the cross. There God punished sin. There Jesus put it away, and rose without it; and from heaven He offers a free pardon to all who flee to Him-who put their trust in Him.”
A smile lighted up the face of the sick man, and he forgot himself and his unfaithfulness, and began to praise the Savior. After a few more words, Mrs. Frankham said-
"Can you rest in His love now?”
"Yes; I can," he replied.
"Don't look into yourself then, but fix your eye on Him who said, 'My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand.'" ( John 10:27-2927My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (John 10:27‑29).)
Then Ben and she left, both promising to come back again the next afternoon.
The little boy was much concerned about poor John, and very anxious to know that he was going to live with Jesus in heaven.
Next morning he rose early, and going into the field, picked a bouquet of the best wild flowers he could find, and then set off to Mrs. Craig's cottage and left them with her, for poor John.
The old mother was delighted with the little boy's thoughtfulness, and she asked him in to see her son, who was also glad to speak a few kind words to Ben, and thank him heartily for the flowers.
"I should like something with a strong smell," he said. "It refreshes me.”
Ben returned and searched the garden until he found a piece of Southernwood, or "old man," as it is called. Then, after school, he watched for Mrs. Frankham, and, all excitement, he cried out as soon as he saw her at the gate, "The poor sick man wanted a bit of something sweet, and I've got a bit of 'old man.' Come and see him. Do come and tell him more; I want to see him again.”
"I thought of going on a little farther first, Ben," she said smiling; but as he urged her to go at once, she consented, and they set off to the little red cottage.
Again a warm welcome was given, and John held the Southernwood between his hands, that the scent might revive him, while Mrs. Craig took Ben into the next room to show him some of John's attempts at painting, of which the mother was very proud. Mrs. Frankham told John of Ben's anxiety to come and see him, and how he wanted to know that his soul was safe.
The young man seemed much struck with the little child's desire, and it greatly pleased him.
"Satan has been trying to tempt me to doubt, but my Savior is near, and now if it pleases Him to take me I am both ready and willing to go.”
He never doubted his Savior's love and power again; instead, the blessed name of Jesus was ever on his lips till he was called home about two weeks later.
Little Ben was very glad that John was gone to be with Jesus, and after this he was a frequent visitor at Mrs. Craig's. They liked to have him there, and Michael took a great interest in the boy. Many a ramble did Ben get in the wood, by the gamekeeper's side; he knew how to escape the traps he had once feared, and Michael liked to hear him talk and repeat his little texts. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Heb. 13:88Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8)). This was still a favorite with him.
Mrs. Craig did sorrow of course, but she was very glad and thankful that her son had gone home so happily, and she was grateful to Mrs. Frankham for coming so many times to see him. Harry Gray, and his wife too, had stepped in several times and read passages from the Word of God to him. Michael was often away, when the visitors called, but the death of his brother had had a great effect on both him and his wife, and they seemed anxious to hear the truth.