SOON Ben came in, and missing the little girl at the gate, cried, "Where's Kittie?"
Mrs. Gray looked toward the chair where she sat, and Kittie's tear-stained face told the story. "You haven't been naughty, have you? O Kit! What is it mother?”
"She has been lifting Harry again and both have fallen and he has got hurt. You've heard me tell her not, Ben, many times; now she has to sit there and no one is to speak to her, and"-Mrs. Gray hesitated. She dreaded carrying out the rest of the punishment.
"And me's to have tea all alone," cried Kit.
"Oh! what a pity!" said Ben, "O mother! isn't she sorry enough?”
"She is sorry, I believe; but you must not beg her off, Ben," and Mrs. Gray made ready a plate of bread and butter and a mug of milk and carried them into the other room, saying, "Come, Kittie.”
Kittie followed, and Ben looked very forlorn. Mrs. Gray put her up at the table in the little sitting room.
"Do you love me?" asked Kittie.
"Dearly," said her mother.
"Now?" she asked again in surprise.
"Yes, now.”
"When I'm naughty?”
"Yes, but it's a sorrowful kind of love."
"Then, I'll never be naughty any more," said Kittie, clasping her mother's neck.
"I hope not, darling," said the mother. "Have you asked God to help you to be obedient?”
“Yes, and to 'wash me whiter than snow,' and He's done it, hasn't He, mother?”
"He has, dear. He always answers when we pray aright. Now you must take your tea quietly, and then come and get a kiss from father.”
"Have you fordiven me?" asked the little girl anxiously.
"I have, dear.”
"Is she all right, mother?" asked Ben eagerly.
"Quite," answered the mother, with fast-filling eyes, "but I thought you were going to make some toast, Ben?”
"So I was, but I can't do a thing when Kit isn't happy. You know I never could," bending down to kiss the baby in her cradle.
They gathered round the tea table, but Ben ate nothing. After a few minutes he asked, "How long is Kittie to stay there?”
"Till she has finished her tea," said mother, with a longing look at the other door, which stood open, and from inside of which were heard deep drawn sighs.
"May I see if she has finished?" asked Ben, starting up.
"I think he might, dear," added the father. Ben was off in a twinkling.
"The boy is eating nothing, and we've kept our word," added Gray.
“So we have, and she's very sorry. She may come now.”
"Kittie not hurt me again, she not mean it," lisped Harry.
"Have you finished your tea, Kittie?" asked Ben.
"Yes, it's all done," she answered, eyeing Ben to see what he thought.
"And you are sorry, Kittie. You won't try to lift Harry again, not till you are bigger, because mother says 'no,' and mother knows what is best.”
"I'll try and never be naughty not any more, ben.”
"It grieves Jesus, you know?”
"Yes, and makes black stains on my heart, but this one is washed away, Ben; I asked Him to make me whiter 'an snow, so it's gone.”
"I'm so glad; now come and kiss father, and I'll show you something.”
Father was only too glad to give the kiss, and then Ben brought out a present for Kit, and handed her a neat little Testament.
"I've got one, too; you see, I've been working extra hard lately, and Mr. Goodall has been more about the shop, because it's 'stock-taking,' so today he called me in, and told me to choose a book for myself, and I said 'a Testament for Kit, please,' so he gave me these two-one for each of us.”
Kittie was delighted and felt the responsibility too, of having God's Word in her possession.
"Please write our names in, and a text," said Ben, "and put in Kit's 'with Ben's best love.'”
"And put in Ben's 'with Kit's best love, '" echoed Kittie.
"Yes, do!" added Ben.
The father wrote, in both books, their names and a text. In Kittie's it was, "Jesus said, Suffer little children to come unto Me," (Matt. 19:1414But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:14)), and in Ben's, "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)).
And now we must say "Good-bye" to the little ones. Ben worked hard at his place and earned his master's esteem, and he knew no greater pleasure than to bring home his wages to his kind guardians. He had many a difficulty to face, but he learned to look up and depend upon One who was ever ready to help him. His own father, Rogers, was lost at sea about two years after he resumed his sea-faring life, and so Ben looked upon Mr. and Mrs. Gray as his parents after this. The love that sprung up between him and little Kit, when in poverty, continued unabated, and he was proud, as time went on, to make her many a nice present, while she learned to sew and mend for him.
I am sorry to say Jim Snow did not improve much. True, he did not tease Ben any more, but he went with bad companions, and one Sunday he and two other lads were drowned in the river, while boating.
This had a great effect on Ben, and made him shun idle boys, while he thought much on that verse which Miss Randolph gave him as a remembrance: "To Him that overcometh, will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God" (Rev. 2:77He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7)). He found kind and lasting friends in the Craigs, and the old lady, especially, always made him welcome, while Michael and his wife showed an increasing interest in the things of God. The occupants of the little red cottage and those of Wood Cottage became close friends, and many happy evenings were spent at both cottages. On these occasions the hard times of early days would often be recalled and their praises would ascend to the Lord Jesus for His great love to them in giving Himself to save them from sin and for all His interest in their eternal welfare and His watchfulness over their lives while down here.
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