ONE Sunday afternoon Annie came home from the Ragged School in St. Giles’s, and found her little sister, three years of age, sitting on the floor talking to her doll. “Polly, dear,” said Annie to the little one, “would you like me to tell you what I have heard in the school from my teacher? Oh, it is so pretty!”
“Yes, I would,” answered the child, getting up and standing in front of her sister, and looking into her face as she put her elbows on her knees.
“Well, Polly, it is all about Jesus. I told you the other day who He was: now let’s see if you recollect. Who is He?”
“The Son of God,” seriously said little Polly.
“And where do you think He is, dear?”
“Up in the sky,” said the little child, her anger following the words, and pointing to the blue heavens.
“Ah! but, Polly darling, listen: teacher says that Jesus is everywhere, and that He is alive and in this room; and that He can see you, and me, and father when he is out at work, and when mother goes out washing; and when we do or say anything what’s wicked, Jesus always sees it. But if we are sorry, when we have been naughty, and we tell Him so, He will forgive us, like mother does when she gives us a kiss, and says to us, ‘Now don’t you do so no more.’ And teacher says when we are ill in bed, Jesus looks at us, pities us, and makes us well again if we ask Him. He can give us bread to eat when we are poor and hungry; and many years ago, when He lived on this earth, He gave such a lot of people bread and fishes to eat when they did not know where to go and buy food, as there were no shops there―it was in a large field in the country. Wasn’t it kind, Polly?”
Polly was puzzled, and, looking into her sister’s face, said, “You say Jesus is here in this room―but where? ―I can’t see Him”; and she glanced with wonder all-round the room.
“No, dear,” said her sister, “you can’t see Him, but He can see you.”
“Is He very kind, and does Jesus love me too? “inquired Polly.
“Oh yes, dear,” said Annie,” He does love you, and He wants all of us to love Him—father, mother, and all.”
Polly looked up to the ceiling and round the room, opened her little arms, and cried, “Jesus is nice, lock Him in, lock Him in, don’t let Him go out no more.”
Now, my dear children, this is just what I want for you. I want you to have Jesus locked in your heart always, so that He should not go out any more. Jesus will not keep company in our hearts with sin. We cannot serve two masters at the same time. And the Lord Jesus says, “Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” J. L. M. V.