SHALL we take the poor child?” Said Mr. Stein, as he sat at breakfast one morning with his family.
“My greatest fear is, that he may show a bad example to our children,” replied his wife; “let us consider the case well.”
“But could our children not help him to improve?” asked the father, as he looked at his children, who were contentedly eating their bread and milk.
“I will be his brother, and give him my paper kite,” said William.
“He is a little heathen, according to all I hear,” said the father, “and I am really doubtful if we could make anything out of him.”
“But, father,” chimed in the oldest daughter, “we send missionaries to the heathen, and if we believe that one Christian can do good to a big number of heathen, should we seven not be useful to one single heathen?”
“Well, then, we’ll try it,” replied the father; “Jacob shall come.”
Who was Jacob, then? He was the youngest son of a brother of Mr. Stein’s who had died in Jamaica, and before his death, had commended his son to the care of his relations. Jacob was about nine years old, and was already on the voyage to Europe.
About 14 days after the above conversation, Jacob arrived at his Uncle’s. He was small, but well-built and would have been beautiful, if more attention had been paid to his toilet. Even shoes, stockings and caps were troublesome to him. He ran wild about the house and garden and at first would not speak to anybody. After a little, he improved in this respect, but only to make room for worse faults. He became very bad. When he could, he tormented his little cousins and playmates, and when he was in a bad temper, he would break and smash whatever came into his hands. Whippings, warnings and entreaties were unheeded. He did not seem to care when he was scolded and punished. Mr. and Mrs. Stein did their best to improve him, they had deep sorrow for the unhappy boy, as only a father and mother can have. They daily prayed to the Lord that He would soften the poor boy’s hard heart.
Jacob delighted to torment little Susan. She was a loveable, delicate little girl, and tried in her own way to help the poor boy. She thought the worst of it all was, that the poor boy loved nobody, and was loved by nobody.
One day, he was very bad to her, pulled her by the hair to the floor, and bit and scratched her till the blood came.
In his anger, he threw her doll in the fire.
What was to be done to Jacob, who had behaved worse than a wild animal? His uncle said he must be shut up till he would promise to improve.
In the house there was a dark room with an iron shutter before the window, and a very small opening for a door. It was used to keep old, useless articles. Here was Jacob imprisoned, after his uncle had first shown him how bad his conduct had been. But it seemed to have not the slightest effect on him.
Little Susan became quite sad and down cast, when he had been a day and a night in his prison without wishing to be good. On the second evening, she said to her mother with tears in her eyes, “Mother, I could not sleep all night; I was always thinking of poor Jacob who is quite alone and has no light and no nice bed to sleep in.”
The third night came and Jacob still showed no sorrow for his sin. When Mr. Stein went to him to try once more to speak to his conscience, he listened sullenly to the end and then said in an insolent tone, “It is all the same to me.” Mr. Stein was, therefore, obliged to leave him shut in again. He and his wife were troubled about the stiff-nakedness of the boy, but they felt, they must not yield.
On the fourth day came Susan to her mother, and said, “Mother, may I not open the door to poor Jacob, and let him see how beautiful it is here? then you can shut me in; it is so dark up there for him.”
The mother looked tenderly at the dear child and simply answered, “Go, child,” perhaps his heart will soften through the love of the tittle one, thought she.
Susan ran up quickly to the dark room, opened the door and said, “I have asked Mother, if I may sit here in your place, Jacob, and you can go outside and see how nice and beautiful everything is.”
Jacob looked for a while at the little speaker, “You are silly” he then said and went out. The mother came and shut Susan in. “Let him eat downstairs with you,” whispered the child, through the keyhole, “and I will take his food here.”
When the father came home, the mother told him what had happened.
At the table, Jacob took his place opposite the empty chair, where little Susan used to sit.
“You can take the bread, and water up to Susan, Jacob,” said Mr. Stein handing him a jug of water and some pieces of dry bread. He took both and went upstairs, but looking depressed and sad. In the afternoon and evening he went up again with the dry bread and water.
“Must Susan remain there all night?” he asked with quivering voice, when it was time to go to bed.
“Yes,” answered Mrs. Stein.
A stream of tears burst from his eyes. He ran upstairs, knocked at the door, and cried “Susie, you are the dearest child I know. I will never strike and scratch you again. O, I am so sorry I treated you so wickedly. Why are you so good to me?” and then he cried and wept as if his heart would break. When Mrs. Stein came and opened the door of the room, he threw his arms round the neck of the child and covered her face with numberless kisses. Then he went to Mr. Stein and asked for forgiveness, and promised to be good. And he kept his promise. Although his hasty temper still often made him do thoughtless acts, he was immediately ready, when he became quiet, to ask for forgiveness and, if possible, to undo what he had wrongly done.
He had been overcome by love.
How beautiful it would be if all brothers and sisters, and children living together in the same house would behave as little Susan did—not to be quarrelsome, nor to scratch or strike back, but to try to overcome the evil in others with love. The Lord Jesus will bless such children and love will sooner or later gain the victory.
ML 12/12/1909