ONCE, when surrounded by a number of little ones, whose cheerful voices had joined in some hymns about the Lord Jesus—whom they had learnt to love “because He had first loved them” (1 John 4:1919We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)), and whose smiling faces were now looking up into mine to know what was to be the next thing to do―I put a penny in each of my hands, and told the little ones who were nearest to me that, if they could get the pennies out of my hands (which I had closed tightly), they should have them to do what they liked with.
Very soon, of course, each hand was attached by three or four of these dear little children; and I, of course, kept tightly holding the pence, to prevent the little ones taking them from me, although I meant to give them the money at last.