"Susan," said Mrs. Clark one or two days later, "I want you to go to West Park House, and take Mrs. Brown the butter and eggs this evening, twelve pounds of butter, and eight dozen eggs, besides the fowls and bacon she ordered. Jimmy can drive you in the cart, as he is going past there on an errand for your master, and you can walk back."
"Yes, ma'am," answered Susan; "I've cleared up all but what Jenny can finish. Perhaps I might take the children along with me? it will get them out of your way."
"Sure enough, they'll only be in mischief here. You can take Robin and Rose, and leave May to me; she is asleep, and I'll see to her when she wakes."
Mrs. Clark was glad of the opportunity to get May to herself. She had been petting the child and bribing her with treats, so that the little one was not afraid of her, and as babies always cling to older persons, she went naturally to her aunt.
About half-past five, Susan and the two children, with the fowls, bacon, butter, and eggs, were stowed away in the cart on a bundle of straw, with Jim the driver. It was a lovely evening, and the little folks were very happy; perhaps Susan's smiling face had a great deal to do with it. Bouncer barked at them as they drove out of the yard, and frightened hens and ducks flew from beneath the horse's feet. After a few minutes Robin said,
"It seems just as if we were driving to the beautiful land where Mother's gone!"
"That's heaven," said Rose quietly; "we can't get there by a horse and wagon."
"How do we?" asked Robin.
"I don't quite know," she answered. "I know people are put in graves when they die, but that always seems to me like going down, not up."
At the thought of her mother, Rose hung her head and moved nearer to Susan, saying, "You tell us about it."
"Have you ever been to a Sunday school?" asked Susan.
"Only a few times; the school was too far away from us. We went once or twice last spring. Mother said she hoped we would go now."
"I'll ask Master to let you go into Mr. Rowland's class. It will soon begin again. He takes a number of little boys and girls on Sunday afternoon, and tells them all these things. I go to a Bible class of Miss Rowland's. A real nice lady she is. She loves the Lord Jesus Christ and likes to tell others about Him."
"Why does she love Him?" asked Robin.
"Because she says that 'He first loved her.' But I'll tell you what you asked me, if I can. Those grown-ups or little children who are saved through the Lord Jesus — I mean whose sins are forgiven, and who are made white and clean by His blood — when they leave this world they fall asleep in Jesus; their spirits go to Him and live forever with Him. Soon He will give them a new and glorious body like Himself. They never sin again, or feel unhappy or sorrowful, and they never die, but are always happy."
"Oh, what a nice place for my mother to be in," exclaimed Robin, "I shall go there too."
"But listen, Robin and Rose. Are you ready to go? Many children say they would like to go to heaven, but all in that happy land are washed from their sins by the Saviour's blood, and made white and clean. Do you think you would be ready now to stand before God. You are not fit, as you are, to go to heaven, and stand before Him. You have naughty hearts; you must have your sins forgiven, and you must be made new creatures. Do you think your sins are pardoned?"
"I don't know," they both replied. "I wish Jesus would forgive me," added Rose.
"Do you think you are a sinner, Rosie?"
"I don't remember doing a great many naughty things," she answered slowly.
"Have you done one?"
"Oh, yes; I remember more than one."
"You know, Rose, that day you took May out, when Mother said 'No,' " suggested Robin.
"Yes, and more than once I picked the fruit when I was told not to do so."
"Well, one sin is enough to show you are a sinner, but see if you have done all the things you ought to. Have you always been thankful and loving to God, who made you, and gave you so many good things?" asked Susan.
"No; I never heard much about it."
"Have you always been obedient and truthful, and loved other people as much as yourself?"
"No, no," they both replied.
"Well, dear little children, does not this show you are sinners?"
"What shall I do?" asked Rose. "Will I never go to heaven?"
Susan waited a moment, and pressed home the question,
"What can you do, Rosie?"
"If I am always good from now on?"
"You cannot be quite good always, and so you will always be adding to your load of sin, but, if you could, how about the past? Can you wash past sins away?"
"Water wouldn't do it, would it?" asked Robin.
"No; water could not; nor prayers, nor tears."
Rose buried her face in Susan's lap, crying, "What shall I do, Susan? I don't want to go away — away."
"Listen, Rose. You deserved to go away from God, and so did I, and we could not save ourselves. But God is love, as well as holy, and He gave His Son to die in our place. Jesus came to take our sins upon Himself, and to bear the punishment that we deserved. Listen to God's own words, 'God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' What did we deserve? To die, wasn't it? Yes, and He shed His precious blood, and that can cleanse away your sins and naughtiness. God always sees the blood of Jesus, and if any little boy or girl trusts in that, and loves the One who shed it, they are forgiven, and God declares they are clean."
Rose looked up through her tears, "Susan, I wish I were."
"Do you, dear? Then believe God's good news to us. It is so simple, Rose. Jesus did the work for you that you couldn't do, and, if you believe it from your heart, and thank Him, you get everlasting life."
"He is very good," said Rose, yet with a troubled face.
"You must just trust Him."
Robin was partly listening, and partly attending to the horse and his driver. As they drew up to the house, he drew a long sigh, and said, "Susan, I do wish to go to heaven, and see Mother."
"I wish my sins were forgiven," said Rose.
Susan lifted them out of the cart, and, as they walked up the carriage drive, she looked at the children's faces. One was grave and a little troubled, the other sunny and laughing, and she thought, "I once wished to go to heaven, but it did not concern me much. Then, afterwards, I learned I was a sinner, and I could not rest till I knew my sins were forgiven."
That evening, when Susan was putting the children to bed, Rose whispered, "Will you pray?" and Susan knelt and prayed that the Good Shepherd would hold these lambs in His arms.