“No one will see us, Janie,
I think we need not fear”
And Charlie opened the cupboard
And gazed at some apples there.
By his side was his little sister,
A child of six years old,
Her face like the summer sunshine,
That shone midst her locks of gold.
The children looked at each other—
The apples were fair to see;
“How nice they would be,” said Janie,
“Just look at them, one, two, three!
How rosy and fresh and juicy,
They look on this sultry day;
I’m so tired and hot with playing;
Let us take one while we may.”
“Yes, we’ll take the largest,” said Charlie,
As he gazed at its rosy hue;
“It will not be much between us;
But we’d better not take two.”
Then he laid his hand upon it,
And turned it o’er and o’er;
How easy ‘twould be to take it,
And fasten the cupboard door!
Now, just at this very moment,
The sunlight bright and fair,
Stole in at the open window,
In all its beauty rare.
It shone on the rosy apples,
It shone on the painted floor,
It shone on the tempted children,
By the open cupboard door.
Then it seemed to say to Janie,
As its lovely radiance grew,
“There is One who sees you always,
Whatever you may do.
His holy eye looks on you;
Nothing can you hide from Him,
So if no one else had seen you,
He would have known your sin.
“He sees in both light and darkness;
He knows every word you say;
He’s looking at you and Janie
By the cupboard door today.
He knows you are sorely tempted,
Yet there is no need to fall;
Run away from the rosy apple,
And tell your dear mother all.”
Then sweet little Janie trembled
Her breath now came thick and fast,
While tears to her blue eyes started;
And she saw her sin at last.
Then she drew away her brother,
And firmly closed the door.
“Charlie,” she said, “God sees us;
We will look at them no more.
“We will go and find dear Mother,
And tell her what we’ve done;
She’ll pray with us, I know, Charlie,
When we tell her why we’ve come.
We’ll tell her how we were tempted;
So together now we’ll run,
And she’ll ask that God may pardon
For the sake of His dear Son.”
How full was the mother’s bosom,
As they knelt down by her side,
How happy were Janie and Charlie
As she told them of Him who died—
Told them of One who could wash them
Whiter than the purest snow,
And He is waiting to bless them,
Because He does love them so.
“My dears,” she said, as she kissed them
Before they started away,
“I hope you will try to remember
The lesson you’ve learned today.
We are open to temptation,
And our hearts are prone to sin,
But the Lord will keep you safely
If you only look to Him.
“And now, you may have the apples;
I intended them all for you.
Go, sit on the lawn and eat them,
And soon I will come there too;
When Father comes home this evening,
And we have our usual prayer,
We’ll read of Nathaniel’s fig tree,
And how Jesus saw him there.”
ML-06/27/1976