"Katherine, have you ever seen goodness and mercy?" Mr. Morgan, missionary to Colombia, South America, had just returned from a trip by horse-back into neighboring towns and villages where he had been distributing tracts and portions of the Bible. After caring for his horse he had entered the house, dusty and weary, but with a smile upon his face as he asked the question of his wife, "Have you ever seen goodness and mercy?"
"No, I don't believe that I have," Mrs. Morgan answered thoughtfully, "but I can see by the smile on your face that you have a reason for asking! Have you seen them?"
"Yes, I have! I just saw them today. To tell you the truth, I didn't recognize them right away, but I surely saw them!"
Mr. Morgan then told the happenings of his day. Upon reaching the center of a certain small village he had dismounted, and leaving his horse, had begun to make his way about the small park square, giving away his leaflets to the people resting upon benches or clustered here and there chatting together. Now and then he had a chance to say a few words to someone who appeared to be interested, but he did not delay long, for he knew that sooner or later someone would become suspicious of his gospel tracts, and then trouble would begin.
He had scarcely circled half the way when he saw that an angry crowd was gathering and heading toward him. Even as they came hurrying his way the people were picking up stones from the cobblestone street that always seemed to have an abundance of loose stones for a street fight!
Mr. Morgan's first instinct was to bolt across the park to his waiting horse on the other side. But at his first quick step he found himself hampered by a small dark-eyed Indian child clinging firmly to each leg. Each child was reaching upward with grimy eager fingers, begging for some of the leaflets in Mr. Morgan's hand. It was something free, and they wanted it!
From the crowd came angry shouts, ordering the children, "Venite, pronto!! " (Come, quick!!), lest they be hit by the rocks and stones intended for the missionary. But the children clung the more!
It was then that Mr. Morgan realized that God was using these two little ones for his safety. Holding the leaflets just out of their reach he began to walk slowly but steadily across the park to his horse. The threatening crowd followed, continuing to shout warnings to the clinging children. When there remained but a short distance he quickly shook off the two little ones and made a dash for his horse. As he galloped away a shower of stones fell harmlessly behind him!
"So you see," he smiled to his wife, "I saw goodness and mercy in the form of two dirty, ragged little children today that God used to keep me from being harmed. I do not know what form goodness and mercy will take tomorrow, but today they were two little Indian children!"