You live in a time, dear young readers, in which God has made the way for you to act as true Christians much less difficult, so far as trial goes, than was the case in years gone by. Many of you would suffer nothing worse than a little ridicule upon confessing Christ, whereas in former years to be a Christian was very often to be also a martyr.
Long, long ago, a rich fancily of Sicily engaged a nurse for their little boy, Vitus. Perhaps they did not know that she was a Christian'. They were themselves heathen, and prayed to idols. The nurse's name was Crescentia, and she taught her little charge from his earliest days of the Lord Jesus, the living One in heaven. Little Vitus learned by grace to love the Lord, and he grew up to be a noble and faithful follower of his once-crucified Master. Vitus's father was very angry when he found that his son was a Christian, and, not being able to make his boy deny the Lord Jesus, he took him to the Governor of Sicily, who hated the name of Christ, and persecuted the Christians. Vitus was twelve years old, and the Governor threatened him with many cruel things, and then had him scourged. This was done with great severity, and after it was over Vitus was sent back to his father. But the love of Christ could not be beaten out of the Christian boy. Jesus had died for little Vitus, and he was willing, if necessary, to die for Jesus.
When the father found that Vitus did not move from his love to Christ, he said he would sacrifice him to his idols. The poor boy then escaped from his father's house, but was pursued and brought back. Hearing how decided he was for Christ, the cruel governor had both him and Crescentia, the nurse, put to death. This happened some 1500 years ago, but little Vitus and his good nurse are with the Lord in glory. Their trials are over, but their joys will never, never end.