“UN, deux, trois; one, two, three; quatre, cinq; four, five;” then the voice ceased and closing the French exercise book with a weary sigh, Lottie Grey looked into the small garden where a few stunted lilac bushes were beginning to look green, for the springtime with its soft air and sunshine made its presence felt, even in the crowded streets of the busy city where Lottie had lived ever since she was old enough to remember anything.
Lottie was a strange little girl; everyone who knew her said so. Only five summers had passed over the head of that lonely child but in words and ways Lottie was old and grave beyond her years. Her mother had died when Lottie (an only child) was but a few days old, and soon after her father went abroad, leaving his little daughter in the care of her grandparents.
Mr. and Mrs. Bell were not unkind to Lottie, but they were both getting old, and perhaps because it was long since their own children had been little boys and girls, they forgot that their little granddaughter needed play-time as well as study hours.
Mrs. Bell said Lottie must not play with, or even speak to any of the neighbors’ children, as by doing so, she might learn rude words or ways, and as Mrs. Bell’s will was law at the time of which I am writing, Lottie had never known the delight of a merry game of play with young companions. Lottie did not go to school, but home lessons took up several hours every day.
But we must return to Lottie, whom at the beginning of my story we left busy over her French exercises.
Lottie had been taught to read when she was not more than three years old, and books were the only companions she had ever known. The Bible had not been one of her lesson books, as Mrs. Bell, who thought so young a child as Lottie could not understand it, did not quite approve of Lottie’s reading it; still, it was not a forbidden book, and many happy hours were spent by the lonely child over its pages, and when Lottie closed her French book with the weary sigh of which I told you, her thoughts went back to the Bible words she had been reading the day before, and she repeated over and over again, “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.” (Matt. 25:4141Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew 25:41).) Would the terrible words ever be said to her? Would Jesus ever send her away from Him? She had been told that God loved good children, but, Lottie was not good, and she knew it; sometimes she disobeyed her grandmamma, and more than once she had told a falsehood. What should she do? What would become of her? And covering her face with her hands, she began to cry bitterly.
Poor child, with all the Bible reading, it was very plain she did not know that it was for sinners Christ had died, nor how, as the Son of man He came to seek and to save the lost; and no loving voice had ever told her of the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep. And as the first thought of every unsaved soul is a desire to hide from the eye of God, no wonder poor Lottie was afraid.
Lottie was alone, in the school-room, but one Eye saw her distress, one Heart knew how real her trouble of soul was. Yes, the Lord Jesus knew all about it; and in His own time and way His own hand would draw the trembling child to Himself, the only ark of safety.
Lottie’s tears were still falling when her grandmamma entered the room, and asked the cause of her sorrow. Lottie would rather have been silent, but when Mrs. Bell asked a question she expected an answer, and of this Lottie was quite aware. So she sobbed out, “O Grandma, which do you think I shall be, a goat or sheep?”
Mrs. Bell looked surprised, but not at all pleased by Lottie’s question; but she only said, “Why Lottie, I really do not know what you are talking about. I shall have to say I cannot allow you to read the Bible if you get such strange fancies, and talk about things children do not understand. But I am engaged now, and cannot stay to hear your French lesson, so you may walk in the garden for half an hour. And you may take Victoria.” Mrs. Bell added in a kinder tone, as her eye rested on the pale, tear-stained face of the child.
Victoria was Lottie’s favorite doll, almost as large as a real baby, and permission to play with it was only given on special occasions; so Lottie dried her tears, and in the amusement of dressing her doll forgot, for a time at least, that her question had not been answered.
Five years from the time of which I have been telling you, had passed away, and Lottie had grown taller and stronger, her lessons too, were longer. But Lottie did not make any trouble of that, for her desire was to fit herself to become a teacher of others. Still she was very fond of reading, and took great interest in Bible stories. Lottie was still ignorant of the way of salvation, but the thought of God did not fill her with terror as it had done five years before. For two short Bible verses, known and loved by Lottie, always seemed like stars shining out through a dark night. One was, “In Thee the fatherless findeth mercy.” Hosea 14:33Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. (Hosea 14:3); the other, “I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me.” Prov. 8:1717I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. (Proverbs 8:17).
Lottie wanted very much to be a Christian girl, but she did not know God’s way of peace, so instead of taking her place before Him as a lost and sinful child, she kept on trying to be good, and finding all her trying only end in disappointment and failure. But the time of Lottie’s blessing was drawing very near— the time when the Good Shepherd would find His little straying lamb.
“I am going to ask a favor of you, Mrs. Bell. If you do not object, I should be very pleased to take your granddaughter to school with me next Sunday.”
Miss Lee had made the foregoing request somewhat timidly. Her motive for calling on Mrs. Bell had been a real desire to bring her orphan grandchild, Lottie, under the sound of the gospel; something, too, of pity for the lonely little girl, perhaps made her wait more anxiously for Mrs. Bell’s permission.
At last her consent was given, though not very willingly.
Lottie thought Sunday was a long time coming, but it came at last, and to her great delight, Miss Lee called as she had promised for her little friend.
A quarter of an hour’s walk brought them to the school-room, and Lottie was at once taken to the Bible class, though younger by several years than any of her classmates. A loving, earnest teacher, Miss Mills, won her young heart long before the afternoon’s lesson was ended, and a real desire to become a regular attendant seemed to fill her mind. From the first, Lottie was deeply interested in the simple Bible teaching Miss Mills gave her scholars, and very soon the question of her childhood, How should she escape from the wrath of God? came with deeper meaning than it had ever done.
Lottie still read her Bible and heard from the lips of her teacher much about the Lord Jesus Christ and His work upon the cross. But she did not really understand the way of salvation. Like many others, she was trying to make herself good, instead of simply taking her place before God, as a sinner for whom the Saviour died.
But the Lord Jesus, who had loved Lottie so much that He bore all her sins upon the cross, was leading her the right way.
One Sunday afternoon, the teacher who took charge of the library, placed a book in her hand, saying as she did so, “You will like this, I think.”
Lottie’s only answer was, “Thank you.”
The book did not look as if it would prove a very interesting one, for the binding was almost worn out and there were not any pictures in it.
It contained a true story of one of God’s servants, a man who, though poor in this world’s goods, was the means of making many rich, by leading them to Christ. And Lottie read with great interest of a woman, who was very anxious to know how she could be saved, when she went to see him, he told her that all that she had to do was simply to believe what God says in His word about the finished work of His Son. And then he read her a verse of a hymn:
“Believe on Him who died for thee,
And, sure as He has died,
Thy debt is paid, thy soul is free,
And thou art justified.”
And as Lottie read, other words came into her mind— precious words — “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Acts. 14:31. And then and there Lottie looked to Jesus and was saved, and kneeling down by the chair where she had been sitting, she thanked God for His great love in giving the Lord Jesus to be her Saviour. And so Lottie found a Friend, One who would always love and never leave her.
Dear young reader. can you say, “Lottie’s Saviour is my Saviour too”?
ML 07/20/1902