A group of happy children belonging to a Sunday school, started off early on a bright day, for their summer outing. By invitation of a wealthy woman, they were to spend the day within her grounds, and have a ramble in the woods. All went on well until the hour had come for returning home. it was arranged that the company should meet in front of the house, sing a few hymns, hear two short addresses, and be presented with prizes by the hostess.
When the children had all gathered, it was found that one little girl named Mary, was missing. When last seen she was gathering flowers in the woods, and although a diligent search was made, Mary could not be found. The company, very reluctantly, had to return home without her, while some of the servants about the place, again set out in search of the missing child. As they were returning along the road, they had to pass a gate and lodge, belonging to the mansion, and who should be standing inside the locked iron gate, but the missing Mary?
She had lost her way, and wandered in the wrong direction, always thinking she would join the other children. When she saw the gate, she thought surely she must be near them then, but alas! it was the wrong gate, and closed, so that she was imprisoned.
The kind-hearted game-keepers spoke a few words of sympathy to Mary, and one of them waited by the gate, while the other ran for a key and opened it. An auto was sent home with her to the village, where she was welcomed by her parents with joy.
Next day when the teacher was speaking to the children, at the close of their usual lesson, he said, pointing to little Mary, who sat on the front seat,
“One of our scholars was lost yesterday, and trying to find her way back, she ran herself into a trap, and was imprisoned between two locked gates. This is very like what all of us are as sinners. First, we are wanderers from God, and next, in seeking to get back to Him, many take ways of their own choosing, with the result, that they become more hopelessly lost than before. Little Mary was delivered by others who went out to seek her, and so Jesus, the Son of God, has come to seek and to save the lost. He has opened the gates of death and judgment, which had closed themselves between its and heaven, and now all who believe on Him are set free, and will ere long be brought to glory.”
The children listened very attentively. The incident of lost and found little Mary, seemed to give point to the gospel, and for many clays they remembered the barred gates and the imprisoned scholar. Mary did not forget it herself, and she now delights to tell the simple story of her early days, to a class of bright little girls, whom she seeks to lead to Jesus, the Saviour of sinners, whose saving grace and delivering power, she has herself known for many years.
ML 06/28/1936