NEVER, I suppose, shall I forget that incident of my boyhood. It must, have been holiday-time, and mid-winter. There had been plenty of sliding and skating for a good while. On the day to which I refer, Stephen Sellings, George Kenward, my brother, and myself, with a lot of other boys from our school, were together upon the Round Pond. It being a sheet of water through which a stream flowed, parts of it near the edge were only thinly frozen. As my brother and I passed along, not far from the bank, we heard a sharp cry of distress near us. Doubtless it was heard by many, for a number of boys came running up. No men could have been there just then. We all saw George Kenward struggling in the water, the ice still breaking under him, while he tried to raise himself by his arms. I regret to say that, for the moment, I and the rest simply looked on, —except my brother. He was younger than myself, and I believe there were several lads older. But my brother directly darted towards the struggling boy, I calling after him, “Don’t go! don’t go!”; for my fears were aroused as to himself. Stephen Sellings, a bigger boy, also shouted, “Come back! come back! You will fall in yourself! Come back!”
My brother heeded us not. His whole attention was on our school-fellow’s peril. And in almost as brief a time as it takes me to tell it, he had approached near enough to grasp either the hand or some part of the clothing of the boy, when, with a quick movement backward, he drew him clear out of the freezing water on to the stronger ice. George Kenward was saved from death!
In order to save A school-fellow, my brother put his own life in danger. How thankful ever afterward must the rescued boy have been! But there was One, Jesus, the Son of God, who loved you and me so much, that, not only did, He put His life in danger for our sake, but, as the Bible tells us, He laid down His life, that you and I might be saved.
He saw what danger we were in;
He knew that God must punish sin;
So, out of pity, Jesus said,
I’ll bear the punishment instead!
Do you love Him for it? Have you ever thanked Him?
ML 01/24/1904