Percy was a grocer’s messenger boy. Always punctual and obliging, his master’s customers respected the boy, and gave him many little tokens of their approval in the way of presents.
A lady at whose house he called daily on. business, presented him with a pretty book full of pictures and true Gospel stories as a token of her love for the boy.
“Will you promise to read it through, Percy, and tell me what you think of it? I will not tell you where it is, but you will find in that book, the story of our conversion when I was a girl of seventeen. That was a great day in my hostory, Percy, and I am so glad that I was saved when I was young. I can assure you, it is the happiest and the safest path to be a Christian, to be saved and to have God for your bather, and heaven your home. Good morning, Percy, and be sure you tell me what you think of the book.”
Percy lifted his cap respectfully, with a hearty
“Thank you, ma’am,” was gone with his present.
He had not many books, so it was indeed a prize. No sooner had he eat, dinner, than he ran along the garden walk to his favorite seat, under the shade of two old trees, and began to turn over the leaves of his book. It was full of picture stories, just the kind of a book that a boy loves to read. But Percy did not then begin to read them. He had only about half-an-hour to spare, and it was scare worthwhile beginning. And then he was so anxious to find the story that the lady had referred to, the narrative of her conversion. Page after page he eagerly scanned, and quite near the end came upon what he felt sure would find the story, for it told the part of the country where a young girl lived, which was saved through a companion speaking to her, and that was how she had been converted. At night lie read the story over and over again, he was much concerned about knowing how a sinner could be saved, but he wanted to be able to tell the lady he had read and understood the few days later he told how much had “enjoyed the book.”
“And do you see the need of being converted yourself Percy?” asked the lady.
Percy hung his head. As a matter of fact he did not then, but not long after he was truly aroused to this and best of all, he was soon after truly converted.
Think, dear children, think and decide NOW where you are going to spend eternity. Do not put off this very important matter.
ML 06/09/1946