A LUMBERMAN and his wife lived in a little cottage near the forest. They had one dear little son, Charles. Every day the father went to cut wood or work at the saw mill some distance within the forest. Wee Charles and his mother would wait eagerly for sundown when Daddy would return home.
One late afternoon Charles decided that he would surprise his daddy and meet him on the way home. So off he toddled down the road and into the forest. He was too small to think of danger, for wolves lived in the nearby swamp and often they could be heard howling at nights. After a while, the little fellow got tired and decided that he would play in the leaves and wait there for his daddy to come. The autumn sun shone bright and warm and he made himself a little bed of leaves, and lay down to rest. Soon he dropped off to sleep. The wind was boisterous and blew the leaves about in eddying gusts, and soon the little fellow was covered over with leaves.
Trudging along the forest road with his ax over his shoulder, the father was on his way home from work. The sun was setting behind the trees. He came to the pile of leaves along the roadside and wondered how they got there, for he had not noticed them in the morning. But it was getting late, so he pressed on.
Still something seemed to impel him to stop and investigate, and so he turned back. What was his surprise to find his dear little boy asleep, covered over with a blanket of leaves. Picking him up in his arms, he pressed him to his bosom and sped off home, for he even then could hear the howling of the wolves getting nearer.
We can imagine those hungry creatures, attracted by the scent, coming to that pile of leaves. How they would scratch and fling the leaves about, only to find nothing there. But the woodsman was far on ahead with his little son clasped to his breast, nor did he stop till he reached the safety of the cottage. God was watching over them both and the wolves must find some other prey.
Let each and all who read this tale
And story of God’s care,
Believe in Jesus Christ the Lord,
And they His love shall share.
No friend can shield in danger’s hour,
As Jesus does His own;
The eye of love that never sleeps
Is watching on the throne.
ML-05/13/1973