MOST girls would have thought that Hettie Bowers had not much to make her happy. She had few friends, and had passed through many trials in her brief life. But the truth of the matter was that Hettie was a Christian. There was often a song on her lips, and Mrs. Adams was wont to say,
“The kitchen is the brightest room in the house.”
“What a bright disposition your little kitchen maid has!” guests would often say to Mrs. Adams, and the mistress, who knew well the secret of Hettie’s happiness, always answered,
“Yes, it is the sunshine of God’s love in her heart.”
“Hettie,” Mrs. Adams asked one day, “why are you always so happy?”
“Why, ma’am’,” she answered, “Jesus loves me, and isn’t that enough to make any one happy.”
“But how do you know that He loves you, Hettie?”
“He said so, ma’am, and I couldn’t doubt His Word.”
“Then you think He never forgets, Hettie?”
Her face lit up with a smile,
“O, that is the beauty of such love; we forget, but He never forgets.”
“But, Hettie, don’t you ever feel lonely?”
“Not while He is with me, ma’am; but sometimes when I forget His great love, I am apt to become discontented.” “Well,” said Mrs. Adams to herself as she stepped out of the kitchen, “what grace He has bestowed upon this girl!” While Hettie may be a poor kitchen girl, as we view things, yet hereafter a great reward awaits her.
We are but little children weak
Not born in any high estate;
What can we do for Jesus’ sake,
Who is so high, and good, and great?
With smiles of peace and looks of love,
Lights in our dwellings let us make:
Bid kind, good humor brighten there,
And still do all for Jesus’ sake.
ML 12/20/1925