By:
Edited by Heyman Wreford
SOME years ago a Christian lady in Scotland lay upon her death-bed. Her husband was already dead; and, reflecting that her little daughter would soon have to be handed over to the charge of her grandfather, who was an infidel, she was filled with anxiety at the prospect, and called the child to her side, and obtained from her a promise that for her sake she would read one chapter of the Bible to herself every day.
The child soon after was removed to the house of the aged infidel, and, faithful to her promise, was found by him one day reading to herself in the garden. Requiring to know what book it was, she replied it was her Bible.
He at once began to make light of it, declared that it was useless to read such a book, and asked what was the good of it. She answered, That she might learn of God.
“God!” he said; “there is no God!”
The effect of this upon the child can scarcely be described, so great was her fright and amazement. For the moment she appeared petrified; but, recovering herself, she exclaimed with passionate earnestness—
“Oh, grandfather, you’re a fool; you’re a fool; you’re a fool! “The man was amazed at this extraordinary audacity on the part of his granddaughter; but the child continued to exclaim—
The man listened no longer; but to forget it was impossible. Wherever he went, by night and by day, every waking moment it seemed to come into his mind, “You are a fool; The Bible says so!” The result was that he became miserably unhappy and broken down before God; and the Lord graciously used the circumstance to his conversion.