there, comes over to see me, and finds me a bit down-hearted like, she says, 'Never mind, mother; remember the pinny."" "Did I ever tell you about my poor little Nil and her pinny? Oh, if I had only listened to her when I had her with me, I often think how happy she would have been. But then, while she was reading, or perhaps praying for me, on a Sunday, I was busy about. I need not have been, but I hadn't the love for better things then. She was always thoughtful and good, my little Nil, even when she was a tiny thing. "After I had buried her poor father, I used to take her out with me into the field haymaking, and I bought her a pair of thick boots to keep her dry, and she was very pleased and fussy about these boots. Well, in the afternoon I lost her; she was nowhere in the field, and I thought she must have run round to her aunt's. But no, she was not there. At last we found that she had crept through a hole in the hedge next the churchyard, to tell her father (she had seen where we laid him) that mother had got her some 'scroopy' boots, because she thought he would be so pleased. "But about the pinny. I got a new pinny for her, and one for her brother George. You know I could not afford to get new ones often, so I told them to take good care of them. There were some brambles in the lane near our old cottage, and the berries were just ripe then, and George and Hannah could not keep off from them, and as Hannah was reaching up to pick some, a branch caught her pinny and made a great rent in it both ways. Poor little thing! She was so frightened. When she came in I found she was very quiet, but she managed not to let me see what she had done till it came to bedtime. Then Ann and I went upstairs, and called to the two little ones to come up to bed. George came up at once, but Hannah did not come as usual. Ann called her again, and then, as she still did not come, Ann peeped down the stairs, and she saw little Hannah kneeling down at the bottom of the stairs, and she could see she was praying, though she could not hear what she said. We couldn't think what it was about; but when she was in bed, and I came to fold up her clothes, I soon saw what was the matter. She looked rather frightened in the morning, for she thought I should beat her when I saw what she had done; but I let a few days go by, and said nothing about it. Then one day, when I was going up to the gardens in the allotments to pick some peas, I told her to come with me; and as George was gone down the village, we were there all alone. As we were picking the peas she sidled away from me, as if she was afraid I was going to say something to her; so I called her to me and said, 'Now, Hannah, you tell me the truth; what were you kneeling down at the bottom of the stairs for the other night?' She began to look very frightened, and to sidle away from me again; so I said, 'Now you tell me, and I promise you I won't beat you; but if you tell me all the truth I will give you a penny.' She looked up in my face, and I promised again I would not beat her, and then she told me all about it. "You know, mother, I tore my new pinny. I did not mean to, but as I was picking the blackberries, the thorns caught it and gave it a great slant both ways, and I thought you would be very angry with me and beat me, and I didn't know what to do; so I thought I would tell God, and ask Him to help me. So I told Him all; that mother couldn't afford to buy us new pinnies, and I had been and torn my new one, and I begged Him not to let you be angry and beat me. And you see, mother, He did hear, for you did not beat me.' So I gave her the penny, and she was quite happy. Many's the time I have thought on it since ; and if I get cast down or afeard of any trouble, I remember the pinny, and how my poor little Nil got over her trouble by telling God all about it, and I do the same; and He helps me as He helped her. "Sometimes I'm afeard I shall not get to her after all, but then that's Satan puts that into my mind, 'tis misbelief." "And how did your little Nil get through the last trouble, of which you still seem to have some fear? Did her Helper fail her then?" "Oh, it was no trouble to her. She did not want to get better; she wanted to go to be with Jesus, and she knew she was going, only she could not tell me so outright, because I fretted so, and would not believe it. The last time I lifted her off the little bed where I laid her while I made her own, I said to her, 'I can't lift you off any more by myself. Though you are not heavy, you are long, and your feet fall while I hold your head.' 'Mother,' she said,' you have never done it by yourself, never. I always ask the Lord Jesus, and He helps you.' "The last day she lay and looked up into the corner of the room, as if she saw something beautiful there, and she said, 'Mother, move my head.' So I did, and she kissed me, and then looked up again and said, 'Now take me'; and she was gone, though I did not know it for a while. "Oh that I had listened to her sooner, and given to God my best days!" A. P. A Question, and a Prayer for the New Year. "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith."-2 Cor. xiii. 5. NOTHER year is past! Thou, Lord, wilt give? Amos iv. 12. Am I prepared to rise, Where, in unceasing bliss, Isaiah Ixiv. 4. Lord, Thou dost know my heart; Search it in every part, Purge it from sin; Let not one spot remain, Psalm cxxxix. 23, 24. Thus will my body be Then shall I truly know 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. Teach me, from day to day Romans viii. 1, 2. Then, be the years I view Daily shall onward press, Finish my race. Isaiah lxi. 10. If thus in Christ I live, Living in me. Calming all faithless fears; Drying all sorrow's tears; Lightening my constant cares- Exodus xxxiii. 14. There must be perfect bliss Fulness of righteousness, Fulness of holiness, Fulness of loveliness Flowing around! Coloss. ii. 9, 10. Lord, may Thy righteousness, Be found in me; And may my worthlessness, Be lost in Thee: Micah vii. 18, 19. Then, when I see Thee come, Farewell, mortality, Welcome, finality; Glorious reality Bursts on my eyes! Isaiah xxv. 9. Farewell to sin and strife, In heaven above! Farewell, disease and pain, John ië. 16, 17. D. H. C. |