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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 02:26:18 -0700 |
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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 02:26:18 -0700 |
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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/26369-h.zip b/26369-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..08d9d30 --- /dev/null +++ b/26369-h.zip diff --git a/26369-h/26369-h.htm b/26369-h/26369-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3b188f5 --- /dev/null +++ b/26369-h/26369-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1905 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Amy Harrison, or Heavenly Seed and Heavenly Dew, by Amy Harrison. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + a {text-decoration: none;} + + img {border: none;} + + em {font-style: italic;} + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-style: normal; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .bbox {border: solid 2px; padding: 1em; margin-top: 3em;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold; text-align: center;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em;} + + .tdl {text-align: left; vertical-align: top;} /* left align cell */ + .tdrt {text-align: right; vertical-align: top;} /* right align cell */ + .tdrb {text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;} /* right align cell */ + + .padtop {padding-top: 3em;} + +span.dropcap { display: none; } /* this goes around the first letter of the first word */ + +/* You need a unique span like this for each of your drop cap images */ +span.dropcapa { float: left; + height: 99px; width: 100px; /* adjust for your image */ + margin: 0 1em 1em 0; + background: url("images/dca.png") no-repeat top left; } +span.dropcapo { float: left; + height: 98px; width: 100px; /* adjust for your image */ + margin: 0 1em 1em 0; + background: url("images/dco.png") no-repeat top left; } +span.dropcapt { float: left; + height: 101px; width: 100px; /* adjust for your image */ + margin: 0 1em 1em 0; + background: url("images/dct.png") no-repeat top left; } + + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Amy Harrison, by Amy Harrison + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Amy Harrison + or Heavenly Seed and Heavenly Dew + +Author: Amy Harrison + +Release Date: August 20, 2008 [EBook #26369] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AMY HARRISON *** + + + + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Lindy Walsh, Sam W. and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 398px;"> +<img src="images/ah01.jpg" width="398" height="600" +alt="Front cover of the book" /> +</div> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 200px;"> +<img src="images/ah02.png" width="200" height="27" alt="Decoration" /> +</div> + +<h1 class="padtop smcap">Amy Harrison</h1> + + +<p class="center">OR</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 392px;"> +<img src="images/ah03.png" width="392" height="25" +alt="Heavenly Seed and Heavenly Dew." /> +</div> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 250px;"> +<img src="images/ah04.png" width="250" height="72" alt="Decoration" /> +</div> + +<p class="center padtop">LONDON<br /> +T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW<br /> +EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK.</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 403px;"> +<img src="images/ah05.jpg" width="403" height="600" +alt="Amy kneels and prays at the side of her bed" /> +</div> + +<p class="caption">A NEW FEELING.</p> + +<p class="center"><i>Page <a href="#Page_57">57</a>.</i></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 138px;"> +<img src="images/ah06.png" width="138" height="25" alt="Contents" /> +</div> + +<p class="center">————</p> + +<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="60%" summary="Table of contents"> + <tr> + <td class="tdrt">I.</td> + <td class="tdl"> THE WALK,</td> + <td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_7">7</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrt">II.</td> + <td class="tdl">AT SCHOOL,</td> + <td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_15">15</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrt">III.</td> + <td class="tdl">AT HOME,</td> + <td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_30">30</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrt">IV.</td> + <td class="tdl">A NEW LEAF, AND HOW IT WAS FILLED,</td> + <td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_34">34</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrt">V.</td> + <td class="tdl">TRY AGAIN,</td> + <td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_41">41</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrt">VI.</td> + <td class="tdl">THE TRUTH SETTING FREE,</td> + <td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_46">46</a></td> + </tr> +</table> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p> + +<h1 class="padtop">AMY HARRISON.</h1> + + + +<h2 class="padtop">CHAPTER I.</h2> + +<h3>THE WALK.</h3> + + +<p><span class="dropcapo"><span class="dropcap">O</span></span>NE fine Sunday morning two little +girls, called Amy and Kitty Harrison, +set out from their mother’s +cottage to go to the Sunday school in the +neighbouring village. The little hamlet +where they lived was half a mile from the +school. In fine weather it was a very +pleasant walk, for the way lay by the side +of a little chattering stream, which fed the +roots of many pretty wild flowers; and +then, leaving the valley, the path struck +across some corn-fields, which were now +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> +quite yellow for harvest. And even in wet +weather the little girls seldom missed the +school; for their mother was a careful +woman, and they themselves loved their +teacher and their lessons. Mrs. Mordaunt, +the wife of the clergyman, taught them on +Sunday, for both Amy and Kitty were in +the first class.</p> + +<p>Amy was tripping lightly along, enjoying +the sunshine. Every now and then she +bent down and gathered a wild flower,—the +four-leaved yellow potentilla, or the +meadow-sweet, or a spike of golden rod, or +a handful of forget-me-nots, watered by the +stream, to make a little nosegay for her +teacher; for Mrs. Mordaunt loved flowers +and would sometimes take the lesson for +the day from them. And she loved better +still the affectionate remembrances of her +children.</p> + +<p>Kitty, meanwhile, was walking very +soberly along, reading her hymn-book. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> +Perhaps from this you may think that Kitty +was the more industrious and thoughtful of +the two; but it was not so. Amy had +risen early that morning, and got her lessons +all ready, and so she could enjoy the +pleasant walk freely; for you know, or if +you do not know I hope you will learn, +that it is always those who are busiest at +their work that can be merriest in their +hours of leisure. Nothing gives us such an +appetite for enjoyment as hearty work. So +Amy tripped on, humming a cheerful hymn, +while poor Kitty kept on saying over and +over again the words of her hymn, and +vainly trying to stop her ears from hearing +and her eyes from seeing all the pleasant +sights and sounds around her. But the +birds were so busy singing, and the fish +kept springing up from the stream, and +every now and then a bright butterfly +would flit across, or a little bird perch on a +spray close to her, and everything around +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> +seemed trying so mischievously to take her +attention from her book, so that they had +reached the gate at the end of the wood +before Kitty had learned two verses of her +hymn.</p> + +<p>You see, these two little girls were not +quite like each other, although they had +the same home, and the same lessons, and +the same plays. If you sow two seeds of +the same plant in the same soil, you know +they will grow up exactly like each other. +The flowers will be of the same colour, the +same smell, the same shape; the roots will +suck up the same nourishment from the +soil, and the little vessels of the stems and +leaves will cook it into the very same +sweet, or sour, or bitter juices. But with +little children it is quite different. You may +often see two children of one family, with +the same friends, the same teaching, the +same means of improvement, as different in +temper and character from each other as if +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> +they had been brought up on opposite sides +of the world. Indeed, it is as strange for +children of one family to be alike, as for +flowers to be unlike. Why is this? Among +other reasons one great one is, that God +has given to children a <em>will</em>—a power of +choosing good or evil. Flowers have no +will; they cannot help being beautiful, and +being what God meant them to be. The +earth feeds them, and the rains water them +and make them grow without any choice or +will of theirs; but with you, children, it is +quite otherwise. God has given you <em>wills</em>; +and it is in your own power to choose +whether you will be good and happy children, +and a blessing to all around you, and +turning everything around you into a blessing, +every year growing wiser and better; +or whether you will yield to the evil within +and around you, and turn health, and time, +and Christian teaching, and all the good +things God sends to feed your souls, into +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> +food for your selfish and idle natures, and +so grow every year worse and worse. You +must do one of these two things,—you may +do the best. Remember I do not say you +can do them <em>for</em> or <em>by yourselves</em>, but you +<em>can do</em> them. God has said so. The +flowers cannot choose or ask for food, and +so God chooses for them and gives without +asking. You are higher creatures than +they, and can choose and ask, and so God +will wait for you to ask before he gives; +but he is only waiting for this, and he is +always ready to hear.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Mordaunt had told the children +something of this last Sunday, and Amy +thought of it as she walked, and did ask +God to bless her teacher’s words to her that +day.</p> + +<p>Now you have seen how Amy and Kitty +Harrison used their power of choice. The +sun had beamed into the room for Kitty as +well as for Amy that morning. God had +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> +given them both the pleasant morning +hours of his day to use as they liked best. +Kitty had chosen to spend them in dozing +lazily in bed, while Amy had jumped out +of bed and dressed quickly, and gone out +to her favourite seat under an old cherry +tree to learn her lessons.</p> + +<p>So the little girls reached the gate at the +end of the wood. Outside was a road, +across which lay the corn-fields leading to +the church, and beside it stood a cottage +where Amy and Kitty used to stop to call +for little Jane Hutton, one of their school-fellows. +Jane’s father was a blacksmith; +and the Huttons were richer than the Harrisons, +so that Jane had gayer bonnets and +smarter dresses than Kitty and Amy. This +morning she had such beautiful new ribbons +that Kitty’s attention was quite caught by +them. And Jane too was not a little proud +of them; her mother had given a shilling +a yard for them at the next town. If +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> +Kitty had found it difficult to learn her +lessons before, she now found it quite impossible; +for in the midst of every line she +could not help reckoning how many weeks’ +halfpence it would take, and how many +times she would have to open the gate for +travellers who came to see the waterfall +near the cottage, before she could buy a +ribbon like that.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span></p> + +<h2>CHAPTER II.</h2> + +<h3>AT SCHOOL.</h3> + + +<p><span class="dropcapa"><span class="dropcap">A</span></span>T length the children reached the +school before the hymn was +learned, and Kitty felt very +much ashamed when, after stammering +through three verses, Mrs. Mordaunt gave +her back the book, saying, “I would rather +have no lesson from you, Kitty, than one +learned so carelessly as this.” However, it +was too late to repair the fault, so Kitty +resolved to give her very best attention to +the chapter they were going to read. It +was the parable of the sower and the seed, +in the thirteenth of St. Matthew. I cannot +tell you all that Mrs. Mordaunt said about +it, but it was something of this kind:—</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> +“The Saviour was sitting on a little +strip of level land by the side of the Sea of +Galilee. Behind him were high mountains, +towering one above another to the clouds; +before him, the waves came rippling quietly +against the low shore. Around him were +crowds of people gathered together from +the villages and towns many miles around +to listen unto him. Had all these people +come to Jesus for the same thing, do you +think, Jane Hutton?”</p> + +<p>Jane Hutton started at the question. +She had been playing with her new parasol, +and her thoughts were very far from the +Sea of Galilee. Mrs. Mordaunt repeated the +question in another way. “Do you think +all the people who came to Jesus came because +they loved him, and wanted to be +his disciples?”</p> + +<p>“No; there were the Pharisees,” said Kitty.</p> + +<p>“Yes; they came to try to find fault +with him.”</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> +“And the sick,” said Amy timidly, “who +came to be healed.”</p> + +<p>“True,” said Mrs. Mordaunt. “And then +there were very many, doubtless, who came +from mere curiosity, because they had +heard their friends talk of his wonderful +power of healing, or the new, wise, and +strange words of him who seemed to them +only the son of a poor carpenter of Nazareth. +But were there any who gathered +close around him, and loved his words for +their own sake, not because they were new +or interesting, but because they were <em>true</em> +and <em>God’s words</em>, because they had sins to +be forgiven and Jesus could forgive, and +sick souls which only Jesus could heal?”</p> + +<p>“Yes; there were the disciples.”</p> + +<p>“What do you mean by disciples?”</p> + +<p>“Does it not mean those who love Jesus?” +asked Amy.</p> + +<p>“No; don’t you remember it means +scholars?” said Kitty, who was quicker than +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> +her sister, and rather proud of her better +memory.</p> + +<p>“You are both right,” said Mrs. Mordaunt. +“The disciples of Jesus are those +who come to learn of him; and the first +lesson every one who comes to Jesus learns +is to love him. Nothing can be learned of +Christ without loving him.</p> + +<p>“Well,” she continued, “our Lord looked +round on the crowd: the proud and clever +men who stood knitting their brows, and +eagerly watching his words, and from time +to time whispering to one another; the +eager multitude, who listened in mute +wonder to his wonderful lessons; the +little group of disciples who gathered affectionately +about him; the sick whom he +had healed; the possessed and mad whom +he had restored to reason; the despised +sinners whom he had received and forgiven; +and perhaps there were some pious mothers +there with little children who were not +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> +afraid to come close to him, for he loved +little children. But he saw more of that +crowd than we should have seen if we had +been there. What was it that he saw +which we cannot see?”</p> + +<p>The children were silent a minute, and +then Amy murmured, “Was it their hearts, +ma’am?”</p> + +<p>Mrs. Mordaunt replied kindly, “Yes; +and he saw how differently his words would +tell on the hearts of the crowd around. +And so he taught them a lesson in this +story which we call—”</p> + +<p>“The parable of the sower,” said Kitty +quickly.</p> + +<p>Then Mrs. Mordaunt examined the children +about the parable, and finding they +had attended to it and understood it, she +talked to them about it.</p> + +<p>“Now, dear children,” she said, “this +school-room, with its whitewashed walls, is +a very different place from the shores of +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> +the Sea of Galilee; and you, little children, +with your pleasant English homes, and +your Bibles, and your Sunday schools, I +daresay think yourselves very different from +the grave priests, and clever lawyers, and +rough Hebrew labourers and farmers, and +Roman soldiers, who gathered around the +Saviour then. But among you, as among +that multitude, who have so long since gone +the way of all the earth, the eye of Jesus +Christ (for he sees here as well as there) +sees two great divisions, not of rich and +poor, or clever and stupid, but of those who +are his disciples and those who are not. +Which class would you like to belong to?”</p> + +<p>Kitty answered eagerly, “His disciples, +ma’am.”</p> + +<p>Some of the children were silent, and +some spoke with Kitty; but little Amy said +nothing—the tears filled her eyes and +choked her voice.</p> + +<p>“You may all be Christ’s little disciples,” +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> +said Mrs. Mordaunt. “He calls you to +him. You may all come to him <em>privately</em>, +as the disciples did; pray to him in secret, +and have his words made clear to you, if +you will. You may all bring forth fruit to +his glory, thirty, or sixty, or a hundred fold.</p> + +<p>“You see,” she continued, “although +there are only two great bodies or parties +in the world,—those in whom Christ’s +words <em>live</em>, and those in whom they <em>die</em>,—yet +there are many smaller differences +among each of these parties. Some of the +seed in the parable fell merely on the surface, +and never was seen any more after it +was sown: just as, I am afraid, some of you +have often left all thoughts of God behind +when you left the school or the church, +and never thought of him or his words +from one Sunday to another. The fowls of +the air—that is, some light thought or play, +or Satan, who goes about to put these in +your heart—come the moment the words +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> +die on your ear, and take the good seed +quite away. And then some of you like to +hear about Christ, and his words and works, +and are quick, and easily understand and +take in new thoughts, and, perhaps, think +you would like to be good children, and to +love Christ, and be his disciples, and go +home and go to sleep full of good intentions +and plans of correcting your faults. +But the next morning other lessons have to +be learned, and other things to be thought +about, and your faults and bad habits are +strong; and so every day the echo of the +Sunday’s teaching grows fainter, and at +last the end of the week comes, and finds +you no nearer God or the fulfilment of +your good resolutions than the beginning. +The thorns have sprung up—the cares and +pleasures of this world—and choked the +good seed that was beginning to grow. +And then, again, perhaps, there are some of +you who would like very much to be pious, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> +only you are afraid of being unlike others, +afraid of being teased for being strict, or +laughed at; for persecution does not only +consist in burning or hurting the body,—little +annoyances are often harder to bear +than great sorrows. But think how very +cowardly this would be, how very ungrateful +and ungenerous to Jesus. He bore the +sneers and taunts of crowds for your sake, +and bore them too when he was suffering +<em>great pain</em>; and can you not bear a little +laugh for his sake? Think how happy it +is to be able to bear a little for him who +bore so very much for us; think what joy +to have his eye on us, and to hear his kind +voice saying, ‘Blessed are ye, little children, +who confess me as your Master before men; +for I will confess you to be my beloved +ones before the angels of God.’ And then, +dear children,” Mrs. Mordaunt added, “I +hope there are some of you who do love +your Saviour, and are treasuring up his +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> +words in your hearts; and to you I would +say, there are differences even among +Christ’s disciples. Some bring forth fruit +thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred +fold. Seek, then, not only to bring forth +fruit, but <em>much</em> fruit; to be better and +happier every day. God means you to do +this; he will certainly enable you to do it +if you ask.</p> + +<p>“And before you leave,” she said, “I will +first tell you three things which I particularly +wish you to remember: the <em>place</em> +where the seed is to grow; the <em>enemies</em> +which try to destroy its life; and <em>what +makes it grow</em>. First, where is the seed +sown?”</p> + +<p>“In the heart,” replied all the children.</p> + +<p>“Are your spelling lessons, or your lessons +on the multiplication table, sown in your +hearts?”</p> + +<p>The children smiled, and answered, “No.”</p> + +<p>“Then you do not expect them to bear +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> +fruit in your life. It does not improve +your tempers or your hearts to learn that +<em>h e a r t</em> spells heart, does it? or that 12 +times 12 are 144?”</p> + +<p>The children thought not.</p> + +<p>“Then all you are expected to do with +such lessons is to remember them; is it +not?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, ma’am,” was the reply.</p> + +<p>“Now that is precisely the point where +your lessons in reading and spelling differ +from your lessons about the Bible. When +you sow seed in your memories, it is like +laying up grains in a closed box. We do +not expect them to grow; we are quite +content if we find as many as we leave; +we do not expect any fruit or growth. +But when I sow seed in your hearts, it is +like putting it into the ground; we want +it to <em>grow</em>. It is not enough for it to remain +safe and sound; we hope that it +will bear fruit in your lives. I do not care +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> +only for finding it safe in your memories +the next Sunday. I long to know that it +has been making you better and wiser children +<em>during the week</em>, helping you to fight +with faults, teaching you to love God and +one another. And speaking of your faults +leads me to think of the enemies the little +seed has to encounter. Can you think of +some of the things which try to hinder its +growth?”</p> + +<p>“There were the fowls,” answered Kitty.</p> + +<p>“And the thorns,” said some of the other +children.</p> + +<p>“And the sun,” said Amy.</p> + +<p>“You know what the thorns and the +scorching heat are?”</p> + +<p>“Our faults and troubles?” asked Kitty.</p> + +<p>“Yes. Side by side with the seed, and +from the same soil, the heart, spring up +thorns and weeds, which try to choke the +seed. And the little seed has to struggle +hard for its life; if it does not choke the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> +weeds, the weeds will choke it. What +must we do with the weeds?”</p> + +<p>“Cut them down,” said the children.</p> + +<p>“Yes. We must fight with our faults, +and not let one, however small, be neglected, +or it will soon cover the garden; for all +weeds grow fast. But the other enemies, +the heat and the fowls, cannot be <em>destroyed</em>. +The scorching sun—trials and mockery—can +only injure those plants which have no +root, those hearts which are not trusting in +Jesus, and rooted in him. But the fowls of +the air,—those powerful and wicked spirits +who are constantly on the watch to crush +all that is good and encourage all that is +evil in our hearts,—what can the little seed +do against such enemies?”</p> + +<p>The children gave no answer.</p> + +<p>“<em>It can do nothing</em>,” said Mrs. Mordaunt. +“You all see it has no power whatever; +and in this, too, the seed is like us. What +then can save it?”</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> +There was a pause of a minute, and then +Amy ventured to ask, “Does not God +watch over it?”</p> + +<p>“He does, my child,” replied Mrs. Mordaunt. +“But do you remember why I said +the plants are cared for without asking?”</p> + +<p>“Because they cannot ask.”</p> + +<p>“But we can ask. What is it called to +ask anything of God?”</p> + +<p>“To pray,” said all the children.</p> + +<p>“Yes; that is what you may all do. +Our Saviour calls himself the great husbandman +or gardener; and now that he +has risen and reigns on high, if you ask +him, he will not disdain to watch over the +little seed of good sown in your hearts. +He will send the Holy Spirit, like the rain +to young corn, to strengthen all that is +good in you; and he will enable you, feeble +as you are, to keep down all bad feelings, +and tempers, and habits, which would choke +the seed.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> +“So there are three things for you to +remember: the seed is sown in your hearts, +and must bring forth fruit in your lives; +you have enemies within and without to +fight with far stronger than any of you; +and you have a Friend far stronger than all +your enemies, who will give you the victory +if you seek his aid. And shall I give you +a little grain of precious seed to bear home +with you?”</p> + +<p>The children all wished it.</p> + +<p>“Think, then, on these words, ‘<em>By love +serve one another</em>.’ Try to <em>love</em> them, and +pray to God for his strength to enable you, +for the sake of his Son, our Saviour; for +remember, though I cannot go home with +you, <em>God does</em>.”</p> + +<p>The church bells were ringing, the classes +broke up to form into marching order, and +the lesson was over.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span></p> + +<h2>CHAPTER III.</h2> + +<h3>AT HOME.</h3> + + +<p><span class="dropcapa"><span class="dropcap">A</span></span>ND what did the children think of +Mrs. Mordaunt’s words? We will +follow them home and see. Little +Jane Hutton, I am afraid, forgot them; for +during the service her eyes kept wandering +round the church in search of gay dresses +and bonnets, and watching what her school-fellows +thought of her own new ribbons.</p> + +<p>Kitty Harrison had attended to what +Mrs. Mordaunt said, and resolved to do it; +so she found out all the places in her +prayer-book, and went home full of plans +of amendment, and in the evening she +drew her little stool to the window, and +began to read her Bible, <em>not</em> so much +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> +because she wished to learn what it said, as +because she thought it <em>right</em> to read it. +But, in the first place, her thoughts would +keep wandering to Jane Hutton’s ribbons, +then she could not help listening to what +her father and mother were talking about, +and the kitten would keep playing with +her frock; and so she got through a chapter +without very well understanding it, and +then was rather glad that it grew too dark +for her to read any more. Soon after, the +children were sent to bed, and Kitty went +upstairs wondering why she did not like to +read the Bible better, and rather pleased to +think that to-morrow was a play-day.</p> + +<p>Kitty had forgotten two great things: +she had forgotten that to love <em>God’s Word</em> +we must first love <em>God</em>; and she had forgotten +that the little seed could not sprout +without rain, and that the dew of heaven, +the Holy Spirit, must be <em>asked for</em>.</p> + +<p>Meantime, Amy was feeling very differently. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> +She thought how good it was of +Jesus, the Son of God, to care about the +love of little children, and to watch the +good seed sown in their hearts, and nourish +it, and water it, and make it grow; and +she thought that it would be the happiest +thing in the world to be his disciple, and +to do what he wished, and be loved and +approved by him; and she resolved to try. +So as they walked home, she planned that +she would go into a quiet place in the garden, +under the trees, and pray to God.</p> + +<p>But when they reached the cottage, they +had to put away their Sunday things; and +when Amy came down her mother desired +her to keep the baby while she got the tea +ready. Amy thought it hard to be hindered +in her plans; but she remembered the verse, +“By love serve one another,” and it came +into her mind that Christ might be as +pleased at her cheerfully giving up her own +way to help her mother, as if she had been +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> +praying to him, and the thought made her +happy, and she danced the baby, and played +with it till it crowed with delight. After +tea, she could not find any quiet in the +room where the family were sitting, so she +went into the bedroom and knelt down by +the bedside. She had always been accustomed +to say her prayers morning and +evening, because she had been taught, and +because she would have been afraid to go +to sleep without; but now it was a different +thing—<em>she wanted something which she felt +only God could give</em>. She wanted to be +made good, to have her sins forgiven, to +have strength to overcome her faults, that +Christ might love her and bless her; and +she asked this earnestly of him. She felt +sure he would hear; and she rose from her +knees with a lightened heart, and opened her +Bible and read, until it was quite dark, of the +Saviour and his goodness. And that night +she went to sleep happy in the care of God.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span></p> + +<h2>CHAPTER IV.</h2> + +<h3>A NEW LEAF, AND HOW IT WAS FILLED.</h3> + + +<p><span class="dropcapt"><span class="dropcap">T</span></span>HE next morning Amy awoke early. +It was cold and rainy, and she +felt inclined to turn on her pillow, +but the feeling came strongly over her that +she had something <em>new</em> before her, that this +week was to be the starting-point of a new +life; and the verse, too, which had been the +last on her lips in the evening, was the first +in her heart in the morning, “By love serve +one another.” She remembered that the +fire had to be lit, and the water brought +from the spring for the kettle; so she +jumped out of bed, and was quickly dressed +and ready to go downstairs. Kitty would +not follow her example. She did not forget +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> +to ask God’s blessing on the day, and +then she called Kitty again. But Kitty +was very sleepy; she only said she was sure +it would be time to get up in half an hour, +and wrapped herself up comfortably and +went to sleep again. Amy thought it was +rather selfish of Kitty to leave all the work +to her; but she said nothing, and tripped +downstairs. She had soon brought the +water and lighted the fire, and brushed and +dusted everything neat and bright, and then +she found she had a little time to spare. +Near their cottage lived a poor old widow, +named Hill. Amy knew she could hardly +hobble about her house to do her work, and +she thought it would be a nice way of +“serving one another,” if she were just to +run down and light Widow Hill’s fire, and +put her room neat. No sooner planned +than done. Away she ran; half-an-hour, +with Amy’s light feet and busy fingers, did +the work which would have cost the old +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> +woman an hour or two; and rich with the +widow’s thanks, and hungry with work, she +tripped back to breakfast, happy to think +how her mother would be pleased with what +she had done.</p> + +<p>But on entering the cottage, Amy’s spirits +received a sudden check; the family were +all at breakfast, and her father spoke rather +severely to her about her never being in +time for anything. Amy did not answer; +she felt ill-used, and she was too much hurt +to say what she had been about; so she +sat down in silence to her breakfast. +Kitty was beside her, yawning as if she +had only just got out of bed. “Yet,” +thought Amy, “no one ever scolds her; +it is no good to try to please people.” +So Amy sat, getting angrier and angrier, +and not enjoying her breakfast a bit, and +thinking everybody very unkind, although +she said nothing; you might, perhaps, have +thought she bore the rebuke very meekly. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> +Now, I do not mean to deny that this was +a trial for poor Amy. It is a very great +trial to be blamed and misunderstood when +we have been seeking to please people; but +it is the pride of our own hearts which makes +it so trying. If we were lowly, harsh words +would not have half the power to wound +us. Amy felt this, and she felt she was +doing wrong, but that only made her more +vexed; for instead of acknowledging her +fault to herself, and asking God to forgive +her and strengthen her against it, she went +on brooding over her wrongs and nursing +her anger in silence. After breakfast, Kitty +asked her if she had been working in their +garden all this time.</p> + +<p>“No,” said Amy shortly.</p> + +<p>“Have you been learning your lessons +for next Sunday, then?”</p> + +<p>“No,” answered Amy still more sharply.</p> + +<p>Kitty looked puzzled for a minute, and +then she laughed, and said, “I can’t see +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> +what good you’ve got, Amy, by being in +such haste to get up. You seem to have +done nothing but lose your temper.”</p> + +<p>This was altogether more than Amy +could bear; she made a bitter reply, and a +quarrel began between the sisters, which +made their walk to school very uncomfortable. +It was so different from yesterday, +Amy felt ready to cry, but she was ashamed +that Kitty should see. Poor Amy entered +the school-room with a sore heart. A bad +temper is not likely to get sweet of itself, +so Amy went on more and more discontented +with herself, and her lessons, and +everything else, until the class was called +to read their morning lesson. The text +from the Bible which stood at the head of +the lesson happened to be, “For if you, +from your heart, forgive not your brother +his trespasses, how can your heavenly +Father forgive you your trespasses?” Amy +had to read these words, and they struck to +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> +her heart; she thought of what sinful and +angry feelings she had been cherishing, and +how much she had to ask God to forgive +her, and how little she felt inclined to forgive +in her sister and others; and afterwards, +as she wrote her copy, hot tears fell on the +page, and she confessed her fault in her +heart to God, and begged him to forgive +her. Then she felt happier at once. After +school, one of her school-fellows was kept in +to finish a sum; she was crying, and did +not seem able to do it, so Amy went quietly +to her, and showed her the way, and then +danced off to the play-ground. On their +way home she had a harder struggle to +make, and that was to tell Kitty she was +sorry for her hasty words; but she conquered, +and Kitty having confessed that +she too had been in the wrong, the sisters +felt happy again together.</p> + +<p>This was true repentance; it was a sorrow +for and confession of sin, and then +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> +forsaking the sin; it was a change of mind. +That evening Amy felt very serious when +she thought over the day’s doings; she was +weaker than she had thought—it was harder +to do right than she had believed; but she +resolved to try harder again to-morrow. So +she went to bed hopeful, although rather +sad. We shall see how her resolutions were +carried out.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span></p> + +<h2>CHAPTER V.</h2> + +<h3>TRY AGAIN.</h3> + + +<p><span class="dropcapa"><span class="dropcap">A</span></span>MY did try very hard the next day, +and she prayed earnestly for +strength from on high. She rose +early, she got everything ready in time for +her father, and he praised her and called +her “a thrifty little maid;” she never reproached +Kitty with leaving the work to +her; she went cheerfully through her lessons, +and in the afternoon she had the +delight of being highly commended by the +mistress and set to teach one of the younger +classes. After school, some of the children +went blackberry-picking, and the Harrisons +were of the number. They had a merry +time of it; the sun was shining, the birds +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> +were singing, and the thick leaves of the +wood where the blackberries grew just let +enough of the sunbeams through; and Amy +Harrison’s heart was full of peace and sunshine, +and the woods were full of beautiful +ripe blackberries, so that in a few hours the +little party tripped homeward full of glee, +and with baskets filled to the brim with +large ripe blackberries. They were walking +on fast, laughing and chattering, when Amy +saw that a little lame girl named Lucy Maitland +could not keep up with the rest, and +so she stayed to talk to her. Lucy looked +rather dismal, and her basket was not half +full; she could not climb in and out among +the rocks and brambles like the others. +Amy felt sorry for her; she thought she +would give her some from her own basket, +but she did so wish to take it home full, +and she did not like Kitty to have more +than herself. But then the words breathed +into her heart, “By love serve one another,” +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> +and she resolved to seize the opportunity; +and without another word, she poured out +a third of her own little store, and nearly +filled Lucy’s basket. Lucy’s eyes glistened, +but she had not time to say much, for the +children were comparing what they had +each gathered, and Amy’s basket had to be +held up amongst the rest.</p> + +<p>“Why, I thought your basket was quite +full,” said Kitty.</p> + +<p>“So it was,” exclaimed little Lucy, “but +she has half emptied it to fill mine.”</p> + +<p>The children all loved Amy for doing +this, and wondered how it was they had not +thought of little Lucy before; so now, many +of them insisted on pouring some blackberries +into Lucy’s basket, and giving part +of Amy’s back to her. In this way Lucy +and Amy’s stores were soon the largest of +the whole, and the children separated in +good humour with each other and everything.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> +As Amy and Kitty entered the garden, +the first thing that caught Amy’s eye was +her little baby sister sitting on her little +chair under the window. On each side of +the door grew a little rose tree, one of which +belonged to Amy and one to Kitty. Amy’s +was a red rose. The flowers were nearly +all gone, but one had lingered behind the +rest. Amy had watched it with especial +care: she had plucked off all the dead +flowers around it, and this morning she had +been thinking it would just be in beautiful +bloom by Sunday, that she might +take it to school as a present for Mrs. Mordaunt. +And now there sat the baby with +that very bud in her lap quietly picking it +to pieces, and holding up the scattered +leaves in Amy’s face, she lisped, “Pretty, +pretty!” Amy was too angry and too +vexed to think, and it was of no use to +scold the baby, so she snatched the rose +from the baby’s hands, and said, “You +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> +good-for-nothing, naughty little thing;” and +then she burst into tears. The baby began +to cry too, and their mother came out to +know what was the matter. “O mother, +how could you?” sobbed Amy passionately. +“Why did you let baby sit close to my +rose-bush—my beautiful rose? I had been +saving it all the week for Mrs. Mordaunt—and +it was my last.”</p> + +<p>Mrs. Harrison tried to comfort Amy; and +Kitty offered her the best flower in her +garden. They both felt very sorry for her. +But Amy was not to be comforted, and so +they gave up trying. Poor Amy’s evening +was quite spoilt,—not so much, I think, by +the loss of her rose as by the loss of her +temper.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span></p> + +<h2>CHAPTER VI.</h2> + +<h3>THE TRUTH SETTING FREE.</h3> + + +<p><span class="dropcapt"><span class="dropcap">T</span></span>HE next day she awoke, out of +spirits and out of temper. She +did not see why she should always +work, while Kitty was enjoying herself in +bed. She forgot the joy of serving others, +and thought it very hard others should not +try to serve her. We are apt to be very +strict about other people’s duties when we +forget our own. So Amy lay in bed until +the last moment, and then hurried on her +clothes, and hurried over her work, and +what was worse, hurried over her prayers, +and thus went out to meet the day’s temptations +unarmed.</p> + +<p>It never improves the temper to be +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> +hurried; and Amy was still further tried this +morning by her father, who was in haste to +be off to his work, and wondered why she +was so slow.</p> + +<p>“It’s of no use,” grumbled Amy to herself, +“to try to do right and please everybody. +The more one does, the more people +expect. Nobody thinks of scolding Kitty +for being slow.”</p> + +<p>A day so begun seldom grows bright of +itself. There is a sunshine which can +scatter even such clouds, but Amy did not +look up to that; it did not seem to shine +for her; it never does, <em>if you will not look +up</em>. She felt very discontented and ill-used; +it seemed as if no one cared for her, and +everything worked together to torment her; +and so things got darker and darker, and +Amy’s temper more bitter and her heart +sorer every moment.</p> + +<p>At last her mother went out, and Kitty +was sent to the bakehouse, and Amy was +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> +left alone to rock the cradle and watch that +the kettle did not boil over.</p> + +<p>Amy had much rather not have been left +alone just then; her own thoughts were not +at all pleasant; but as she was alone she +could not help thinking. At first she +thought how unkind every one was, and of +all the wrongs she had had to bear,—of +Kitty’s laziness, of her mother’s rebukes, and +then of her beautiful rose, and the naughty +baby. “Kitty and the baby might do just +what they liked, but if she did the least +thing wrong she was scolded and punished.” +But this thought of the rose led her back +to Mrs. Mordaunt’s lesson on Sunday. Had +the good seed borne good fruit this week,—this +week that was to have been the beginning +of a new life? Had it led her to +overcome one fault, to be a step nearer to +God and goodness than before? Yet she +had prayed and tried. What was then +wanting? She was afraid she never should +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> +be God’s happy child, she was so full of +faults, and no one helped her to overcome +them; and yet it was wretched to be as she +was. What should she do?</p> + +<p>So she sat rocking the cradle, and thinking +of her resolutions and her failures until +the tears rolled fast over her cheeks, and all +the proud heart within her was melted into +sorrow. As she sat thus, her elbows on her +knees and her hands hiding her face, she +heard a gentle voice at the door. She +looked up. It was Mrs. Mordaunt asking +for her mother. Amy was ashamed to be +seen crying, and rose quickly, and answered +as briskly as she could. But Mrs. Mordaunt +saw she was unhappy, and she came forward, +and laying her hand kindly on her shoulder +she asked what was the matter.</p> + +<p>Amy’s tears flowed faster than ever now, +and as soon as she could speak she sobbed +out in a faint voice, “O ma’am, I cannot +do right,—I cannot be good.” Mrs. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> +Mordaunt sat down beside her and said, “Don’t +despair, my child; you know the little song +you sing in school. Try again and again +until you succeed. Every one succeeds who +goes on trying.”</p> + +<p>“But I have tried again and again,” said +poor Amy, “and I only get worse and +worse. In the very moment when I want +it, the strength goes away.”</p> + +<p>“Our own strength always will,” said the +lady. “Have you remembered to ask God +for his strength? Do you remember what +I told you about the little seed? its enemies +are stronger than itself, but God is stronger +than its enemies.”</p> + +<p>“I have prayed, ma’am,” said Amy mournfully, +“but I am ashamed to ask God any +more. I have done what he tells us not so +very often, I am afraid he never can love +me;” and Amy cried bitterly.</p> + +<p>“My child,” said Mrs. Mordaunt, taking +her hand, “if you had disobeyed your +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> +mother, and she were angry with you, +would you run away from the house in the +night, and choose rather to starve or die of +cold than ask her forgiveness?”</p> + +<p>Amy was silent.</p> + +<p>“And if your mother could not bear to +see you in want, and were to come out to +you in the cold night with food and kind +words, would you turn away from her and +say, ‘I know she can never love me, I have +been so naughty;’ and would you refuse to +receive her kindness, and ask her forgiveness?”</p> + +<p>Amy bent down her head.</p> + +<p>“Or would you say,” continued Mrs. +Mordaunt, “as you saw her coming, ‘I will +not go to meet her now; I will go and try +to earn a few pence, and then I will come +back to her and say, “Mother, I am very +sorry, but here are some pence I have earned. +Will you take them and forgive me, and let +me be your child again?”’ Would that be +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> +<em>humility</em> and <em>gratitude</em>, or <em>pride</em> and <em>ingratitude</em>, +Amy?”</p> + +<p>“Pride and ingratitude,” said Amy in a +low voice.</p> + +<p>“And when the Lord Jesus says to you, +‘You have sinned against me and wronged +me, and broken my laws; but I have come +down from heaven to earth to seek you; +come back to me, and I will receive and forgive +you,’ would it be humility or pride to +say, ‘Thou canst not forgive me, I am too +sinful; but wait a little while, and I will +do something good, and make myself better, +and then I will come back to thee’?”</p> + +<p>“<em>Pride</em>,” said Amy. “But I thought +God only loved good children, ma’am; and +I am not good.”</p> + +<p>“God does only love good children, Amy,” +said Mrs. Mordaunt very seriously, “and +God knows you cannot be good.” Amy +looked up in wonder.</p> + +<p>“Who was Jesus Christ, Amy?”</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> +“The Son of God,” said Amy.</p> + +<p>“And what did he become man and come +into this world for?”</p> + +<p>Amy answered as she had been taught, +“Jesus Christ came into the world to save +sinners.”</p> + +<p>“To save whom?”</p> + +<p>“Sinners.”</p> + +<p>“Not those who <em>thought themselves good</em>, +but those who <em>knew</em> they had been <em>sinful</em>. +What did he save them from?”</p> + +<p>“From punishment,” said Amy thoughtfully.</p> + +<p>“Yes,” said Mrs. Mordaunt, “from punishment, +and from sin. He came to suffer, that +we might be delivered and freely forgiven, +and to make us holy. Did it cost him +nothing to do this, Amy?”</p> + +<p>“He died for it on the cross,” said Amy +softly.</p> + +<p>“He did indeed. And did he suffer all +that pain and anguish of mind for nothing?”</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> +Amy did not answer.</p> + +<p>“It would have been for nothing,” said +Mrs. Mordaunt, “if we had still to earn forgiveness +for ourselves. Jesus bore the punishment +for us just because we could not +have borne it; and he has borne it so that +we shall never have to bear it now. If, +then, you go and <em>give yourself up</em> to the +blessed Saviour as <em>He calls you to do</em>, God +will receive you for his sake, as if you had +been always a good and obedient child, and +Jesus will give you his Holy Spirit to abide +with you always, and to make you good +and obedient and happy.”</p> + +<p>“I must not wait until I am better for +God to love me, then,” said Amy doubtfully.</p> + +<p>“Again, do you obey your mother in +order to become her child; or do you obey +her because she loves you and is your +mother, Amy?”</p> + +<p>“Because she is my mother,” said Amy.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> +“And will your obedience make you more +her child than you are, Amy?”</p> + +<p>“No, ma’am.”</p> + +<p>“But because you are her child and she +loves you, does that make you careless of +obeying her?”</p> + +<p>“If I only could be a better child to +please her!” said Amy, the tears gathering +in her eyes.</p> + +<p>“It is so with God, my child,” said Mrs. +Mordaunt. “He loves you, not because you +are good, but because he is good—because +he is love, and so loved you that he gave +his Son that you might be saved. Before +you can love him, you must believe his +word—that he loves you; and believing he +loves you, he will make you good and happy. +God has given the Bible to <em>tell of his love +to you</em>. Read it, my child; believe it.”</p> + +<p>Mrs. Harrison came in just then, and Mrs. +Mordaunt, after saying a few words to her, +rose to leave.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> +That evening Amy took out her Bible +with a new interest. “Can it be possible, +indeed,” thought she, “that God has written +in this book that he loves me—<em>me</em>, a little +sinful child! I will look and see.” She +read some of the passages she had learned +before for Mrs. Mordaunt: “Ho, every one +that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and +he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and +eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without +money and without price” (Isa. lv. 1). +“May I, indeed, come without anything to +offer, and will God give me all I want?” +Then: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in +the wilderness, even so must the Son of +man be lifted up: that <em>whosoever</em> believeth +in him should not perish, but have eternal +life” (John iii. 14, 15). “He that heareth +my word, and believeth on him that sent +me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come +into condemnation; but is passed from +death unto life” (John v. 24).</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> +“Can I not <em>now</em> hear his words,” she +thought, “and <em>do I not</em> believe?” She had +read the words often before, but now a new +light seemed to stream forth from them. +She wanted forgiveness, and here was forgiveness +offered; she wanted God to love +her, and here in every page was some message +of love from him. The Spirit of God +opened the little child’s heart to the Word +of God, and she read on as if she never +could hear enough of this blessed news. +“We have known and believed the love that +God hath to us; we love him because he +first loved us.”</p> + +<p>“I do believe!” she thought; and that +evening, as she fell on her knees, she felt +for the first time what it was to call God +Our Father. Her whole heart glowed with +gratitude and love to him who had so loved +her. She laid her down to sleep with the +eye of her heavenly Father upon her. She +awoke in the morning and felt that he was +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> +near. Everything made her happy, because +God sent everything, and God loved her. +The streams, the woods, the flowers—they +had never looked half so bright, for she felt +that God had made them, and God had so +loved her. At school, at her tasks,—everywhere +she was happy as a bird, for God was +everywhere. She could not feel cross, for +God was near, <em>and he loved her</em>. She could +fight with her faults now, for the Almighty +was by to help her.</p> + +<p>Little children! thousands of little children +have had their hearts changed and +made happy, just as Amy’s was; and <em>so +may yours</em>. Only believe the love that +God has to you, and you must love him; +and be his dear and happy child.</p> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 117px;"> +<img src="images/ah07.png" width="117" height="250" +alt="Floral decoration from back cover of book" /> +</div> + + +<div class="bbox"> +<p><b>Transcriber's Note</b></p> + +<p>Minor punctuation errors have been repaired.</p> + +<p>Hyphenation has been made consistent.</p> + +<p>The author uses both "a hundred fold" and "an hundred fold". These +instances have been preserved as printed.</p> +</div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Amy Harrison, by Amy Harrison + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AMY HARRISON *** + +***** This file should be named 26369-h.htm or 26369-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/6/3/6/26369/ + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Lindy Walsh, Sam W. and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Amy Harrison + or Heavenly Seed and Heavenly Dew + +Author: Amy Harrison + +Release Date: August 20, 2008 [EBook #26369] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AMY HARRISON *** + + + + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Lindy Walsh, Sam W. and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + AMY HARRISON + + OR + + HEAVENLY SEED AND HEAVENLY DEW. + + + [Decoration] + + + LONDON + T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW + EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK. + + + + + [Illustration: A NEW FEELING. + _Page 57._] + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + I. THE WALK, 7 + + II. AT SCHOOL, 15 + + III. AT HOME, 30 + + IV. A NEW LEAF, AND HOW IT WAS FILLED, 34 + + V. TRY AGAIN, 41 + + VI. THE TRUTH SETTING FREE, 46 + + + + +AMY HARRISON. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +THE WALK. + + +One fine Sunday morning two little girls, called Amy and Kitty +Harrison, set out from their mother's cottage to go to the Sunday +school in the neighbouring village. The little hamlet where they lived +was half a mile from the school. In fine weather it was a very +pleasant walk, for the way lay by the side of a little chattering +stream, which fed the roots of many pretty wild flowers; and then, +leaving the valley, the path struck across some corn-fields, which +were now quite yellow for harvest. And even in wet weather the little +girls seldom missed the school; for their mother was a careful woman, +and they themselves loved their teacher and their lessons. Mrs. +Mordaunt, the wife of the clergyman, taught them on Sunday, for both +Amy and Kitty were in the first class. + +Amy was tripping lightly along, enjoying the sunshine. Every now and +then she bent down and gathered a wild flower,--the four-leaved yellow +potentilla, or the meadow-sweet, or a spike of golden rod, or a +handful of forget-me-nots, watered by the stream, to make a little +nosegay for her teacher; for Mrs. Mordaunt loved flowers and would +sometimes take the lesson for the day from them. And she loved better +still the affectionate remembrances of her children. + +Kitty, meanwhile, was walking very soberly along, reading her +hymn-book. Perhaps from this you may think that Kitty was the more +industrious and thoughtful of the two; but it was not so. Amy had +risen early that morning, and got her lessons all ready, and so she +could enjoy the pleasant walk freely; for you know, or if you do not +know I hope you will learn, that it is always those who are busiest at +their work that can be merriest in their hours of leisure. Nothing +gives us such an appetite for enjoyment as hearty work. So Amy tripped +on, humming a cheerful hymn, while poor Kitty kept on saying over and +over again the words of her hymn, and vainly trying to stop her ears +from hearing and her eyes from seeing all the pleasant sights and +sounds around her. But the birds were so busy singing, and the fish +kept springing up from the stream, and every now and then a bright +butterfly would flit across, or a little bird perch on a spray close +to her, and everything around seemed trying so mischievously to take +her attention from her book, so that they had reached the gate at the +end of the wood before Kitty had learned two verses of her hymn. + +You see, these two little girls were not quite like each other, +although they had the same home, and the same lessons, and the same +plays. If you sow two seeds of the same plant in the same soil, you +know they will grow up exactly like each other. The flowers will be of +the same colour, the same smell, the same shape; the roots will suck +up the same nourishment from the soil, and the little vessels of the +stems and leaves will cook it into the very same sweet, or sour, or +bitter juices. But with little children it is quite different. You may +often see two children of one family, with the same friends, the same +teaching, the same means of improvement, as different in temper and +character from each other as if they had been brought up on opposite +sides of the world. Indeed, it is as strange for children of one +family to be alike, as for flowers to be unlike. Why is this? Among +other reasons one great one is, that God has given to children a +_will_--a power of choosing good or evil. Flowers have no will; they +cannot help being beautiful, and being what God meant them to be. The +earth feeds them, and the rains water them and make them grow without +any choice or will of theirs; but with you, children, it is quite +otherwise. God has given you _wills_; and it is in your own power to +choose whether you will be good and happy children, and a blessing to +all around you, and turning everything around you into a blessing, +every year growing wiser and better; or whether you will yield to the +evil within and around you, and turn health, and time, and Christian +teaching, and all the good things God sends to feed your souls, into +food for your selfish and idle natures, and so grow every year worse +and worse. You must do one of these two things,--you may do the best. +Remember I do not say you can do them _for_ or _by yourselves_, but +you _can do_ them. God has said so. The flowers cannot choose or ask +for food, and so God chooses for them and gives without asking. You +are higher creatures than they, and can choose and ask, and so God +will wait for you to ask before he gives; but he is only waiting for +this, and he is always ready to hear. + +Mrs. Mordaunt had told the children something of this last Sunday, and +Amy thought of it as she walked, and did ask God to bless her +teacher's words to her that day. + +Now you have seen how Amy and Kitty Harrison used their power of +choice. The sun had beamed into the room for Kitty as well as for Amy +that morning. God had given them both the pleasant morning hours of +his day to use as they liked best. Kitty had chosen to spend them in +dozing lazily in bed, while Amy had jumped out of bed and dressed +quickly, and gone out to her favourite seat under an old cherry tree +to learn her lessons. + +So the little girls reached the gate at the end of the wood. Outside +was a road, across which lay the corn-fields leading to the church, +and beside it stood a cottage where Amy and Kitty used to stop to call +for little Jane Hutton, one of their school-fellows. Jane's father was +a blacksmith; and the Huttons were richer than the Harrisons, so that +Jane had gayer bonnets and smarter dresses than Kitty and Amy. This +morning she had such beautiful new ribbons that Kitty's attention was +quite caught by them. And Jane too was not a little proud of them; her +mother had given a shilling a yard for them at the next town. If +Kitty had found it difficult to learn her lessons before, she now +found it quite impossible; for in the midst of every line she could +not help reckoning how many weeks' halfpence it would take, and how +many times she would have to open the gate for travellers who came to +see the waterfall near the cottage, before she could buy a ribbon like +that. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +AT SCHOOL. + + +At length the children reached the school before the hymn was learned, +and Kitty felt very much ashamed when, after stammering through three +verses, Mrs. Mordaunt gave her back the book, saying, "I would rather +have no lesson from you, Kitty, than one learned so carelessly as +this." However, it was too late to repair the fault, so Kitty resolved +to give her very best attention to the chapter they were going to +read. It was the parable of the sower and the seed, in the thirteenth +of St. Matthew. I cannot tell you all that Mrs. Mordaunt said about +it, but it was something of this kind:-- + +"The Saviour was sitting on a little strip of level land by the side +of the Sea of Galilee. Behind him were high mountains, towering one +above another to the clouds; before him, the waves came rippling +quietly against the low shore. Around him were crowds of people +gathered together from the villages and towns many miles around to +listen unto him. Had all these people come to Jesus for the same +thing, do you think, Jane Hutton?" + +Jane Hutton started at the question. She had been playing with her new +parasol, and her thoughts were very far from the Sea of Galilee. Mrs. +Mordaunt repeated the question in another way. "Do you think all the +people who came to Jesus came because they loved him, and wanted to be +his disciples?" + +"No; there were the Pharisees," said Kitty. + +"Yes; they came to try to find fault with him." + +"And the sick," said Amy timidly, "who came to be healed." + +"True," said Mrs. Mordaunt. "And then there were very many, doubtless, +who came from mere curiosity, because they had heard their friends +talk of his wonderful power of healing, or the new, wise, and strange +words of him who seemed to them only the son of a poor carpenter of +Nazareth. But were there any who gathered close around him, and loved +his words for their own sake, not because they were new or +interesting, but because they were _true_ and _God's words_, because +they had sins to be forgiven and Jesus could forgive, and sick souls +which only Jesus could heal?" + +"Yes; there were the disciples." + +"What do you mean by disciples?" + +"Does it not mean those who love Jesus?" asked Amy. + +"No; don't you remember it means scholars?" said Kitty, who was +quicker than her sister, and rather proud of her better memory. + +"You are both right," said Mrs. Mordaunt. "The disciples of Jesus are +those who come to learn of him; and the first lesson every one who +comes to Jesus learns is to love him. Nothing can be learned of Christ +without loving him. + +"Well," she continued, "our Lord looked round on the crowd: the proud +and clever men who stood knitting their brows, and eagerly watching +his words, and from time to time whispering to one another; the eager +multitude, who listened in mute wonder to his wonderful lessons; the +little group of disciples who gathered affectionately about him; the +sick whom he had healed; the possessed and mad whom he had restored to +reason; the despised sinners whom he had received and forgiven; and +perhaps there were some pious mothers there with little children who +were not afraid to come close to him, for he loved little children. +But he saw more of that crowd than we should have seen if we had been +there. What was it that he saw which we cannot see?" + +The children were silent a minute, and then Amy murmured, "Was it +their hearts, ma'am?" + +Mrs. Mordaunt replied kindly, "Yes; and he saw how differently his +words would tell on the hearts of the crowd around. And so he taught +them a lesson in this story which we call--" + +"The parable of the sower," said Kitty quickly. + +Then Mrs. Mordaunt examined the children about the parable, and +finding they had attended to it and understood it, she talked to them +about it. + +"Now, dear children," she said, "this school-room, with its +whitewashed walls, is a very different place from the shores of the +Sea of Galilee; and you, little children, with your pleasant English +homes, and your Bibles, and your Sunday schools, I daresay think +yourselves very different from the grave priests, and clever lawyers, +and rough Hebrew labourers and farmers, and Roman soldiers, who +gathered around the Saviour then. But among you, as among that +multitude, who have so long since gone the way of all the earth, the +eye of Jesus Christ (for he sees here as well as there) sees two great +divisions, not of rich and poor, or clever and stupid, but of those +who are his disciples and those who are not. Which class would you +like to belong to?" + +Kitty answered eagerly, "His disciples, ma'am." + +Some of the children were silent, and some spoke with Kitty; but +little Amy said nothing--the tears filled her eyes and choked her +voice. + +"You may all be Christ's little disciples," said Mrs. Mordaunt. "He +calls you to him. You may all come to him _privately_, as the +disciples did; pray to him in secret, and have his words made clear to +you, if you will. You may all bring forth fruit to his glory, thirty, +or sixty, or a hundred fold. + +"You see," she continued, "although there are only two great bodies or +parties in the world,--those in whom Christ's words _live_, and those +in whom they _die_,--yet there are many smaller differences among each +of these parties. Some of the seed in the parable fell merely on the +surface, and never was seen any more after it was sown: just as, I am +afraid, some of you have often left all thoughts of God behind when +you left the school or the church, and never thought of him or his +words from one Sunday to another. The fowls of the air--that is, some +light thought or play, or Satan, who goes about to put these in your +heart--come the moment the words die on your ear, and take the good +seed quite away. And then some of you like to hear about Christ, and +his words and works, and are quick, and easily understand and take in +new thoughts, and, perhaps, think you would like to be good children, +and to love Christ, and be his disciples, and go home and go to sleep +full of good intentions and plans of correcting your faults. But the +next morning other lessons have to be learned, and other things to be +thought about, and your faults and bad habits are strong; and so every +day the echo of the Sunday's teaching grows fainter, and at last the +end of the week comes, and finds you no nearer God or the fulfilment +of your good resolutions than the beginning. The thorns have sprung +up--the cares and pleasures of this world--and choked the good seed +that was beginning to grow. And then, again, perhaps, there are some +of you who would like very much to be pious, only you are afraid of +being unlike others, afraid of being teased for being strict, or +laughed at; for persecution does not only consist in burning or +hurting the body,--little annoyances are often harder to bear than +great sorrows. But think how very cowardly this would be, how very +ungrateful and ungenerous to Jesus. He bore the sneers and taunts of +crowds for your sake, and bore them too when he was suffering _great +pain_; and can you not bear a little laugh for his sake? Think how +happy it is to be able to bear a little for him who bore so very much +for us; think what joy to have his eye on us, and to hear his kind +voice saying, 'Blessed are ye, little children, who confess me as your +Master before men; for I will confess you to be my beloved ones before +the angels of God.' And then, dear children," Mrs. Mordaunt added, "I +hope there are some of you who do love your Saviour, and are +treasuring up his words in your hearts; and to you I would say, there +are differences even among Christ's disciples. Some bring forth fruit +thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred fold. Seek, then, not only to +bring forth fruit, but _much_ fruit; to be better and happier every +day. God means you to do this; he will certainly enable you to do it +if you ask. + +"And before you leave," she said, "I will first tell you three things +which I particularly wish you to remember: the _place_ where the seed +is to grow; the _enemies_ which try to destroy its life; and _what +makes it grow_. First, where is the seed sown?" + +"In the heart," replied all the children. + +"Are your spelling lessons, or your lessons on the multiplication +table, sown in your hearts?" + +The children smiled, and answered, "No." + +"Then you do not expect them to bear fruit in your life. It does not +improve your tempers or your hearts to learn that _h e a r t_ spells +heart, does it? or that 12 times 12 are 144?" + +The children thought not. + +"Then all you are expected to do with such lessons is to remember +them; is it not?" + +"Yes, ma'am," was the reply. + +"Now that is precisely the point where your lessons in reading and +spelling differ from your lessons about the Bible. When you sow seed +in your memories, it is like laying up grains in a closed box. We do +not expect them to grow; we are quite content if we find as many as we +leave; we do not expect any fruit or growth. But when I sow seed in +your hearts, it is like putting it into the ground; we want it to +_grow_. It is not enough for it to remain safe and sound; we hope that +it will bear fruit in your lives. I do not care only for finding it +safe in your memories the next Sunday. I long to know that it has been +making you better and wiser children _during the week_, helping you to +fight with faults, teaching you to love God and one another. And +speaking of your faults leads me to think of the enemies the little +seed has to encounter. Can you think of some of the things which try +to hinder its growth?" + +"There were the fowls," answered Kitty. + +"And the thorns," said some of the other children. + +"And the sun," said Amy. + +"You know what the thorns and the scorching heat are?" + +"Our faults and troubles?" asked Kitty. + +"Yes. Side by side with the seed, and from the same soil, the heart, +spring up thorns and weeds, which try to choke the seed. And the +little seed has to struggle hard for its life; if it does not choke +the weeds, the weeds will choke it. What must we do with the weeds?" + +"Cut them down," said the children. + +"Yes. We must fight with our faults, and not let one, however small, +be neglected, or it will soon cover the garden; for all weeds grow +fast. But the other enemies, the heat and the fowls, cannot be +_destroyed_. The scorching sun--trials and mockery--can only injure +those plants which have no root, those hearts which are not trusting +in Jesus, and rooted in him. But the fowls of the air,--those powerful +and wicked spirits who are constantly on the watch to crush all that +is good and encourage all that is evil in our hearts,--what can the +little seed do against such enemies?" + +The children gave no answer. + +"_It can do nothing_," said Mrs. Mordaunt. "You all see it has no +power whatever; and in this, too, the seed is like us. What then can +save it?" + +There was a pause of a minute, and then Amy ventured to ask, "Does +not God watch over it?" + +"He does, my child," replied Mrs. Mordaunt. "But do you remember why I +said the plants are cared for without asking?" + +"Because they cannot ask." + +"But we can ask. What is it called to ask anything of God?" + +"To pray," said all the children. + +"Yes; that is what you may all do. Our Saviour calls himself the great +husbandman or gardener; and now that he has risen and reigns on high, +if you ask him, he will not disdain to watch over the little seed of +good sown in your hearts. He will send the Holy Spirit, like the rain +to young corn, to strengthen all that is good in you; and he will +enable you, feeble as you are, to keep down all bad feelings, and +tempers, and habits, which would choke the seed. + +"So there are three things for you to remember: the seed is sown in +your hearts, and must bring forth fruit in your lives; you have +enemies within and without to fight with far stronger than any of you; +and you have a Friend far stronger than all your enemies, who will +give you the victory if you seek his aid. And shall I give you a +little grain of precious seed to bear home with you?" + +The children all wished it. + +"Think, then, on these words, '_By love serve one another_.' Try to +_love_ them, and pray to God for his strength to enable you, for the +sake of his Son, our Saviour; for remember, though I cannot go home +with you, _God does_." + +The church bells were ringing, the classes broke up to form into +marching order, and the lesson was over. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +AT HOME. + + +And what did the children think of Mrs. Mordaunt's words? We will +follow them home and see. Little Jane Hutton, I am afraid, forgot +them; for during the service her eyes kept wandering round the church +in search of gay dresses and bonnets, and watching what her +school-fellows thought of her own new ribbons. + +Kitty Harrison had attended to what Mrs. Mordaunt said, and resolved +to do it; so she found out all the places in her prayer-book, and went +home full of plans of amendment, and in the evening she drew her +little stool to the window, and began to read her Bible, _not_ so +much because she wished to learn what it said, as because she thought +it _right_ to read it. But, in the first place, her thoughts would +keep wandering to Jane Hutton's ribbons, then she could not help +listening to what her father and mother were talking about, and the +kitten would keep playing with her frock; and so she got through a +chapter without very well understanding it, and then was rather glad +that it grew too dark for her to read any more. Soon after, the +children were sent to bed, and Kitty went upstairs wondering why she +did not like to read the Bible better, and rather pleased to think +that to-morrow was a play-day. + +Kitty had forgotten two great things: she had forgotten that to love +_God's Word_ we must first love _God_; and she had forgotten that the +little seed could not sprout without rain, and that the dew of heaven, +the Holy Spirit, must be _asked for_. + +Meantime, Amy was feeling very differently. She thought how good it +was of Jesus, the Son of God, to care about the love of little +children, and to watch the good seed sown in their hearts, and nourish +it, and water it, and make it grow; and she thought that it would be +the happiest thing in the world to be his disciple, and to do what he +wished, and be loved and approved by him; and she resolved to try. So +as they walked home, she planned that she would go into a quiet place +in the garden, under the trees, and pray to God. + +But when they reached the cottage, they had to put away their Sunday +things; and when Amy came down her mother desired her to keep the baby +while she got the tea ready. Amy thought it hard to be hindered in her +plans; but she remembered the verse, "By love serve one another," and +it came into her mind that Christ might be as pleased at her +cheerfully giving up her own way to help her mother, as if she had +been praying to him, and the thought made her happy, and she danced +the baby, and played with it till it crowed with delight. After tea, +she could not find any quiet in the room where the family were +sitting, so she went into the bedroom and knelt down by the bedside. +She had always been accustomed to say her prayers morning and evening, +because she had been taught, and because she would have been afraid to +go to sleep without; but now it was a different thing--_she wanted +something which she felt only God could give_. She wanted to be made +good, to have her sins forgiven, to have strength to overcome her +faults, that Christ might love her and bless her; and she asked this +earnestly of him. She felt sure he would hear; and she rose from her +knees with a lightened heart, and opened her Bible and read, until it +was quite dark, of the Saviour and his goodness. And that night she +went to sleep happy in the care of God. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +A NEW LEAF, AND HOW IT WAS FILLED. + + +The next morning Amy awoke early. It was cold and rainy, and she felt +inclined to turn on her pillow, but the feeling came strongly over her +that she had something _new_ before her, that this week was to be the +starting-point of a new life; and the verse, too, which had been the +last on her lips in the evening, was the first in her heart in the +morning, "By love serve one another." She remembered that the fire had +to be lit, and the water brought from the spring for the kettle; so +she jumped out of bed, and was quickly dressed and ready to go +downstairs. Kitty would not follow her example. She did not forget to +ask God's blessing on the day, and then she called Kitty again. But +Kitty was very sleepy; she only said she was sure it would be time to +get up in half an hour, and wrapped herself up comfortably and went to +sleep again. Amy thought it was rather selfish of Kitty to leave all +the work to her; but she said nothing, and tripped downstairs. She had +soon brought the water and lighted the fire, and brushed and dusted +everything neat and bright, and then she found she had a little time +to spare. Near their cottage lived a poor old widow, named Hill. Amy +knew she could hardly hobble about her house to do her work, and she +thought it would be a nice way of "serving one another," if she were +just to run down and light Widow Hill's fire, and put her room neat. +No sooner planned than done. Away she ran; half-an-hour, with Amy's +light feet and busy fingers, did the work which would have cost the +old woman an hour or two; and rich with the widow's thanks, and +hungry with work, she tripped back to breakfast, happy to think how +her mother would be pleased with what she had done. + +But on entering the cottage, Amy's spirits received a sudden check; +the family were all at breakfast, and her father spoke rather severely +to her about her never being in time for anything. Amy did not answer; +she felt ill-used, and she was too much hurt to say what she had been +about; so she sat down in silence to her breakfast. Kitty was beside +her, yawning as if she had only just got out of bed. "Yet," thought +Amy, "no one ever scolds her; it is no good to try to please people." +So Amy sat, getting angrier and angrier, and not enjoying her +breakfast a bit, and thinking everybody very unkind, although she said +nothing; you might, perhaps, have thought she bore the rebuke very +meekly. Now, I do not mean to deny that this was a trial for poor +Amy. It is a very great trial to be blamed and misunderstood when we +have been seeking to please people; but it is the pride of our own +hearts which makes it so trying. If we were lowly, harsh words would +not have half the power to wound us. Amy felt this, and she felt she +was doing wrong, but that only made her more vexed; for instead of +acknowledging her fault to herself, and asking God to forgive her and +strengthen her against it, she went on brooding over her wrongs and +nursing her anger in silence. After breakfast, Kitty asked her if she +had been working in their garden all this time. + +"No," said Amy shortly. + +"Have you been learning your lessons for next Sunday, then?" + +"No," answered Amy still more sharply. + +Kitty looked puzzled for a minute, and then she laughed, and said, "I +can't see what good you've got, Amy, by being in such haste to get +up. You seem to have done nothing but lose your temper." + +This was altogether more than Amy could bear; she made a bitter reply, +and a quarrel began between the sisters, which made their walk to +school very uncomfortable. It was so different from yesterday, Amy +felt ready to cry, but she was ashamed that Kitty should see. Poor Amy +entered the school-room with a sore heart. A bad temper is not likely +to get sweet of itself, so Amy went on more and more discontented with +herself, and her lessons, and everything else, until the class was +called to read their morning lesson. The text from the Bible which +stood at the head of the lesson happened to be, "For if you, from your +heart, forgive not your brother his trespasses, how can your heavenly +Father forgive you your trespasses?" Amy had to read these words, and +they struck to her heart; she thought of what sinful and angry +feelings she had been cherishing, and how much she had to ask God to +forgive her, and how little she felt inclined to forgive in her sister +and others; and afterwards, as she wrote her copy, hot tears fell on +the page, and she confessed her fault in her heart to God, and begged +him to forgive her. Then she felt happier at once. After school, one +of her school-fellows was kept in to finish a sum; she was crying, and +did not seem able to do it, so Amy went quietly to her, and showed her +the way, and then danced off to the play-ground. On their way home she +had a harder struggle to make, and that was to tell Kitty she was +sorry for her hasty words; but she conquered, and Kitty having +confessed that she too had been in the wrong, the sisters felt happy +again together. + +This was true repentance; it was a sorrow for and confession of sin, +and then forsaking the sin; it was a change of mind. That evening Amy +felt very serious when she thought over the day's doings; she was +weaker than she had thought--it was harder to do right than she had +believed; but she resolved to try harder again to-morrow. So she went +to bed hopeful, although rather sad. We shall see how her resolutions +were carried out. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +TRY AGAIN. + + +Amy did try very hard the next day, and she prayed earnestly for +strength from on high. She rose early, she got everything ready in +time for her father, and he praised her and called her "a thrifty +little maid;" she never reproached Kitty with leaving the work to her; +she went cheerfully through her lessons, and in the afternoon she had +the delight of being highly commended by the mistress and set to teach +one of the younger classes. After school, some of the children went +blackberry-picking, and the Harrisons were of the number. They had a +merry time of it; the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and +the thick leaves of the wood where the blackberries grew just let +enough of the sunbeams through; and Amy Harrison's heart was full of +peace and sunshine, and the woods were full of beautiful ripe +blackberries, so that in a few hours the little party tripped homeward +full of glee, and with baskets filled to the brim with large ripe +blackberries. They were walking on fast, laughing and chattering, when +Amy saw that a little lame girl named Lucy Maitland could not keep up +with the rest, and so she stayed to talk to her. Lucy looked rather +dismal, and her basket was not half full; she could not climb in and +out among the rocks and brambles like the others. Amy felt sorry for +her; she thought she would give her some from her own basket, but she +did so wish to take it home full, and she did not like Kitty to have +more than herself. But then the words breathed into her heart, "By +love serve one another," and she resolved to seize the opportunity; +and without another word, she poured out a third of her own little +store, and nearly filled Lucy's basket. Lucy's eyes glistened, but she +had not time to say much, for the children were comparing what they +had each gathered, and Amy's basket had to be held up amongst the +rest. + +"Why, I thought your basket was quite full," said Kitty. + +"So it was," exclaimed little Lucy, "but she has half emptied it to +fill mine." + +The children all loved Amy for doing this, and wondered how it was +they had not thought of little Lucy before; so now, many of them +insisted on pouring some blackberries into Lucy's basket, and giving +part of Amy's back to her. In this way Lucy and Amy's stores were soon +the largest of the whole, and the children separated in good humour +with each other and everything. + +As Amy and Kitty entered the garden, the first thing that caught +Amy's eye was her little baby sister sitting on her little chair under +the window. On each side of the door grew a little rose tree, one of +which belonged to Amy and one to Kitty. Amy's was a red rose. The +flowers were nearly all gone, but one had lingered behind the rest. +Amy had watched it with especial care: she had plucked off all the +dead flowers around it, and this morning she had been thinking it +would just be in beautiful bloom by Sunday, that she might take it to +school as a present for Mrs. Mordaunt. And now there sat the baby with +that very bud in her lap quietly picking it to pieces, and holding up +the scattered leaves in Amy's face, she lisped, "Pretty, pretty!" Amy +was too angry and too vexed to think, and it was of no use to scold +the baby, so she snatched the rose from the baby's hands, and said, +"You good-for-nothing, naughty little thing;" and then she burst into +tears. The baby began to cry too, and their mother came out to know +what was the matter. "O mother, how could you?" sobbed Amy +passionately. "Why did you let baby sit close to my rose-bush--my +beautiful rose? I had been saving it all the week for Mrs. +Mordaunt--and it was my last." + +Mrs. Harrison tried to comfort Amy; and Kitty offered her the best +flower in her garden. They both felt very sorry for her. But Amy was +not to be comforted, and so they gave up trying. Poor Amy's evening +was quite spoilt,--not so much, I think, by the loss of her rose as by +the loss of her temper. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +THE TRUTH SETTING FREE. + + +The next day she awoke, out of spirits and out of temper. She did not +see why she should always work, while Kitty was enjoying herself in +bed. She forgot the joy of serving others, and thought it very hard +others should not try to serve her. We are apt to be very strict about +other people's duties when we forget our own. So Amy lay in bed until +the last moment, and then hurried on her clothes, and hurried over her +work, and what was worse, hurried over her prayers, and thus went out +to meet the day's temptations unarmed. + +It never improves the temper to be hurried; and Amy was still further +tried this morning by her father, who was in haste to be off to his +work, and wondered why she was so slow. + +"It's of no use," grumbled Amy to herself, "to try to do right and +please everybody. The more one does, the more people expect. Nobody +thinks of scolding Kitty for being slow." + +A day so begun seldom grows bright of itself. There is a sunshine +which can scatter even such clouds, but Amy did not look up to that; +it did not seem to shine for her; it never does, _if you will not look +up_. She felt very discontented and ill-used; it seemed as if no one +cared for her, and everything worked together to torment her; and so +things got darker and darker, and Amy's temper more bitter and her +heart sorer every moment. + +At last her mother went out, and Kitty was sent to the bakehouse, and +Amy was left alone to rock the cradle and watch that the kettle did +not boil over. + +Amy had much rather not have been left alone just then; her own +thoughts were not at all pleasant; but as she was alone she could not +help thinking. At first she thought how unkind every one was, and of +all the wrongs she had had to bear,--of Kitty's laziness, of her +mother's rebukes, and then of her beautiful rose, and the naughty +baby. "Kitty and the baby might do just what they liked, but if she +did the least thing wrong she was scolded and punished." But this +thought of the rose led her back to Mrs. Mordaunt's lesson on Sunday. +Had the good seed borne good fruit this week,--this week that was to +have been the beginning of a new life? Had it led her to overcome one +fault, to be a step nearer to God and goodness than before? Yet she +had prayed and tried. What was then wanting? She was afraid she never +should be God's happy child, she was so full of faults, and no one +helped her to overcome them; and yet it was wretched to be as she was. +What should she do? + +So she sat rocking the cradle, and thinking of her resolutions and her +failures until the tears rolled fast over her cheeks, and all the +proud heart within her was melted into sorrow. As she sat thus, her +elbows on her knees and her hands hiding her face, she heard a gentle +voice at the door. She looked up. It was Mrs. Mordaunt asking for her +mother. Amy was ashamed to be seen crying, and rose quickly, and +answered as briskly as she could. But Mrs. Mordaunt saw she was +unhappy, and she came forward, and laying her hand kindly on her +shoulder she asked what was the matter. + +Amy's tears flowed faster than ever now, and as soon as she could +speak she sobbed out in a faint voice, "O ma'am, I cannot do right,--I +cannot be good." Mrs. Mordaunt sat down beside her and said, "Don't +despair, my child; you know the little song you sing in school. Try +again and again until you succeed. Every one succeeds who goes on +trying." + +"But I have tried again and again," said poor Amy, "and I only get +worse and worse. In the very moment when I want it, the strength goes +away." + +"Our own strength always will," said the lady. "Have you remembered to +ask God for his strength? Do you remember what I told you about the +little seed? its enemies are stronger than itself, but God is stronger +than its enemies." + +"I have prayed, ma'am," said Amy mournfully, "but I am ashamed to ask +God any more. I have done what he tells us not so very often, I am +afraid he never can love me;" and Amy cried bitterly. + +"My child," said Mrs. Mordaunt, taking her hand, "if you had disobeyed +your mother, and she were angry with you, would you run away from the +house in the night, and choose rather to starve or die of cold than +ask her forgiveness?" + +Amy was silent. + +"And if your mother could not bear to see you in want, and were to +come out to you in the cold night with food and kind words, would you +turn away from her and say, 'I know she can never love me, I have been +so naughty;' and would you refuse to receive her kindness, and ask her +forgiveness?" + +Amy bent down her head. + +"Or would you say," continued Mrs. Mordaunt, "as you saw her coming, +'I will not go to meet her now; I will go and try to earn a few pence, +and then I will come back to her and say, "Mother, I am very sorry, +but here are some pence I have earned. Will you take them and forgive +me, and let me be your child again?"' Would that be _humility_ and +_gratitude_, or _pride_ and _ingratitude_, Amy?" + +"Pride and ingratitude," said Amy in a low voice. + +"And when the Lord Jesus says to you, 'You have sinned against me and +wronged me, and broken my laws; but I have come down from heaven to +earth to seek you; come back to me, and I will receive and forgive +you,' would it be humility or pride to say, 'Thou canst not forgive +me, I am too sinful; but wait a little while, and I will do something +good, and make myself better, and then I will come back to thee'?" + +"_Pride_," said Amy. "But I thought God only loved good children, +ma'am; and I am not good." + +"God does only love good children, Amy," said Mrs. Mordaunt very +seriously, "and God knows you cannot be good." Amy looked up in +wonder. + +"Who was Jesus Christ, Amy?" + +"The Son of God," said Amy. + +"And what did he become man and come into this world for?" + +Amy answered as she had been taught, "Jesus Christ came into the world +to save sinners." + +"To save whom?" + +"Sinners." + +"Not those who _thought themselves good_, but those who _knew_ they +had been _sinful_. What did he save them from?" + +"From punishment," said Amy thoughtfully. + +"Yes," said Mrs. Mordaunt, "from punishment, and from sin. He came to +suffer, that we might be delivered and freely forgiven, and to make us +holy. Did it cost him nothing to do this, Amy?" + +"He died for it on the cross," said Amy softly. + +"He did indeed. And did he suffer all that pain and anguish of mind +for nothing?" + +Amy did not answer. + +"It would have been for nothing," said Mrs. Mordaunt, "if we had still +to earn forgiveness for ourselves. Jesus bore the punishment for us +just because we could not have borne it; and he has borne it so that +we shall never have to bear it now. If, then, you go and _give +yourself up_ to the blessed Saviour as _He calls you to do_, God will +receive you for his sake, as if you had been always a good and +obedient child, and Jesus will give you his Holy Spirit to abide with +you always, and to make you good and obedient and happy." + +"I must not wait until I am better for God to love me, then," said Amy +doubtfully. + +"Again, do you obey your mother in order to become her child; or do +you obey her because she loves you and is your mother, Amy?" + +"Because she is my mother," said Amy. + +"And will your obedience make you more her child than you are, Amy?" + +"No, ma'am." + +"But because you are her child and she loves you, does that make you +careless of obeying her?" + +"If I only could be a better child to please her!" said Amy, the tears +gathering in her eyes. + +"It is so with God, my child," said Mrs. Mordaunt. "He loves you, not +because you are good, but because he is good--because he is love, and +so loved you that he gave his Son that you might be saved. Before you +can love him, you must believe his word--that he loves you; and +believing he loves you, he will make you good and happy. God has given +the Bible to _tell of his love to you_. Read it, my child; believe +it." + +Mrs. Harrison came in just then, and Mrs. Mordaunt, after saying a few +words to her, rose to leave. + +That evening Amy took out her Bible with a new interest. "Can it be +possible, indeed," thought she, "that God has written in this book +that he loves me--_me_, a little sinful child! I will look and see." +She read some of the passages she had learned before for Mrs. +Mordaunt: "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he +that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and +milk without money and without price" (Isa. lv. 1). "May I, indeed, +come without anything to offer, and will God give me all I want?" +Then: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must +the Son of man be lifted up: that _whosoever_ believeth in him should +not perish, but have eternal life" (John iii. 14, 15). "He that +heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting +life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death +unto life" (John v. 24). + +"Can I not _now_ hear his words," she thought, "and _do I not_ +believe?" She had read the words often before, but now a new light +seemed to stream forth from them. She wanted forgiveness, and here was +forgiveness offered; she wanted God to love her, and here in every +page was some message of love from him. The Spirit of God opened the +little child's heart to the Word of God, and she read on as if she +never could hear enough of this blessed news. "We have known and +believed the love that God hath to us; we love him because he first +loved us." + +"I do believe!" she thought; and that evening, as she fell on her +knees, she felt for the first time what it was to call God Our Father. +Her whole heart glowed with gratitude and love to him who had so loved +her. She laid her down to sleep with the eye of her heavenly Father +upon her. She awoke in the morning and felt that he was near. +Everything made her happy, because God sent everything, and God loved +her. The streams, the woods, the flowers--they had never looked half +so bright, for she felt that God had made them, and God had so loved +her. At school, at her tasks,--everywhere she was happy as a bird, for +God was everywhere. She could not feel cross, for God was near, _and +he loved her_. She could fight with her faults now, for the Almighty +was by to help her. + +Little children! thousands of little children have had their hearts +changed and made happy, just as Amy's was; and _so may yours_. Only +believe the love that God has to you, and you must love him; and be +his dear and happy child. + + + + +Transcriber's Note + +Minor punctuation errors have been repaired. + +Hyphenation has been made consistent. + +The author uses both "a hundred fold" and "an hundred fold". These +instances have been preserved as printed. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Amy Harrison, by Amy Harrison + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AMY HARRISON *** + +***** This file should be named 26369.txt or 26369.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/6/3/6/26369/ + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Lindy Walsh, Sam W. and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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