"Look here, Bill, Hatty thinks I ought to ask your pardon." Vol. VI, p. 9."Look here, Bill, Hatty thinks I ought to ask your pardon."Vol. VI, p. 9.
"Well," he said, "for your sake, I will. You always haveeverything your own way, you know."
"Look here, Bill," he exclaimed, walking back to the fence where his companion stood, and holding out his hand, "I was wrathy and called you names you didn't deserve. Hatty thinks I ought to ask your pardon."
"Oh, Ethel! don't tell him that. You owned you were sorry first."
"So I am; and if Bill will say quits, I'll do him as good a turn some other time."
"All right," said Bill, giving his hand.
"Here, Hatty," cried Ethel, "you must shake hands too. You're better than Squire Morse to settle up quarrels."
She laughed and blushed, giving her little hand first to one, and then to the other.
"Now promise me," she said, "that you'll never quarrel again."
"That's pretty steep. I wouldn't dare venture," cried Ethel, growing very red.
"Oh!" urged Hatty, "I always thought you two the bravest boys in school. Such good scholars ought to be brave."
"I promise totryto be peaceable," answered Bill.
"And I'll agree to think of you, Hatty Maynard, when I want to call hard names. I guess that will cool off the hot blood."
"You must think of somebody better than I am," she urged, growing very serious. "Don't you recollect what the minister said,about living in peace? And the Bible tells us, to 'follow peace with all men,' to 'follow after the things that make for peace.' Esther says that means, we must be kind and affectionate, one to another; we must show our companions that we love them; and if we ever do wrong, we must ask forgiveness as you did, Ethel. I think Bill was real generous to forgive so quick; but I knew he would, if you told him how sorry you were."
"Come on, Bill," exclaimed Ethel, laughing. "I guess we sha'n't be fighting again in a hurry, after all the compliments we've had to-day."
The next morning, when Hatty went down from her unfurnished attic to make a fire in the stove, she found a string of nice, fresh fish laid on the kitchen table. There was a small piece of soiled paper tied to the end of the string, on which was written in a school boy's hand,—
"For Hatty Maynard, peace-maker to the town of Shrewsbury; from Ethel and Bill."
"'Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God,'" repeated Hatty, tears gushing to her eyes. "I do love to make peace; and I may call myself his child."
She was so full of joy that she ran up the steep stairs again to her low couch, and there kneeling down, she asked her heavenly Father to make her indeed hisown child, and by and by to take her to dwell with him in heaven, where all was peace, and love, and joy, forever and ever.
THE SICK GIRL.
DD
AY after day went by and still Sallie lay in bed. Edward and his brother were able to sit up for a few hours, and take a little broth; but their sister was very,veryill.
One afternoon a neighbor knocked at Mr. Maynard's door and asked for Hatty.
"I have been watching withpoor Sallie Munson," she said. "The widow is clear worn out; and I couldn't refuse. Sallie has come to her senses. She thinks she's going to die, and she wants to see Hatty."
"Why don't they send for the minister?" asked uncle Oliver.
"They have sent; but he wont be at home till to-morrow."
Esther's countenance changed, and at last she said,—
"I'm afraid to have sister go; the fever is very contagious."
"Well, I wont deny that; but perhaps if she ties a bag of camfire round her neck, she wont catch it, I've got one round mine this blessed minute; and I've made Sarah Ann wear one ever since the fever come into town."
"Hatty'll want to go," suggested uncle Oliver. "'Twill be just like her not to think a mite of herself. It's 'stonishing what harum-scarum creaters girls be. They don't valley their own lives a mite, if they want to do anything."
"Well, if you just heard Sallie a calling, 'Hatty, dear Hatty, do come, I'm going to die. Come and tell me what I must do,' you'd say 'twas heart-rending."
"I suppose she will go," faltered Esther, growing very white. "I'll tell her as soon as she comes home from school."
"Tell her, and let her judge for herself," muttered the old man. "I'd rather give every cent, I'm worth in the world than to venter her there; but God can keep herfrom all harm. She's a good girl, Hatty is, and knows a sight more'n some folks."
Esther did tell Hatty, and the consequence was that she went; but not until she had kneeled by her straw couch once more to ask God to bless her endeavors to do Sallie good. She did not think of herself. She felt sure her heavenly Father would take care of her. If he wished her to live longer, he would preserve her from the fever. If he meant to call herhome to heaven now, she was ready to go. In her soul all was peace.
But for her dear companion, she was troubled. As she hurried along, she thought how they had loved each other; that never a word of unkindness had separated them; and she put up a little prayer to God that if consistent with his will, Sallie might be spared to her mother for many years.
Mrs. Munson saw her runningtoward the house, and met her at the door.
Poor Mrs. Munson! how hard during all these weeks of anxious care, had she tried to say, "It is the Lord; let him do with his own, what seemeth to him best."
"Sallie wants you badly, dear," she said, after kissing the child; "but aren't you afraid you'll take the fever? You know Cynthia came down with it yesterday."
"No, I hadn't heard."
Hatty's chin quivered, and thewidow noticing her agitation said softly,—
"I wouldn't urge you for any thing. The minister'll be home to-morrow. May be Sallie'll forget it again."
"Hatty! why don't Hatty come?" called out the sick child.
"I'll go now, ma'am. Is any body with her?"
"Nobody but Edward."
"Will you please call him out? I'd rather see her alone."
Hatty was only thirteen yearsold; and you will not be surprised that when she saw her companion's pale face and wild, protruded eyes, her heart grew faint within her. She sank into a chair, and covered her face with her hands.
"I knew you'd come, I knew you'd be sorry for me," began Sallie, talking with feverish excitement. "Did mother tell you I am going to die?"
"No one but God can know that," murmured Hatty, slowly risingand approaching the bed. "Esther told me you wanted to see me, and I've come."
"Yes; I called you all night; but nobody would go. I'm afraid, Hatty; I don't want to die. Oh, I wish I was good."
"The Bible says nobody ever was good enough to go to heaven."
"What do you mean? Tell me quick!"
"I can't explain very well. I mean that if we're ever so good, as you call it, we couldn't getinto heaven without Jesus. Our goodness is badness in God's sight, because he is so much holier than we are; but if we love Jesus, for his sake, God will forgive our sins."
"How can I love him? Mother has been telling me I must accept him as my Saviour, but I don't know how. Oh! I wish somebody would tell me! I'm dying, and I can't find out anything."
"Sallie, listen to me a minute. In my last Sabbath school paperwas an account of a little heathen girl, who felt as you do. She wanted to love Christ, but she didn't know how to give her heart to him. The missionaries talked to her and prayed with her, but she only cried the more. At last one said, 'Jesus never sinned; but you are a great sinner.'
"'Yes, yes! I understand that.'
"'Well, you have offended God, and he has threatened to punish you; but now Jesus promises to receive the punishment for you,and for that he died on the cross.'
"'Oh, yes! yes! yes!' cried the heathen girl. 'I understand now. I must make a bargain with Jesus. I will give him all my badness, and he will give me all his goodness. Oh, I see! I see!! I do love him. Oh, how good he is!'"
Sallie folded her hands on her breast and closed her eyes, though her lips moved as if she were praying. Presently she said softly, "I understand now, Hatty; butwill Jesus make a bargain with me?"
"Yes, yes, he will; he says so in the Bible."
"Don't stay any longer, Hatty; but come again if Esther will let you. I'm going to pray now. Shut the door tight."
Hatty walked through the kitchen without speaking. Mrs. Munson had sat near the door and had heard every word. She asked God to bless his own truth to her dear, dying daughter.
It was scarcely light the next morning before Abner, Sallie's older brother, knocked at the door of uncle Oliver's house.
"I've come with a message for Hatty," he explained. "She's happy now, and sings all the verses she can think of. She wants me to say, she's made a bargain with Jesus, and she isn't afraid to die."
"Tell her I'll go and see her before school," Hatty answered, her eyes full of joyful tears.
She did go, but the sick girl was quietly asleep, and, more than this, the Doctor said her symptoms were a great deal better.
THE PEACEFUL DEATH.
I
N three days Sallie was out of danger, and from this time she recovered rapidly. The minister and her Sabbath school teacher visited her often, but she wondered Hatty did not come. At last, one day when she was able to sit up, her mother told her Hatty had taken thefever the day she visited her, and now she was very sick.
"Who will take care of her?" asked Sallie, beginning to cry.
"They sent for her aunt, who has never been near them since their mother died, and she's there now. She has money, and she says the poor child shall not want for anything that money will buy."
"Oh, mother! to think that I have killed her! I feel almost sure she will die. She's so good,I used to tell the girls, she ought to go to heaven; but it is dreadful that I killed her."
Sallie sobbed so violently that her mother became alarmed; but for some time she tried in vain to soothe her.
"They'll all blame me. I never shall dare to see uncle Oliver or Esther again. They can't live without her. Oh, oh dear! I wish she never had come. Mother, do please go over there quick, and tell them how very sorry Iam. Hatty taught me to love the Saviour, and how can I let her die?"
To please her child the widow went. Hatty lay in the bedroom adjoining the sitting-room, which was usually occupied by uncle Oliver. Close by her side sat Esther, looking pale and wan as if months instead of hours of racking anxiety had passed over her. Mrs. Foster was preparing some medicine near the window, while the old man, with a heartalmost broken with sorrow, was cutting up wood at the side of the house farthest from the chamber.
As the widow entered the room, Hatty turned her eyes to the door and recognized her.
"Are you in much pain?" she asked, greatly moved.
"Jesus helps me bear it all."
This was said with a gasp.
"She never complains," faltered Esther, with quivering lips.
"Sallie, how is she?" murmured the sick girl.
"Much better, if she were not so distressed about you."
"I am safe with Jesus. He gives me perfect peace."
Her aunt began to weep.
"Don't cry, dear aunty," she said caressingly. "You will come too; you and Esther, and uncle Oliver. We shall all be there. Mother will be there, too, for Esther says she used to pray."
She paused for a moment, quite exhausted; but presently looked up with a smile and added, "I shallsee Mr. Munson and tell him about Sallie. Wont he be glad?"
The widow was quite overcome but tried to control herself.
"Tell him," she said, "that I'm almost through. I'm trying to bear his loss with patience. Tell him God has been true to his promise: 'As thy day is so shall thy strength be.' I trust we shall meet soon and never be parted again."
She stooped silently over the sick child, kissed her, and wasgoing out when Hatty whispered,—
"Tell Sallie good-bye. It's all peace here," laying her hand on her heart. "I'm not afraid to trust my Saviour."
Mrs. Foster followed her to the door. "It's a scene I never shall forget," she said, sobbing. "Such a lesson as that child has taught me. Oh, if I'd only done my duty, she might have lived for years."
"Jesus loves her and wants herwith him," answered Mrs. Munson. "You know he prayed his Father that those who loved him might be with him where he is, that they may behold his glory. Think how happy she will be."
As hours passed on, that room became almost like heaven. An indescribable expression of peace was stamped on the pale features. Heaven had indeed come down into her own heart. For hours she lay in a kind of rapture. Once or twice she sung a part of her favoritehymn, repeating over and over the lines,
"No words can express,The sweet comfort and peaceOf a soul in its earliest love."
Through this day and the next the house was thronged with schoolmates and friends, come to take a last look of one so dear. Matilda and Cynthia, Ethel and Bill, pressed forward to thank her for the example she had always set them.
"What shall we do," cried Ethel, sobbing aloud, "when our peace-maker has gone?"
With a heavenly smile she replied, "You shall be peace-maker. See how God keeps his promise to me. 'They shall be called the children of God.'
"Ethel," she went on, "you've always been like a real brother to me. For my sake will you be kind to Esther?"
"Yes, I will."
"And I too," sobbed Bill;"but we shall miss you dreadfully."
"Give your hearts to Jesus, and 'twont be long before we shall meet again."
The end came at last. Hatty's sufferings were nearly over. She lay propped up with pillows, her head resting against her aunt's breast. Esther sat near, holding her hand, which she continually covered with kisses. Uncle Oliver sat in his arm-chair, at the foot of the bed, his face shaded withhis hands, his breast heaving convulsively.
The minister stood where Hatty's eyes rested on him. He was reading from the twenty-third Psalm: "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.... Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
"Yes, yes," murmured the white lips. "He is with me. I'm notafraid. He has pardoned all my sins, and washed me in the fountain filled with blood; I'm—going to be—with him—forever,—I'm so—so happy!"
She lay so quiet that all feared her soul had fled away; but presently, with a bright smile, she murmured,—
"I—I'm going now—good-bye—all. He gives me peace—perfect—peace;" and then fell sweetly asleep in Jesus. "He giveth his beloved sleep," repeated thekind minister. "Look at her now! The peace of God which passeth all understanding dwells in her now and forevermore."
The next Sabbath her body was carried to the church, where a sermon was preached from her favorite text,—"Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God."
The clergyman reminded the children of her who had so truly and earnestly been a peace-maker, and entreated them to follow herexample, that they might have peace in life and triumph in death.
The influence of Hatty was long felt. By her entreaties on her dying bed, her aunt and uncle Oliver, long estranged, were brought together, and ever after lived as she would have had them, caring tenderly for poor Esther, till her own peaceful death, two years later.
My dear little reader, will you not try to be a peace-maker?
Transcriber's Notes:Text spells the contraction "won't" without the apostrophe (wont). This was retained.Obvious punctuation errors repaired.Page 62, "peacably" changed to "peaceably" (peaceably with all men)
Transcriber's Notes:
Text spells the contraction "won't" without the apostrophe (wont). This was retained.
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Page 62, "peacably" changed to "peaceably" (peaceably with all men)