She Was A Stranger.


A MISSIONARY, traveling in North America,

was requested to go out to a new settlement

to address a Sabbath-school. He had

preached in the morning, and was wearied,

and felt quite unfitted for the task, but 

reluctantly consented to go.

When he found himself at the spot, he

looked around the assembly with great 

misgivings, not knowing what to say to them.

He noticed a little girl very shabbily dressed,

and barefooted, shrinking up in a corner, her

little sun-burnt face buried in her hands, the

tears trickling between her small, brown fingers,

and sobbing as if her heart would

break. Soon, however, another little girl,

about eleven years old, got up and went to

her, whispered kindly to her, and, taking her

by the hand, led her toward a brook, then

seated her on a log, and kneeling beside her,

she took off her ragged sun bonnet, and, dipping

her hand in the water, bathed her hot

eyes and tear-stained face, smoothed the 

tangled hair, talking in a cheery manner all the

while.

The little one brightened up, the tears all

went, and smiles came creeping all round

the rosy mouth.

The missionary stepped forward and said,

"Is that your little sister, my dear?"

"No, sir," answered the noble child, with

tender, earnest eyes, "I have no sister, sir."

"Oh! One of the neighbor's children," replied

the missionary, "a little schoolmate,

perhaps?"

"No, sir; she is a stranger. I do not

know where she came from; I never saw her

before."

"Then how can you take her out, and have

such a care for her, if you do not know her? "

Because she was a stranger, sir, and seemed

all alone, and needed somebody to be kind to

her."

"Ah!" said the missionary to himself,

"Here is a text for me to preach from, 'Because

she was a stranger, and seemed all

alone, and needed somebody to be kind to

her.'" The words came to him,"Inasmuch

as ye have done it unto one of the least of

these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

So, taking the little girls by the hand, he

went back to the school-room and told the

people the simple story; then spoke of the

great love that all should bear to one another,

even as the dear Saviour sought out those

who were humble and of low estate, making

them his peculiar care. The missionary forgot

his weariness, and felt that God had put

a good word in his mouth. 






S. S. World.