The Child's Answer.



Little Nellie L had lost her father, and

her mother was poor. Her sweet temper and

winning ways gained her many friends. Among

these was an excellent lady, Miss N . A

glimpse of Nellie's bright face peeping in at the

door always brought a smile of peculiar 

tenderness over Miss N 's placid features.

She loved to sit by the child, softly stroking

her hair; and while looking thoughtfully into

her smiling eyes, would often say, " Poor, poor

Nellie!"

When Nellie shook her head, with a heart too

happy to forebode evil, her friend would caress

 her still more fondly, and say, "Poor, poor 

Nellie!"

The child's heart seemed troubled by these

pitying words, for she asked one day, "Why do

you call me poor? Please don't, Miss N, I'm

not poor why, I've got twenty-five cents and a

good mother!"

"Rich little Nellie," said her friend. "A good

mother! Ah, How long I was in learning what

this little one already knows! "

"A good mother " could any earthly treasure

have made her so truly rich?




Select.

 



Seeking Early.


When I was a child I loved dearly to go after

blackberries, and would sometimes start with 

the sun, that I might get there before the best 

were picked by others; and I knew too they were

 sweeter before the sun beat hot upon them, 

while yet the dew that helped to ripen through

 the night lay like beads upon their heads. When 

I reached the picking ground the large ripe 

berries seemed to say, "They that seek us early

 find us." I was just thinking how much berry-

picking was like seeking Jesus. When the little

 child goes to find him. He starts in the morning

 of life, and finds quickly and easily, and enjoys

 his love and presence with a greater relish then,

 and has the fruit of his love to feed upon when

 the toils and cares and sorrows of manhood 

beat upon his head. How different with those 

who seek berries at noon. Their business has 

detained, or their carelessness or indolence 

prevented their coming until the sweet ripe fruit

 is very difficult to be found; and they, weary 

withthe labor and heat of the day, have but little

 heart to seek, and when they find, are too much

 worn to enjoy. So he who allows business or 

pleasure or indolence to consume his time or

 energies till manhood arrives, till the noon of

 life, finds that the cares of business distract, or

 the pleasures of the world have greater power

 to allure, or sorrow weighs him down; he has 

but little time to seek, and if he finds, he has 

little time to enjoy to what he might have had by

 seeking early. “I love them that love me, and 

they that seek me early shall find me." 

Proverbs 8:17.





M. M. OSGOOD.