THE PRAYING LITTLE GIRL.


A LITTLE girl in the city of London, was one

day playing with her companions. Taking them

by the hand, she led them to a shed in the yard,

and asked them all to kneel down, as she was 

going to pray to God." "But don't tell my mother,"

said she, "for she never prays, and she

would beat me if she knew that I did." Instead

of keeping the secret, one of her playmates went

directly and told this little girl's mother, who 

was very much struck, but for the present took 

no notice. Some time after, on her going 

in-doors, her mother asked her what she had

 been doing in the yard. She tried to avoid giving

 a direct answer. The question being repeated,

 the answer was the same, when, her mother

 having promised not to be angry with her, and

 pressing the inquiry by very kind words, she 

said "I have been praying to God Almighty."

"But why do you pray to him?"

"Because I know he hears me, and I love to

pray to him."

"But how do you know he hears you?"!

This was a difficult question indeed: but mark

her reply. Putting her little hand to her heart,

she said, "Oh, I know he does, because there

is something here that tells me he does." This

language pierced her mother's heart, who was a

stranger to prayer herself; and she wept bitterly.

Let good children do as this little girl did,

bow their knees before God Almighty. However

short and feeble their little prayers, they may

be sure he hears them if they are offered in

 earnest, for he says, "I love them that love me, 

and they that seek me early shall find me." 





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