The Novels of Faith – Premium 7 Book Collection. Finley Martha

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СКАЧАТЬ "Elsie, do you know that you were very near being killed last night?"

      "No, papa, was I?" she asked with an awe-struck countenance.

      "Yes, the doctor says if that wound had been made half an inch nearer your eye—I should have been childless."

      His voice trembled almost too much for utterance as he finished his sentence, and he strained her to his heart with a deep sigh of thankfulness for her escape.

      Elsie was very quiet for some moments, and the little face was almost sad in its deep thoughtfulness.

      "What are you thinking of, darling?" he asked.

      She raised her eyes to his face and he saw that they were brimful of tears.

      "O papa!" she said, dropping her head on his breast while the bright drops fell like rain down her cheeks, "would you have been so very sorry?"

      "Sorry, darling! do you not know that you are more precious to me than all my wealth, all my friends and relatives put together? Yes, I would rather part with everything else than lose this one little girl," he said, kissing her again and again.

      "Dear, dear papa! how glad I am that you love me so much!" she replied; and then relapsed into silence.

      He watched her changing countenance for some time, then asked, "What is it, darling?"

      "I was just thinking," she said, "whether I was ready to go to heaven, and I believe I was; for I know that I love Jesus; and then I was thinking how glad mamma would have been to see me; don't you think she would, papa?"

      "I can't spare you to her yet," he replied with emotion, "and I think she loves me too well to wish it."

      As Miss Day had not yet returned, Elsie's time was still pretty much at her own disposal, excepting when her papa gave her something to do; so, after breakfast, finding that he was engaged with some one in the library, she took her Bible, and seeking out a shady retreat in the garden, sat down to read.

      The Bible was ever the book of books to her, and this morning the solemn, tender feelings naturally caused by the discovery of her recent narrow escape from sudden death made it even more than usually touching and beautiful in her eyes. She had been alone in the arbor for some time, when, hearing a step at her side, she looked up, showing a face all wet with tears.

      It was Mr. Travilla who stood beside her.

      "In tears, little Elsie! Pray, what may the book be that effects you so?" he asked, sitting down by her side and taking it from her hand. "The Bible, I declare!" he exclaimed in surprise. "What can there be in it that you find so affecting?"

      "O Mr. Travilla!" said the little girl, "does it not make your heart ache to read how the Jews abused our dear, dear Saviour? and then to think that it was all because of our sins," she sobbed.

      He looked half distressed, half puzzled; it seemed a new idea to him.

      "Really, my little Elsie," he said, "you are quite original in your ideas, I suppose I ought to feel unhappy about these things, but indeed the truth is, I have never thought much about them."

      "Then you don't love Jesus," she answered, mournfully. "Ah! Mr. Travilla, how sorry I am."

      "Why, Elsie, what difference can it make to you whether I love Him or not?"

      "Because, Mr. Travilla, the Bible says, 'If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maranatha,' accursed from God. Oh! sir, think how dreadful! You cannot be saved unless you love Jesus, and believe on Him. 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.' That is what God says in his word."

      She spoke with deep solemnity, the tears trembling in her eyes. He was touched, but for a while sat perfectly silent.

      Then he said, with an effort to speak lightly. "Ah, well, my little friend, I certainly intend to repent and believe before I die, but there is time enough yet."

      "Mr. Travilla," she said, laying her hand on his arm and looking earnestly into his face, "how do you know that there is time enough yet? don't put it off, I beg of you."

      She paused a moment; then asked, "Do you know, Mr. Travilla, how near I came to being killed last night?"

      He nodded.

      "Well, suppose I had been killed, and had not loved Jesus; where would I be now?"

      He put his arm round her, and giving her a kiss, said, "I don't think you would have been in any very bad place, Elsie; a sweet, amiable little girl, who has never harmed any one, would surely not fare very badly in another world."

      She shook her head very gravely.

      "Ah! Mr. Travilla, you forget the anathema, maranatha; if I had not loved Jesus, and had my sins washed away in His blood, I could not have been saved."

      Just at this moment a servant came to tell Elsie that her papa wanted her in the drawing-room, and Mr. Travilla, taking her hand, led her into the house.

      They found the company again grouped about the piano, listening to Adelaide's music.

      Elsie went directly to her father and stood by his side, putting her hand in his with a gesture of confiding affection.

      He smiled down at her, and kept fast hold of it until his sister had risen from the instrument, when putting Elsie in her place, he said, "Now, my daughter, let us have that song."

      "Yes, papa," she replied, beginning the prelude at once, "I will do my very best."

      And so she did. The song was both well played and well sung, and her father looked proud and happy as the gentlemen expressed their pleasure and asked for another and another.

      Thus the clouds which had so suddenly obscured little Elsie's sky, seemed to have vanished as speedily as they had arisen.

      Her father again treated her with all his wonted affection, and there even seemed to be a depth of tenderness in his love which it had not known before, for he could not forget how nearly he had lost her.

      Chapter Eleventh

       Table of Contents

      "In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank

       thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid

       these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed

       them unto babes; even so, Father; for so it seemed good in

       thy sight."

       —Luke x. 21.

      Says the Apostle Paul, "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart, for I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh…. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved."

      And СКАЧАТЬ