THE LIBRARY 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 
 LITTLE FREDDIE 
 FEEDING HIS SOUL.
 
 LITTLE FREDDIE 
 
 FEEDING HIS SOUL. 
 
 BY 
 
 SAY PUTNAM. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS, 
 530, BROADWAY. 
 
 1869.
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by 
 
 ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, 
 for the Southern District of New York. 
 
 CAMBRIDGE : 
 rRESS OP JOHN WILSON AND SON.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PACK 
 
 I. PAPA'S PRAYER 9 
 
 II. GOING FOR MAMMA 34 
 
 III. UNCLE DAVID'S ELEPHANT 51 
 
 IV. THE SLEIGH-RIDE 65 
 
 V. THE GREAT PICTURE 90 
 
 VI. THE PLATE OF CANDY 104 
 
 VII. A TALK WITH RIA 118 
 
 622781
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAPA'S PRAYER. 
 
 < f "T\ONT call me yet, Susy; I 
 must eat another buckwheat 
 cake for my soul." 
 
 " Eat a cake for your soul ! What 
 do you mean, Freddie? Father 
 wouldn't like to hear you say that." 
 
 " Oh, yes, he would ! for I heard 
 him pray this morning, that we might 
 take food for our souls; and I know 
 mine is hungry, for I never fed it 
 before." 
 
 K O Freddie, you silly boy! don't 
 you know better than that? I do." 
 
 " Why, what do you feed your soul 
 with, Susy ? "
 
 10 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 " Oh ! I give mine hymns and such 
 things. Don't you know mamma 
 says that's what does our souls 
 good ! " 
 
 " My soul don't like hymns, though. 
 It likes buckwheat cakes, and candy, 
 and such things," insisted Freddie. 
 
 " But they don't have cakes and 
 candy in heaven," said Susy; "and 
 mamma says that is the soul's home." 
 
 " Do you think they have hymns 
 for breakfast in heaven?" 
 
 "Oh! stop, Freddie: that doesn't 
 sound nice. I don't think they eat 
 any thing in heaven. I am sure they 
 don't have breakfast and dinner and 
 supper. I never heard of such a thing. 
 They sing and play on harps." 
 
 " Oh, yes ! " said Freddie ; " but what 
 do you think papa feeds his soul with ? 
 I am going to ask him." 
 
 " Papa has gone to Sunday school.
 
 PAPA'S PRATER. II 
 
 Let's go and ask Ria; she is in the 
 nursery." 
 
 Freddie pushed himself and his 
 chair vigorously away from the table, 
 and ran upstairs. Susy followed, 
 singing, " I want to be an angel," by 
 way of impressing Freddie that she 
 was right. 
 
 Freddie rushed into the nursery, 
 and asked in a very loud voice, " Ria, 
 what do you feed your soul with, 
 candy or hymns ? " 
 
 Ria was dressing the baby, and 
 looked up in astonishment at Fred- 
 die's strange question. 
 
 "Why, I don't feed my soul at all," 
 said she: "it takes care of itself; it 
 doesn't need any food." 
 
 "Yes, it does," said Freddie: "I 
 know it does; and if you don't feed it, 
 it will die, just as Susy's canary bird 
 did, because she forgot him. I know
 
 12 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 the soul eats something, and I want 
 to know what to give mine." 
 
 " Ria," said Susy, " don't you think 
 he'd ought to give it hymns and verses 
 in the Bible, and all the good things? " 
 
 "Oh, yes!" said Ria; "that's it: 
 you must be a good boy and learn all 
 the hymns and verses you can, and 
 that will make your soul grow." 
 
 "Will it?" said Freddie, looking 
 very much puzzled j " but I can't learn 
 such things, I am such a little boy; 
 and, besides, my soul don't like them. 
 Susy's does. I wonder if mine would- 
 n't like pictures." 
 
 With this thought, he went to the 
 lower drawer of the bureau, where 
 his books and toys were put, and 
 seated himself upon the floor to con- 
 sider the matter. 
 
 Meanwhile, Susy, who thought her 
 soul must be very much larger and
 
 PAPA'S PRATER. 13 
 
 better than Freddie's, began to sing 
 again, and amused herself by looking 
 out of the window. 
 
 The first picture Freddie looked at 
 was of a dog bringing a stick out of 
 the water. He thought his soul liked 
 this picture: and, while he was dream- 
 ing over it, he began to wonder if 
 dogs had souls too; and, if so, what 
 they lived on. He was sure they 
 couldn't learn hymns and wouldn't 
 like pictures. 
 
 The next picture had five little kit- 
 tens in it. Here the question came 
 again, and he concluded that the kit- 
 ties couldn't have souls, because they 
 could only play, and sleep, and lap a 
 little milk. 
 
 The next picture made him. think 
 of a little white rabbit he had last 
 summer, and which the dog killed: 
 and then he wondered if rabbits went
 
 14 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 to heaven; and, if they did, if they 
 learned to sing hymns. 
 
 The next picture was of a squirrel, 
 sitting in a tree, cracking a nut. This 
 made him think about a walk he had 
 with his uncle in the woods, and what 
 a chase they had to catch a squirrel, 
 which ran away into a high tree, and 
 sat on one of the branches; curling 
 up its soft bushy tail, and looking 
 down at them very provokingly. 
 
 This made him forget for the time 
 about feeding his soul ; and he wished 
 it was summer, and that he could go 
 into the woods again, and find squir- 
 rels, cones, and acorns, and fill his 
 pockets with them. Then he piled 
 up some acorns he had in the drawer, 
 and tried to hold one up and munch 
 it like the squirrel. This amused him 
 very much. While he was busy 
 with his nut, Susy called out, "O
 
 PAPA'S PRATER. 1 5 
 
 Freddie! there is Aunt Mary com- 
 ing; I am going downstairs to meet 
 her." 
 
 Freddie dropped his nut, and went 
 down too, rather slowly, though; 
 for he did not stop his thinking about 
 the woods and the squirrels. 
 
 Aunt Mary told them, that their 
 father would not come home until 
 evening, as he had gone to see a little 
 boy who was very sick. So she had 
 come to take dinner with them. 
 
 The children felt a little lonely, as 
 their mother had gone away for a few 
 days; and good Aunt Mary came up 
 into the nursery, until dinner was 
 ready. The baby was asleep; so she 
 sat down by the window and took 
 Freddie in her lap, and told them 
 about the little boy, who was so sick 
 that they thought he could not live 
 many hours.
 
 l6 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 Freddie asked if he could eat any 
 thing. 
 
 Aunt Mary said no, that he could 
 only take a little drink from a spoon. 
 
 " Has he got any soul," asked Fred- 
 die. 
 
 0h, yes!" 
 
 " How does his soul live, if he can't 
 sing hymns, or say verses, or see pic- 
 tures ; and can't eat anything ? " 
 
 "Oh! his soul doesn't need to eat, 
 in order to live; but his body needs 
 to eat, in order to keep the soul in it." 
 
 w But papa prayed this morning that 
 our souls might have food; and Susy 
 says she feeds hers on hymns and 
 verses: and I don't know what to 
 give mine, because it don't like such 
 things. I tried to find some pictures 
 to give it, and I thought perhaps it 
 would like a buckwheat cake; but 
 Susy laughed at me for that."
 
 Freddie. 
 
 AUNT MARY.
 
 PAPA'S PRATER. 1 7 
 
 Aunt Mary could not help laughing 
 too; but she called Freddie a good 
 little boy, for trying to feed his soul. 
 
 She then explained to him, that his 
 body was the home of his soul, while 
 it was in this world, and when the 
 body died then the soul went to anoth- 
 er home, which his heavenly Father 
 had prepared for it; that while his 
 body lived, it needed food to keep it 
 alive, just as the dogs and cats and 
 birds did. She told him that his soul 
 needed food too; but that it was a 
 very different kind from that which 
 his body needed. She said that wis- 
 dom would feed his soul. Then she 
 asked Susy to say one of her verses. 
 Susy thought a moment, and then 
 repeated, " I love them that love me." 
 :? Yes," said Aunt Mary: "Jesus says 
 that. Now, Freddie, can you think 
 what that means ? "
 
 1 8 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 Freddie looked as if he was trying 
 very hard to think. 
 
 ' You know what it means when I 
 say, / love you ? " 
 
 "Oh, yes, ma'am! "said Freddie, 
 looking very bright. 
 
 " And you understand when I say, 
 You love me ? " 
 
 ? Why, yes, ma'am" 
 
 w Now, do you understand this, 
 When you love me, then I love you ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes ! it means that when I 
 put my arms around your neck, then 
 you will put your arms around mine." 
 
 " Not exactly. You love me, don't 
 you, without putting your arms around 
 my neck ? " 
 
 : < Yes, ma'am," said Freddie, smil- 
 ing and looking up into his aunt's kind 
 face, with his sweet blue eyes beam- 
 ing with his soul's offering. 
 
 * You feel that I love you : don't
 
 PAPA'S PRATER. 1 9 
 
 you ? " and her eyes looked love back 
 to his. 
 
 Freddie nodded his head two or 
 three times, but did not speak. 
 
 "Now, if you should shut your 
 eyes and not see me, can't you feel 
 that you love me, and that I love 
 you ? " 
 
 The lids shut down over the sweet 
 eyes, and the rosy face was still for a 
 minute, with only a stray dimple here 
 and there, showing the working of 
 the soul within. 
 
 Then the dimples grew deeper, and 
 Freddie burst into a merry laugh. 
 
 " O aunty ! that is good : my soul 
 loved so hard that it made me laugh." 
 
 K Then the thought, that you loved 
 me, and that I loved you, did your 
 soul good. It was fed. Now shut 
 up your eyes, and think of Jesus in 
 the same way."
 
 20 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 "Oh! I don't know Jesus; I don't 
 love him; I don't want to think about 
 him." 
 
 " Oh ! isn't he naughty, aunty," said 
 Susy, "to talk so about Jesus?" 
 
 "Why, did you ever see Jesus, 
 Susy? " asked Freddie. 
 
 "Oh, no ! but then I know he's some- 
 body that loves me, because the hymn 
 says so ; and it says too, that the Bible 
 says so." 
 
 Just then the dinner-bell rang, and 
 Freddie ran to the drawer after an 
 acorn, to show his aunty that he could 
 eat like a squirrel. 
 
 When Aunt Mary asked the blessing 
 at the table, she said, " Bless this food 
 to our bodies, and our souls too." 
 
 Freddie's wistful blue eyes were 
 looking at her when she opened 
 hers. 
 
 :c Why aunty, there isn't any / love
 
 PAPA'S PRATER. 21 
 
 you and me on this table : what made 
 you pray that ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes ! there is. If our heav- 
 enly Father did not love you and me, 
 he would not have given us this food 
 for our bodies." 
 
 f? Why, does he give me potatoes 
 and such things ? " 
 
 :? Yes : he made the potatoes grow 
 in the ground, and then he let some 
 of them come here for you. And, 
 besides, he makes you like them, so 
 that they will do you good." 
 
 " There," said Susy, " don't you 
 know I told you that Jesus loved 
 us?" 
 
 ?c Oh ! Jesus isn't heavenly Father," 
 said Freddie. 
 
 " Yes, he ts" said Susy, very posi- 
 tively. 
 
 " He is only a baby," said Freddie. 
 " Ma showed me the picture of him
 
 22 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 lying on a pillow, with a star upon 
 his head." 
 
 " But he grew up after that," said 
 Susy, "because he took little chil- 
 dren in his arms, and said, ? Suffer 
 little children to come unto me;' 
 and then he went up to heaven 
 after he had died, and I know he is 
 up there now; and, if I should die, 
 I should go right up there and see 
 him." 
 
 " If you love God, your heavenly 
 Father," said Aunt Mary, " it is just 
 the same as loving Jesus, his Son; and 
 if God loves you, then Jesus loves 
 you. Jesus himself says, f I and my 
 Father are one.' 
 
 " He came from heaven, Freddie, 
 to be a little baby, and grow up, and 
 die, and then go back again; and he 
 did all that, because he loved us; and 
 we shall know all about how much
 
 PAPA'S PRAYER. 23 
 
 he loved us just as soon as we begin 
 to love him." 
 
 w I guess I will love him," said 
 Freddie: "will he feed my soul? " 
 
 :? Yes: if you ask him, he will give 
 it all the food it wants. You know, 
 when you say ? Our Father,' you 
 pray, 'Give us this day our daily 
 bread : ' that means bread for the 
 soul as well as the body." 
 
 After dinner, Aunt Mary sent up 
 to have the baby brought down. 
 
 Sweet, rosy, fat, blue-eyed Lily! 
 She had only lived a few months in 
 this world of ours, and seemed to 
 have a beam from heaven playing 
 about her all the time. 
 
 Aunt Mary took her, and the chil- 
 dren kissed her soft cheeks and dim- 
 pled arms and hands; and she patted 
 back her love and curiosity, talking 
 to them in a succession of soft goo-
 
 24 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 goos, which were very entertaining. 
 When Freddie clapped his hands, 
 she would laugh, and try to spring 
 up as if she was going to fly. 
 
 She had an ivory ring fastened by 
 a white ribbon to her* waist, and Susy 
 held it up before her and let it swing 
 gently, to see if she would catch it. 
 Lily watched it in rather a dreamy 
 way, holding up first one little hand 
 and then the other, as it came near 
 her. 
 
 "She is trying to understand it," said 
 Aunt Mary: "her soul wants food." 
 
 "Why, has she got a soul too?" 
 said Freddie, " such a little baby! " 
 
 :t Yes: she is learning all the time 
 from every thing around her, and her 
 soul thinks after a baby fashion; and, 
 when she is a little older, mamma 
 will teach her to say 'Our Father,' 
 just as she taught you and Susy."
 
 PAPA'S PRAYER. 25 
 
 "When do you think papa will 
 come?" said Susy. 
 
 " I thought I heard his step in the 
 hall a moment ago; perhaps he has 
 gone upstairs to find us." 
 
 Susy started in search, and soon 
 returned full of prattle, holding her 
 father's hand. 
 
 " O father, how glad I am you have 
 come! " said Freddie, dancing up and 
 down, first on one foot and then on 
 the other, and seizing the hand 
 stretched out to him. 
 
 " I am glad to get home," said his 
 father: "the day has seemed long." 
 
 "Come, Lily, pet, come to papa! 
 let me have my hands, children, for 
 her, and you may have my knees." 
 
 So saying, he took the springing, 
 beaming Lily, and sat down for Susy 
 and Freddie to climb on his knees. 
 
 " Three precious little immortals,"
 
 26 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 said he, " with your rosy smiling 
 faces! Ah, you Lily, rogue! you 
 mean to have a handful of my whisk- 
 ers: stop, my little lady." 
 
 " Here, Lily," said Susy, "take your 
 ring." 
 
 " She is going to feed her soul on 
 whiskers; it has had ring enough," 
 said Freddie. 
 
 "O papa!" said Susy, "you don't 
 know how funny Freddie has been 
 talking all day, about giving his soul 
 something to eat." 
 
 " Freddie don't mean to let his soul 
 starve," said Aunt Mary; "and he is 
 right." 
 
 "I only did what papa prayed," 
 said Freddie, " about our souls having 
 food. I thought if my soul was hun- 
 gry, perhaps it would die if I didn't 
 feed it, as Susy's canary bird did." 
 
 " My soul won't die," said Susy,
 
 PAPA'S PRATER. 27 
 
 w because I know so many hymns 
 and verses." 
 
 "I think I shall love Jesus," said 
 Freddie, " for aunty says he will feed 
 my soul." 
 
 " That's it, my boy," said his father. 
 " I will tell you what made me pray 
 that our souls might have food. I 
 had been reading in the sixth chapter 
 of John what Jesus said himself: ? My 
 Father giveth you the true bread from 
 heaven. For the bread of God is he 
 which cometh down from heaven and 
 giveth life unto the world. I am the 
 bread of life: he that cometh unto 
 me shall never hunger; and he that 
 believeth on me shall never thirst.' ' 
 
 :? When our heavenly Father made 
 our bodies, he made souls to live in 
 them; and they begin to think and 
 try to understand, from the first. 
 Lily, you see, is trying to get at
 
 28 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 something new all the time. As 
 we grow older, our souls want some- 
 thing besides what we see around us; 
 and then we must go to Jesus for the 
 Bread of Life, which cometh down 
 from Heaven." 
 
 " Why, I thought we ought to learn 
 hymns and verses," said Susy. 
 
 '* That is one way to get the food; 
 because, if they are in the mind, they 
 will be already for use. But you 
 must use them, or it will do no good 
 to learn them. If I should go and 
 buy a great many loaves of bread, so 
 that we could have them when we 
 were hungry, and they should be put 
 away in the closet and never eaten, 
 they would do no good." 
 
 "But we should eat them if we 
 were really hungry," said Susy. 
 
 :t Yes : we should attend to the 
 wants of our bodies very quickly, be-
 
 PAPA'S PRATER. 2$ 
 
 cause we have learned how, and we 
 enjoy doing it. So, when our souls 
 are hungry, we must know how to 
 take the food from our store and 
 give them, just as quickly and with 
 just as much interest." 
 
 "Just as you tried to do, Susy," 
 said Aunt Mary, " when I asked you 
 to say one of your verses, and you 
 had it ready, ? I love them that love 
 me.' " 
 
 "And I know another one," said 
 Susy, quickly, " ? I am the way, the 
 truth, and the life.' " 
 
 :? Very well : feed your soul with 
 that, when it is hungry," said her 
 father. 
 
 " I like the other best," said Fred- 
 die: "it feels so good to love." 
 
 "Dear child," said his father, put- 
 ting his arm around him, " r Love is 
 the fulfilling the law,' and the longer
 
 30 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 you love, the better you will under- 
 stand that. Love on, my boy, and 
 dear Jesus will teach you." 
 
 By this time, Lily was so restless 
 that Ria came and took her upstairs; 
 and Mr. Percy, after putting the chil- 
 dren on the sofa, beside him, told 
 them and Aunt Mary about the little 
 boy he had been with that day, whose 
 soul had now gone to its heavenly 
 home. 
 
 "Won't it come back here?" said 
 Freddie. 
 
 w No, " said his father. " They will 
 lay his body away in the ground: his 
 soul will have no more use for that, 
 as it has gone to another home." 
 
 " Where is that home ? " asked 
 Freddie. 
 
 :? With Jesus in heaven, we hope," 
 said his father. " He was one of 
 the scholars in my class in the Sun-
 
 PAPA'S PRAYER. 31 
 
 day school; and, I think, he un- 
 derstood about the Saviour and loved 
 him." 
 
 " This morning, his mother was 
 holding him in her arms; his head 
 was resting on a pillow, and he 
 seemed to be asleep. While she sat 
 looking at his pale, patient face, he 
 opened his eyes, looked at her ear- 
 nestly, and said gently, ? Sing "Jesus 
 loves me." ; She sang all the verses 
 to him: can you repeat them, Susy?" 
 
 "Yes, sir, 
 
 " 'Jesus loves me : this I know, 
 For the Bible tells me so; 
 Little ones to him belong: 
 They are weak, but he is strong. 
 
 Jesus loves me, he who died, 
 Heaven's gate to open wide ; 
 He will wash away my sin, 
 Let his little child come in. 
 
 Jesus loves me, loves me still, 
 Though I'm very weak and ill ; 
 From his shining throne on high, 
 Comes to watch me where I lie.
 
 32 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 Jesus loves me, he will stay 
 Close beside me all the way; 
 If I love him, when I die 
 He will take me home on high.' " 
 
 " After she had sung it, she said to 
 him, 'Do you love Jesus?' He nod- 
 ded his head several times in assent, 
 and whispered, ' Yes. ' 'Does he love 
 you? ' she said, and he made the same 
 reply. 'Do you want to go to him?' 
 'Yes,' he replied: 'he is coming, and 
 I will go.' " 
 
 " Did you ever think before, Susy, 
 how much that hymn meant that you 
 have just repeated ? " 
 
 "No, sir." 
 
 :t You see it was all his soul needed 
 in his suffering and weakness. What 
 a blessing it was to him to know it all 
 as he did, and know how to feed his 
 soul with it in the time of its greatest 
 want!" 
 
 " Will his soul get food in heaven ? " 
 asked Freddie.
 
 PAPA'S PRATER. 33 
 
 w Oh, yes! better there than it would 
 here." 
 
 "Won't it grow fast! but I shouldn't 
 like to go to heaven without you and 
 mamma. I shall take care when I 
 am walking, not to walk up on to the 
 sky, because then I should die." 
 
 " If you love Jesus, he will teach 
 you how to live, and die too; and you 
 will not fear one any more than the 
 other." 
 
 Tea was ready now, and after that 
 the children were soon asleep.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 GOING FOR MAMMA. 
 
 HHE next morning, Freddie opened 
 his eyes when the sun was shin- 
 ing brightly, and looked up into the 
 sky, from his little bed, and wondered 
 how far off heaven was and how it 
 looked. 
 
 While he was thinking about it, 
 Ria came to dress him. 
 
 " Ria," said he, " how do you sup- 
 pose heaven looks ? " 
 
 "Dear me! what a queer boy you 
 are! I don't know any thing about 
 heaven. I suppose it is a pretty bright, 
 place, where we shall have every thing 
 that we want."
 
 GOING FOR MAMMA. 35 
 
 w Oh dear, you don't know! I mean 
 to ask Jesus; perhaps he will tell me 
 somehow. I wish I knew where I 
 could find Jesus." 
 
 This silenced Ria, for she couldn't 
 help thinking that she ought to know 
 more about such things, and while 
 thinking wished that she, too, could 
 know where to find Jesus. 
 
 Freddie was silent and thoughtful 
 while Ria dressed him, but, when he 
 was sitting in the chair for her to but- 
 ton his boots, he said suddenly, " Oh, I 
 know! when I say ? Our Father,' I'll 
 ask him to tell me where to find 
 Jesus." 
 
 As soon as the boots were on, and 
 he was washed and brushed, ready for 
 breakfast, he kneeled down to say his 
 prayers as usual. 
 
 " Our Father who art in heaven," 
 said he, slowly and earnestly; and then
 
 36 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 he stopped and hesitated whether he 
 should say the whole prayer first, but 
 he was too eager with his own spe- 
 cial want, and he added, "please tell 
 me where Jesus is, for I love him; 
 and I want him to feed my soul 
 and tell me about heaven;" then 
 he stopped again; and then said 
 "Amen," very solemnly, and got 
 up from his knees, looking quite 
 satisfied. 
 
 Ria said the prayer too, in her own 
 heart, for she had never before felt 
 such a want. 
 
 Freddie did not say any thing about 
 it when he went downstairs, for he 
 kept thinking that Jesus would come 
 to him, in some way, without any- 
 body's knowing it; and the thought 
 made him very happy. v 
 
 " Good morning, Sunshine," said 
 his father, for Freddie's blue eyes had
 
 GOING FOR MAMMA. 37 
 
 a very bright twinkle in them, as he 
 sat down to breakfast. 
 
 " How should you like to go into 
 the country this afternoon, to Uncle 
 David's, and see mamma?" 
 
 " I should like to go and bring her 
 home." 
 
 "O papa!" said Susy, "can't we 
 stay there a little while? I want to 
 play with cousin Olive." 
 
 " And I want to see the rabbits," said 
 Freddie, " and feed them with cab- 
 bage-leaves. They do eat so funny." 
 
 :? Yes: we shall be there a day or 
 two, so that you both can have your 
 wish, and then we will bring mamma 
 back with us." 
 
 After breakfast, the children com- 
 menced the most active preparations 
 for their visit. Susy selected her fav- 
 orite dolls, and " packed their trunk" 
 with the utmost care and anxiety.
 
 38 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 Freddie filled his pockets with all 
 sorts of playthings, a little boat, a 
 top, a long piece of string wound up, 
 a ball, a whistle, a pop-gun. All these 
 he had, after many efforts, stowed 
 away into his two little pockets; and 
 then he began to study the subject of 
 his bow and arrows. It was evident 
 that his pockets would not be suffi- 
 cient; and he was about to resort to 
 the leg of his full pantaloons, when 
 Ria persuaded him to wait until Aunt 
 Mary came, who was to get them 
 ready. 
 
 Freddie consented to wait, but 
 thought it would be best, probably, 
 for him to carry them in his hand, as 
 his father might wish him to shoot a 
 pigeon or two on the way. This val- 
 iant thought sustained him until Aunt 
 Mary came, who persuaded the chil- 
 dren to leave all their playthings at
 
 GOING FOR MAMMA. 39 
 
 home, as they would only be gone a 
 few days, and would find enough there 
 to amuse them. 
 
 Uncle David's carnage came for 
 them soon after dinner, and they went 
 off in high glee. 
 
 Freddie had begged so hard to have 
 his bow and arrows on the seat be- 
 side him, that his father gave him 
 permission; and Susy took "Madie," 
 her " very biggest " doll, whom she 
 had carefully cloaked, hooded, and 
 tippeted for the occasion. 
 
 Freddie asked a great many ques- 
 tions about things that they saw; but, 
 when they were fairly out of the city, 
 he began to look quite eagerly for 
 pigeons. 
 
 After an hour's ride, however, when 
 they were coming nearer to his uncle's 
 home, where his mother was, he did 
 not think so much about the pigeons;
 
 4 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 but, when he looked over the tops of 
 the trees and hills, he seemed to see 
 his mother's face, full of affectionate 
 welcome for him. He did not say any 
 thing about it to his father and Susy; 
 for, although it was very real to his 
 mind's eye, he did not seem to think 
 that they saw it too. They were busy 
 talking while he was looking, and 
 hardly noticed how still he was, un- 
 til his father saw that he was fast 
 asleep, with his head against the win- 
 dow. He gently laid him in an easy 
 position, covering him carefully, and 
 then he and Susy talked in very low 
 voices, so that he should not be dis- 
 turbed. 
 
 The road was quite rough from the 
 frost; and Freddie would now and 
 then open his eyes, and speak as if 
 he was dreaming. When, at length, 
 the carriage stopped before his uncle's
 
 GOING FOR MAMMA. 4* 
 
 door, he started up, exclaiming, " Oh, 
 yes, mamma! I'm almost come." 
 
 His mother had been looking and 
 watching too, and she appeared at 
 the door, as soon as the carriage 
 stopped. 
 
 The greetings were very cordial in 
 the hall, when the travellers were 
 fairly in, and Freddie was very soon 
 seated in his mamma's lap. He would 
 not suffer any one else to take off the 
 many warm WTaps with which Aunt 
 Mary's care had invested him. 
 
 The little cousins carried Susy off 
 in triumph, and soon stripped her and 
 Madie of their out-door plumage, 
 and commenced their play in good 
 earnest. 
 
 Freddie had waked so suddenly 
 from his dreaming nap, that he had 
 not made sure that any thing was real 
 but his mother's face.
 
 4 2 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 He soon recovered himself, how- 
 ever, and answered all his mother's 
 questions, in his own queer way; and 
 gave her an animated account of Lily 
 and Ria, of Aunt Mary's visit, and 
 how he could eat an acorn like a 
 squirrel, and that he had been trying 
 to feed his soul -and to find out where 
 Jesus was. Then he kissed her, and 
 ran off to play with the children, 
 among whom he was soon the loudest 
 and merriest. 
 
 Freddie's mother was one of those 
 faithful ones who desire to do their 
 whole duty to their children. 
 
 His peculiar mind, and eager seek- 
 ing for truth, had made her very 
 watchful to find out his thoughts and 
 try to guide them. She had thought 
 of him more than usual during this, 
 her short absence from home, and had 
 herself asked Jesus to teach him.
 
 GOING FOR MAMMA. 43 
 
 What Freddie had said, about trying 
 to feed his soul and to find Jesus, made 
 her think intently, while she sat 
 where he had left her. 
 
 Her prayer had been answered; 
 now, what should she do next? She 
 thought it over and over, and was so 
 absorbed that she scarcely noticed 
 what was passing around, until the 
 summons to tea aroused her. Then 
 she mentally prayed with all the de- 
 sire of a hungry soul, "O heavenly 
 Father! teach me, that I may teach 
 him." 
 
 After tea, Freddie was very ready 
 to go upstairs with his mother, and 
 prepare to go to bed. She took him 
 to her room, where there was a bright 
 fire burning in the grate. While she 
 was undressing him, he told her that 
 he saw her in the sky, while he was 
 looking for pigeons. :? You looked,
 
 44 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 mamma," said he, " as if you wanted 
 to come to me, but you didn't. You 
 kept smiling and smiling to me, and 
 then I went to sleep. What made 
 me see you, mamma, when you 
 wasn't there ? " 
 
 " It was because you were think- 
 ing about me, and wanting to see me; 
 and then, perhaps, you were partly 
 asleep and dreaming a little. It was 
 your own thought that made a pic- 
 ture of me in the sky." 
 
 "Was it? why, how nice! Then, 
 when I don't like that you are gone, 
 I will be all think about you, and 
 then look up into the sky, and see 
 you all beautiful;" and Freddie, who 
 was now robed for the night, capered 
 about the room with his little bare 
 feet, peeping at his mother from be- 
 hind the chairs, and calling out mer- 
 rily, " I spy," till she caught him, and
 
 GOING FOR MAMMA. 45 
 
 turned the little bare feet to the fire, 
 while she held him in her lap. 
 
 :<: You could see me just as well," 
 said she, "when you are thinking 
 about me, if you should shut your 
 eyes, for you see me with your 
 thoughts. And didn't you tell me that 
 you had been trying to find Jesus ? " 
 
 :<: Yes, ma'am ; but I only found 
 you." 
 
 "And the way you found me is the 
 way to find him. He has been teach- 
 ing you how, in a way that you can 
 understand." 
 
 "Why, shall I see his face in the 
 sky?" 
 
 "You will see him with your 
 thoughts everywhere, for he is al- 
 ways present to those who try to 
 find him. He says, ? I love them that 
 love me, and they that seek me early 
 shall find me.'"
 
 46 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 "Well, I did; for I prayed about 
 it early this morning, and I didn't tell 
 anybody, but I have known about 
 him all day." 
 
 " Pray again now," said his mother. 
 
 So Freddie kneeled down, closed 
 his sweet eyes, and leaned his cheek 
 against her lap. 
 
 " Our Father, dear Jesus," he said 
 gently, " please tell me if you are 
 here, just like my mother, and please 
 tell me what you know, because I am 
 a little boy and don't know any thing. 
 Amen." 
 
 "Is that what you prayed this 
 morning?" said his mother, as Fred- 
 die opened his eyes and looked at 
 her. 
 
 "No, ma'am; I asked our Father 
 to tell me where to find Jesus, be- 
 cause I wanted him to feed my soul 
 and tell me about heaven."
 
 GOING FOR MAMMA. 47 
 
 w And why didn't you pray that to- 
 night ? " 
 
 "Oh! because I thought I would 
 speak to Jesus, for I know him just a 
 little." 
 
 " Do you ? ah ! then he has been 
 feeding your soul to-day." 
 
 " Has he? and do you think he will 
 tell me what I want to know? " 
 
 " Try it and see, but you mustn't 
 forget about it yourself; and you 
 must be a good friend to Jesus all 
 the time, and not grieve him, because 
 that will drive him right away from 
 you." 
 
 " Oh ! I won't hurt him, for I love 
 him, and I like to love him too." 
 
 " Love on then, and he will tell 
 you more than mamma or any one 
 else can." 
 
 Freddie was lying now in his 
 little bed, where his mother had
 
 48 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 carefully placed him and arranged 
 every thing for his comfort. 
 
 His bright rosy face and expressive 
 eyes were full of love, as he kissed 
 her good-night; and she felt when 
 she left him, that kind angels were 
 watching around to guard and bless 
 him. 
 
 She felt very thankful and happy 
 as she went downstairs, for Jesus 
 seemed very near to her too, and 
 more precious than ever, for he had 
 embraced her child. 
 
 A burst of merriment greeted her 
 when she opened the parlor-door; for 
 Uncle David had been preparing an 
 elephant for the amusement of the 
 children, and it was a great success. 
 
 "Where's Freddie?" said he; 
 "gone to bed! Thats too bad. I 
 wanted to hear some of his wise 
 speeches about my elephant. What
 
 GOING FOR MAMMA. 49 
 
 did you put him to bed so early 
 for?" 
 
 "He was tired after his ride in the 
 cold this afternoon. I did not know, 
 however, that you had an elephant 
 ready for exhibition this evening." 
 
 tf The children were so clamorous 
 for something to-night, that I had to 
 resort to my elephant in self-defence. 
 Don't you think him a good speci- 
 men? Come here, sir. I tried to 
 have the baby make his acquaintance, 
 the other evening, but she was so 
 frightened, that they had to carry 
 her off." 
 
 "Don't you be alarmed, I beg of 
 you; for he is under excellent train- 
 ing: he is coming to make your ac- 
 quaintance. You see he walks pretty 
 well. His trunk is rather stiff, to be 
 sure; and his eyes are not very ex- 
 pressive. His ears are good, how- 
 4
 
 50 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 ever; see! he will mind when I tell 
 him to go home. Look here, sir; 
 you may go home now." 
 
 The unwieldy individual stopped 
 suddenly, and then turned slowly 
 away, followed by the shouting chil- 
 dren, who literally covered his re- 
 treat. Uncle David followed too, 
 and mysteriously waved the children 
 back into the parlor, while he " took 
 the elephant home."
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 UNCLE DAVID'S ELEPHANT. 
 
 HHE next morning the children 
 found, to their great joy, that 
 the ground was covered with snow, 
 and that the air was full of it too, 
 so full that they could scarcely see 
 the river and the hills from the library 
 window. 
 
 " O Ferd! " said little Sophie, "you 
 will take me a coast-ride on your 
 sled: won't you? " 
 
 "Perhaps so, if it snows enough." 
 
 "Oh! I guess it will snow a whole 
 quart, before it stops." 
 
 This brought a shout from the 
 whole family; and Sophie laughed
 
 5 2 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 louder than any of them, although 
 she did not exactly know why. 
 
 " I think it will be a six-footer," 
 said Bob. 
 
 "What do you think, Freddie," 
 said Uncle David. 
 
 " Oh ! I think there will be enough 
 for the angels to play in, for it reaches 
 up to the sky." 
 
 :? What do you know about angels, 
 my little one ? " 
 
 Freddie screwed up his mouth, 
 and shook his head very wisely, as if 
 he knew much, but could not tell 
 any thing. 
 
 " Oh! angels don't play with snow, 
 Freddie," said Susy: "they don't do 
 any thing but sing and play on 
 harps." 
 
 "Oh, yes, they do! I know that 
 very well," said he. 
 
 "Oh! never mind the angels," said
 
 UNCLE DAVID'S ELEPHANT. 53 
 
 Bob; "you ought to have seen the 
 elephant last night." 
 
 " Oh, yes ! " said Sophie, " a great 
 elephant! He walked right into the 
 parlor, and he had gum-shoes on, 
 and papa lent him his shawl to wear, 
 because he said it made him look 
 better, and he put his long nose " 
 
 " Nose! " said Bob, contemptuously, 
 " his trunk you mean." 
 
 "No: 'twas his nose; he put it 
 right out to me, and I ranned right 
 away." 
 
 " Afraid of a nose ! " said Bob. 
 
 "Well, it was so long that I was 
 afraid it would hit me." 
 
 " Did you know that an elephant 
 could double up his nose, and put it 
 in his mouth ? " 
 
 "Why, no," said Sophie; "what 
 for?" 
 
 "To eat."
 
 54 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 "What! does he eat his nose?" 
 and Sophie looked disgusted. 
 
 " Of course," said Bob: "it is so 
 long, it does very well." 
 
 O Bob, don't! " said Ferd; look 
 here, little Sis. That long nose, as you 
 call it, the elephant uses to pick up his 
 food with, and put it into his mouth, 
 and it is called his trunk." 
 
 " But Uncle David's elephant didn't 
 double up his trunk," said Susy. 
 
 "No: I don't think he did; but 
 that was only a make-believe trunk." 
 
 t? Was it a make-believe elephant 
 too? " said Sophie. 
 
 w I will show you all about it, the 
 next time he comes to see us," said 
 her kind brother. 
 
 The snow ceased falling before 
 noon, and patches of blue sky became 
 visible. v 
 
 The children watched it all very
 
 Freddie. 
 
 p. 5*.
 
 UNCLE DAVID'S ELEPHANT. 55 
 
 faithfully; and, as soon as permis- 
 sion was given, they were speedily 
 equipped, and a merry time they had, 
 with the coasting and snowballing. 
 
 Ferd took good care that little So- 
 phie, and Freddie too, should have 
 their "coast-rides ; " and Bob and Olive 
 and Susy took precious good care of 
 themselves, that they should have all 
 they could get in every way. They 
 built a snow man, who wasn't very tall, 
 but who had a head that would easily 
 roll off; and then they pelted it and 
 rolled it off, and felt very valiant. 
 
 Freddie was a "good shot," and 
 took the head off, as well as Bob 
 could. This vexed Bob a little, and 
 when Freddie's turn came, he would 
 try to put the head on so tight that 
 Freddie's snowball couldn't move it. 
 
 Ferd saw the trick, and did the 
 same for Bob.
 
 5 6 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 When the self-important fellow 
 found that he could not succeed in 
 moving the head, he suspected Ferd 
 of doing what he had done himself, and 
 said it wasn't fair, and that, if they 
 wouldn't play fair, he would go into 
 the house. 
 
 Freddie wanted to know what he 
 meant by not playing fair; but Ferd 
 would not say any thing about it, and 
 Bob was ashamed to tell what he 
 knew, so Freddie was left in blissful 
 ignorance of any meanness connected 
 with the play. When he went into 
 the house soon after, and found his 
 mother, he told her about the fun in 
 such a merry way his clear sweet 
 eyes dancing with glee, and his rosy 
 face radiant with smiles and dimples, 
 that she could not perceive that the 
 least shadow of evil had crossed his 
 path.
 
 UNCLE DAVID'S ELEPHANT. 57 
 
 K Did you see any angels in the 
 snow, Freddie?" said Uncle David. 
 
 Freddie shook his head, while the 
 dimples played, and then said, " No, 
 sir; but I felt some." 
 
 Sweet, heavenly influences were 
 evidently following Freddie, and the 
 dear Jesus was entering into the mind 
 opened to receive him. 
 
 Most gently and naturally did he 
 come, and Freddie was so young, 
 that the experience did not seem new 
 or strange to him. 
 
 He could not forget it, or do any 
 thing to drive it away, because he 
 loved it and was happy under its in- 
 fluence. 
 
 The next morning, at family wor- 
 ship, his mother repeated the passage, 
 "Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and 
 ye shall find; knock, and it shall be 
 opened to you: for every one that
 
 S LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, 
 findeth* and to him that knocketh, it 
 shall be opened." 
 
 Freddie looked up at her with an 
 expression, in his eyes, which said, "I 
 know what that means." 
 
 Afterwards when she had her work, 
 and he was sitting beside her, making 
 letters on his slate, he said, " Mamma, 
 I like to talk to Jesus, for I think he is 
 very good; and I believe he is listening 
 all the time, waiting for me to talk to 
 him, and then he keeps giving me 
 something too, when I want it." 
 
 tr What does he give you ? " 
 
 " Why, something that makes me 
 very full and happy and knowing." 
 
 * What do you ask him to give 
 you?" 
 
 "Oh, I only ask him to tell me 
 what he knows, and he knows so 
 much! why, as much as there was in
 
 UNCLE DAVID'S ELEPHANT. 59 
 
 the deep water that we saw last sum- 
 mer, when we walked on the sand, 
 and I picked up the little white 
 stones." 
 
 " But he does not give you more 
 than a drop, at a time, does he ? How 
 can you tell how much there is that 
 he does not give you? " 
 
 " Oh ! that isn't the way, not 
 drops: he touches me with the whole 
 of it; and that's why I like it, because 
 there is so much and it will never 
 stop." 
 
 " Don't you ever ask him for candy 
 or playthings?" 
 
 :? Why, no: I don't care to ask for 
 them. I suppose he will give me 
 those when he wants to; but I want 
 him and what he can tell me, and that 
 seems something like candy, better 
 too." 
 
 f That makes me think of what
 
 60 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 David says, in the Psalms, f How 
 sweet are thy words unto my taste, yea 
 sweeter than honey to my mouth ! ' : 
 
 " Why, did David talk to Jesus, and 
 did Jesus tell him things ? " 
 
 * Yes, indeed; and David wrote 
 them down, and they are in the 
 Bible." 
 
 "Are they? Then I'll have to learn 
 to read." 
 
 " And there were a great many oth- 
 ers that were taught in the same way, 
 and they were taught a great deal, 
 because God wanted to have them 
 write it all down, so that it might help 
 those who were seeking, just as you 
 are." 
 
 "That's just like him: isn't he 
 good?" 
 
 :<: Yes. David says too, ' Oh give 
 thanks unto the Lord, for he is 
 good.' "
 
 UNCLE DAVID'S ELEPHANT. 6 1 
 
 "I think I should like David. I 
 wish I could see him." 
 
 :? You will find a great many good 
 people, who, like David, can tell you 
 of the goodness of the Lord." 
 
 "Can I? what, people that Jesus 
 has talked to! I am glad. Are there 
 many little children that he talks 
 to?" 
 
 "Oh, yes! he loves little children, 
 of all others. He says, you know, 
 that ? of such is the kingdom of 
 heaven.' ' : 
 
 " I know : that's one of Susy's ver- 
 ses. Does he talk to Susy?" 
 
 " Susy has learned his words, but I 
 do not know whether she has heard 
 his voice in her heart." 
 
 " I wonder if she has ever harked. 
 I shall have to ask her. I am glad I 
 harked. Why doesn't every one 
 hark?"
 
 62 
 
 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 " Because so many are listening to 
 something else." 
 
 " Don't their souls starve, then? " 
 
 :? Yes; for they do not take the 
 bread which cometh down from 
 heaven." 
 
 " Please, dear mamma, write r heav- 
 en,' on my slate: I want to learn how 
 to make it." 
 
 " And then, when you can make it, 
 you will always know the word when 
 you see it." 
 
 "Why, so I will, and write ? Da- 
 vid ' and f Jesus,' too, please. Did 
 any little children write in the 
 Bible?" 
 
 " You know we have talked about 
 little Samuel, you remember the Lord 
 called him, and he thought it was Eli; 
 but Eli told him it was the Lord, and 
 he must say when he called again, 
 f Speak, for thy servant heareth.' And
 
 UNCLE DAVID'S ELEPHANT. 63 
 
 then when Samuel said that, the 
 Lord told him many things to tell Eli. 
 You see the Lord was ready to talk 
 to him, as soon as he was ready to 
 listen." 
 
 " I am sure I would listen, and I 
 would say, ? Please speak to me, dear 
 Jesus,' if he would only talk to me so." 
 
 " He does not come now to speak to 
 the ear, but he sends the Spirit into our 
 hearts; and that takes of the things of 
 Christ, and shows them to us; and we 
 know what he tells us, a great deal 
 better than if we only heard a voice 
 with our ear." 
 
 "Why?" said Freddie. 
 
 " If," said his mother, " some one 
 should tell you that you loved me, you 
 would not believe it, unless you felt it 
 yourself; and, if you did feel it, you 
 would not need to have any one tell 
 you of it."
 
 64 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 "No, indeed, I wouldn't! Only 
 think, Bob told me the other day that 
 I didn't like candy; but I knew I 
 did." 
 
 " Supposing he should tell you that 
 there was no Jesus Christ, should 
 you believe him ? " 
 
 " No : because I feel him, and I love 
 him too; and I don't want to hear Bob 
 say any such things. 
 
 " There, I have made f heaven,' and 
 ' Jesus,' and ' David ; ' now please show 
 me how to write ? Love,' and then I 
 will go and show it to Susy."
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE SLEIGH-RIDE. 
 
 r I ""HE next morning was clear and 
 frosty. The meadows seemed, in 
 the brilliant sunlight, to be covered 
 with frosted silver. The trees sparkled 
 with jewels, and the distant river 
 glowed like a molten silver belt. The 
 roads were white and hard, marked 
 only by the delicate traces of the light 
 sleighs that flew swiftly by, with their 
 many merry bells. 
 
 As Freddie's father and mother 
 were wishing to return to the city, 
 Uncle David had ordered the sleigh, 
 instead of the carriage, to be ready as 
 
 5
 
 66 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 soon as breakfast was over; and Mar- 
 tin was busy at the stable with the 
 horses, which had not been out for 
 several days, and consequently were 
 very gay and frisky during their 
 morning toilet. Sparkle was particu- 
 larly unmanageable. He put his ears 
 back and looked very wicked, when 
 Martin first went into the stable, and 
 then tried to rush past him and get 
 away, when he was being led out; 
 and, as soon as he had cleared the 
 door, his heels were in the air, and he 
 seemed on all sides of Martin at once. 
 He pretended to be very much fright- 
 ened at every thing in the yard, and 
 would snuff and snort, and then caper 
 about, so that Martin had to take 
 good care to keep away from his heels 
 while harnessing him. Lightfoot was 
 more quiet; but both were very glad 
 of a chance to go, and went very
 
 THE SLEIGH-RIDE. 6>J 
 
 swiftly around the house to the front 
 gate. Martin had excellent control of 
 them, however, and made them stand 
 quite still while they were waiting. 
 
 When the children heard that the 
 sleigh was to be out, there was a great 
 commotion. 
 
 "O papa!" said Olive, "let me go 
 too; please do." 
 
 " And me wants to go with us too," 
 said Sophie. 
 
 "Pshaw! it is too cold for girls 
 to be out," said Bob: "they'd freeze 
 their delicate noses. There is only 
 room for one of us; and father had 
 better let me go." 
 
 "Ah!" said Olive, "you'd better 
 talk that way, Bob. Didn't I hear 
 you telling mother, this morning, 
 when she asked you to go to the post- 
 office, that it was too cold, and you 
 would freeze your ears? I suppose
 
 68 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 boys' ears are more delicate than 
 girls' noses." 
 
 "Oh, well! I did go, and didn't 
 freeze my ears." 
 
 "And I shouldn't freeze my nose 
 if I went in the sleigh," retorted 
 Olive. 
 
 " Doesn't Jack Frost make Olive 
 sharp, though?" said Bob. 
 
 " I should think it was you that 
 made her sharp," said Ferd. :? You 
 must not put her on the defensive as 
 you do, or she will be too sharp for 
 comfort." 
 
 " I don't know why she need to 
 defend herself," said Bob : " she ought 
 to take what I say and be quiet." 
 
 " Is that the way you do ? " said 
 Ferd. 
 
 "No; but then I am a boy." 
 
 :r What difference does that make ? " 
 
 Bob couldn't tell exactly, though he
 
 THE SLEIGH-RIDE. 69 
 
 evidently thought that it did make a 
 vast difference. 
 
 " Bob," said Freddie, " you may 
 go in the sleigh and sit next to my 
 mamma; for I am going to run behind 
 and jump on to the runner, when I 
 am tired." 
 
 "And what will you do when }^ou 
 are tired of hanging on?" said Bob. 
 
 " Oh ! I shall call out to Martin to 
 stop and take me up between his 
 knees, and let me drive the horses." 
 
 "Smart boy, that!" returned Bob, 
 " and you will be smarter if you do 
 it." 
 
 Freddie did feel very smart, and 
 really seemed to think that he could 
 do any thing, as he strutted along 
 on tiptoe, backward and forward, 
 through the hall, taking steps, by 
 springing, a little longer than his legs 
 could reach.
 
 7 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 " I'll drive you into town, in no 
 time at all, I will," said he. 
 
 "Oh, yes! no doubt, we shall get 
 there before we start," laughed Bob. 
 
 " Come, Freddie," called his mother, 
 from the top of the stairs, "come, and 
 have on your coat: the horses are 
 here." 
 
 Freddie sprang upstairs, in a furi- 
 ous hurry; for he had a notion in 
 his head that he would have a pri- 
 vate word with Martin, before the 
 others were ready, about driving the 
 horses. 
 
 He put on his cap and mittens, 
 while his mother buttoned his coat, 
 and was downstairs in a twinkling. 
 He rushed past Bob, who stood at the 
 door and tried to stop him, and out 
 to the sleigh, which Martin had just 
 driven in front of the gate. 
 
 He had a fall on the slippery pave-
 
 THE SLEIGH-RIDE. 7 1 
 
 i 
 
 ment, but did not mind that, nor Bob's 
 derisive laugh behind him. He had 
 an object in view, and meant to gain 
 it. He had given up the idea of run- 
 ning behind, and thought only of 
 driving. "Martin! Martin! " shouted 
 he; "I want to sit up there with you 
 and drive; please let me, Martin." 
 
 "Oh! and indade, my little mon, I 
 should be deloighted, and the horses 
 I am sure will go very gintle wid ye, 
 me youthful seraph." 
 
 So saying, Martin jumped down, 
 and put up the eager child, who had 
 forgotten adieux and every thing else, 
 in his intense desire. 
 
 There were some questionings when 
 his father and mother came out; but 
 his mother felt willing to let him try 
 it, as she knew Martin would take 
 good care of him. 
 
 Bob was allowed to go too, but he
 
 72 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 * 
 
 felt a little discomfited at Freddie's 
 success. 
 
 The eager horses started off' in a 
 rapid trot, and the light sleigh glided 
 along so easily behind them, that they 
 required strength and steadiness to 
 keep them from running away. 
 
 Martin let Freddie hold the reins 
 behind his strong hands; but this did 
 not quite satisfy him. So, when the 
 horses had worked off some of their 
 steam, Martin would let go for a little, 
 so that Freddie could feel the pull 
 and drive all himself. 
 
 The horses knew the change as 
 soon as Freddie did, and took advan- 
 tage of it too, by increasing their 
 speed. This amused Freddie so much 
 that Martin permitted it, as far as he 
 dared. 
 
 It happened, however, that once 
 just as Martin let go, a mischievous
 
 THE SLEIGH-RIDE. 73 
 
 boy, who was passing, threw a snow- 
 ball at Sparkle. He was evidently 
 very glad of an excuse for cutting up a 
 few capers, and immediately bounded 
 forward in a succession of leaps, in 
 which Lightfoot gladly joined him. 
 Martin had seized the reins instantly, 
 and endeavored, with all his skill and 
 strength, to get control of the wild 
 runaways. He soon had them in 
 hand, when something loosened in the 
 harness, and touched Sparkle's legs. 
 This rendered him unmanageable, 
 and both horses started into a full run. 
 Now there was real danger. 
 
 " Freddie," shouted his father, " sit 
 down on the floor and hold on to 
 Martin's leg, until I can get at you." 
 
 Freddie did exactly as he w r as told, 
 instantly sliding down from between 
 Martin's knees, thus leaving him free 
 to manage the horses.
 
 74 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 He was entangled in the buffalo 
 robe, and somewhat frightened ; but he 
 sat quietly on the floor, holding on 
 as he was directed, while his father 
 sprang for the driver's seat. 
 
 Freddie was soon safe in his fa- 
 ther's lap, while Martin endeavored, 
 once more, to control the excited 
 horses. 
 
 " Wkoa, Sparkle! " said he, steadily 
 and calmly. :? Whoa, Light foot!" 
 This he kept repeating in steady, 
 commanding tones. 
 
 Sparkle's ears soon showed atten- 
 tion to the voice, and his bounds 
 became less violent. He yielded obe- 
 dience at length to the guidance of the 
 rein, and finally came to a full stop. 
 
 What a relief it was to them all, to 
 know that the danger was over; for 
 they had held their breath, in fear of 
 being dashed to pieces.
 
 THE SLEIGH-RIDE. 75 
 
 Martin received the praise due to 
 him, for his ready skill and coolness; 
 and the travellers, being now not far 
 from home, left him to care for the 
 broken harness, and walked on, quite 
 satisfied to be safe on their feet again. 
 
 " Well," said Bob, " that's what you 
 call driving in no time: isn't it, Fred- 
 die?" 
 
 :? We will never let Freddie drive 
 again: will we, father?" said Susy. 
 
 " I wasn't driving," said Freddie; 
 " the horses wouldn't let me." 
 
 "Ha, ha!" shouted Bob: "that's a 
 joke." 
 
 " Freddie saved us from a bad acci- 
 dent, probably," said his father, " by 
 his quick obedience, for every thing 
 depended upon Martin, when I told 
 Freddie to sit on the floor; and, if 
 there had been the least confusion or 
 trouble just then, I do not think Mar-
 
 7 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 tin could have gained control as he 
 did." 
 
 :r Yes," said Susy, "if you had been 
 up there, Bob, you would have said, 
 * What shall I sit on the floor fo'r? I 
 don't want to sit on the floor.' ' : 
 
 This was a home-thrust plainly, 
 and Bob looked sullen without reply- 
 ing; for he knew that it was exactly 
 what he should have said, and he was 
 nettled, to feel that Freddie was again 
 ahead of him. 
 
 " Sparkle minded too," said Freddie, 
 " what Martin told him. I think he 
 is a splendid horse. He didn't want 
 to stop, I know; he liked to jump all 
 about." 
 
 :r Yes, he has confidence in Mar- 
 tin," said Uncle David, " and has the 
 habit of obeying his voice. Martin 
 trains him in that way. It was fortu- 
 nate for us to-day, that he was so
 
 THE SLEIGH-RIDE. 77 
 
 trained, for the reins and bit seemed 
 powerless for a few minutes." 
 
 :? Yes: Freddie and Sparkle are 
 both trained to obedience; and they 
 have confidence in their teachers, and 
 mind without knowing why; and that 
 gives their teachers confidence in 
 them. I would trust Freddie and 
 Sparkle after this, more than ever 
 before." 
 
 Freddie felt very happy in his fa- 
 ther's approval, but happier in think- 
 ing that the dear Jesus knew all about 
 it too; for he felt as if he had made 
 him do it, and thus kept them all 
 from harm. 
 
 When they reached home, they 
 found Aunt Mary glad to welcome 
 them; but looking surprised at their 
 mode of coming. Her face went 
 through all sorts of changing expres- 
 sions, while they related the incidents
 
 78 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 of the way; but finally settled into 
 one of satisfied thankfulness, that no 
 harm had come near them in their 
 peril. 
 
 When Bob went home in the sleigh 
 in the afternoon, with his father, he 
 teased very hard to sit with Martin 
 and drive; but Martin said that he 
 could manage Sparkle and Lightfoot, 
 but he was not sure about Bob. So 
 he sat by his father, thinking why it 
 was that Freddie beat him every- 
 where. 
 
 Freddie had a very spirited story 
 to tell Ria that night, up in the nur- 
 sery. 
 
 " Only think," said he, I took the 
 reins all myself, and the horses went 
 so fast, that the sleigh went right along 
 in the air, and did not touch the 
 ground at all; and the houses moved 
 right away from us, and the people
 
 THE SLEIGH-RIDE. 79 
 
 stared at us, but we did not stop to 
 look at them, I tell you. One boy 
 took off his hat and shouted, f hurrah! ' 
 to us; but, dear me! we didn't mind 
 that: we had all we could do to go. 
 Sparkle and Lightfoot held up their 
 heads, taller than ever you saw; and 
 their ears were just as straight as two 
 sticks; and they jumped and jumped, 
 till Martin told them to whoa" 
 
 :? Why, wasn't you frightened?" 
 said Ria. 
 
 "Frightened of what? No: I liked 
 it; only I didn't like to get down on 
 the floor, when papa told me to." 
 
 " What made you do it then ? " 
 
 "Because he told me to: that's 
 reason enough." 
 
 " But did you know what he wanted 
 you to do it for ? " 
 
 "Oh, no! I only minded: that's 
 all. But I was glad I did, for he said
 
 8o 
 
 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 he was glad afterwards; and I shall 
 always mind him, for he knows." 
 
 ? You are a very good boy, I am 
 sure," said Ria. 
 
 " Oh! that isn't much. I can't help 
 minding: there is something in me 
 that makes me." 
 
 "Is there? what is it?" 
 
 "Oh! I think it is Jesus. I have 
 found him out, Ria; and he is right 
 close to me, all the time." 
 
 " Does he tell you to mind? " 
 
 "No; but he makes me want to. 
 He does every thing for me, and he is 
 just as good as he can be. You had 
 better listen in your heart, Ria, and 
 see if you can't hear him.'' 
 
 "I wish I could: I should like to 
 know how it feels." 
 
 " Oh ! that's no reason, I don't think 
 you'll hear him that way: you must 
 want him"
 
 THE SLEIGH-RIDE. l 
 
 "Must I? Well, I wish I could 
 want him, then." 
 
 " If you had him once, you would- 
 n't want any thing else." 
 
 " Why, yes, I should. I am sure 
 I should want food and clothes just 
 the same." 
 
 " Oh! but he would give you every 
 thing without your wanting, if you 
 only had him: I know he would. 
 There's mamma coming upstairs with 
 Susy. Now, you ask her, and see if 
 she don't say so too." 
 
 :r You ask her, Freddie : I am afraid 
 to." 
 
 "Afraid! why? But I'll ask her." 
 " Mamma, I told Ria that if she 
 wanted Jesus and had him, he would 
 give her every thing. I know he 
 would : mamma, don't you ? She says 
 she should want food and clothes 
 too."
 
 82 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 " Certainly she would. I will tell 
 you what Jesus says about it himself." 
 
 " Take no thought for your life, 
 what ye shall eat or what ye shall 
 drink, nor yet for your body, what ye 
 shall put on. Is not the life more 
 than meat, and the body than rai- 
 ment?" 
 
 " Let me say the rest of that, mam- 
 ma," said Susy: "I said it all perfect 
 to Aunt Kate one morning." 
 
 :? Yes: you may say all you can 
 remember about it." 
 
 ' c Behold the fowls of the air. for 
 they sow not, neither do they reap, 
 nor gather into barns; yet your heav- 
 enly Father feedeth them. Are ye 
 not much better than they? 
 
 ? Which of you by taking thought 
 can add one cubit unto his stature ? 
 
 : f And why take ye thought for 
 raiment. Consider the lilies of the
 
 THE SLEIGH-RIDE. 83 
 
 field how they grow; they toil not, 
 neither do the) 7 spin. 
 
 ''And yet I say unto you, That 
 even Solomon, in all his glory, was 
 not arrayed like one of these. 
 
 ' Wherefore, if God so clothe 
 the grass of the field, which to-day is, 
 and to-morrow is cast into the oven, 
 shall he not much more clothe you, 
 O ye of little faith ? 
 
 ? Therefore take no thought, say- 
 ing What shall we eat? or What shall 
 we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we 
 be clothed? 
 
 c (For after all these things do the 
 Gentiles seek; ) for your heavenly Fa- 
 ther knoweth that ye have need of 
 all these things. 
 
 r But seek ye first the kingdom of 
 
 God, and his righteousness, and all 
 
 these things shall be added unto you.' ' : 
 
 :f You may stop there, Susy. Now,
 
 84 LITTLE FREDDIE, 
 
 don't you see, Ria, God is ready to 
 care for us, if we seek \nmjirst; but, 
 if we seek ourselves first, we do not 
 find God, and we cannot take care of 
 ourselves." 
 
 " But, if I should seek God first, 
 shouldn't I have to eat, and dress my- 
 self?" 
 
 :t Yes : he would lead you to do it, 
 and in a better way than you can lead 
 yourself." 
 
 Freddie was undressed now, and, 
 after kneeling beside his mother and 
 murmuring his evening petition, he 
 kissed her, and clambered into his 
 little bed. He had listened to what 
 Susy repeated; and, when she had 
 finished, he wanted to know where 
 she got all that. 
 
 :? Why, in the Bible, of course," 
 said Susy. " It is in the sixth chap- 
 ter of Matthew."
 
 THE SLEIGH-RIDE. 8$ 
 
 Freddie had not understood every 
 word, but he had a general idea about 
 it, that he had known it all before. He 
 soon fell asleep, while his mother and 
 Ria were talking. 
 
 " Freddie seems to know how to 
 find God," said Ria; " but I don't." 
 
 " That is because he wanted to find 
 him more than any thing else. If you 
 seek, you will find, but you need God's 
 help in seeking." 
 
 " Then, I suppose, he will give it to 
 me when he is ready: I shall have 
 to wait until then." 
 
 " If you wait, he will not give it to 
 you; he tells you to seek, but you 
 must seek depending on his help. 
 You are ignorant, and must let him 
 teach you. You are in the dark, and 
 must let him give you light. You are 
 wrong, and must let him make you 
 right. But you must want to have 
 him do all this."
 
 86 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 "I don't see how such a little child as 
 Freddie, who doesn't even know how 
 to read, can know so much about it." 
 
 " It is because he is a little child, 
 and has the true spirit of a child. He 
 doesn't know any other way but a 
 child's way to do any thing, and that is 
 the right way to go to the Saviour." 
 
 " But I always thought little chil- 
 dren didn't know enough to become 
 Christians." 
 
 :? That is a great mistake, for the 
 Saviour himself says, r Siiffer little 
 children to come unto me, and forbid 
 them not, for of such is the kingdom 
 of heaven.' He not only thinks them 
 the right ones to come, but says that 
 those only who are like them, will 
 come into the kingdom. r Whoever 
 therefore, shall humble himself as this 
 little child, the same is greatest in the 
 kingdom of heaven.' "
 
 THE SLEIGH-RIDE. 87 
 
 " Mamma," said Susy, "I think I 
 am a Christian." 
 
 "Do you, darling? why? " 
 
 " Because I learn so much of the 
 Bible. Didn't I say it perfect just 
 now ? Then I say my prayers every 
 night and morning 5 and I am sure 
 you ought to think I am a Christian." 
 
 " But learning verses and saying 
 prayers wouldn't make you a Chris- 
 tian would it?" 
 
 Susy looked a little puzzled, but 
 still felt sure that there must be some 
 merit in what she did. 
 
 " Why, mamma," said she, " don't 
 you think I am a better girl, than if 
 I hadn't learned the verses so per- 
 fectly?" 
 
 :? That depends upon what you 
 learned them for. Can you remem- 
 ber why you wanted to learn them?" 
 
 Susy thought a moment and then
 
 88 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 said, looking a little ashamed, w I 
 was afraid that Olive would learn 
 more verses than I did, so I tried very 
 hard; and Aunt Kate said I was a 
 very good girl, and I thought I was." 
 
 :? What do you think about it now, 
 when you consider the motive that 
 led you to try so hard? wasn't it 
 rather selfish?" 
 
 :? Yes, perhaps it was." 
 
 " Do you think it made it any bet- 
 ter, because Aunt Kate thought you 
 were so very good ? " 
 
 "No: I suppose not, but she didn't 
 know why I learned so many." 
 
 "Oh, no! she could not see into 
 your heart, and therefore could not 
 judge truly whether your action was 
 right or not. Now if you had learned 
 the words of the Saviour because you 
 wanted to have them feed your soul, 
 or the soul of any one who might
 
 THE SLEIGH-RIDE. 89 
 
 hear you say them, don't you see that 
 it would have been a very different 
 action, in your own sight and in the 
 sight of God?" 
 
 " It would have been good then." 
 " It would have been right. I am 
 afraid you think too much of good 
 actions. Our goodness is not much 
 in what we do, for God looks into the 
 heart. You must look at yourself in 
 that way: then you will know what 
 God thinks of you. Now kneel, dear, 
 and say your evening prayer before I 
 leave you; and pray God to teach you 
 about yourself, so that you may judge 
 rightly, and may always seek to do his 
 will."
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE GREAT PICTURE. 
 
 morning, while the family 
 were at breakfast, a note was 
 handed in to Mrs. Percy from Dr. 
 Corning, who lived but a short dis- 
 tance from them. It contained an 
 invitation for Freddie, to go with him 
 to see Bierstadt's great painting of a 
 " Storm in the Rocky Mountains." 
 
 Dr. Corning was an elderly gentle- 
 man, who had been, for many years, 
 a successful physician in the city, but 
 had now retired from practice, and 
 was living very quietly with a wid- 
 owed daughter. 
 
 He had a kind face and a loving
 
 THE GREAT PICTURE. pi 
 
 heart. He loved children especially, 
 and constantly sought their society. 
 They always liked to be with him, 
 and hear his talk. He had a library 
 which contained numerous entertain- 
 ing books and pictures, suited to the 
 young people; and he knew well how 
 to use them for the profit, as well as 
 pleasure, of his youthful visitors. 
 
 He was particularly fond of Freddie, 
 and often called to take him to walk 
 or to ride; for he liked to hear his 
 wise remarks. Being a lover of na- 
 ture and the fine arts, he would take 
 Freddie to see flowers, pictures, stat- 
 uary, and other beautiful things, as he 
 had opportunity. 
 
 At these times, he took pains to 
 point out to him the most beautiful 
 parts and exquisite touches; thus 
 training the little, thoughtful, observ- 
 ant boy to correct judgments in these
 
 9 2 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 things and filling his mind with beau- 
 tiful images, among which his imagi- 
 nation could revel, to some purpose. 
 
 Freddie enjoyed seeing these beau- 
 tiful things; but still more the inter- 
 esting talk of the doctor, for he told 
 him so much that was new to him. 
 
 He was ready, waiting and watch- 
 ing, when the doctor came for him; 
 and talked very fast while they were 
 on their way to the hall. This hall 
 was a long narrow room, the sides of 
 which were darkened by draperies. 
 The picture was at one end, and the 
 light was let in upon it from above. 
 
 When Freddie entered the room 
 and walked towards the picture, hold- 
 ing tight to Dr. Coming's hand, his 
 
 o o o , * 
 
 attention was immediately arrested by 
 the clouds, which seemed so real as 
 almost to alarm him. 
 
 He was so intent in his gazing,
 
 THE GREAT PICTURE. 93 
 
 that he was hardly conscious that his 
 friend had lifted him to a seat, and 
 was watching him as intently as he 
 was watching the picture. 
 
 The clouds seemed rolling over 
 and over, rapidly driven by the wind, 
 and growing blacker and more threat- 
 ening on one side; while on the 
 other the sunlight was still strug- 
 gling through, and lighting up the 
 swelling masses. 
 
 Just here in the light was an eagle, 
 sailing majestically amidst the tumult. 
 This eagle fixed Freddie's gaze. 
 
 :? What do you see, my little man ? " 
 the doctor said presently. 
 
 " Why, I am afraid the clouds will 
 kill that bird." 
 
 :t That is an eagle. He can fly 
 through the clouds and find the sun, 
 if he likes. Storms do not frighten 
 him."
 
 94 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 Freddie continued to look in silence 
 for some minutes. 
 
 "How do you like the picture?" 
 the doctor at length said. 
 
 "What picture?" 
 
 c Why, the picture of the clouds 
 and the eagle ;" for Freddie's at- 
 tention seemed entirely fixed on 
 them. 
 
 :? That isn't a picture; that's only 
 out-doors. Will it thunder?" 
 
 The doctor laughed as if he was 
 amused, not at all as if he wished to 
 make sport of Freddie on account of 
 his mistake. 
 
 Freddie was deceived. It was, 
 partly, on account of the size of the 
 picture, as he had never seen one be- 
 fore so large; and, partly, because he 
 was in the habit of watching clouds, 
 and enjoying them, even when there 
 was lightning and thunder.
 
 THE GREAT PICTURE. 95 
 
 His mother had often called him 
 to see a black, stormy cloud that the 
 wind was blowing up, and taught him 
 to admire it. These clouds in the 
 picture seemed so real to him that it 
 was difficult for him to believe, even 
 when he was told, that they were only 
 painted. He looked very wise, when 
 the doctor told him of his mistake, 
 and said he was sure, though, that 
 those clouds would thunder. 
 
 " Do you see that white peak above 
 the clouds?" said the doctor. 
 
 " Why, isn't that a cloud too? " 
 
 "No: that is the top of Mt. Rosalie. 
 The bottom or the base of it is far 
 down in the valley. Do you see that 
 stream of water and the island, where 
 the sun is shining? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, sir! I see houses there: 
 isn't it pretty ? " 
 
 :? Yes: that is the valley. The base
 
 96 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 of the mountain is there. Now look 
 up to the top again above the clouds." 
 
 :? Why, does it go all the way up 
 behind the clouds? " 
 
 :? Yes, thousands of feet. And these 
 cliffs, at the sides of the picture, are 
 mountains cut in two." 
 
 "What could cut them, sir?" 
 
 " The water, probably. It collects 
 and forms streams and rivers, which 
 burst their way out, and wear their 
 channels down until the mountain is 
 divided." 
 
 "I never saw a mountain before: 
 where did these come from?" 
 
 " Mr. Bierstadt painted these from 
 what he saw in the Rocky Mountains, 
 which are in the western part of the 
 United States, not very far from the 
 Pacific Ocean. I will show you, 
 on the map, where they are, some 
 time."
 
 THE GREAT PICTURE. 97 
 
 When they were walking home, 
 Freddie was rather silent and thought- 
 ful; so much so, that the doctor 
 noticed it, and asked him what he was 
 thinking about. 
 
 "Why, about that great mountain, 
 sir : it makes me afraid to think about 
 it." 
 
 !C There are hundreds of mountains, 
 larger and higher than that, in the 
 world. They rise above the clouds, 
 where it is so cold that their tops are 
 covered with snow that never melts. 
 In some places, they are ranged along 
 for thousands of miles. There are 
 fearful storms in them, and great 
 winds, that roar and howl, tearing 
 through the valleys and around the 
 mountain sides." 
 
 "I should think God would be 
 afraid of them himself," said Fred- 
 die. 
 
 7
 
 9 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 " He holds them, as I could a peb- 
 ble in my hand," said the doctor. 
 
 " It makes me afraid of God, when 
 I think he is so big and strong." 
 
 " But when the wind is still," con- 
 tinued the doctor, "and the storm is 
 gone, and the sun shines, not only on 
 the snowy tops, but down the moun- 
 tain sides and all along the valleys and 
 streams, then these great moun- 
 tain ranges are rilled with beauty and 
 loveliness, such as can be found no- 
 where else. You would not be afraid 
 of them then. 
 
 " It is true, God is very great j for 
 he not only made the mountains and 
 manages the storms, but he made the 
 great world and every thing in it, and 
 takes care of it all. He has made, 
 too, a great many other worlds, so 
 many that we cannot count them. 
 Yet he will come and listen to a little
 
 THE GREAT PICTURE. 99 
 
 child like you, and talk very sweetly 
 and affectionately to you, when you 
 listen to him." 
 
 " Oh, yes ! I know that. Jesus talks 
 to me, and I know he is big, like the 
 ocean; but I never thought of being 
 afraid of him. I like Jesus, but God 
 seems too far off." 
 
 "Yes; and that is the reason Jesus 
 came into the world and became a 
 man, so as to bring God near to us, 
 that he might forgive us and draw us 
 back to him." 
 
 :? Well, I wish that Jesus was God; I 
 don't want to think of any other God." 
 
 "And you need not, for he is God; 
 if not, he could be but little to you or 
 any one else." 
 
 " I think he is the part of God that 
 is next to me." 
 
 :? Yes: God was so far off from us, 
 that Jesus came; like the sunshine,
 
 100 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 bringing light and life, and showing 
 us the goodness of God, which but 
 for this light, we could never have 
 known. Then the Spirit comes, like 
 the wind, which we can feel, but 
 cannot see, and moves upon our 
 hearts, and opens them to the light and 
 life which feeds and saves them." 
 
 "What is the Spirit, sir? Did you 
 ever feel it ? " 
 
 :? Yes; and so have you, if Jesus 
 talks to you; for he does that by the 
 Spirit. When Jesus went to heaven, 
 he sent the Spirit to stay with those 
 who love him, and he is as much God 
 as Jesus is." 
 
 While Freddie and the doctor were 
 walking and talking in this way, they 
 met Mrs. Percy. 
 
 " O mamma! " said Freddie, w such 
 clouds as I saw in the picture! They 
 were very magnifical"
 
 THE GREAT PICTURE. IOI 
 
 "Ah! Freddie has to make a word 
 to express his admiration," said the 
 doctor. 
 
 "I did not make that word, sir; I 
 heard papa read it in the Bible." 
 
 Mrs. Percy read more in her child's 
 face than he could express. 
 
 " I can see," said she, " that you 
 have had a feast." 
 
 " I did not know as I should get him 
 away from it, " said the doctor; " and I 
 don't think I have, for he has brought 
 it away with him in his memory. I 
 shall take him home with me for a 
 little while, with your leave. We 
 are going to find the Rocky Moun- 
 tains." 
 
 " Certainly, he shall go," said his 
 mamma: "I will send Ria in for him 
 when I come back." 
 
 The doctor had a very large book 
 in his library, full of fine maps of
 
 102 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 all the countries and places in the 
 world. 
 
 They spent a very pleasant half- 
 hour, in finding not only the Rocky 
 Mountain range, but other ranges 
 and high mountains, in different parts 
 of the world. 
 
 Freddie gained some new ideas, in 
 this way, about the world and what 
 it contains; and he could not help 
 feeling how very small he was amidst 
 all this greatness. 
 
 " I do wonder," said he, " how 
 Jesus ever found me out : I am so 
 little." 
 
 " Ah ! " said the doctor, " that shows 
 how great he is. Nothing is too large 
 or too small for his knowledge. If 
 we love him, we are a part of him; 
 and he shows himself to us, and we 
 gradually come to have some of his 
 greatness and goodness.
 
 THE GREAT PICTURE. 103 
 
 "The dear little ones that, in their 
 ignorance and weakness, love and 
 trust him, are sure of his watch and 
 care. Such, he says himself, are the 
 greatest in the kingdom of heaven." 
 
 "Do you suppose he thinks I am 
 great? "asked Freddie. 
 
 * Yes: the smaller you seem to 
 yourself and the most unworthy his 
 notice, the greater and more impor- 
 tant you are to him, and then you be- 
 come great and good through him." 
 
 " Then I think I won't be afraid, 
 because I am little, any more." 
 
 " There is a voice asking for you," 
 said the doctor. " So, my little great 
 one, good-by."
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE PLATE OF CANDY. 
 
 PHE winter passed rapidly away 
 at the Percys', for they were a 
 happy family. Love was the rule of 
 their lives, and played like the sun- 
 shine around them. A home, such 
 as theirs, was indeed a heaven upon 
 earth. 
 
 Freddie, with love in his heart and 
 love all about him, grew very rapidly 
 in the knowledge which is too often 
 shut out from little children's experi- 
 ences by the mistakes and unbelief of 
 those around them. 
 
 The selfishness of his natural heart 
 would strive occasionally for mastery j
 
 THE PLATE OF CANDY. 105 
 
 but he had learned so early that love 
 was better, that these struggles were 
 short, and had less and less power 
 over him. 
 
 After the snow was gone, and the 
 frost was beginning to break up the 
 ground in the country, so that Bob 
 and Olive could not enjoy their out- 
 door sports, Mrs. Percy sent for them 
 to make a visit in the city. Freddie 
 and Susy were delighted to have their 
 cousins with them, and merry times 
 they had with their various sports. 
 Bob, although three years older than 
 Freddie, had learned to respect him; 
 for he felt his superiority. Still he 
 had a lurking jealousy, which mani- 
 fested itself occasionally, in some un- 
 kind remark or sly trick, which were 
 very provoking. These sometimes 
 Freddie did not notice at all, for he 
 was above them; and his kind and
 
 IO6 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 noble feelings would often shame 
 Bob into good nature. But, occa- 
 sionally, he would be so stung with 
 the injustice of the treatment, that he 
 would go away and hide himself, and 
 cry as if his heart would break. 
 
 Bob took very good care to be par- 
 ticularly kind and noble before his 
 aunt, so that she did not discover the 
 trouble until she noticed one day that 
 Freddie had been crying. He had 
 come up into her room, and taken a 
 seat he often occupied by her side 
 while she was reading or sewing. 
 His silence attracted her attention, 
 and then she saw the trouble in his 
 face. 
 
 "Why, my darling, what is the 
 matter?" said she. 
 
 "Bob hates me, I think," said he; 
 "and it makes my side ache and 
 makes me cry."
 
 THE PLATE OF CANDY. K>7 
 
 "What makes you think so? " said 
 she, taking him into her lap, and 
 placing her soothing hand on his 
 brow. 
 
 "Oh, he plagues me so!" sobbed 
 Freddie: " I don't know why either. 
 He kept doing it and doing it, and I 
 did not think about it much at first; 
 but it hurts me now, and I had rather 
 stay with you, mamma. I don't want 
 to play with him." 
 
 The fountains of Freddie's grief 
 were fairly opened now, and he 
 sobbed violently in his mother's arms. 
 
 She did not say any thing for a few 
 minutes, but tried to soothe him with 
 soft kisses and gentle words of love. 
 She knew his ardent temperament, 
 and that smiles would soon follow the 
 sobs. 
 
 She told him a funny story of a lit- 
 tle boy who made believe cry, and,
 
 108 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 when his mamma and brothers and 
 sisters all came around him to see 
 what was the matter, he took his 
 hands down from his face and laughed 
 very merrily at them all. 
 
 This had the desired effect to divert 
 Freddie's mind, and he soon returned 
 to his usual state of happiness. Grief 
 was an unusual visitor to him, and 
 could not stay long. 
 
 When he was really quieted and 
 rested, his mother said to him, 
 
 "I have a box of candy that I 
 brought home last night. How 
 should you like to carry some of it 
 down in this pretty blue plate, and 
 offer some to Bob, with one of your 
 sweetest smiles?" 
 
 rr What for, mamma ? " 
 
 " So as to remind him of his un- 
 kindness, and make him repent and 
 ask your forgiveness."
 
 THE PLATE OF CANDY. 109 
 
 Freddie looked thoughtful at this, 
 but did not say any thing for a few 
 moments. His mother could see that 
 there was a struggle; for he was so 
 stung that the idea of self-defence, if 
 not of resentment, seemed ready to 
 gain the victory. 
 
 " I don't think I want to see Bob at 
 all," said he. 
 
 " What, not if you could make him 
 love you ! " 
 
 "But I think he ought to bring me 
 candy first." 
 
 " I don't think he would do that." 
 
 :? Then I don't want to see him," and 
 Freddie began to look grieved again. 
 
 " But you would like to have him 
 repent if he has wronged you, and 
 you would like to forgive him and 
 make him love you. If you could do 
 this by carrying him the candy, it is 
 worth a little effort: is it not? "
 
 HO LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 Freddie could not see it clearly: 
 the sense of injustice was so strong. 
 
 " Couldn't you, mamma, go and tell 
 him to come up here and repent to 
 me?" 
 
 "That might make him angry, be- 
 cause then he would think that you 
 had been telling me about it. You 
 had better settle it between your- 
 selves." 
 
 " But he'd just think I was afraid 
 of him, if I give him candy to eat." 
 
 " Then tell him what you give it to 
 him for." 
 
 " Well, perhaps I will ; but he'll 
 only be sorry a little while, and then 
 plague me again." 
 
 " Then make him repent again in 
 the same way. Let me tell you what 
 the Bible says about it. ? If thy 
 brother trespass against thee, rebuke 
 him; and, if he repent, forgive him.
 
 THE PLATE OF CANDY. Ill 
 
 And if he trespass against thee seven 
 times in a day, and, seven times in a 
 day, turn again to thee, saying, I re- 
 pent, thou shalt forgive him.' r 
 
 "Is that in the Bible?" said Freddie. 
 " Does Jesus say that? " 
 
 :? Yes: they are the words of Jesus 
 to those who love him. I am going 
 downstairs a minute: you just talk to 
 Jesus a little about it, and you will 
 soon find out what is best to do." 
 
 When Mrs. Percy left Freddie, she 
 looked about for Bob; for she had a 
 little curiosity to know whether he 
 was happy or not. She found him 
 looking listlessly out of the window. 
 The marbles and other playthings 
 were scattered about on the floor, 
 and seemed to have no attraction. 
 
 " Bob," said she, " where is Fred- 
 die?" 
 
 W I don't know," said he, without
 
 112 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 looking at her, " he went off and left 
 me all alone. I don't care, though: 
 I like to look out of the window." 
 
 He did care. She knew that very 
 well, and so did he. She did not say 
 any thing more, however, but left 
 him to the stings of conscience. 
 
 She went back to her room, and 
 found Freddie radiant. 
 
 " Oh, I know all about it now," 
 said he. " I let Jesus tell me what he 
 would do, if he was me. Now, give 
 me the candy and the pretty blue 
 plate: I'll fix it." 
 
 His mother opened the box, and 
 took out some candy strawberries, 
 two quarters of an orange and two of 
 lemon, beautifully imitated in sugar, 
 and laid them temptingly on the blue 
 china plate, with its gold border of 
 grapes and grape-leaves. It was a 
 pretty sight. Freddie took it and
 
 THE PLATE OF CANDY. 113 
 
 held it up triumphantly. As he 
 crossed the floor, where the sunlight 
 fell upon him, lighting up his golden 
 curls and radiant face, his mother 
 gazed fondly at him; and, when he 
 had gone, she offered up a silent 
 prayer that he might carry love and 
 forgiveness, successfully, to the un- 
 happy child who had committed the 
 offence against this precious little 
 one. 
 
 "Bob," said Freddie, as he came 
 up to the window, carrying the plate 
 very carefully, " I have come to tell 
 you that you hurt me, and so I have 
 brought some pretty candy for you, 
 and I thought perhaps you would feel 
 sorry to me, and make me forgive 
 you. Won't you, Bob?" 
 
 Bob looked thunder-struck for a 
 minute, and kept on looking out of 
 the window. This was evidently an
 
 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 unexpected turn of affairs, and he did 
 not know how to meet it. 
 
 " Do feel sorry to me, Bob," con- 
 tinued Freddie: "I want to love 
 you." 
 
 Bob had too much nobleness to re- 
 sist this, and he turned towards the 
 plate, and finally looked frankly at 
 Freddie. His troubled face caught 
 the beams of love and peace that 
 were shining there for him; and, kiss- 
 ing his little cousin, said without 
 the least effort, but with apparent 
 relief, 
 
 "I am sorry, Freddie; do love 
 me." 
 
 "Oh, yes! I'll love you; and you 
 won't hurt me any more, Bob: will 
 you? Come now, eat some straw- 
 berry; " and Freddie held up a tempt- 
 ing one, to put into Bob's mouth. Bob 
 did the same for Freddie, and then
 
 THE PLATE OF CANDY. 
 
 they had a laugh over it, and were 
 soon seated at a little stand, feeding 
 one another with the delicious morsels. 
 
 Soon after, Susy and Olive came 
 in. They had been taking their dolls 
 to walk. 
 
 r<: What have you been eating, 
 boys ? " said Olive, when she saw the 
 empty plate between them. 
 
 "Love," said Bob: " sweet, wasn't 
 it, Freddie?" 
 
 Freddie laughed, and said he would 
 go and ask his mamma'for some more 
 love, to give Olive and Susy. He 
 went upstairs with the plate. 
 
 While he was gone, Bob told the 
 girls that he didn't mean to plague 
 Freddie any more, for he shouldn't 
 dare to; and, besides, he didn't think 
 he wanted to. 
 
 " Why," said Olive, " what has hap- 
 pened?"
 
 n6 
 
 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 "Oh!" said Bob, "he has got too 
 much love in him: there is no fun in 
 plaguing him. It only hurts me." 
 
 Freddie appeared before his mother, 
 with the empty plate, and told her 
 that he would like some more love to 
 give Olive and Susy, if she pleased. 
 
 "What did Bob say to you?" 
 
 " Oh ! he looked wondered for a 
 minute, and then he looked glad, and 
 said he was sorry, and then he called 
 the candy love: wasn't that funny? " 
 
 Freddie's mother looked glad too, 
 and willingly took out more of the 
 pretty candy for the loving Freddie 
 to bestow. 
 
 Olive and Susy were delighted be- 
 yond measure with the sweet loves, 
 as they called them, that Freddie 
 brought, and went off to play " tea" 
 with their dolls; leaving the happy 
 boys at their marbles.
 
 THE PLATE OF CANDY. H7 
 
 It is easy to believe, that Bob and 
 Freddie were firm friends after this. 
 They had tested each other; and the 
 little one, in his weakness, was victo- 
 rious, because he had the strength 
 of a higher power, which, as he trusted 
 it, was made his own.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A TALK WITH RIA. 
 
 " FREDDIE," said Ria one day, 
 " did Jesus ever tell you about 
 heaven ? You know you prayed about 
 it one morning." 
 
 " I never asked him much about it, 
 for I did not seem to care." 
 
 "Why not?" said Ria. 
 
 "Oh! I suppose I don't need it. It 
 wouldn't be food, I guess." 
 
 " Why, don't you want to go to 
 heaven when you die?" 
 
 r? Yes: I suppose so; I want to be 
 with Jesus; but he comes to me now, 
 and I think that is heaven enough. 
 Don't you think he is as good as 
 heaven, mamma?"
 
 A TALK WITH RIA. 
 
 ''Yes," said his mamma; "it is 
 heaven where he is." 
 
 :t Then, when we die, we will go 
 into a larger heaven: won't we?" 
 asked Freddie. 
 
 T Yes: the longer we live with him, 
 the larger our heaven will become, 
 whether it be here or hereafter." 
 
 " I didn't know we could have 
 heaven here," said Ria, " where there 
 is so much trouble and sin." 
 
 * There can never be heaven where 
 there is sin: that is to be overcome." 
 
 "How?" said Ria. 
 
 "By believing in Jesus and trusting 
 him. Wherever that is done per- 
 fectly, there is no sin, and heaven has 
 come." 
 
 " Why, that seems an easy way to 
 get heaven." 
 
 " It is not eas} 7 , and we could never 
 do it without help. Then, too, the
 
 I2O LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 more we sin, the harder it is. That 
 is the reason why it is easier for little 
 children to love and trust the Saviour. 
 Sin has less power over them." 
 
 "Mamma," said Freddie, "I am 
 afraid of sin. Will it ever get me 
 away from Jesus ? " 
 
 "Not if you resist it. The Bible 
 says, 'Resist the devil, and he will flee 
 from you.' r 
 
 r? Who is the devil, mamma? " 
 
 "The father of sin." 
 
 " Does he get into our hearts too?" 
 said Freddie. 
 
 !? Yes, unless Jesus is there: he never 
 goes where Jesus is. He always tries, 
 though, to get Jesus out; so that we 
 have to watch for him. Jesus says, 
 * Watch and pray, lest ye enter into 
 temptation.' ' : 
 
 "Oh! I am afraid," said Freddie, 
 "of th,at father of sin."
 
 A TALK WITH RIA. 121 
 
 :f You need not be afraid while you 
 love, my dear boy; for love casteth 
 out fear. Jesus says, r I will keep thee 
 from the hour of temptation.' He 
 says too, ? Hold that fast which thou 
 hast.' He wants you to do all you 
 can to keep him, and then he will 
 keep you." 
 
 "But he won't come to me at all," 
 said Ria, " because I have so much 
 sin." 
 
 " But he came into the world, and 
 suffered and died to save you from 
 sin. There is a way to escape from 
 it. He asks you to repent, and trust 
 him, and let him love you." 
 
 " That's the way I did to Bob," said 
 Freddie: "didn't I? I know that is 
 the way Jesus does, because he told 
 me how. Why, Ria, he is saying, Do 
 repent to me, because I want to love 
 you. Do hear him, Ria, and be sorry
 
 122 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 to him; and then you will be happy: 
 it is so nice to love." 
 
 "Dear child, I am sorry; but then 
 I am so bad that he can never love 
 me." 
 
 :<: Why, yes, he can : he is so big 
 and strong, he can do any thing; and 
 the weaker you are, the better he likes 
 you. Do try it, Ria." 
 
 "But I do not feel weak. I feel 
 strong and bad." 
 
 " But you ought to feel little and 
 weak, and then, when you are sorry, 
 you can get into his love. If you 
 would only once get in there, you 
 would never want to come out, and 
 you wouldn't feel bad any more. I 
 think it is a great deal better to be lit- 
 tle, to get in; and then grow large 
 and strong, so that it will be hard to 
 get out when that old father of sin
 
 A TALK WITH RIA. 123 
 
 " Sin cannot reach you, if you are 
 strong in the Saviour's love," said his 
 mamma. " But all must be little ones 
 when they come to him. Do you 
 remember, Ria, what Freddie's prayer 
 was that morning?" 
 
 :? Yes, ma'am : he prayed that he 
 might know where to find Jesus, for 
 he wanted him to feed his soul and 
 tell him about heaven." 
 
 " Do you think your prayer has 
 been answered, Freddie?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, ma'am! I found Jesus, 
 and he feeds my soul all the time." 
 
 " And if the presence of Jesus is 
 heaven, then you are learning all the 
 time about that." 
 
 "Why, yes, so I am!" 
 
 " The Bible tells us about f the holy 
 city that cometh down from God out 
 of heaven.' In one place, it is called 
 'the new Jerusalem; ' and, in another,
 
 124 LITTLE FREDDIE. 
 
 'the Lord is there.' This means the 
 presence of Christ in the hearts of 
 those who love him; and it will 
 keep coming until it fills the whole 
 earth." 
 
 ? Then heaven comes down to 
 earth," said Ria. 
 
 "God comes through Christ, and 
 dwells with men. ? And he will wipe 
 away all tears from their eyes; and 
 there shall be no more death, neither 
 sorrow nor crying, neither shall there 
 be any more pain.' This is heav- 
 en." 
 
 " But I thought all that would come 
 at the end of the world," said Ria. 
 
 " It is coming all the time to those 
 who open their hearts to receive it. 
 There is nothing but sin between us 
 and heaven." 
 
 " But we shall have to be sick and 
 die," said Ria.
 
 A TALK WITH RIA. 12$ 
 
 : *Yes; but the sting of suffering 
 and death is sin; and Christ has taken 
 that away for those who love him. 
 His presence is sufficient for all things, 
 even to raise us above the effects of 
 our own sin, if we repent of it." 
 
 " Mamma," said Freddie, " do we 
 go to heaven as soon as we love 
 Jesus?" 
 
 " Heaven comes to us through 
 him." 
 
 " How good he is, mamma! He 
 comes to us, and feeds our souls, and 
 gives us heaven too! " 
 
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