LITTLE MARY, AN ILLUSTRATION OS' THE POWER OF JESUS TO SAVE EVEN THE YOUNGEST, ^titlj ait Inirobudmtr BY BARON STOW, D.D. B O STON: GOULD AND LINCOLN, 59 WASHINGTON STREET. 18G1. c5gN3 \f^ t Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1861, by GOULD AND LINCOLN, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massacliusetts. k Electrotypcd and Printed by W. F. DRAPER, AXDOTER, MASSACHUSETTS. -e^^ ^.9 e^ ^ntxa)iutixan. Jjecc Near the close of last autumn, the newspapers contained the following brief notice : Died, at Concord, N. H., November 6, of organic disease of the heart, Mary Achsah, YOUNGEST DAUGHTER OF JoSEPH A. AND AnN W. GiLMORE, aged thirteen. In thousands of cases, every one interesting to the small circle of the bereaved, such a record is the last that meets the pubhc eye ; except, it may ( ) be, a few commemorative words cut in the head- ( ) ^ e^ 2052966 r- -e^s^ IV INTRODUCTION. Stone that marks the resting-place of the youthful sleeper. The loved and loving one, whose early departure from this earth-life was thus summarily chronicled, may never have imagined that she was distin- guished, either by nature or by grace, for anything worthy of a special memorial, or deemed that any of her utterances or acts would be collected and embalmed for fadeless preservation. But those who knew her well, and especially some who were often near her during her last months of bodily sulTcring and spiritual triumph, expressed a strong conviction that a faithful narrative of her religious experience might be useful as an illustration of the power of Christ to save the young. The family group had all the incidents, and many more than could be transferred to paper, deeply en- graven in their heart of hearts, and needed not, for their own sakes, another record ; but a larfre d^^ e/^ 9{^/3 e^^ ) INTRODUCTION. V circle of relatives and friends were anxious to possess a fuller account than could be gathered from oral communications. These demands it was thought best to supply ; and the work, confessedly one of much dehcacy, was intrusted to the indi- vidual who could do it the greatest justice, — Mary's eldest brother, a member of the Senior Class in the Newton Theological Institution. To him it would be — to him it has been — a " labor of love'* I have read in manuscript the entire narrative, and regard it as prepared with commendable judiciousness and fidelity. I discover nothing over- drawn, nothing colored for the sake of effect. My acquaintance with the amiable Mary was familiar from her infancy, and she had the place of a good child in my affection. During the earlier stages of her illness, while she was at the Franconia Moun- tains, I frequently saw her, and was tenderly inter- 5^^ e^ I -^^-B^ VI INTRODUCTION. I estcd in her religious exercises. Her little heart impatiently beating against its walls Avas a fit em- l)lL'm of her emotional nature struggling to throw off a burden of whose character she had an indef- inite conception, but of which she was painfully conscious. I saw her also when hope of her recov- ery had well-nigh vanished, and heard from her thin, bloodless lips the breathings of a soul "wil- ling rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord." She was all that the hand of fraternal love has described, and the readers of this touching story may accept the whole as a just picture of the dear one — " Not lost, but gone before." The author says, in a statement now before me, *' I have tried to adapt it to the capacity of chil- Q 'l'*^'ib that thus both parents and children S^^3 S^S^ "^^^^ ^ e^S^ INTRODUCTION. VII might read and understand it ; but I feel that the sudden maturity of little Mary's Christian expe- rience was such that one or two of the chapters must be incomprehensible to any one who has not 'the mind of the Spirit,'" And he declares him- self willing to sacrifice the graces of mere style " to the one object of presenting a truthful sketch of what the Lord Jesus did for a child of thirteen summers." The reader will find the sketch indeed truthful, and the style like female loveliness — " When unadorned, adorned the most.-' Soon after Mary's decease, her pastor, for whom she had great respect, — the Kev. Dr. Flanders, — preached a discourse, in which he gave his own impressions respecting her case, as a disciple of Christ. He is well known as a careful observer (?) of all the forms of Christian development, and m h^^ e^ . — e<^ VIII INTRODUCTION. as eminently reliable in bis discriminations and judgments. To a sympathizing congregation he said: " 'flic scenes of her last illness and her depart- in" hours were so marked with peaceful trust in Christ, that I have felt it my duty to give you a somewhat full account of them. In recounting the \sLSt hours of one's experience on earth it becomes the Christian minister to guard against a more hopeful presentation than the facts warrant, lest, in his desire to soothe the wounded sensibilities of the bereaved, he may inflict lasting injury on others. It would be better to withhold all refer- ence to the hopeful dead, than that by any over- wrought statement harm should be done to the souls of the Uving. But the case before us needs no coloring. The scene as it icas is sufficiently beautiful and impressive. I am grateful to God (h tliat in my ministry, among mv dear people,! have (T) ^^^~ ' e4 ft€^- I INTRODUCTION, been permitted to witness such a scene in the last illness of one so young, and have the opportunity to describe it." On the 9th of November, at mid-day, we stood amid the quiet shades of Mount Auburn, and wor- shipped Him who is " the Resurrection and the Life." There was the casket enclosing all that was mortal of little Mary. " Like blossomed tree o'erturned by vernal storm, Lovely in death the beauteous ruin lay." There was the opened grave ready to receive this new treasure to its trust. The ground was carpeted with fallen foliage imbrowned by au- tumnal frosts. The sun shone genially through the leafless trees. It was an hour of solemn, impres- () sive beauty. The precious words of Divine Reve- aW- e^ I ^^s^- T- INTRODUCTION, lation were read ; fervent prayer was offered ; we looki'd once more on the face of the sleeper, and then turned slowly away, happy in the thought that wc were not leaving Mary there ; she was in heaven. BARON STOW. RosTON, Marcli, 18G1. -^ d^^- r CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. Chapter Jfirst THE CHILDHOOD OF LITTLE MARY — HER SENSE OF SIN — LETTERS, 13 C^Hpttr ^tt0nir, HEALTH BUT NOT HOPE — THE YOUNG INQUIRER AND THE AGED SAINT — A SUMMER AMONG THE MOUN- TAINS, . . 26 Chapter ^Ijtrb-. HOPES AND FEARS — SONGS IN THE NIGHT — THE BRUISED REED AND THE SMOKING FLAX, . . . 38 () (5gN3 e^ r- CONTENTS. Cljupttr - ^ CJ 20 LITTLE MART. V but tlicrc was no need of my doing this. One Sunday night, — it was March 11, 18G0, — Mary's mother called me into her room. The little girl had been ill for many days then, but was better, and we had no idea that she would not soon be well and strong. I found her in tears; and, taking her in my lap, I asked her what ailed her. She told me that she wanted to be a Christian. ! how glad I was to hear her say that, and how bitterly I felt tliat I had more cause to weep for my sins than she for hers ! I pointed her to " the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world." I told her how able and how willing Jesus was to save her ; how he longed to have her become a Christian. At her request, I read and prayed with her ; but nothing seemed to y^^ e/^ i ^ e^Sff / LITTLE MARY. 21 give her comfort. Still the tears rolled down her cheeks, and her whole frame trembled, as she exclaimed : " ! it seems as if I was such a sinner that God couldn't pardon me ! " How it startled me to think that the finger of God was writing such truths as that on the heart of a child who was so good and gentle ; but I felt that it was God's work, and I dared only say to her that Jesus could save the vilest sinners : that he died on purpose to do this. After Mary's death, I found a letter from one of her playmates among her papers, which may, perhaps, have been the first thing which made her feel as if she wanted to be a Christian. I want to thank the little girl who wrote it, and I mean to quote a part of her letter, that -e^ Y^^ ^^ LITTLE :M A K Y . $" you may sec how faithful a friend little Mary hud. " I believe that Eddie C. is to be baptized next Sunday. He is quite young, but it is very pleasant to think of his being a Christian in his youthful days. I trust that he may enjoy many happy years in trying to follo^Y in his Saviour's footsteps ; and it has been my prayer, dear Mary, that some time I might sec you brought to the Saviour, ])leading for your sins that they might be forgiven. AVill you not, my dear Mary, pray that your sins may be forgiven, and come to Christ, and try to live a letter life than I dor' On the day after my conversation with ^lary, I returned to my studies ; but the next day I sent her, at her request, a nice large Bible, with a letter, from e^5 LITTLE MARY. 23 wliich I shall insert a few sentences, because they were as true of any other little boy or girl as they were of little Mary. " I believe, my dear sister, that Jesus loves you, and wants you to give your heart to him. I know that you want to love him, and want to feel that he is your Saviour. Why can't you come to Jesus in prayer, and tell him that you want to love him, and mean to, but you don't know how, and want him to help you ? Give yourself up to him ; just as the little boy, of whom I was telling you, jumped into his father's arms when his father called him and told him that it was safe to jump, though he could n't see him. But one thing, my dear sister, Jesus wonH help you zmless you mean to he Ids ivJien you are ivell as well as ivlien you ^tr^^ ~" 24 L I T T L E MAE Y are ill ; and you must give yourself up to him lieartily and tliorouglily. 0, it is so blessed to feel that the dear Saviour loves you ! and I want you to feel this." Mary received another letter soon after this, which says such precious things about Jesus, that I want a part of it to go into my little book, though I know that many folks think letter-reading dull business. Here it is : '' Yes, the dear Jesus died for little Mary. In all his agony and sutfering, he thought of that httle girl he was going to save from death. You can, darling, if you will, take all the precious promises in the Bible to yourself. Christ meant them for you. He meant to be your Saviour, yotir Comforter, your Shepherd. He sees ^ little Mary, a poor, weak little lamb, A &^' ■■ e^ w^ ^^ LITTLE MARY. 25 '^2rO Cljapfcr Scconb-. HEAI.TU BCT NOT HOPE — THE YOUNG INQUIRER AND THE AGED SAINT — A SUMMER AMONG THE MOUNTAINS, Many weeks passed after my first in- terview with little Mary before I had much more serious conversation with lier. Much of the time I was away from home, and when I met the little sufferer I contented myself with drop- ping now and then a word which should assure her that I could not be satisfied till I felt that she was a Christian. I knew ihat Mary had better and wiser n counsellors than I. There was one in C^^>^— e^ o-O ~o.S^ LITTLE MART. 27 particular to whom Mary seemed to cling with especial tenderness, and who I was sure would labor and pray without ceasing to bring this little lamb to the great Shepherd of Israel. I felt that Mary's Aunty O'Brien — for so she loved to call her, though she was no more Mary's aunt than she is the aunt of every child who is seeking Jesus — could do more for the little girl than I. I loved to know that little Mary, whenever she was able to go out for a drive, would send her carriage for her good aunty ; and 0, it was a precious sight to see the pale and anxious face of the little girl nestling down among the furs beside her old and gentle and heavenly-minded friend, and think that they were talking of the blessed Jesus. I knew they were (|) C>^o g^-3 -^-^ ( ftg^e 28 LITTLE MARY, talking of Jesus, because Aunty O'Brien talks so sweetly and so winningly of Jesus to every one whom she meets ; because she had often talked to me about Jesus, and led me, I hope, to love him and try to serve him. I saw that little Mary had not lost her interest in such conversation as this. I felt that the blessed Spirit was still striving to win her to Christ, and I could not help feel- ing that she would he a Christian. All this time Mary was slowly getting better. The frosts of winter were gone ; the fields were fresh and green, the birds sang sweetly in the maples under Mary's window, and all nature seemed to be praising the good God who has made this beautiful world for man to live in. As the warm days of summer drew near, g^^o- e/^ te^3 -^"-^ LITTLE MARY. 29 the roses bloomed on Mary's cheeks brighter than ever, and we hoped she was past all danger. Still, we knew she was delicate and frail, and her father made his plans to shut up his house in the hot and dusty city, and have his family spend the whole summer among the mountains of Mary's native state. We were all of us glad to go, for we loved the mountains, and you would love them too, if you knew them well. Just think of living all summer in a little green valley, not more than an eighth of a mile wide, hemmed in on every side by lofty mountains covered to the very top with waving trees, — as if Boston Common were surrounded by hills ten times as high as the steeple of Park- street Church, and you were to have m te^e ^ e^ 30 LITTLE MARY. your home on the little knoll by the Frog Pond ! And think of the beautiful lakes and laughing waterfalls ; the grand Old Man of the Mountain, which God carved out of the soHd rock, thousands of feet up on the mountain side, so that it looks just like a man's face ! Think of the rattling stage-coaches, filled with happy travellers ; the Indian encamp- ments, the pleasant walks, and drives, and sails, and you will not wonder that we were glad to go to our mountain home. But there were two things for which I most wanted to go to the mountains. I hoped that the fine, clear, bracing air would restore little Mary to perfect health ; and I remembered that God had said, "The mountains shall bring peace () ^J^ e^^cQ Ctg^e e^^O 2 LITTLE MARY. 31 to the people," and I longed to have them bring peace to Mary's troubled heart. In both my wishes I was disap- pointed. At first the change of air and scene seemed to give her new life, and little Mary never looked so beautiful as in that last summer among " the Crystal Hills." But we soon learned that the glow which suffused her cheeks was not the bloom of health. The bustle and tumult of a crowded hotel seemed to weary her, and she gradually lost the little strength which she had gained. ^Ve were more anxious than ever for our darling. And I was more anxious about her immortal soul than her frail body, dearly as I loved her, and eagerly as I prayed that she might be '' the light (+) of our home " for many years. Little (t) Ji^ e^ cg^3_ ^ ! LITTLE MART. Mary had never felt that she was a Christian, and it seemed to me that she was not reading her Bible so regularly, or praying so often, or seeking Christ so earnestly, as in the weeks that were past. Perhaps she was discouraged by not find- ing Jesus when she first set out to seek him, and did not know that the blessed Saviour sometimes lets folks search for him a great while, so as to make sure that they really want to find him, and that they will not grow weary of serving him when they have found him. Per- haps the gayety and bustle of the hotel distracted her childish thoughts. Per- haps she could not quite make up her mind to give up everything for Jesus ; for , he wants his followers to give up many things which look very bright and pleas- (\\ ^^3 ^ ^ -O^ LITTLE MARY. 33 ant to a little girl like Mary, though he gives them many more and better gifts in exchange. I think tliis last was the reason why little Mary did not find Jesus sooner. God was all this time callino: her to himself. She heard his voice ; but many weeks of pain and anguish must pass before Mary could give up all to Christ, and say, like little Samuel, " Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." As the summer passed away, little Mary grew more and more feeble. Her voice was heard no more upon the piazza and along the halls. Her sweet smile no longer won the hearts of strangers in the crowded parlor. I read in a paper published in a distant city these kind and loving words, and wept when I thought that the true-hearted pastor who te^ (^^3 eyq 34 LITTLE MARY. f wrote tliein was speaking of little Mary, and despairing of her life : " In the house of mirth and gladness there is a chamber of sickness. Opposite the room in which we write is one, well known to many of your readers, a frail flower, lovely to her friends. Around her suffering couch hangs a watchful, sympathizing mother, and friendly hands are extended to minister to her relief. Patiently she bears what God has laid upon her, hoping that, in his kindness, he will bring back the bloom to her faded cheek, and health to her wasted form. Beautiful lesson taught us, who are so happy and joyous, that we are to have all our earthly joys chastened by the thought that this is not our final and perfect rest. Beyond and above the -e'^^ ft^>3 e^^S^ LITTLE MARY. 35 everlasting hills there is a Paradise, into which no pain enters, and upon the fair flowers of which no blight ever falls," Still the little sufferer failed, and at last it was decided that the only hope of her recovery lay in her removal to the quiet of her distant home, though many feared that the little heart which thumped so wildly would cease its beat- ing altogether before her journey's end. Strong arms and tender hearts bore the wasted form of little Mary from her bedside to the carriage which waited to convey her to the railroad, twelve miles away, and laid her gently upon the rude couch which was prepared for her. ! it was a touching sight to see her borne away, : — so frail, so feeble ; and eyes unused to weep shed genuine tears as II 5tg^e -o^^ 36 LITTLE MARY. 1 the carriage drove from the door witli its precious freight. Little Marj reached the cars in safety, and was soon whirled along, down peace- ful valleys, beneath the shadow of over- hanging mountains, along the margin of placid lakes, to her far-off home. 0, what a contrast there was between the quiet loveliness of the untroubled land- scape, glowing beneath the fierce rays of the August sun, and the gloom and anxiety which reigned within that silent carl But lovino' and skilful friends were watching over little Mary, and the great and tender God watched over her and stayed her up. He soothed her pain, and helped her to endure fatigue, for he meant to spare our darling till he had done great things for her and for us. 5^^ e^^ W^ "^^ J LITTLE MARY. 37 V Towards nightfall the cars shot across the clear blue waters of the Merrimac, and wound swiftly though the elm-shaded intervales which encircle our beautiful city, and Mary was home again. Her heart beat with a thrill of joy as she was borne to the quiet chamber where she was to suffer and to enjoy so much ; for she felt that she was coming home to die, and she could not bear to die among strangers. fe^ r 1 u^in d^irir^ CP^ HOPES AK1> TEARS — SOIfGS IN THE Ts^IGHT — THE BRUISED KEED AND THE SilOKIUG FLAX. We had hoped that little Mary's removal to her quiet home might be the means of her recovery ; but the change did not seem to do her much good. She was certainly happier, and more comfortable in her own dear home than she could be anywhere else. Sometimes she would seem to be really better for a few days, and as she sat propped up in her easy-chair, with a basket of golden fruit by her side, and a book in her g^3 ^.'3 -O Ol ? / LITTLE MARY. 39 hand, as the old sweet smile came back to her worn face, we felt quite hope- ful. Then her disease would assume a new form, and she would seem so much worse that we would give up all thoughts of her recovery. But still the doctors told us that Mary might be well again, and we clung to their words of encouragement long after our own hearts told us that she must die. All this while little Mary was suffering the severest pain. Perhaps you have not suffered so much in all your life put together as she suffered every day for months. Yet she was very gentle and patient. I have told you before that she used sometimes to be peevish and exact- ing when she was sick. She seemed so ) different now, that I could n't help d^^ e^^ ? C^3 ^^ 40 LITTLE MARY. V thinking, sometimes, that God might already have given her a new heart. But I never said so to her, for I could not be sure of this ; and I felt that it would do her more harm to think that she was a Christian when she was not, than to be a Christian for a little while without knowing it. By and by I had no occasion to tell her tliat I hoped she was a Christian, and every one who saw her patience and gentleness under much severer pain felt that she was wonderfully and beautifully changed. When folks are really Christians, they will soon find it out, and others will find it out too, without any one to tell them. There was one thing which helped little Mary very much to bear her pain -^^^ I te'O €^^ S t LITTLE MARY. 41 during all her illness. She was very fond^of music ; and sometimes, when she was suffering a great deal, she would want her kind aunts, who took care of her, to sing to her all night long. " Sing I sing ! " she would exclaim, when a sudden pang shot through her heart ; and as they bent over her, and asked her what they should sing, she would often answer : " O, sing to me of heaven, When I 'm about to die ! " She loved best to have hymns sung by her bedside, and would herself pick out such hymns as were not only set to the sweetest melody, but full of the deepest and tenderest thoughts about Jesus. One night, when Mary's mother, over- 42 LITTLE MARY. come by fatigue, had fallen asleep by her side, she asked a kind Christian woman who was watclnng with her to sing her some hymns. The good woman tried to sing, but Mary's sensitive ear was not satisfied. '' I '11 wind up the music-box," said Mrs. L., — for Mary had a fine large music-box, which she loved to hear, and which was often playing when her watch- ers were tired of singing. " Why, no ! " replied Mary, with surprise, " it 's Sun- day ! " Dearly as she loved the gentle melody of her music-box, she would not hear it even for a moment on the Sab- bath, and she did not think, as many little girls do, that Sunday was over when folks get home from meeting in the afternoon. So she tried to sino- A herself. At first her Toice Tvas -n-eak fee ■ s^ 9. ! LITTLE MARY. 43 and broken, but she gathered strength as she reached the verse : "I would not live alway ; no — welcome the tomb : Since Jesus hath lain there, I dread not its gloom ; There sweet be my rest till he bid me arise To hail him in triumph descending the skies." And it seemed as if heavenly voices blended with hers in divinest harmony. She sung the whole hymn through, and then turned to Mrs. L. and said : " 0, it must be sweet to be a Christian ! " " It is sweet, darling," replied her faith- ful watcher. " 0, how I wish I was one ! " answered little Mary. Then she talked with Mrs. L. about her own unconverted children, and urged her to pray more that her boys might be brought to Christ. ^^^3 e^ 44 LITTLE MARY. Perhaps you think that little Mary must have been a Christian even now. Sometimes I thought so, but I was not quite satisfied. I wanted her to feel that she was a Christian. I used often to read the Bible to her, and pray with her, and so did her kind pastor. She would very frequently ask us to mark a passage which pleased her, so that she could find it herself. She always listened with respectful attention when prayer was offered, or anything said to her ; but she herself said but little ; and we could not talk with her quite as we wished, for it was feared that if she was excited at all, her recovery might be hindered. Besides, some of her friends seemed to think that little Mary had ^ always been so good and gentle that it A E^ e4 LITTLE MART. 45 would be well with her if she were taken away, whether she was a Cliris- tiaii or not. I loved to think of her gentle and guileless childhood as much as any one, and I knew that God was very merciful to little children ; but I felt that the only way to heaven was through the blood of Jesus. I remem- bered how bitterly little Mary had felt that she needed a Saviour, and I could not help thinking that if she was old enough to feel her need of him, she was old enough to believe in him, and love him. Sometimes I was afraid that because she did not give her heart right to God when he seemed to want it so much, he was n't going to take it at all. I felt very sad and very anxious. I did n't exjDect great things from a (?) g"^3 e^ ? 46 L I T T L E M A R T . little child like Mary ; but I wanted to see her clinging to the blessed Saviour with the same childish confidence and love which she felt towards her dear father. Then I should know that she was ready to die, because she was fit to live. On Sunday, September 80, I spent an hour in Mary's room, reading and pray- ing, and talking with her. I told her how ready the dear Saviour was, when he was on earth, to heal all those whom he met. I read to her the account of that beautiful scene where they brought unto Jesus, as the sun was setting, all that were diseased, and the whole city was gathered together at the door, and he healed many. I told her that he was just as near, just as strong, and just as g^^9 e/Q oqO -o^^ LITTLE MARY. 47 willing to save, now^ as when he was on earth. I told her how gentle and loving he is, and then said : " Dear Mary, can't you love and trust such a Saviour as this ? " She looked steadily in my face for a moment, while two tears stole down her cheeks, — the only tears which I saw her shed during her long illness, — and answered, " Why, I do love him, now." I felt, from the emphasis which the little girl laid on the word love, that she had an idea that trusting in Jesus was a very difficult and complicated matter. So I tried to make her feel how simple a thing it is to trust in Jesus ; that we have only to feel that he is able and willing to save iis, and so give ourselves up to him, and let him do just what he pleases with us ; that we I ;^3 &^sg 48 LITTLE MAE Y. must trust in the blessed Jesus, just as we trust in our kind and loving parents, feeling that they know what is best for us, and will do what is best, whether we understand it all or not. I was a good deal encouraged by my talk with Mary. It seemed to me that she did love Jesus. I remembered the words of the prophet : " A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench;" that is, Jesus will accept the service even of the Aveak- cst and humblest if they really try to serve him. I thought, surely God will -accept even thus much of faith and love from a little child, so weak and sick, too. But I did not remember all of God's glorious promise. It is : '' A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking CF^^ e^ 9 ^^"3 ~^^ LITTLE MART. 49 V flax shall he not quench, till he bring forth judgme7it unto victory." But God remembered it all. He had indeed ac- cepted little Mary, but he was preparing a VICTORY for her such as I never had dreamed of, and would never have dared to ask. I never knew what victory meant till I had seen little Mary die ; and then, 0, how grateful I was that God had taught me this lesson over the death-bed of my own sister ! The next day I returned to my studies, but not till little Mary had charged me to pray for her while I was gone, and bade me summon her Aunty O'Brien to take my place by her bed- side. Mary had many loving friends, who were always ready to talk with her (h about Jesus, and she loved dearly to m 3 e^ 50 L I T T L E M A R Y . ' have them all with her ; but there were two or three whom she seemed espe- cially to want, now that she was seeking Christ. i B^-^ ^^ ^p3 e^ ni^in Jf0xtrlIj, VICTORY — A HAPPY SABBATH — WATCHING FOR SOULS. During the early part of October there seemed to be no marked change in Mary's condition. She was gradually failing, and I think she felt this as keenly as her friends, though she did not speak of it. She still seemed to delight in the singing of her favorite hymns, and often asked to have the Bible read and prayer offered by her bedside. If we asked what we should pray for, her answer almost always was, " That I may be patient." Poor child ! she seemed to o^^ e^ P. ^r? ^ y 52 LITTLE MARY. V. dread more than anything else that her intense pain would betray her into impa- tience or fretfulness ; but the prayers for patience were wonderfully answered, and never did I see a sweeter or more gentle sufferer. But, ! I longed to hear her talk more of the Lord Jesus, so that I might know how he seemed to her in this trying hour. And God meant to satisfy my longings to the full. On Saturday morning, October 20, she asked her Aunt Maria if she thought she would ever get well. She replied, " I don't know, Mary ; you are very sick." She then said, " Tell mother, if I don't get Avell, to give Johnnie my Bible, and have some one write in it that hymn, ' See Israel's jrcntlc Shepherd stand, () "With all-engaging charms.' Q 1^^ e^ L I T T L E M AR Y. 53 V Some clays after she repeated tliis request, adding, '' I promised Aunty O'Brien once that I would learn that hymn ; hut I never did it, and I am heartily ashamed of myself." Later in the day, she said to her mother: ^'0 dear ! I am afraid I shall never be well again. Do you think I shall, mother? " Her mother told her that we hoped so, but that it was very doubtful. She then asked to see her dear pastor, and he was summoned to her side. I will let him describe the scene which followed, in his own words : " Leaning over her, I said, ' My dear child, what would you have me do ? Raising herself, in her weak- ness, from her sick-bed, she threw her arm around my neck, and, in the most ^ tender and earnest tones, said, ' 0, I q "^ ^ 54 LITTLE MARY. V. want to be good ! ' I tried to meet that desire, so touchinglj expressed, by tell- ing her of the nature and mission of Jesus. As I ceased speaking, she said, ' I ivill trust in Jesus ! ' and she did, and found him precious to her soul." That earnest decision was the turning- point with little Mary. She had long felt that she loved Jesus, but the world seemed bright and joyous to a little girl like her, and she had not been quite willing to give up everything for him, and let him do with her just what he pleased. Now she gave up all to Christ, and he gave her in exchange " the peace of God which passeth all understand- ing." Is it not a good exchange for a little girl to make ? From this time her perfect resignation and trust were appar- o-g^s e^ 9^.s ^^ J LITTLE MARY. hh \ ent to all. She said to her mother, " You will soon learn not to miss me, mother." Her mother's answer was, ^' No, Mary, this can never seem like home without you." — "Well, mother," she replied, " I mean, if it is God's will, you are willing that I should go, ain't you ? " It was hard to say yes ; but long before she died we had learned to pray that she might soon find rest from her sufferings in the bosom of that Sav- iour whom she so much loved. This Saturday was a day of intense agony for little Mary, but it was a day of constant prayer. She asked every one who entered her sick-room to pray with her ; and lips unused to prayer caught the inspiration of the little suf- ferer, and poured out their full hearts in B^^ w^ ^ y 00 LITTLE MARY. V fervent petitions unto God. To borrow the words of her kind pastor: "She might be said to live in an atmosphere of prayer. It seemed ever to soothe her pain, and to yield happiness to her spirit. Such delight in oft-repeated prayer, and so firm a reliance on its efficacy, I have rarely seen, even in the most mature Christian. Hers was indeed a child-like trust. She seemed to take the Saviour at his word, and make him her ' all and in all.' As her outer life waned, her spiritual life grew stronger and stronger, and prayer was the medium by which that spiritual life was communicated to the soul." During this day she often asked her father, whom perhaps she loved best of ' m all her friends, to pray with her. He S^^ O^ico \i LITTLE MARY. 57 would kneel by lier side and try to pray ; but, overcome by his emotions, liis voice choked, and he could not utter a word. Once, when he rose hastily from his knees and left the room, she said, '' Tell father not to feel so badly; tell him I am willing to go." That was indeed a comfort ; l)ut it is hard to soothe tlie sor- rows of a father's heart as he bends over the death-bed of his moaning child, even by such blessed assurance as this. The next day was the Sabbath, a day of the severest pain, but, as Mary told one of her kind watchers at its close, the happiest day of her life. It was a happy day for little Mary, because Jesus was very near her, and every little girl is happy who has Jesus for her friend. Towards nightfall, as she sat upon the CPo SNa ^^^ ? 9^^ e^^S^ 58 L I T T L E M AR Y. side of her bed, Tvith her pale face lean- ing upon her father's shoulder, and his strong arms round her, she exclaimed to her sister : " We're so happy ! ain't we, Kate ? " Then, looking up in her father's face, and seeing that he was in tears, she added : " TVe are all happy, ain't we, father ? Ain't you happy ^ father ? You must be happy." The little girl had caught the spirit of those beautiful words, " Since He is mine, and I am His, What can I want besides 1 " She felt that every one who loved Jesus, and whom Jesus loved, must be happy. And there was one other thing which made this a happy Sabbath for Mary. She had been working for Jesus. What ! E€^3 ^ &^ ft€^e LITTLE MARY. you say, a little girl so %Yeak and sick working for Jesus ? Yes. Every one who really loves liim will work fer Jesus. They can't help it. They will find a chance somehow. You remember how, when Jesus was on earth, and Andrew had seen him, he ran at once and found his own brother Peter, and told him that he had found Christ ; and Peter soon found him too. Andrew never did very much for Jesus, but Peter, you know, did a great deal ; and, perhaps, if it had not been for Andrew, Peter would never have found the Lord. So little Mary, weak and sick as she was, and so soon to die, could not do much work for Jesus herself, but perhaps she could call some one to his service who might work lon^ and hard for the blessed Mas- (S^gNa -e^tt / 60 LITTLE MARY. V ter. At any rate, she called her ottii brotlicr Johnnie to her on this bright Sun claymorning, just as Andrew called Peter, and told him that she had found Christ. She loved Johnnie very much, and played with him a great deal when she was well ; and now she wanted him to love Jesus. She told him that he must be a good boy, and not wait till he was sick before he loved the Saviour, as she had done. She reminded him that he was to have her Bible after she was gone, and said : " I don't give you my Bible to lay up, Johnnie ; I give it to you to read." Mary spoke of her brother Frank, too, who was away at school, saying : "I should think tliat Frank was old enough" — Here she stopped, citlier c^pg^a- I ^^^3 ey^ LITTLE MARY. 61 V^ because she was in so much pain, or because she did n't quite know bow to finish the sentence. Her mother asked, " Should you think Frank was old enough to love the Saviour ? " — " Yes," replied Mary, " and he don't know how pleasant it is." She longed to have her whole family meet her in heaven, and seemed to be willing even to die that she might lead them to Christ. Often she urged them to live near to Jesus ; and one day, when her mother said to her, " Mary, I don't know what your father will do without you ; he has always idolized you," she answered, " I know it, mother ; perhaps that is why I am taken." Little Mary was not satisfied with (J) working for Christ only a single day. m 62 LITTLE MARY. From this time till the close of her life she " watched for souls as one that must give account." Her last message to the children of the Sabbath school was, " Tell them to love Jesus, and meet me in heaven;" and many of them wept over her message after their little sister, " so mild and lovely," was laid in the silent grave. Towards one of her little playmates she was especially faithful. We have a little girl in Concord whom we call '^ our little missionary girl," be- cause her father and mother are far away over the deep blue sea, trying to teach the little heathen children about Jesus. Mary loved this little girl very much, and one day she sent for her to come and see her. After she had gone (h home, Mary seemed very sad, and said to (K 5s^ -^^ te^3 -^& n LITTLE MARY. 63 her mother, " I wanted to see Mary S. alone." So the next day the little mis- sionary girl was summoned to her bedside again, and Mary had a long talk with her. I do not know what she said, but I know that Mary S. went home sobbing as if her heart would break, and saying, " I have promised little Mary G. to meet her in heaven." This happy Sabbath of which I have been telling you was begun and ended with prayer. When Mary's watchers entered the room at night, she said, " 0, Mrs. D., will you pray with me ?" — "I will try to, Mary," she replied ; ^' what shall I pray for ?" Mary's answer was, " That I may be a good girl, and love the Saviour." May that be the prayer m of every child who reads this little book, (h fe^- y 04: LITTLE MARY. V •" Let me love thee more and more, If I love at all, I praj : If I never loved before. Help me to begin to-day." k^ e4 |g:/3 es;^ u I ^Ijaphr Jfiftfe. •WAITING FOK DELIVERANCE. Ox the following Monday we told Mary that we had sent for Dr. Bowditch, of Boston, to come up and see her. Her first thought was, " Is he a Chris- tian?" She seemed throughout her ill- ness to be very grateful to her physicians for their tenderness and care ; but we could see that she would have been hap- pier if she could have been in charge of one who might at the same time have ministered to the body and the soul. On the arrival of Dr. B. he gave us ^Na ; e/=^ CP^ ^;/3 e^^ / 66 LITTLE HART. some encouragement to hope for Mary's recovery, and we told her of this, but it seemed to awaken very little hope in her own breast. During all this week she suffered much, yet seemed to be clinging to Jesus, and confident that ''the great Physician" could do much more for her than any human helper. On Wednesday her brother was at home, and read and prayed with her. She was very weak, and he feared that the service would weary her ; but she said, " Xo, I love to hear you. I am too tired to talk, but I want you to sit by my side and talk to me." He remained by her bedside, rubbing her swollen limbs, and repeating a few verses from the Bible, or from her favorite hymns, and now and then ntterino: a few words -e^^^ t 3^0 e^^^ LITTLE MARY. G7 of prayer. She seemed to delight in listening, and once, as he was speaking of the attractions of heaven, and said, '' Sometimes heaven seems so glorious, and Jesus so precious, that I feel as if we could n't go to him too soon," she interrupted him with the words, " That is the way it seems to me." Later in the day, our former pastor. Dr. Stow, visited the little sufferer, and read and prayed with her. As he rose from his knees, he asked her if she did not want to get well. She looked him calmly in the face, and answered, " If it is the will of the Lord Jesus, I should like to get well ; but I am not afraid to die. I think I should go to be with Jesus." Dr. S. saw her but for a few moments, at a time when she Avas so much under Q^^ e^^ 68 LITTLE MARY. I the influence of powerful medicines that she did not seem to us like herself ; but he was deeply impressed with the loveli- ness of her Christian character. After little Mary's body, was laid in the grave, he wrote to her father : " The maid is not dead, but sleepeth. She sleeps in Jesus. Her spirit, released from a body of pain and protracted agony, rests in the bosom of her Saviour. You have joy in the departure of your Mary, the sweetest solace you could have in any case. She was the best prepared of any of you for an exchange of worlds. Jesus wanted just that flower from your garden to deck the paradise on high. There she blooms in imperishable beauty and fragrance. No autumnal frosts can reach her there. Safe home ! May you q (h reacn ner tnere. ^aie nome : xuay you q fe^a e^ 9^^^ ^'^^ L I T T L E M AR Y. 69 I all so live that you may as safely finish your appointed course, and be forever with her in the better land." On Sunday evening Mary seemed to revive a little, and sent for her pastor, who came and talked with her about heaven, a theme which never failed to interest her. As he told her that there would be no pain there, and expressed the hope that soon they might both join the angels in singing the praises of God, she exclaimed, witli childish earnestness, "0, won't that % nicer' The next day Dr. Bowditch Msited Mary again, and found her failing fast. After he was gone, she said to her aunt, '' I guess Dr. Bowditch didn't give you much encouragement this time ? " On being frankly told tliat he did not, she added, m ^N3- W^ O^o &^ 70 LITTLE MARY. '' Aunt Xaiicy, I am ii little bit afraid to die, — onli/ just a little hit^ But the next day even that little cloud which obscured the sunshine of her faith was gone. Her grandmother came to bid her a last good-by, and said, " Mary, I hope I shall meet you in heaven." — " You must he sure and come there^ grandmother, and tell grandfather to come too." — " Mary is not afraid to die ? " said her mother. " No I " exclaimed the little girl, with wonderful earnest- ness, " not a speck ofr-id." Then, after her mother had left tae room, she turned to Mrs. P., and said, " Sometimes it seems as if I couldn't wait." It was very touching, during this last interview between the aged grandmother and her ) dying namesake, to hear the little drl ^^ &^^ LITTLE MARY. /I t say, " Grandmother, if there are any of my things which you want after I am gone, you shall have them." Now, as ever, she was more thoughtful of others than herself. All hope of Mary's recovery was now abandoned, and her mother said to her, " Darling, if you must go, I should love to go with you." — " 0, no!" she ex- claimed, as if horror-stricken at the thought, '' you must stay and comfort father." It was touching to see how tenderly she clung to him to the very end of life. She seemed to have some- thing which she wanted very much to say to him ; but whenever she tried to speak, his tears and sobs interrupted her. At last her mother said to her, " If you have anything whicli you would like w. c-S^ e^ 2 LITTLE MARY. your father to do, tell me what it is, and it shall be done." — " Tell him to live NEAR THE Saviour," was her answer. It was a simple message, but it was enough. The faithful and loving wife had pledged her husband to their dying child " to live near the Saviour," and Mary could die happy. But Mary not only thought of her father ; she thought of all her friends, and tried even in little things to make them happy. " Mother," she said, " I should like to have Kate and William and the baby come over and spend the day, if it ivould not he too much trouble fa?- you.'^ I am afraid that many little girls who are strong and well are not so thoughtful of their mother's comfort. m xVnd why do you think she wanted these q 9€^o &^ I LITTLE MARY. 73 friends to visit her? She wanted Wil- liam and Kate to pray with her. A week before she had said to her mother, " Do you think William loould pray with me if I asked him ? " She seemed to retain her delight in prayer and song to the very last. Indeed, this was never more touchingly shown than on the last Wednesday she spent on earth. On the morning of that day her pastor came in, and sat by her bedside for a long time, but, as Mary seemed to be in great distress, did not offer to pray with her. At last she turned to him and said, " Why don't you pray, Mr. Flan- ders? " He replied, '' I have been pray- ing all this time, Mary." — "Why don't you pray aloud ? " — " Because I was m afraid it would tire you." — " no," slie feo ^ (^^^ CXSTJ 74 L I T T L E MAR Y. replied, " I would like a short prayer, but you must not mind if I get to sleep." He knelt down and offered a brief petition. As he rose, she ex- claimed, " I want more ! " — " More what ? " said her mother. " More prayer." that older Christians had such a longing for the throne of grace as little Mary had ! She did indeed want " more prayer." Her brother Ed- die, her mother, her aunts, her sisters, — all who came in, — were permitted to share in the precious privilege of praying by her bedside. When Mrs. L. came to watch with her, Mary at once said, '' Pray ; "' and the good woman did pray, as if the gates of heaven were open before her, and the dear Saviour stood ready to snatch each sentence, as it fell o^o "^ ^"^^^O LITTLE MARY. 75 '<^ from licr lips, and present it as sweet incense unto God. When she was done, Mary said, " Take the chair at which Mrs. L. knelt and place it beside the bed, with a pillow on it, so that I can lean against it." It was done, and she sat upon the bedside for some minutes, leaning against the chair in an attitude of devotion, and saying, " Now I can pray myself." The exertion wearied her, and she was soon obliged to lie down again. After she was settled in bed, she said to her mother, " Mother, I could n't collect my thoughts." — " You need not collect them, darling ; a single thought is enough," was her mother's reply. And it was a beautiful and true reply. No little child must think, be- cause she cannot offer such prayers as feo e^^ 7G LITTLE MARY. her father or lier pastor do, that God will not hear and answer. He loves the prayers of little children. During the same day she asked her sister Bidie to give her the book which Mrs. Flanders had sent her, and insisted on finding for herself a hymn which had been marked, though the effort evidently wearied her very much. The book was '' Songs in the Night," and the hymn is called, " Go and tell Jesus." When Mary had found it, she asked her sister to read it to her. Then she wished her to read another hymn, and Bidie selected " "When languor and disease invade This trembling house of ch\y," and read it through. You may read it for yourself, and see how full of precious <5g^3 e^9^ I 1 ^^^ -Gs^ LITTLE MARY. 77 thoughts it is for a little girl who. feels that she is soon to die. Mary then wanted her sister to go down in the parlor and play on the piano. She played " Evan ; " and, as the melody floated sweetly upward to the sick-room, Mary herself began to sing, V O for a closer walk with God ! A calm and heavenly frame ! A light to shine upon the road Which leads me to the Lamb ! " The melody then changed to the " Shin- ing Shore," and as the little sufferer recognized the tune, she exclaimed, "■ I can see it ! I can see it ! " Perhaps she could, for she was certainly very near to heaven. Little Mary not only delighted in d^^ ^^"B^ ev.^ LITTLE MART. prayoi- and praise, but she longed for the iiouse of God. On this last Wednes- day, when so many little girls were playing with their dolls, or rolling their hoops in the bright sunshine, our happy little Mary lay, in her darkened room, on a bed of pain. Don't you think she longed to be out in the clear, cool air ? 0, yes ! and I will tell you* why. '' Mother," she said, '' I should like to go to church once more. When Harry comes home, can't we have him preach a sermon in this room ? It would be so pleasant to have a meeting here." And then she added, " Mother, I wish you would have Frank and Johnnie go to meeting all day. I don't love to have them go only half a day." It would (T) have been a precious privilege to me to ^ &^^ L I T T L E M AR Y. 79 have preached from the words, " Death, where is thy sting ? Grave, where is thy victory ? " within that quiet room ; and her mother promised little Mary that I should, if she were well enough to hear me. But before I stood by my darling's side she had grown so weak and faint that I could only talk to her in broken sentences of Jesus' love. 3^gN3 e^ ALMOST HOME — ASLEEP IX JESUS — MOUX'T AUBtJEX. Ox the next morning after this happy Wednesday, we gathered in Mary's room to see her die. She seemed to be suffer- ing more than ever before, and no one thought that her feeble frame could long endure such agony. As her weeping friends bent over her, eager to catch the last words which fell from their darling's lips, she opened her full, bright eyes, turned languidly towards her mother, and motioned for water. A glass was filled and offered, but she turned away. oC\j y LITTLE MARY. ^^ \ Summoning her strength, as for a last effort, she exclaimed, *' Let father give it to me." Like the blessed Saviour, she loved her own unto the end. As the strong man bent in speechless anguish over his darling child, and pressed the tumbler to her pallid lips, more than one of us recalled the promise, " Whosoever shall give to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, shall in no wise lose his reward." We prayed that the loving father might be rewarded mani- fold for his tender care of the dying child. God's time for the deliverance of little Mary had not yet come. Powerful remedies relieved her pain, and seemed to give her a new hold on life ; but it was not the life in which we had so .1! Opg^ 6^ 1 82 L I T T L E M A R y delighted. Her mind Avas clouded, and seemed sometimes to wander. Still she knew and loved us all ; and, best of all, she knew and loved her Saviour. It wearied her to talk ; but she loved to listen to those who spoke of the Lamb of God; and it was evident, from her answers to their inquiries, that Jesus was still precious to her, and heaven a near and pleasant reality. I do not think there was a single day in which she did not ask for prayer, and prayer was freely and fervently offered by her side. Such prayers I had never heard as those which went up to heaven from that chamber of suffering. On Friday her mother asked her if she would like her . brother to come in and pray with her. m She looked up almost reproachfully, and n §£^ ^ e^ t€^3 e^ LITTLE MARY. 83 "i O^ answered :* " Have I not told you many times ? " More prayer was still her watcliword. Once or twice on the fol- lowing day she asked for singing ; but she was so weak that even her favorite hymns wearied her, and she soon hushed the loving voices which sung of Jesus. The last Sabbath which little Mary spent on earth was the last day on which all her loved ones were gathered around her bed. We had been in the habit of having family worship, on Sab- bath mornings, in Mary's room, since she had been so ill. I do not know whether she realized that it was God's holy day, for she 'had so fully caught the spirit of heaven, that, as she herself said, " every day seemed like Sunday now." But I think she remembered the day ; for when ft€^3 ^^ 84 LITTLE MART. her mother came into the room, after breakfast, she said : " Turn me over, quick ! " and when it was done, added, " Now I suppose Ave will have prayers." Her mother replied, " Well, I will call Henry, and no one else shall come." — " Why not more ? " said Mary. " Be- cause I thought it would weary you," answered her mother. " Do you want them all?" She said, '' Yes," and the whole family were summoned to her bedside — oppressed by the thought that never again would they all unite on earth in the worship of God. I think it was then that I read Luke's touching narra- tive of that Jewish ruler who luad " one only daughter, about huelve years of age, and sJie laij a-dying^^ and, like Jairus of old, " fell down at Jesus' feet and be- St:0 ^f^ e^ y LITTLE MARY. 85 sought liim that he would come into our house." Never since then have we gathered around the family altar with- out recalling that thrilling scene. On Tuesday, November 6, the death angel was indeed hovering over Mary's couch, but he came in no gloomy form. Little Mary had suffered so much during her illness that we dreaded to think what the last struggle might be. As she lin- gered along from day to day, our oft- repeated question was, " Will the end be peaceful and quiet ? " God was bet- ter than our fears. During the morning of this day Mary lay in a sort of doze. Once or twice she asked, by signs or broken words, for " more prayer," and her pastor and brother led her to the throne of grace. While the family were I 86 LITTLE MARY. at dinner, her mother remained by- Mary's side, and, as she seemed quiet and wakeful, said, '' Little Mary is going to heaven. We are the ones to be pitied, darling. You will soon be happy." " Yes," she replied, "■ it seems as if I couldn't wait so long." Then, after a short pause, she looked up earnestly in her mother's face, and added, '•' 0, mother ! when ? how long ? " — '^ I don't know, darling; soon, I hope," was the reply. After dinner she seemed to be grad- ually failing, and in much distress. She talked a great deal, but so indistinctly that we could catch only a word now and then. At last she said, very dis- tinctly, " Why don't somebody talk ? " Q Her mother replied, " We feel so sad, ./ LITTLE MARY. 87 V darling, to see you suffer, that we can't talk." Her brother, who was already m the room, now approached the bed, and, laying his hand upon the head of the dying saint, began to repeat brief pas- sages of Scripture, and utter short sen- tences of prayer or words of comfort and hope. This service continued for perhaps half an hour, and during the whole time not a word or a groan escaped the little sufferer. Her aspect was per- fectly tranquil, and the impression left upon her weeping friends was tliat of peace and joy in ihe presence of Jesus and the near approach of heaven. Fear- ing that she might be fatigued, her brother left her side, and her pillows were adjusted so as to render her posi- (?) tion more comfortable. When this had q c^/3- e^ y 88 L I T T L E M AR Y. been done, she seemed as if something was still wanthig to her comfort, and her mother asked, " Do joii want Harry to tell you some more about Jesus ? " She replied, "0/" course I do ;^^ and he was recalled to her side. As he entered the room, she said, "Tell me quick, or it will be too late ! " — " Dear child," he re- plied, " you will soon know more about Jesus than we can tell you. You will see Jesus. He will take you in his arms and carry you in his bosom ; he will lead you into green pastures and beside still waters ; he will bring you to those dear brothers and sisters who have gone before you to heaven, and soon, very soon, some of us will meet you there." Then, throwing his thoughts into the (K form of prayer, he continued : '' Dear (j) ^ e4 ope ^ e^ J LITTLE MARY. 89 V Jesus, we thank thee that when thou wast on earth thou didst say, ' Suffer little children to come unto me, and for- bid them not.' Here is a little child who means to take thee at thy word, who wants to come to thee and say, Blessed Saviour, here I am" — No one who wit- nessed the scene can ever forget the ear- nestness and emphasis with which she interrupted him at this point, saying, " Yes^ yes, that 's it ! " Again, as he con- tinued in prayer, and was pleading the precious promise, " When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee," she tried to speak, ap- parently desirous to bear witness to the truth, but her voice failed her. Her brother leaned over her, and said, " It 's C;^S/3 e<^ y 90 LITTLE MARY. V true, isn't it, darling ? " — " 0, yes," she replied, " but I 'm too tired to hear more now." A few minutes later she called for her brother Johnnie, and he, with Addie, the youngest of the flock, was led to her bedside. '' Bring him where I can see him," she said ; and the two boys were placed where her eyes fell full upon 'them. " Now bring them some little chairs — or any chairs." Her request was complied with ; and the two boys, seated side by side, with streaming eyes, while their dying sister gazed wistfully and intently at them, and weeping friends thronged the room, presented a scene over which the angels of heaven must have bent with tearful interest. Fearhip; that she would be imable to d^^^ eQ ^c^ e^ LITTLE MARY. 91 ' (1) address them herself, so rapidly did she fail, I passed again to her side, and placing my hand on her brow, where the death-sweat was already gathering, said : '' You want them to be good boys, darling, and love the blessed Saviour?" — " 0, yes ! " she said. " And then," I added, " when they come to die, Jesus will be near them, to support and com- fort them, as he does little Mary." Again she said, " 0, yes ! " and, in reply to further words of consolation, expressed her consciousness of the presence and preciousness of the Saviour. During this last scene her pastor had entered the room, and I said to him, " If you would offer a short prayer, I know it would be acceptable to Mary." He kneeled by her bedside and uttered 3^gN3 — e^^ 2 i Q:^^ e^O f I 92 LITTLE MARY. a few words, but she inteiTuptecl him, saying, " Xot just now ; wait a minute ; I 'm too tired." The time for finish- ing his prayer never came. From this moment she gradually and gently failed, until, at half-past three, she fell asleep in Jesus, — so peacefully, that for several minutes we could hardly tell whether she was on earth or in heaven. " For so He giveth his beloved sleep." May God grant that little Johnnie and Addie, and many more little children, may be won by her happy life and peaceful death to Jesus' arms. Three days after our little Mary had fallen asleep in Jesus a sad procession o^^ e^O ^ LITTLE MARY. 93 wound its way through the avenues of Mount Auburn to lay her body in the quiet grave. It was a lovely day, and lovely was the tall, lithe form which lay in her wreathed casket amid the rustling leaves. The joyous look of childhood had chased the traces of pain and sor- row from her worn features, and stran- gers even drew near and wept over the grave of the lovely sleeper. It was a sad and yet a joyous sight ; for we could say, with no doubtful and faltering accents, " It is well with the child." Many a heart murmured Amen as one who knew little Mary well repeated the words with which old John Bunyan introduces the dying Christian to his heavenly home. " Now, just as the gates were opened to let in the men, I looked gN3 e^ LITTLE MAEY. ill after them, and behold, the city shone like the sun ; the streets also were paved with gold ; and in ihem walked many men with crowns on their heads, palms in their hands, and golden harps to sing praises withal. There were also some of them that had wings, and they answered one another without intermis- sion, saying, ' Holy, holy, holy is the Lord ! ' And after that they shut up the gates; which when I had seen, I wished myself among themy Is this wish yours, dear reader ? Let your life and death be that of Little Mary. " Another hand is beckoning us, Another call is given ; And glows once more with angel-steps (0 The path which reaches heaven. Q fe© 6^ 'I L I TT L E M AR Y. 95 " Our young and gentle friend, whose smile Made biigliter summer hours, Amid the frost of autumn time lias left us with the flowers. # # * # # " Fold her, O Father, in thine arms. And let her henceforth be A messenger of love between Our human hearts and thee. " Still let lier mild rebuking stand Between us and the Avrong ; And her dear memory serve to make Our faith in goodness strong. " And grant that she who, trembling here. Distrusted all her powers. May welcome to her holier home The well-beloved of ours." ^-a— ^ Jl ^fe^ I m bei Cbapttr Stfatntb. JESUS TH2 I.ITTI.E CHILDHES'S SAVIom. You have beard a great deal, dear cliildren, about tbe blessed SaTioiir wbom little Mary loved, who left his home in heaven and became a little child on earth, and then, when he had grown to be a man, did many wonderful works, uttered many precious words, and at last died on Calvary. I hope you are not tired of hearing about him, for I want to tell you that he died for you, and help you, if I can, to love him and serve him. Some folks seem to tliink ff- 'O (jz^r^^ ~ ^'c^j f^— ^ y LITTLE MARY. l\ that little children have no need of the Saviour, and cannot love him if they would. But I think that any child who is old enough to read this little book is old enough to need the Saviour and love him too. You love your father, I sup- pose ? Of course you do, for he loves you, and takes very tender care of you. But Jesus loves you much better than your father, and watches over you far more tenderly. Se loves you well enough to die for you. And can't you love him just as you do your own father ? If you can't, you must be a very hard-hearted little child. But I think you can. At any rate, I want to .help you to try ; for I don't believe Jesus would have " died for all " unless he felt that all, even the m voungest, needed him, and wanted all to () ^ -^' I ^m^ e^^ 1 '^ — — ''>r\ /J^ 98 LITTLE MARY. \ love liim. Your little baby brother can't know anything about Jesus yet, and of course he can't love him. But if you are old enough to have your kind mother or sister tell you about Jesus, you are quite old enough to love him, and he longs to have you do so. You remember, when Jesus was on earth, that one day, in the wild, rough country over beyond the river Jordan, the people brought little children to the Saviour, " tliat he might put his hands 011^ them and pray." Jesus' friends were very much annoyed at this, and tried to stop it. Perhaps they thought that their Master was tired, for he had been talk- ing a great deal that day. Perhaps they thought, as some do now, that Jesus could not do such little children I d^^^ e^^ 9p9 S^ y LITTLE MART. 99 X any good. But Jesus did not think so. Indeed, lie was grieved with his friends for sending the people away. He loved the little children, and called them to himself. He took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. It must have been a touching sight to see the little children nestling up to the bosom of the Great Teacher, won by his gentle smile and kind words. I am sure you would have loved him if you could have seen him then ; and he is just the same gentle and loving Saviour now. When Jesus called the little children to himself, he said, " Suffer little chil- dren TO COME UXTO ME, AXD FORBID TIIEM You may learn these precious 100 LITTLE MART. words, and repeat them in tlie Sabbath- scliool concert, and when you say them thmk — Jesus meant that for me; he wants me to come to him. There will be many little children in heaven besides the dear one of whom you have been reading. I have two little sisters and a little brother who died before they were old enough to know much about Jesus ; but I have no doubt that they are in Jesus' arms now, and know much more about him than we do. And I think there are a great many more little chil- dren there, who came from China and Burmah and the islands of the sea to Jesus' bosom, — so many, indeed, that Jesus could truthfully call heaven " the little children's heaven;" for that is what (T) he means when he says, '' Theirs is the (T) fe^e ^ e4 ^^ ^"^ LITTLE MARY. 101 kingdom of lieaveii." You remember the little hymn which begins — " Little travellers Zionward, Each one entering into rest. In the kingdom of your Lord, In the mansions of the blest "1 — It is a very beautiful and true hymn, but sometimes it makes me sad when I hear it sung, for I think that there will be many more little children than grown persons in heaven, and I want all to go there. If you had died when you were a little baby, I am very sure that Jesus would have taken you right to heaven, and taught you there to love himself. But even then he would have had to give you a new heart ; for Jesus himself tells us m fee e^ ^. ^ 102 LITTLE MARY. V that " that which is born of the flesh is flesli, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," — a Terse which means that no one, not even the young- est child, can love Jesus unless God's blessed Spirit helps him. Jesus did not forget this when the little children clus- tered about him ; but he meant to help the very youngest of them to love him, and he knew that even the older ones were so innocent and trustful that it would be much easier for them to give their hearts to him than for grown persons who had long been sin- ning against him. He meant to maJce it easier for them, and he will make it easier for you now than it will be by and by, when you have become men and women. ^ ^ ^ ^ / LITTLE MARY. 103 \ As I was telling you, if you had died before you were old enough to know anything about Jesus, he would have given you a new and loving heart, and taken you right to himself. But now you are old enough to know him, and love him, and choose for yourself whether you will go to heaven or not. And Jesus means to let you choose for your- self, for he don't want to force anybody to go to heaven against their will. He sees that you are a sinner, and that you would n't be happy in such a holy place as heaven is unless your little heart was changed. I do not mean that you have done very wicked things ; but, unless you are different from many little girls and boys whom I have seen, you may have been vexed with your kind parents s^ 9^^ ©^^ 104r LITTLE MARY. and playmates, or told little fibs, or taken little things which did not belong to you, or iised naughty words. All these are sins, and it is a great sin to know the blessed Jesus, and not love him and serve him. If you have done this, Jesus is very much grieved with you. Perhaps you feel that you are a sinner sometimes. If you do, you must not be discouraged. You must remember that Jesus came into this world on purpose to save sinners, and that he wants very much to save you. You must feel that you need him, and believe that he is able and willing to save you. You must go right to Jesus, and tell him that you are a naughty little child, and want him to help you love him and v^ ^^ J LITTLE MARY. lOo \ I serve him. If jou are really in earnest, lie will help you to do so, and then you will be fit for heaven, and long to go and be with Jesus in his beautiful and happy home. And when you come to die, the loving Saviour will take you up in his arms, and put his hands upon you and bless you, as he did the little children whom he met on earth. Perhaps you may not understand all that I have written ; but my precious sister, of whom I have told you, did understand it all, and realize it all, be- fore she was thirteen years old. She died when she was just as old as Jesus was when he went up to Jerusalem with his parents, and asked the doctors such hard questions in the temple. 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