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THE ORPHANS’ FRIEND. Wednesday, July 3, 1876. BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ DEPARTMENT. »‘KB SIIABL CtATIlBR THE EAMBS IN HIS ARMS.” Once the children M-ere hrou^^ht, orecious Sa vior, to thee, And thou gavest thy blessing so full and so free; At thy wedding feast, is there yet any room ? Amid all who seek, may the little ones come ? The shepherd hears quickly the lamb’s plain tive cry ; The hen shields her brood from the storm that is nigh ; The mother risks all for the child ot her love, Ilut greater the care of our Savior above. Hear his gentle voice calling you. What does he say I “I want you, dear children, I want you to day. ” He wants to protect you, and keep you from harm, For iu his fold of rest there is naught to alarm. Ho has errands of love for the willing ones too j There is work in his lields, oven small ones can do; There are dark hearts to brighten, and sad ones to cheer, Let the light that he gives you be shining and clear. So great was his love that he died on the tree, That cleansed aud forgiven each sinner may be; O who to his feet precious offerings M'ill bring? Who will render true homage to him as their king?j “ Dear Jesus, our lips we would render to thee; 0 keep back all v’ords that displeasing may be; All angry and cross ones, all foolish and bad, That we never may make our dear Savior feel bad. Keep our eyes shut to all that would lead us astr.ay; Keep our feet in the narrow but sure and safe way. Our hands let us use in some labor for thee; Very loving, although it so little may he. Aud while Satan whispers, ‘Come now with me,’ Let our ears, precious Savior, be closed by thee; We would give thee our hearts as thy king dom alone, 0 come in and set up thy own royal throne.” THE MOTHER’S PRAYER ; OK, “ WAS IT OWING TO THAT T’ Two yoars liave passed since Robert Neal came to London. Owing to previous good charac ter, and also to kind recommen dations, lie bad been fortunate in obtaining respectable employ ment. Robert’s motber was a widow, and ber greatest delight was to bear, from time to time, a good report of ber son. Robert felt fresh energy for bis work as he remembered that each shilling be earned bi ought fresh comforts to bis dear mother’s fire side ; and be resolved, for that mother’s sake, to keep in the path of duty. Good resolutions do not always last; and as time passed, Mrs. Neal bad reason to feel anxious about lier boys. Lately, Robert bad fallen in with a set of youths whose fast way of living bad an attraction for the inexperienced country lad. To keep pace with them, and to do as they did, soon became one of bis chief desires. 'Lo do this, be bad to join in man}' things which his pocket could ill alford, and of which bis conscience did not approve. But Robert did not like to be laughed at; be thought bis com panions manly fellows, and bis aim was to be like them. The shop was closed. The evening was fine, and Robert had strolled out for a walk. Just as be was turning into Ludgate Hill a band was laid on bis shoulder, as a voice exclaim ed, “ Well met! wo wanted to see you to-night.” The speaker was FrankSpeud- all, who, with a friend, bad been lying in wait for Robert for the last half hour. Robert looked pleased as he beard tirese woitL, and ids face the briglitened still more speaker continued : “We are going to arrange something important to-night, and we want your assistance.” ^ Roliert felt flattered; and, as he linked bis arm in that of the speaker, be was ready to agree to anything. Leisurely, the three strolled into Earringdon street, and then Frank Spendall opened bis plans. “ It’s only about that affair we were talking the other night, Neal.” “ The—the—” stammered Rob ert, but before be could get any further bis companions broke in with a laugh. “ Why, it’s taking your breath away already—you poor young country chaps have not much courage.” Robert flushed ; but be gave a little nervous laugh as he an swered, “ No, it is not that, but you see I have not the money.” “ Oh, nonsense, you’ll have your pay next month, won’t you!” “ Yes,—but—” “ But again ! I never knew “ Luts” and “ifs” to gain anything yet! But you would lil e to iiave a share in it if you could ?” “ Yes; that is, if you think it safe,” answered Robert, with an eager look, “though,” he added quickly, “ I’ve not the money.” “ But you can get the money, and I will tell you how.” Then the speaker, in low tones, tried to prevail on Robert to use his master’s money —just for this once. “ It will never be found out; it will he only borrowing it, and by and by you can put it back.” “ But suppose I should not be able ?” Robert’s face grew pale at the mere idea. “ Pshaw 1 you are sure to ! There, you are frightened again.” Tlie laugh that followed tliese words jarred on Robert. “ But suppose I am not able 1 I don’t like the idea; it seems to like stealing.” “ Stealing ! Is borrowing steal ing?” “ But my employer trusts me so, and if I should lose the money, all my salary wouldn’t replace what I borrow.” “ But you’ll not lose it; I know that for a fact!” For a few seconds Robert wa vered ; but the temptation was too strong. With flushed face, and an assumed lieartiness in his tone, he exclaimed : “ All right! I’ll take your ad vice.” The day after this conversation Robert had an opportunity of ex ecuting his purpose; and stifling the prickings of his conscience he began to count out the money. Yes! he could manage it; and, in a little while, he would replace it before it ever could be missed. But suddenly, just as he was on tlie point of committing the theft —for it would have been nothing less—thoughts of past days rose in his mind and stayed his hand. The days when he was a little child kneeling at his mother’s knees rose vividly before him, and as the words, “ lead us not into temptation, but deliver ns from evil,” came like an angel’s whisper into his mind, a sigh of thankfulness escaped him as he murmured, “ No. Let them call me coward or what they like— but, with God’s help, they shall never call me thief, and my mother shall never be ashamed of her son.” So the victory was won ; and to what was it owing ? Perhaps to the blessed influence ol a i mother’s prayers, for at tliat same 1 hour, could Robert have peeped into his little cottage home, he would have seen his mother on her knees. Mrs. Neal could ordy relieve her anxiety by praying to Him who reads the secrets of all hearts, to deliver her son from sin, and to keep him in the paths of right eousness. Peace entered Robert’s heart! Was it owing to that prayer?— liritsh Workwoman. FORRID THEM NOT. “Well, Myra, you may do as you please, hut I assure you, that if Miss Morton does bring such girls into our Sabbath school class, I shall leave it; that is certain. Why, tliat Lucy Ashton’s mother is a rag-picker, or awasherwoman, or something of the kind ; and the dress she had on to-day was posi tively patched, and darned all over. And then to think of her sitting next to me! No, upon that point I have made up my mind. If she stays, I leave. Miss Morton must choose between us.” So spoke, in decided terms, Miss Lillie Lyman to lier confi dential friend, Myra Bell, as tliey walked home from Sabbath school together. “0, but, Lillie,” said Myra, hesitatingly, “do you think you are quite right I She really has a very sweet lace ; and each time slie has been there, she has seemed so intere.sted in the lesson. 1 really pitied her to-day when Miss Morton placed her next to you— she seemed so embarrassed as she met the cold, hard look you gave her. And then I am sure she heard you talking about her after school. I know she did, in fact, for I saw the tears roll down her cheeks as she turned away.” “Well, served her right, if she did. I meant her to. I think it is very impertinent for girls in her position to push themselves where they are not wanted.” “But, Lillie, she would not have come if Miss Morton had not invited her.” “0 yes, of course Miss Morton invited her, and Miss Morton will have us all down with t!ie small pox, or some other liorrible dis ease, before the winter is over, if she fills up the school witli people from those law parts of the city. I tell you, I for one will not stand it.” And Lillie walked up the mar ble steps of her handsome home with an air that said it was use less to argue tlie matter further. Several weeks passed, and as the unwelcome little stranger did not make her appearance, Miss Lillie was able to again enjoy attending Sabbath school. At last one morn ing, about a month from the time of her conversation with Myra, the girls noticed a pained, troubled expression upon the usually placid face of their teacher. “Girls,” she said, when the class had collected, “something has happened that has grieved mo very deeply. You remember tlie little girl, Lucy Asliton, who was with ns a few weeks ago. Her parents are very wicked, and very poor. I felt that the only chance for the child was to get her inter ested in coming to Sabbath school. With much difficulty, I obtained her mother’s permission for her to attend. I have missed her from the class, but neglected to look her up. Last night I was sent for—” Tears choked her utter-- auce for a moment, when she pro ceeded : “I found her in a dying condition. She had had a severe fall, aud was fatally injured How her little face lighted up as slie saw me ! ‘0,’ she cried, ‘you have come. Now tell me more— more about JeLis. Don’t waste a minute, please. 0, dear lady,’ she said, as I leaned over her and took her hand in mine, ‘I wanted to come to Sabbath school to liear about him, hut the girls didn’t like me to sit next to them, and they talked about me after school, and said I had no right there, and so I was asliamed to come. I used to stand outside and listen to the singing, but I don’t dare to come in. I knew they would look so hard at me—and some times I cried all the way lionie. I wanted so to hear vou tell those beautiful stories about Jesus. And now . I’m going to die, the doctor says, and I feel so afraid —because Jesus can’t love a girl that don’t know about him, can fie? 0, I ought to have come, any how. I ought not to have minded those proud girls. Now, I’ll go to heaven, and I’ll he a stranger to him, and he won’t let me stay. 0, tell me all about him—tell me all about him you can.’” “Girls,” said Miss Morton sad ly, “there are some stony hearts among you, 1 am afraid ; hut it would have melted them if you could have seen the eager look on that little pale face, as I ex plained to her the sweet, simple story of the Cross. If I stopped, she would grasp my hand, and say, ‘Tell me more—more,’ whis pering, ‘tliere is so little time.’ “All through tlie night I watch ed beside her, whilst lier mother lay in a drunken sleep upon the floor. Once, after lying quiet for some time, she called me fee bly. ‘Tell those cruel girls,’ slie said, ‘that I forgive them. 1 thought I never could, but I now feel in my heart tliat the dei r Lord has forgiven me, and I lo e everybody. But beg them, de; r lady, to let the [loor children come in‘ and hear about him. 0, if they onl}' knew how hard it is to he good wlien evervbod}- is wicked around you, they wouldn’i keep us out—and they ought lu't, ought they, when lie told the children to come V “Just at daylight she raised herself in bed. ‘0 1’ sle cried. joyously‘‘look 1 look! You told me—now I see—I see—’ and with a glad cry she stretched lier hands upward, then her little head fell back upon my bi’east, and Lucy was at rest.” There was a solemn silence in tlie class when Miss Morton ceased speaking, a silence that none dared break. “We will take our .subject, to day,” she said, “from the eleventh chapter of Acts, ninth verse, ‘What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.’ ” It was a favored hour, and the lesson was impressed deeply upon more than one tendered and troubled conscience. At its close, after the other girls had passed out, Lillie Ijyman lingered. “Miss Morton,” she said, “did you know that I, I was the very worst of them all ? And now Lucy is an angel in heaven, and I stand on the outside—0 1 so far away from Jesus. May I go with you to her funeral ? Please do let me. I would like to lay some flowers on her coffin. That is all I can do now.” And so upon the coffin a wreath of flowers was placed and as Lillie gazed upon the sweebpuroface with the light of heaven upon it, she whispered softly to herself, “What God hath cleansed, that call thou not common.” A. plain little fair, white THE Orphans’ Friend. A LIVE AND LIVELY WEEKLY! OliaAN OF THE OliPHAN WOJiKl ENTERTAINING AND IN STRUCTIVE TO THE YOUNG. A ZEALOUS FRIEXD AXD ADVOCATE OF FBUCATIOIY. PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY. SUBSCRIPTION AND POSTAGE OYEY ONE OOEEAR A YEAR OFFICE IN THE ORPEAK BUILBING, AT OXFORD. AHYEKTISEITKENTS. Ten cents a line for one insertion. Five cent.s a lino each -week for more than one and k'ss than twelve insertions. One coimnn, tlirce months, sixty dollars. Half column, throe months, forty dollars, quarter column, throo months, twenty dollars. Present circulation, hfurteen hundred aud forty papers each week. ’Address ORPHANS’ FRIEND, OXFOlil), F. a B. l.YoN, .!R. E. DAl.LV. {Late of Fuff.") LYON, DALCY & CO., MA.XUFACrUKEKS OP THE A. MEAM8 & €0., M.W IT FAC'TURE K.S OF "AROMA PUFF,” DUIUIAM \ SMO- KiNe TOBACCO. Durham, X. 0. Orders solicited—Ai^ents wanted—Tobacco guaranteed March T7th—U-2in. REAMS’ DURHAM BOOT AND SHOE POLISH. Warranted to excel all others, or mone$ Mefunded. The only Blaeking that will polish on oiled surface. It is guaranteed to preserve leather andmake it pliant, requiring less quantity and time to produce a perfect gloss than any other, the brush to he applied iisnneiliately after put ting on the iiiacking. A perfect gloss from this -wiR not soil even white clothes. We guarantee it as rejiresented, and as for pat ronage, strictly on its merits. H. A. REAMS &- CO., Manufacturers, I>iirham, N. G. This Blacking is recommended in the high est terms, after trial, hv Geo. F. Brown, J. Howard Warner, New York; the Pre.sidenl and Professors eff Wake Forest College ; and a largo number of gentlemen in and around Durham, whose certifirates have been fur nished the Manufacturers. Orders solicited and promptly filled. March 3i'd, Jd75. y-ti
The Orphans’ Friend (Oxford, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 5, 1876, edition 1
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