Little Susy's Little Servants Part 8

"It _isn't_ corn," said Susy.

"Yes, it is torn. And little dirls don't eat torn."

"Little chickens eat it, at any rate, and I'm a little chicken, and I'm hungry, too," said Susy.

"Well," said Robbie, "if you are a little chiten, I'll feed you," so he scattered the sugar-plums on the floor and Susy ate them as fast as she could.

"Leave him some," said their mamma. "Don't eat them all, Susy."

Susy jumped up and began to take the rest of the things from the basket.

There were stockings for papa and an ap.r.o.n for nurse, and for mamma a little roasted chicken, which grandma had been so kind as to have cooked for her.

"I do believe I could eat a piece of that chicken," said she when Susy held it up on its little white dish. "Grandma's things always taste so good."

"Oh! then you'll get well!" cried Susy joyfully.

CHAPTER VIII.

The little chicken, or something, did Susy's mamma so much good, that the next day she was able to sit up an hour; and she felt able to look over her Bible for the verses that she had promised to find for Susy.

Susy enjoyed reading them, very much.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"Why, mamma, there are enough to fill a book!" said she. "We would put in the story of the man who had the withered hand, and then all about blind Bartimeus, and the man who was blind and dumb that Jesus made to see and speak. And then there's a story of a man who was laid at the Beautiful gate of the temple, who could not walk a step, and he was cured so that he walked and leaped."

"And praised G.o.d," said her mamma. "Don't leave that out because that is the best part of the story. I suppose he would not have been likely to praise G.o.d for the use of his feet if he had never felt the want of them. I sometimes think that one reason why G.o.d has made so many lame and deaf and blind people, is to teach them to praise him for what mercies he _has_ given, and to teach us who have feet and eyes and ears and hands to praise Him with our hearts and our lives for His goodness to us."

"How _can_ we praise Him with our lives?" asked Susy.

"Why, by obeying Him and trying to please Him. If you had been blind all your life, and I at last gave you my eyes, what do you think would be the first use you should make of them?"

"O mamma! I should want to look at you the first thing, to see how you looked. And at papa and Robbie too. And I should want to do something for you for giving me eyes. But at first I shouldn't know how."

"But when you had learned, you surely would not use the eyes I had given you to look at any thing I did not want you to see? If, out of love and grat.i.tude to me, you should always refuse to look at things you knew were improper, that would be praising me with your life, or thanking me, which means nearly the same thing."

"I should think these lame men that Jesus healed, would have followed Him everywhere He went," said Susy. "And do every thing for Him. _I_ should, I am sure."

"But you have more to be grateful for, than those poor men had. For some of them had been blind or lame ever since they were born, and had suffered many years before Jesus came to heal them. And do you follow Jesus wherever He goes, thanking Him, and doing all you can for Him?

Look at those little hands! Have they done for Jesus all they could? And those strong, busy feet that can carry you anywhere you want to go; have they never carried you where you knew Jesus would not go? And have you never spoken any unkind words you would not have liked to speak if you saw Him standing near, and listening?"

"I have done a good many naughty things," said Susy. "I never thinked how good G.o.d was. And I've said a good many things I shouldn't think He liked to hear. I am sorry, mamma. I _am_ sorry, really."

And Susy _was_ sorry. After she left her mamma she went away by herself and knelt down and prayed to G.o.d. She thanked Him that she was not a little lame girl, sitting pale and sad and unable to run and play. She thanked Him that she had eyes to see this beautiful world with. She thanked Him that she had ears with which to hear about Jesus, and the holy angels, and the happy heaven above. And last of all, she thanked Him that she had a tongue with which to thank Him, and asked Him to keep it from speaking unkind and untruthful words. And He who loves little children, heard her prayer, and wrote it in His Book.

CHAPTER IX.

The next day was Sunday, and Susy and Robbie went to church and sat in the pew with their papa. Susy observed that a plate was handed to every one, and that when it came to her papa he put in some money. So when they were walking home together, she said:

"Papa! who was that money for that you put into the plate, at church?"

"It was for G.o.d," said her papa.

"How will they get it up to Him?" asked Robbie in great surprise, and looking up to the sky.

His papa smiled, and even Susy knew better than that.

"When Jesus was here on this earth," said their papa, "he sent good men, two and two at a time, to go about teaching people about G.o.d, and about heaven. And such good men keep going, even to this day. And that money was to help feed and clothe them while they are preaching, and so I said it was money given to G.o.d."

"I wish I had some money to give to G.o.d," said Susy. "But I haven't a bit."

"G.o.d does not expect you to give him what you have not," said her papa.

"But you have other things, besides money."

"I've got some _dolls_," said Susy.

"No, I don't mean dolls. When we get home I will read something to you which will make you see plainly what you can give to G.o.d."

So after dinner they went to the library and Susy's papa took down a large book and began to turn over the leaves, as if in search of something. Before long he came to the place he was looking for, and he lifted Susy into his lap and showed her where to read.

"Read it aloud," said he, and Susy read.

"I have this day been before G.o.d, and have given myself--all that I am and have--to G.o.d; so that I am in no respect my own. I have no right to this body, or any of its members; no right to this tongue, these hands, these feet, these eyes, these ears; I have given myself clean away."

"These are the words of a great and good man, who is now in heaven. Now you see what you have to give to G.o.d, my darling little Susy."

Susy looked at her hands and at her feet, and was silent. At last she said, in a low voice, half to herself:

"I don't believe G.o.d wants them."

Her papa heard her. "He does want them, and He is looking at you, now, to see whether you will give them to Him, or keep them for yourself. If you give them to Him you will be careful never to let them do any thing naughty, and will teach them to do every good thing they can. And if you keep them for yourself, they will be likely to do wrong, and to get into mischief."

"Have you given yours to Him, papa?"

"Yes, indeed, long ago."

"Are you glad?"

"Yes, very glad."

Susy sat still silent. She did not quite understand what it all meant.