Me and Nobbles Part 7

'Not a bit afraid,' she said cheerily; 'and I think the doctor would say you were past the infectious stage now. Has the time seemed dull and long?'

'N-o-o,' replied Bobby slowly. 'I like my beef-tea and jelly, and so does n.o.bbles; but I'm tired of looking at my picsher-books, and I want to see those lovely picshers in the beautiful Bible downstairs. Could you fetch it for me to look at?'

Lady Isobel hesitated, and turned to Nurse.

'He's been on so for those pictures,' she said, 'that I think I'll venture to go and ask the mistress now.'

Nurse left the room and soon returned with the treasured book.

'His grandmother says he can look at it with you, and then I must put it back again, as it's a valuable book.'

Nurse deposited the Bible upon Bobby's bed, and left the room.

Lady Isobel took it carefully up and looked at the t.i.tle-page.

'It is a treasure, Bobby. It is an old Italian Bible--Martini's translation, of course. I know Italian, and used to spend a good deal of my time in Italy when I was a girl. Now show me your wonderful picture.'

Bobby took hold of the Bible with flushed eager face, and turned to almost the last page of it. Then he drew a long sigh of admiration as he held it up to her.

'Isn't it beautiful?'

'Beautiful indeed,' said Lady Isobel, gazing upon the richly illuminated page with enjoyment. I don't wonder you like it, Bobby; it is a dream of glory.'

'It isn't a dream, it's a true picsher,' corrected Bobby. 'Nurse says everyfing's true in the Bible. Please read me what it says underneath.'

'I will translate it for you; you would not understand the foreign words:

'"Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb, that they may have right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gates into the City."'

Bobby listened as if his life depended on the words.

'Tell me what it means. Does it tell me how to get a lovely white dress, like the people going up that beautiful road? What Lamb does it mean?' His little finger was pointing to the white-robed group in the picture.

For a moment Lady Isobel paused. She read the verse again slowly.

'I think it means this, Bobby, that no one has a right inside those gates except those who have had their sins washed away by the Lamb of G.o.d.'

'Who's the Lamb of G.o.d?' asked Bobby in a hushed voice. 'Does G.o.d keep sheep and lambs in heaven?'

'It is one of the names of our Lord Jesus Christ, Bobby, dear. I don't know how to explain it to you; but long ago people used to offer up innocent little lambs to G.o.d as a sacrifice for sins.'

'What's a sacrifice?'

Lady Isobel was not accustomed to a child's questions. She hesitated.

'It is an innocent thing suffering for a guilty, at least the Bible sacrifices were. I suppose they were just to picture the great sacrifice on Calvary. How can I put it simply? Sin made everyone black and wicked, Bobby, and G.o.d had to shut up heaven's gates and keep it outside. Nothing with sin upon it can be in heaven. These people in the picture who are being turned away are looking black and dirty and miserable, because their hearts are full of sin.'

'They want white dresses,' said Bobby, 'then they could go in like the others. The clergyman said in church--I 'members it quite well--that we must have white dresses on first afore the angel would let us frough the gates. And me and n.o.bbles wants to get frough!'

'Yes,' said Lady Isobel softly, 'you are quite right, Bobby, that's what the text says, we must be washed white first before we have a right to go in.'

'How?'

'I am trying to tell you. G.o.d wanted us to come into heaven, so Jesus said He would come down upon earth and be punished instead of us. You will understand when you grow older what a big thing it was for Him to do. But He died for us, Bobby; He gave His life-blood for us; and it is by His death our sins can be washed away and our hearts made clean.

That is what it means by washing our robes in the blood of the Lamb.

Jesus was the Lamb, and our hearts must be washed white in His precious blood.'

'But it says robes,' said Bobby, with a puzzled frown. 'Does hearts mean robes?'

'I think it is like this, darling. Our hearts are black and soiled with sin. When they are washed clean it is just like a white covering over them, a white dress; and G.o.d looks down upon them, and says "that person can come inside the gates, because I see a clean white robe over him."'

'I see!' said Bobby, with quick comprehension. 'My heart has to have a white robe inside me, not outside; and the angel at the gate looks right frough me and sees it.'

'That is it, Bobby.'

'And how can I get it white?'

'You must just ask Jesus Christ to wash it in his blood.'

'Will He do it to-day? I would like it done now.'

He eyed the picture thoughtfully, then a pleased smile crept over his face.

'And then I shan't never, never be turned away. The angel will say, "Come in Bobby; I'm very glad to see you." And I'll walk up the road and be so happy!'

Lady Isobel did not speak for a moment. In explaining the old Truths to Bobby they seemed fresh to her own soul.

Bobby had no difficulty in laying hold of them.

Even now he was clasping his hands devoutly, shutting his eyes and bowing his head. He looked up for one moment.

'Nurse says I must say my prayers in bed. I've always said them to G.o.d afore. I think I'll say this one to Jesus.'

'Do, dear. It will be just the same.'

So Bobby spoke aloud. He had not yet got to the stage of praying in silence.

'Please, Jesus, I want my heart washed white, _quite_ white, please, so that I shan't be outside the gate. And please will you do it now, for I don't like waiting, and tell me when you've done it, so that I can say thank you.'

There was great silence in that room. The earnestness of the child made the grown-up person very grave.

She had never yet in her life come to this crisis. And then in a very few minutes came an emphatic 'Thank you very much,' from Bobby's lips as he wriggled down amongst his pillows with a sigh of satisfaction.

'I feel Jesus has done it,' he said, with a nod of his curly head. 'He just put His hand on my heart, and it all turned white.'

'I'm so glad, darling.'

Lady Isobel stooped to kiss him with tears in her eyes.