Wilbur B. Stover

“ Charlie seemed to be thinking of something else then, and he spoke out in earnest:
"Doesn't the Bible say we ought to send missionaries everywhere in the world?"
"It says we must 'Go', yes."
"Were there heathen fifty years ago?"
"Yes."
"Well, then why didn't we send lots of missionaries fifty years ago? I wish I could go."
"Do you want to know, Charlie, how you can tell if you can be a missionary when you are a man?"
"Yes sir," said Charlie.
[Pg 38] "Be a little missionary now. Be a Christian. Get new scholars to come to Sunday school. Live for other people all you can. ”

“ In the Antietam church were a good many good Christians who looked rather doubtfully on the question of children in church. The little girl spoken of in the beginning of chapter five was the first of the children in that congregation to join the church. Others followed, and when Charlie died in the church, all were so much rejoiced in his triumphant faith, that the matter was practically no longer a question at all. Very many little Christians now bring blessing to the congregation, and they are often the best in the family to which they may belong. ”

“ The lambs are always welcome in the flock. I hope you will be able to be a valiant soldier for Christ. The Lord bless you, my dear boy."
On the way home that night, Charlie's heart was glad within him. How different it was from the night before. He was soon to be a soldier for Jesus. It did not seem to take long at all to go home, and the hills did not seem so steep, and the night did not seem so dark. He could now see the bright side of life, better than ever before.
While his papa was out at the barn, putting away the horse and carriage, Charlie was talking to his mamma in the house. ”

“ On the way home one Sunday night Charlie broke the monotonous rumble of the carriage by asking, "Mamma, do you think I'd be saved if I'd die?"
And his mamma answered, "Well Charlie, indeed I don't know what to tell you," and no one said anything further for a moment, which seemed ever so long.
"What do you say about it, papa?" continued Charlie in a very earnest, pleading tone of voice.
"You have asked a pretty hard question," said his papa. "Just at this time of [Pg 42] your life we cannot know. God is just, and may be you'd be saved—may be not." ”

“ Children converted are children still. Charlie was a boy, although a Christian. Often he came softly into the house, and when he would meet his mamma out of the sick room, he would say, "Don't you wish you had left Bessie be baptized when she wanted to? Suppose she should die." And his poor mother, almost broken down with care for her little girl, was made sick at heart by questions like that. ”

“ Our family consists of a dear kind papa and mama, sister Bessie and myself. We all attend church and Sunday-school regularly. Our Sunday school has closed for this season, but will open again in the [Pg 60] spring. Papa and mamma and myself are members of the Brethren church. I am twelve years old. I am studying hard to get a good education, and I hope to grow up to be a good man; and when Bro. W. B. Stover goes to India, I feel as though I would like to go out to him in his missionary work. I will close now by asking an interest in the prayers of all the faithful.
Charlie Martin Newcomer. ”

“ Papa and mamma said they'd help me, but I want to earn the money myself, and then go a long time."
"And then you'll be a missionary won't you?"
"Could I?"
"You can if you choose."
"What must I do?"
"You must be a good Christian at home, and do all you can for Jesus now. Whoever is not good at home is the same away from home. Do things so people will all love you. If your associates and [Pg 37] acquaintances do not love you, it is not likely the heathen will, and love is a great deal of the missionary's preparation. ”

“ Saturday is an off day generally. Girls have a good deal of work to do about the house and boys have a good deal to do about the barn, and sometimes they have to work pretty hard.
Charlie had finished his chores as soon as he could that day and was in the house.
Bessie was very busy fixing her dollies' dresses, for she had five dollies, and they always were so hard on their clothes.
"Boys will be boys," grown up people often say, and Charlie oftentimes would give vent to his boyish nature by just teasing whoever would be teased. He teased Bessie a good deal, and mamma too. ”

“ In the home of Charlie and Bessie's parents at Ringgold, I wrote every word of this sketch. It is with considerable hesitancy, too, that the parents allow the facts to be told, since it enters right into their home life, and since some might misjudge their intention concerning their children. ”

“ And give. If you have not much, give a little, and if you have more, give proportionately. But it is not all in giving. There is more even in living for the Lord, and just letting one's self be all His. ”

“ After they sang them they all kneeled down and the superintendent led in an earnest prayer. Then they read the lesson, verse about, and the teachers began work with their classes.
Grown-up people sometimes think the Sunday school is just for the children, and even here at Welty's there were some who seemed to think that way, and the Sunday school consisted mostly of children.
WELTY'S MEETING-HOUSE.
Charlie's teacher took his class to the [Pg 23] one end of the church, into an adjoining room, where they could learn so much better, not being annoyed at all by the talking of the other classes. ”

“ Then Bessie added that she likes that about green pastures, and at once repeated the entire twenty-third psalm.
Children in the church is no late idea. Children, I mean, not babes nor infants. Polycarp, who afterward was bishop of Smyrna, and a martyr, was converted in the year 80, when he was nine years old. ”