Madeline Leslie

“ She wants to tell the poor, weary pilgrims, who have been walking hundreds of miles with stones in their shoes, that the blessed Jesus will accept them without money, without price, without any of these painful [Pg 107] journeys,—that they have only to lay their load of sin upon him, and he will carry it for them."
Josey's tears ceased to flow, and he listened with almost breathless interest.
"Do you want to keep Aunt Fanny from telling them this?" mamma asked. "Do you want them to go on worshipping those senseless idols, which can neither see, nor hear, nor understand?" ”

“ Matthews sat by, talking in a cheerful tone, while Rose and Emma played with their dolls in the corner of the chamber.
With a gentle knock Mrs. Codman peeped in, asking, in a mysterious voice,—
"Are you ready for visitors?" Then, without waiting for an answer, [Pg 92] she beckoned the young missionary to come forward.
He flew to her side, and, not daring to trust his voice, instantly kissed her cheek.
"This is Mrs. Matthews," Mrs. Codman said. "She will be happy to tell you what a heroine your Fanny has been. I must run away, or I shall be late." ”

“ The carriage door shut with a snap, and they started off, driver lashing his horses with the whip.
"We must look out that they don't pass us," said the clergyman.
"I'll keep watch," responded Aunt Fanny, decidedly. "I wonder what Josey would say if he were awake?"
"If our driver had been a father," exclaimed Mrs. Codman, [Pg 40] "he wouldn't have asked why one wouldn't do as well as t'other."
"Hem!" exclaimed Aunt Fanny, indignantly. "'Twouldn't have hurt the man to have heard your sermon to-night, brother. I don't think he's very kind, any way." ”

“ Those children who think only of themselves, who are selfish and greedy, who never heed the blessed words, "Be ye kind one to another," are the persons to wear sour faces and pouting lips.
Don't you remember what the good Book says, "Her ways are [Pg 69] ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace." That means Wisdom's ways, and one of these paths is love; love to God and love to those around us.
You can well imagine that Josey's father and mother, and aunt and nurse, were delighted in seeing him growing up to be a good boy ”

“ When Emma was a year and a half old, she was full of mischief; and Josey, who was now five, sometimes got out of patience. He was just learning to read, and liked nothing better than to sit on Aunt Fanny's knee and hear her tell stories. Sometimes Emma, finding no one [Pg 51] watching, would get to mamma's basket and overturn all the spools, or tangle the thread, and then Aunt Fanny had to start up and attend to her, and stop the stories very short.
Or baby would climb on a chair to her brother's shelf and pull his nice books to the floor. ”

“ Do you suppose Josey was a cross, sulky boy? Can you imagine him wearing a frown? or with his lips in an ugly pout? [Pg 68]
No, indeed! It is not possible for one who cultivates such love for all around him; for one who tries in this way to imitate the example of his blessed Saviour to be unhappy or cross. ”

“ Reed's nursery."
"Yes, ma'am, where we were before."
"Baby's asleep, so soon," said Aunt Fanny, watching the infant's head nodding over Nurse's shoulder. "Lay her down. She'll sleep all the way, and be as good as a kitten."
"Don't let her soil her new cloak, Nurse," said mamma. "Fanny, the cloak looks beautifully! handsomer than I thought it would." [Pg 16]
"I always liked that color," answered Aunt Fanny, "it's real bird of paradise. Untie baby's hood; now Nurse, she'll sleep easy."
Mamma and aunty were on the back seat, with Josey tucked in between them; papa and Nurse, opposite. ”

“ CHAPTER VI. THE BURNED BABY.
The winter after Josey was eight years old, his parents received a visit from their dear friends Mr. and Mrs. Matthews and little Rose. Two infant brothers had died since they last met, and Rose was still their only daughter.
Emma was now in her fifth [Pg 75] year, and Rose only a few weeks younger.
Many a time during the visit, did the mothers and Aunt Fanny talk over the mistake made by Mrs. Reed, at which no one was more sorry than Mrs. Reed herself. Many a time they laughed over the question of the cross driver:
"Why wont one do as well as t'other?" ”

“ And fine words they are to put before any society. I'll ask Mistress to tell me about it to-morrow. Sure, I've read in some good book, that kindness to every one would just turn this wicked world into a heaven, like where the angels live. ”

“ Reed dressed both the babies," explained Aunt Fanny, trying to recover her senses, after the fright.
"And I only carried down the one she gave me," argued Ann, choking back a sob. "I saw it [Pg 36] was our baby's cloak, and I never mistrusted the right one wasn't inside of it."
It was a difficult matter to make the driver comprehend that he was expected to go eight or ten extra miles to change babies.
"Why isn't one as good as t'other?" he asked, grumbling. "The horses 'll never go through with it, and at this time of night it's no use." ”

“ Matthews are home by this time."
Just then, Josey awoke with a start and cry of alarm, which roused his sister, and made her open her [Pg 34] eyes. Fanny, who sat opposite, pulled back her hood to quiet her, when, with a shriek, mamma cried out,—
"We've got the wrong baby! Oh, Nurse, you made a mistake! This is Mrs. Matthews' Rose. Husband, stop the driver, quick!"
"Are you sure?" asked papa, who had been taking a short nap.
"Sure? Can't I tell my own baby? Emma has black eyes; and, look for yourself, is this my baby's dress?" ”

“ She told him that he could please the Lord Jesus by a dutiful [Pg 73] attention to their desires, such as, always to be in season for school, or punctual to any engagement, just as much as by being honest and truthful. The dear Saviour would look into his heart and know he was trying to do right out of love for him. ”

“ The great clock on a neighboring church struck nine.
"They'll soon be home now," she added, springing to her feet, "I'll just bring my baby's cloak and hood from the closet, and have them ready."
"It's a fine night for a ride," said [Pg 29] Ann, bringing Josey's coat and cap, and laying them on a chair. "Baby slept all the way into town, and I expect she'll sleep going home."
"You have to go nearly twice as far as we do. It's scarce six miles to Easton Parsonage ”

“ The two nurses ran to the back room, where they had taken off their [Pg 31] outer garments, and in less than five minutes, Miss Fanny appeared with Josey asleep on her shoulder, and Nurse behind her with baby Emma, closely wrapped in her cloak and hood.
Mr. Codman cut short his wife's "good byes," by saying,—
"It will be midnight, wife, before we reach home;" so, with hasty adieux, they jumped into the carriage and drove off.
Mr. and Mrs. Matthews followed directly, turning down the opposite [Pg 32] street, Martin screening her baby's face from the night air by a thin veil. ”

“ Matthews is a very careful driver; Mistress would like to ride faster than he drives; I wish we were going the same way!"
Every moment footsteps were listened for; but not till half-past nine did a carriage drive to the door. [Pg 30] Then Aunt Fanny and Mrs. Reed ran up in a great hurry.
"Come, Ann," said Miss Fanny, hurriedly, "we're late and must be off in a minute. You put on your sack, and I'll dress Josey. Mrs. Reed has offered to put on baby's cloak and hood; and, Martin, you had better get on your bonnet, for the other carriage, with Mrs. Matthews and Mrs. ”

“ I do hope it will show the heathen a little, that I love them, and want to be kind to them. When you get [Pg 111] there, will you please tell them a little boy gave his aunt to the Saviour, so that they may learn the way to heaven.
"When I am a man, I hope I shall be a missionary, too; and perhaps then God will let me see you and Uncle James again.
"Your little nephew,
"JOSEY CODMAN."
MRS. LESLIE'S
BIBLE PEARLS. Series for Boys.
Vol. I. The Pearl of Love.
" II. " " " Charity.
" III. " " " Obedience.
" IV. " " " Penitence.
" V. " " " Hope.
" VI. " " " Patience. ”

“ We knew you'd want your baby, and we wanted ours."
"I thought you would understand that we should keep your little Miss till morning," explained Mr. Matthews.
"But mothers have such tender hearts," added Mr. Codman, "and we ought to thank God for it. Come, wife, we must be off. We have fourteen miles to go, and it's almost twelve o'clock."
"There's a difference in ministers [Pg 47] as in other folks," whispered Martin aside to Ann. "Mr. Matthews scolded well, and wouldn't hear of going back ”

“ Burns are always very painful at first." [Pg 90]
"Well, Aunt Fanny is a good missionary. Isn't she? She was kind one to another."
"Yes, indeed! she always is that; just like your father, you know."
Mr. Codman wrote Mr. Barnard the same evening, and he came the day but one after the poor baby was burned, just as Mr. and Mrs. Codman were starting to attend the funeral of the old lady and child.
Fanny was dressed and sitting [Pg 91] in an easy chair, both arms bandaged to the elbows and laid out on a pillow. She looked very white, except where a fever spot burned on each cheek. Mrs. ”