Mrs. O. F. Walton

“ Dot felt very sorry for the poor lady; she wished she could tell her so. And then she began to wonder what it was that her little girl had said the night before she died. It must be something nice, Dot thought, to make the lady wipe her eyes and try to smile. Perhaps the little girl had said she did not mind being put into the dark hole. Dot thought it could hardly be that, for she felt sure she would mind it very much indeed. Dot was sure she would be very frightened if she had to die, and old Solomon had to dig a grave for her. No, it could not be that which Lilian had said. ”

“ And as soon as he had finished the grave she ran up to him.
"Mr. Solemn," she said, "did she get out in the night?"
"Who get out?" said the old man, in a very puzzled voice.
"My little girl, Mr. Solemn. Did she get out that night, after you covered her up, you know?"
"No," said Solomon, "she couldn't get out—how could she?"
"Then she's in there yet," said little Dot very sorrowfully.
"Yes, she's there, safe enough," said the grave-digger; "it's the last home of man, is the grave, Dot."
"But, Mr. Solemn, you said she was in heaven," Dot went on, in a very mournful little voice. ”

“ Are you going to sit up?"
"Yes, I must wait till he comes," said the mother wearily, glancing at the large clock which was ticking solemnly in the corner of the little kitchen. "Oh dear, oh dear! what a lot of trouble there is in the world!"
"Mother," said little Angel suddenly, "did you ever have a birthday?"
Mrs. Blyth did not answer at first, but bent lower over the fire. Little Angel fancied she was crying.
"Yes," she said at last, "when I was a little girl, and my father was alive. I wish I was a little girl now."
"Was it so very nice having a birthday, mother?" ”

“ And, whether we be rich or poor, high or low, interest in our work generally wins our hearts. And by and by Dot found herself a way, as she thought, of helping old Solomon to make his graves look nice.
He was working one day at the bottom of a grave, and Dot was sitting on the grass at a little distance. He thought she was busy with her doll, for she had not been talking to him for a long time, and he gave a jump as he suddenly felt something patting on his head, and heard Dot's merry little laugh at the top of the grave. ”

“ The grave-digger looked up quickly, and there, far above him, and peeping cautiously into the grave, was a child in a clean white pinafore, and with a quantity of dark brown hair hanging over her shoulders.
"Whoever in the world are you?" was his first question.
His voice sounded very awful, coming as it did out of the deep grave, and the child ran away, and disappeared as suddenly as she had come.
Solomon looked up several times afterwards as he threw up fresh spadefuls of earth, but for some time he saw no more of his little visitor. But she was not far away ”

“ The young lady did not answer at once; she covered her face with her hand for a minute, and was quite still.
Then she said, "Little Angel, I have been praying to Him to help me to show you how to let Him into your heart. But I think, after all, the best way will be for you to ask Him yourself. Will you ask Him now?"
"I don't know how," said Angel; "I don't know what to say."
"When you pray, little Angel, you should talk to Jesus just as you are talking to me, and ask for just what you want. Kneel down by me, and I will help you." ”

“ On this sofa Angel saw a young lady lying, with a very sweet and gentle face. She looked very ill and tired, Angel thought, and had such a kind face that she could not feel afraid of her.
"This is the little Angel, Mabel," said little Ellie, as she took her by the hand to her sister's couch.
"Bring a stool for her to sit on, Ellie. I'm very glad to see you, little Angel."
"Yes; but, Mabel, cook says she hasn't any wings, and she doesn't think she lives in heaven. She says it's only her name."
"Yes," said her sister; "I understand. But some day, I hope she will live in heaven. ”

“ Carter I heard you, saying, 'There's a loud knock at our door, mother.' And when Mr. Carter told the doctor how well she had been all yesterday, and the doctor said, 'Yes, it's very sudden, very sudden indeed,' I heard you saying again, 'There's a loud knock at our door, mother.' And now, even when I'm turning the mangle, it seems to be saying those same words over and over again."
"Yes," she said, after a minute or two, "it's of no use me saying, 'I'm too busy, I can't let Him in just yet.' Death won't take that excuse when he knocks at the door." ”

“ When Angel's large plum-pudding was put on the table, a sudden thought seized her. "Mother," she whispered, "don't you think Jesus would like poor old Mrs. Sawyer to have a bit of it?"
"Yes," said Mrs. Blyth, "I'll cut her a slice, and one for Annie too, poor girl. Will you take them in?"
So Angel went next door with her two slices of plum-pudding. She found Mrs. Sawyer and her niece Annie just beginning their dinner. There was nothing on the table but some tea, and a loaf of bread with a few currants in it, so Angel felt very glad she had brought the pudding. ”

“ My mother made a plum-pudding for us, and my father took us all to the park for a walk after tea. And then, he used always to give me a present. I have one of them yet."
"Where is it, mother?" said little Angel; "do let me see it."
"Oh, it's up on that shelf," said her mother, pointing to some little shelves at the top of the kitchen. "It's a shame to let it lie there when I promised him to read it every day. But what can a woman do that's got a drunken husband, five children, and a mangle?" she said, more to herself than to the child. ”

“ In her arms was a beautiful doll, more beautiful than any doll Angel had ever seen except in a toy-shop window.
The little girl ran quickly into the kitchen; but when she saw the children she looked shyly at them, and crept up to cook's side.
"Now, Miss Ellie," said cook, "are you come to look at your cakes?" and she lifted the little girl upon a stool, that she might stand by and watch what she was doing.
"Are all these for my birthday?" said the child.
"Yes, every one of them," said cook.
"Oh, what a great many! Aren't there a great many, cook?" ”

“ The shops were unusually gay and tempting, for it was Christmas Eve. Even Pleasant Place looked a little less dull than usual. There were sprigs of holly in some of the windows, and most of the houses were a little cleaner and brighter than usual.
Angel and her mother had been very busy all day. They had just finished their mangling, and had put all the clothes out of the way for Christmas Day, when they heard a knock at the door, and Angel went to open it.
"It's a basket, mother," she said. "It can't be for us." ”

“ Solomon might want to bury her. When he looked up again there was only a corner of her white pinafore in sight. But as he went on quietly with his work, and took no notice of her, Dot thought she might venture near again, for she wanted to ask Mr. Solomon another question.
"Please," she began, "who are you going to put in that there hole?"
"It's a man as fell down dead last week. He was a hard-working fellow, that he was," said the grave-digger; for he always liked to give people a good word when digging their graves. ”

“ So cook turned to the children, and asked them what were their names.
"He's Tim, ma'am," said the little girl, pointing at the boy, standing shyly with his finger in his mouth; "and I'm Angel."
"Oh, cook!" whispered little Ellie, "please, please let me see her wings. Are they tucked up under her shawl? Oh, please do let me see them!" ”

“ Solemn?" asked the lady.
"IS THIS THE LITTLE GIRL WHO GATHERED THE DAISIES?"
"It's an old man—him as digs the graves; he made my little girl's grave," said Dot, under her breath, "and he filled it up and all."
The tears came into the lady's eyes, and she stooped down and kissed the child.
Dot was beginning to feel quite at home with the little girl's mamma, and she stroked the lady's soft glove with her tiny hand.
They sat quite still for some time. Dot never moved, and the lady had almost forgotten her—she was thinking of her own little girl. ”

“ Day. I hope you will have a very happy day. Do not
forget whose Birthday it is. Your friend,"
"MABEL DOUGLAS."
"Whose birthday is it, mother?" asked little Angel.
"The Lord Jesus Christ's," said her mother reverently. "Did I never tell you that, little Angel? It's the day we think about Him being born a little baby at Bethlehem."
"SO YOU ARE THE ANGEL, ARE YOU? HERE'S YOUR BASKET."
Angel was sitting on her stool in front of the fire thinking, and it was some time before she spoke again. ”

“ I'm too busy," she said; "there's so much to do. There's the children, and your father, and the mangle to look after, and always dinner to cook, and things to clear away, and such lots of clothes to wash, and your father's shirts to iron. I've no time to be good, Angel."
"But Miss Douglas said if you don't let Him into your heart and love Him, you won't ever live with Him and the angels in heaven."
"Ah, well!" said the mother. "I suppose not; but there's lots of time yet. When baby gets a bit older, and Tom goes to school, I shall have a bit more time ”

“ Yes, my children," he went on, taking the little girls by the hand, "there is no other way to the bright land above the sky; there is no other way to get rid of your sin—and no sin can enter into heaven. ”

“ She had taught him her little prayer, and old Solomon could say it as well as she could. As for Dot, it was seldom out of her thoughts, and Solomon often found her kneeling amongst the trees of the cemetery, and "asking the dear Lord Jesus," as she called praying.
But Dot's mother often sent for her in, for she noticed that her child was not well. She had a tiresome little cough, which often kept her awake by night, and distressed old Solomon by day. He walked into the town, poor old man, on purpose to buy her some lozenges, which he heard had cured a neighbour of his. ”

“ Blyth turned over the leaves, and in a mechanical way began to read the first verse on which her eye fell.
"'Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.'"
"Who is knocking, mother?" asked Angel.
"It means Jesus Christ, I think," said her mother. "'Behold, I stand at the door and knock.' I expect it means Jesus. I learnt a hymn at the Sunday school about it. I went to the Sunday school when my father was alive. ”

“ I have not been out to-day."
"There's to be a meeting to-night in that little schoolroom just a bit of way down the street. That new young minister's going to speak; and it says on the bills it will all be over in half an hour. I've a good mind to go and hear what he's got to say. Will you come with me?"
"Yes, that I will," said Mrs. Blyth, with tears in her eyes. She had not been inside a place of worship with her husband since the first year they were married.
"Can't Angel come too?" said her father, as he looked at her earnest little face.
"Not very well," said Mrs. Blyth; "we can't all go. ”

“ Some more people come up to the door and knock, and as soon as ever they knock they are admitted. They are let in, and the door is shut in the face of Him who has waited so long."
"Many times in the day that door is opened to all kinds of people; but it is always closed in the face of the One who still stands outside." ”

“ But her husband had been born and brought up in a town, and country life did not suit him. And so, when Dot was about five years old, he returned to his native place, and took one of the cottages close to the cemetery, in order that his little girl might still have some green grass on which to run about, and might still see a few spring flowers. ”

“ Dot ran with the green watering-can to the pump near the cemetery gates, and soon returned with the water, with which Violet carefully watered the earth where the seeds had been put in.
"They ought to be watered every day," she said; "gardener always waters his seeds every day. They won't spring up if they haven't enough water, will they, Ethel? ”