"Yes, I do, but another thing. Does an education make a person good?"
"No, it will make you better if you are good, but if a bad man gets education, that doesn"t make him good."
"Then is it any use to study so hard to get a good education?"
"Why certainly."
"Tell me."
"Education, Charlie, is just development. You know what development means?"
"Yes sir."
"Well, development gives strength."
"You have noticed that large tree out in the orchard. It was only a chestnut once, but now it is developed. That tree is only an educated chestnut. Which is stronger,--the chestnut tree or the little chestnut?"
"The tree, of course," said he, "but I heard some one say, I think it was just last Sunday, that education spoils some people."
"The right kind of an education will never spoil any one."
"I"m going to get a good education. 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 a.s.sociates and acquaintances do not love you, it is not likely the heathen will, and love is a great deal of the missionary"s preparation. 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."
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.
"Be a little missionary now. Be a Christian. Get new scholars to come to Sunday school. Live for other people all you can. One little person quit eating candy, and gave the money for the Lord, another bought a dozen eggs and raised chickens and sold them for the Lord. A little farmer boy raised potatoes on a little corner of land his papa said he could have, and then sold them for missionary money, and there are many other ways."
"Oh, I know, I know what I"ll do!" said several at once. "I"m so thirsty."
"So am I." "No, wait." "Come on."
"We can all do something, then, can"t we? I"m dry too."
And the one who was answering questions, together with for six little people, who had gathered around him, went out under the grape arbor, and down by the row of evergreens to the spring, and they all drank heartily from the old tin cup.
An hour later all the visitors had their faces turned toward home, and the children were thinking about being little missionaries at home.
CHAPTER V.
A CHILD OF G.o.d.
A good many months had pa.s.sed since Charlie lost the nickel between the store and his home. He had often spoken about his desire to be a real Christian. He was going to school every day, and had more than the average of school-boy-liveliness.
Several years had pa.s.sed since he and one of the little Sunday school girls swinging in the shade of the old apple tree, had each promised the other to begin to be a Christian while they were young in years.
The little girl was first to fulfil her promise, and was now an active little member of the church, praising G.o.d by her daily life. He thought more of her for her decision, but he himself was not yet a member of the church, and was already twelve years old.
Brother Early had been preaching every night in Waynesboro for several weeks. A good many people, who lived not too far away from Waynesboro, often drove in to attend the meetings. Charlie was usually on hand, an attentive listener.
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 your life we cannot know. G.o.d is just, and may be you"d be saved--may be not." After several minutes, which seemed almost like hours, as the carriage moved slowly up the hill, his mamma, ever anxious about her boy, as all mammas are, said, "Why do you ask such questions, Charlie?"
"Well, mamma," he answered, "I can"t stand it any longer. My heart pretty near breaks when we are at meeting. I do wish I could join the church."
Now, his parents had talked the matter all over by themselves, and they had decided to allow Charlie to come at this time, if he really wanted to, and they would also encourage their son. When he had thus spoken, they told him the words that his boyish heart had been aching to hear for already so long a time, that he should "come now," if he wished.
The next evening Charlie lost no time in publicly coming out on the Lord"s side.
"Brother Oller," said he, "I"m coming. It"s decided. I want to be baptized and live a Christian."
The aged elder stooped to the eager boy before him, and tenderly answered, "Well, Charlie, the Lord bless you. 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.
"I wish now we had family worship. Mamma, why don"t we have family worship, anyhow?"