"And you are going to be satisfied with one?" her mother asked letting the book fall into her lap, while she laid one hand gently on her young daughter"s head and gazed tenderly down into the blooming face; with a somewhat sad expression too, Rosie thought.
"I say, no to that, mamma," she returned, laying her head in her mother"s lap and taking into her own the hand that had been resting on it, to press it again and again to her lips with ardent affection, "for I shall not be satisfied with less than half a dozen."
Elsie gave them in quick succession, gathering her child in her arms and making her rest her fair head on the maternal bosom, and Rosie felt a warm tear fall on her cheek.
"Mamma!" she exclaimed in concerned surprise, "you are crying! What can be the matter? have I said or done anything to grieve you, dear heart?"
reaching up an arm to clasp her mother"s neck, while she scanned the loved features with earnest, tender scrutiny.
For a minute or more there was no reply. Then Elsie said, in moved tones, softly smoothing the hair back from Rosie"s temples as she spoke, and gazing tenderly down into her eyes, "My heart is sad for you, my darling, because, while another year is rapidly drawing to a close, I have yet no reason to hope that you have sought a refuge within the fold of the good Shepherd who gives to his sheep eternal life; the dear Saviour who has been all these years inviting you to come to him and be saved."
"Mamma, I am very young yet," murmured Rosie, hanging her head and blushing.
"Old enough to have become a disciple of Jesus years ago," her mother said in sorrowful tones. "O my darling, give him the best years of your life; the whole of your life, whether it be long or short. Is he not worthy of it?"
"Yes, mamma; surely there can be only one answer to that and I do mean to--to try to turn over a new leaf with the coming of the new year. But, mamma, I know of a number of good Christians who didn"t begin to be such till they were many years older than I am. There is grandpa for one."
"Yes, my child," sighed her mother, "but he has always deeply regretted having so long delayed beginning the Christian course--entering the service of the dear Master whom now he loves better than wife or child or any created being. There are many reasons, my darling, why delay is both dangerous and unwise as well as basely ungrateful."
"You allude to the uncertainty of life, mamma?"
"Yes, and of the continuance of health and reason. How many have been suddenly overtaken by fatal illness that at once robbed them of the power to think, so that if preparation for the solemn realities of another world had not been already made, the opportunity for so doing was forever lost!
"There is also danger that G.o.d"s Spirit may cease to strive with you, and without His help you can not come to Christ.
"Nor do we know how soon Jesus may come again in the clouds of heaven.
He himself has told us that he will come as a thief in the night; that is when he is not expected.
"But, Rosie, my dear child, even if you could know certainly that delay will not cost you the loss of your soul, it will bring you other loss great and irreparable."
"What, mamma?" Rosie asked with a look of mingled surprise and alarm. "I can not think what you mean."
"While it is a precious truth that all who finally repent and accept of Christ as their only Saviour, will inherit eternal life--a life of holiness and unspeakable happiness at G.o.d"s right hand," answered her mother, "yet there will be a difference in the portions of those who have spent many years in the faithful service of the Master--using their time and talents for the advancement of his cause and kingdom, and striving to win others to know and serve him, and themselves to grow in grace and conformity to his likeness and his will--and that of others who have been saved only at the last and so as by fire. All will be perfectly happy but some will have a greater capacity for happiness than others.
"According to the teachings of G.o.d"s word sin is the greatest folly, the service of G.o.d the highest wisdom.
""Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?... Riches and honor are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver!
""They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever."
"Rosie, my darling, it is the dearest wish of my heart to see you engaged in that work; but you cannot teach others what you do not know yourself; you must first give your heart to G.o.d and learn for yourself the sweetness of his love. Will you not do it now? at once? Oh listen to his gracious invitation, "Give me thine heart.""
For some moments a deep and solemn hush seemed to fill the room, Rosie still kneeling there with her head pillowed on her mother"s breast, Elsie"s heart going up in an almost agonizing pet.i.tion for her child.
At length Rosie lifted her head looking up into her mother"s face with dewy eyes and a very sweet smile.
"Mamma," she said in low tremulous tones, "I have tried to do it; I have asked the Lord to forgive all my sins, to cleanse me from mine iniquities, and to take me for his very own; and I think he has heard and granted my pet.i.tion.
"You know when the leper came to him saying, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean," Jesus at once put forth his hand and touched him saying, "I will; be thou clean"; and immediately the leprosy departed from him. Mamma, I have been praying the leper"s prayer, and I think the dear Lord Jesus has said the same words to me."
"I am sure of it," Elsie said with emotion, "for he is the unchangeable G.o.d; "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever"; as ready to be moved with compa.s.sion for a sin-sick soul to-day, as he was for the leper when on earth. And he has said, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.""
Clasping her hands and looking upward, "Bless the Lord, O my soul," she exclaimed; ""and all that is within me, bless his holy name!""
CHAPTER XIII.
"Lu! Lu! five o"clock, time to get up!" called a harsh voice in loud, shrill tones.
"Who, who was calling?" asked Eva starting out of sleep.
"Only Polly," laughed Lulu.
"Get up, get up!" screamed the bird. "Time for breakfast. Polly wants her coffee. Polly wants a cracker."
"What a smart parrot! how plainly she talks," said Eva.
"Yes; but so loud. I"m afraid she will wake everybody in the house."
"How has she learned your name so soon?" asked Eva.
"I don"t think she has," said Lulu. "Papa says there was a girl named Louisa in the place where Polly used to live, that everybody called Lu, and the parrot learned to call her so too."
"Happy New Year!" screamed Polly.
"Oh just hear her!" cried Lulu in delight. "Papa must have been teaching her that, or having somebody else do it, while we were away. I think she"s going to make a great deal of fun for us all. Happy New Year to you, Eva dear," giving her friend a hug, as they lay side by side in the bed.
"The same to you, dear Lu," returned Eva. "How nice it is to be here with you lying on this easy couch with this down cover and these soft blankets over us. I never lay on a more delightful bed. Everything about it is beautiful and luxurious too."
"Papa was very particular to get the very best of springs and mattresses for all our beds," replied Lulu. "Oh but he is a dear, good father, always careful for the comfort and happiness of all his children!"
"And of his wife?"
"Oh yes indeed! I"m quite sure no man could take better care of his wife, or be more loving and kind to her, than papa is to Mamma Vi. And I"m pretty sure he was just the same to my mother; he says he loved her very dearly and loves his children--I mean Max and Gracie and me--because they were hers as well as because they are his very own."
"Lu! Lu! get up! Time for breakfast!" screamed Polly again.
"I suppose it is morning, or she wouldn"t be making such a fuss," said Lulu.
"Yes," said Eva, "I see a little light coming in at the window."
"I"ll light the gas in the sitting-room, and give her a cracker to stop her screaming," said Lulu, getting out of bed and feeling about for her warm slippers and dressing gown. "Then I"ll run and catch papa and Gracie."
"Lulu," said the captain"s voice from Gracie"s room.
"I"m here, papa. Oh a happy New Year to you!"