CHAPTER IV: TWO CHARACTERS.
It is time that I should tell you the age of these two little girls. Louisa was just turned of ten, and Emma was one year younger. I have no doubt that although you know so little about them, you already like Emma better than her sister; and the reason of this is plain. No one could be long with Louisa without finding out that she was a selfish child; while Emma, though she had many faults, of which carelessness was the chief, was of a kind, good-natured disposition, always ready to oblige. Louisa, too, was often willful, and would not give up her own way; while Emma was humble-minded, knowing that she had much to learn, and thankful to be taught. Both of these children were sinners, like all who are born into this sinful world: but Louisa cared little about the concerns of her soul; while Emma had begun to pray in secret for pardon through Christ her Saviour, and for the new heart which is the gift of his Holy Spirit.
Reader, you too are a sinner, and by nature far from God. Do you ever consider what is your present state? Have you been brought near to him by the blood of Christ, the new and living way? You may have heard of these things before, but without giving heed to the salvation of your own soul, or seeking to prepare for the world to come. If this has been the case, pause now, and ask yourself whither you are going, and what must be the end, if you do not repent and turn from sin. There are many awful texts in the Bible concerning those who trifle with the offers of divine mercy, and harden their hearts against the Saviour's gracious call. O! pray that you may not be one of this unhappy number. Seek the Lord while he may be found, before the day of grace is past. God has said that his "Spirit shall not always strive with man," Gen. vi, 3; and if you will not repent to-day, to-morrow may be too late.
Emma's Bible was nicely covered, and laid in her own little drawer; and every morning she read a chapter before she went down stairs. She prayed that God would teach her by his Holy Spirit to understand what she read; and though her prayers were very simple, and she scarcely knew what words to use, yet she felt sure that he would hear her, because he has promised to do so, for the sake of his dear Son. And by degrees, as she began to love her Bible more and more, she learned a habit of going to their little room alone, once in each day, to read a few verses in private, and to offer a short prayer to her "Father who seeth in secret." Matt, vi, 6. She found a great blessing in this; and it often happened that the thought of a text of Scripture which she had been reading in her room alone would come into her mind when she was afterward tempted to say or do something wrong, and thus help to keep her from sin.
It was not so with Louisa. The Bible was often wanted in the schoolroom—for the children had a governess who came to teach them every day; and Louisa soon found it too much trouble to take the book up stairs at night, and to carry it down again the next morning. Besides this, she did not always rise from her bed in time to read a chapter, so that it was often put off till after breakfast, and then it commonly happened that she had other things to do, and did not read it at all. Emma would sometimes gently remind her that her Bible reading had been forgotten; but this made Louisa so cross that she left off doing so at last. The truth was, that this poor child had no real love for the Scriptures; and as she did not seek for grace to help her, the good resolves that she had made passed away quickly from her mind.
The difference between the sisters was seen in their outward conduct; for Emma's reading of the Bible would have been in vain if the effects had not been shown in her temper and daily life. I do not mean to say that she never went wrong; for Emma had still an evil nature, and a sinful heart, often leading her to forget the commands of God. But she was truly sorry when this had been the case, and would ask to be forgiven with many tears; and she also prayed for divine grace, that she might try to be more watchful for the time to come. Louisa, on the other hand, thought too highly of herself to be easily convinced of a fault; and as she seldom received reproof in an humble and proper manner, she made but little progress toward improvement.
CHAPTER V: LETTERS FROM INDIA.
Some months passed before there came a letter from Mrs. Harding; for India, as you know, is many thousands of miles from here, and it takes a long time for a ship to sail over the wide sea which lies between. But great was the joy of the children and their mother when at last the good tidings came that, through the mercy of God, their friends had reached that distant country, safe and well. Louisa danced and clapped her hands; and Emma felt very happy, sitting beside her mother, and looking up in her face, while she read the letter through tears of pleasure.
Mrs. Harding had written a few lines to the children, which their mother read aloud to them, and then allowed them to look at for themselves. The words were these: "I often think of you, dear Louisa and Emma, and pray for divine blessings upon you both; and I hope to hear that you are giving yourselves to the Saviour, who died upon the cross for you. You know the love of Jesus for the young; his kindness to them when he was upon earth; and the tender way in which he still invites them to come to him. Go, then, to Christ without delay: ask him to be your friend, and you will be happy for evermore."
A few weeks after this letter had been received, Mrs. Western's birthday arrived, when it was usual for her children to have a holiday and a little treat. On the morning of this day, as Emma was running up stairs, her mamma called to her from her dressing-room, and desired her to come in, and to shut the door. Emma did as she was bid; and then Mrs. Western, with a smile on her face, told her to look round, and try if she could discover anything in the room that she had not seen before.