“Yes, I see some men who look like sailors.”
“Well, I have some tracts in this little package; and if we give these tracts to those seamen, we shall sow some good seed; for the tracts may lead them to God and heaven.”
“Then sowing good seed means the same as being a sunbeam, don’t it, aunt?”
“Yes, my child. By speaking a kind word, by smiling upon persons who need encouragement, or by giving a tract to do the same things for us, we are sunbeams to those we act upon. So that being a sunbeam or sowing good seed amounts to one and the same thing. But let us go and sow our seed.”
They now walked down the beach until they came to the spot where they saw the sailors. Here aunt Amy gave Minnie a tract to carry to a stout sailor, who had on a large tarpaulin hat. She ran up to the man, with one of her sweetest smiles, and said,—
“Please, sir, will you accept a tract?”
“A tract!” replied the man, looking at Minnie’s happy face with surprise.
“Yes, sir, a pretty tract, if you please.”
“Yes, little miss, I’ll take it to please you;” and the rough-looking man stretched out his hand and took the tract, very much to the delight of Minnie.