“Take a seat.”
Aunt Amy looked on the poor woman with great kindness; and Minnie, thinking all the time of the sunbeams, did the same. Speaking in gentle tones, aunt Amy soon found the way to the poor woman’s heart, and drew from her the story of her woes. It had been a long time since she had heard a voice of kindness, or met with affectionate sympathy like that now shown to her by Minnie’s aunt. It was not lost upon her. Trouble and sin had long frozen up her better feelings. But under the warmth of aunt Amy’s words of hope and love, the ice melted, and the poor creature wept freely as she told of her early and better days; of her husband’s fall into evil habits; of her own evil temper, which his bad treatment had excited; and of her poverty, and sorrow, and despair.
To all this aunt Amy listened with kind attention. She spoke words of hope in the woman’s ear. She urged her to seek pardon from God for her sins, to look with faith for better days, until the poor woman’s countenance lighted up, and Minnie said to herself,—
“My aunt is really a sunbeam to this woman.”
At last aunt Amy rose to leave. The woman arose, too, with great respect in her manners. Aunt Amy placed a piece of money in her hand, and said,—
“Now, Mrs. Button, be hopeful. I will send you a few things, presently, to help you along. I will also try to procure you some plain sewing; and if you will try to help yourself, and trust in God, he will help you; friends will rise up around you, and you will yet see better days.”
“Bless you, ma’am, for your kindness. You are the first friend I have seen this many a year,” said the poor woman, while hot tears trickled down her wan cheeks.
Minnie and her aunt now left the cottage. The little girl had learned a lesson, by what she had seen, which she did not soon forget. Her gentle nature was charmed by the love her aunt had shown to the poor woman. After walking in silence a while, she said,—
“Aunt Amy, I guess you are the brightest sunbeam that ever entered Mrs. Button’s cottage! Why, her pale face brightened up and looked almost cheerful before you left.”
“You see, then, Minnie, how little it costs to do good. Our visit has really made the misery of that woman less, and it has done us good. We can now think of our walk with pleasure, because it has been useful.”