A CHILDREN'S SERVICE.
IT was Salome's fifth birthday. A whole year had passed since I had taken the shilling, and a year seemed a very, very long time to me in those days. I had left school, and had gone to be Betson's errand boy, until father could decide what trade he meant me to follow. I drove a light cart for Betson, and carried out all his parcels, and swept out his shop, and made myself generally useful to him. I was at Betson's early in the morning, and came home quite late in the evening. Betson was doing a large trade, and I had little spare time.
I was very glad that that year happened to be Leap year, and that therefore Salome's birthday was on Sunday, instead of Saturday. I could be with her the whole day.
I had bought a Testament for her birthday present, for I had taught her to read, and she was getting to read very nicely. The Testament had gilt edges, and I had bought several bright-colored markers for it. I gave it to Salome as soon as she woke, and she was very much pleased with it. She opened it at once, and read the first verse which caught her eye:
"'Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.'"
I was very proud of my scholar, and was much pleased that she could read every word of it without a mistake. But Salome looked up at me with a puzzled expression on her face.
"Taken where, Peter?" she asked.
"I don't know, Salome," I said; "I'll find you an easier piece," and I turned to the parable of the ten virgins in the next chapter.
But Salome had not forgotten the verse which I could not explain to her.
"Father," she said at breakfast, "where was the man in the field taken to?"