The miracle which followed is thus related in the words of Scripture:—
“Jesus saith unto them: Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them to the brim. And He saith unto them: Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him: Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.”
This was the first miracle that Jesus did: in our next Sunday-talk, my children, I will tell you more of them.
ST. VALENTINE’S DAY
It was the thirteenth of February; to-morrow would be St. Valentine’s day; and the children were as busy as bees preparing valentines. They were as merry, too, as they were busy; all except Annie—little Annie, the delicate one, the pet of the family. While the others were skipping and jumping about as they did up their valentines, and eager and noisy, as it is the nature of children to be, Annie sat on the hearthrug, with her hands clasped round her little knees, staring into the red fire; and her pale face looked quite old and wan from trouble.
I was very hard at work directing the envelopes for the children, while they clamoured and clustered round me; but looking at our dear little girl’s wistful face, I took advantage of a moment’s respite from my work to go and ask her what it was that seemed to trouble her so much.
“Oh, auntie,” she said, as she began to cry, “it is because Jack has taken my darling Tip away from me.”