A Child’s Faith.—A little colored boy was in the room where his old grandmother was lying, suffering intense pain from rheumatism. It was in the evening. As he was leaving and said good-night to the old woman, she said: “Lewis, won’t you ask God in your prayers to-night to make grandma better?” “Oh, yes, I will, and God will make you better.” He went right away, and offered up his child’s prayer that God might take away his grandma’s pains and make her well. His mother, not knowing what had happened, incidentally asked him if he had prayed for his grandma. The little fellow, thinking that his mother knew all about it, replied: “Oh, yes, I did; but God hasn’t done so yet. I guess he is seeing about it, but he’ll do it.” Next morning he hastened to ask his grandma how she was. “I am better, thank God, this morning,” came the answer. At once he jumped about the room, clapping his hands, and cried out: “Didn’t I tell you God was seeing about it, and I am so glad that he did it! I knew he would!”
An educated Christian Chinaman, thoroughly acquainted with the teachings of Confucius, made the following comparison between Confucius and Jesus:
“They are like two bridges; they are both noble structures. You admire the strength of the timbers and the way in which they are framed together, forming the solid foundation and the graceful arch rising about it. You walk on the bridge of Confucius; it is all right till you come to the River of Death—there you see the black waters rolling before you, and there is no plank on which you may cross to the shore beyond. Jesus Christ is a completed bridge, over which you may safely pass to the Heavenly Home and to the mansion he has prepared for your eternal habitation.”
STANLEY AS A MISSIONARY.
In a recent interview between Mr. Stanley and a newspaper correspondent, the distinguished explorer said: “I have been in Africa for seventeen years, and I have never met a man who would kill me if I folded my hands. What I wanted, and what I have been endeavoring to ask for the poor Africans, has been the good offices of Christians, ever since Livingstone taught me during those four months that I was with him. In 1871 I went to him as prejudiced as the biggest atheist in London. I was out there, away from a worldly world. I saw this solitary old man there, and asked myself, ‘Why on earth does he stop here?’ For months after we met I found myself listening to him and wondering at the old man’s carrying out all that was said in the Bible. Little by little his sympathy for others became contagious; mine was awakened; seeing his pity, his gentleness, his zeal, his earnestness, and how he went quietly about his business, I was converted by him, although he had not tried to do it. How sad that the good old man died so soon! How joyful he would have been if he could have seen what has since happened there!”
And thus have these great explorers demonstrated the power of sympathy and kindness even upon the most degraded of people.