Christian life -- Fiction; Inheritance and succession -- Fiction; Orphans -- Fiction; Siblings -- Fiction
Then Stephen, with some hesitation, and a good deal of assistance from
Martha, told the whole history of his grandmother's settlement upon the
solitary hillside, only withholding the fact of his grandfather's
transportation, because Tim was listening eagerly to every word. Miss
Anne listened, too, with deep attention; and once or twice the tears rose
to her eyes as she heard of the weary labours and watchings of the
desolate woman; and when Stephen repeated his resolution to work hard
and constantly for the maintenance of his grandfather and little Nan--
'Yes, I will be your friend,' she said, reaching out her hand to him when
he had finished, 'even if my uncle is your enemy. God has not given me
much power, but what I have I will use for you; and you must go on
striving to do right, Stephen.'
'I can't read much,' replied Stephen anxiously, 'and Martha can't read at
all; but I hope we shall all get safe to heaven!'
'Knowing how to read will not take us to heaven,' said Miss Anne,
smiling, 'but doing the will of God from the heart; and the will of God
is that we should believe in the Lord Jesus, and follow in His steps.'
'Yes, ma'am,' answered Stephen; 'my chapter says, "Whosoever shall break
one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called
the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach
them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."'
'Stephen, you know your chapter well,' said Miss Anne.
'I don't know anything else,' he answered; 'so I am always studying at
that in my head, up here and down in the pit.'
'He's always mighty solid over his work, ma'am,' said Tim, pulling the
front lock of his red hair, as he spoke to the young lady.
'Stephen, do you know that you have a namesake in the Bible?' asked Miss
Anne.
'No, sure!' exclaimed Stephen eagerly.
'It was the name of a man who had many enemies, only because he loved the
Lord Jesus; and at last they hated him so much as to kill him. He was the
very first person who ever suffered death for the Lord's sake. Give me
your Bible, and I will read to you how he died.'
Miss Anne's voice was very low and soft, like sweet music, as she read
these verses: 'And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying,
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud
voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this,
he fell asleep.'
Stephen listened breathlessly, and his face glowed with intense interest;
but he was not a boy of ready speech, and, before he could utter a word,
Tim burst in before him with a question, 'Please, is there a Tim in the
Bible?' he asked.
'Yes,' answered Miss Anne, smiling again; 'he was a young man who knew
the Bible from his youth.'
'That ain't me, however,' said Tim in a despondent tone.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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