Christian life -- Juvenile fiction; Girls -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Grandmothers -- Juvenile fiction
Monica and Olive, it must be confessed, did not appreciate that one day
in the week as much as they should, inasmuch as they were compelled, of
necessity, to forego during its sacred hours all the secular amusements
with which they filled up every moment of the week, from Monday morning
until Saturday evening. They awoke that brilliant August morning to the
unwelcome remembrance that it was "Sunday again already!"
But Elsa, whose happiest hours were spent in God’s house, with a tender
little smile hovering round her lips, drew up the blinds, and looked out
upon the calm blue sea, and lifted her heart in thanksgiving to her
Heavenly Father for making such a beautiful world. Even Olive’s
ceaseless chatter, as they dressed, did not disturb her; and when her
sister had gone into Monica’s room, as she invariably did, Elsa gently
shut the door, and taking her little Bible, she knelt by the open window
and prayed long and earnestly. She did not know how to pray properly,
she only knew how to talk to her dearest Friend, and she was accustomed
to tell Him everything, and ask with the simplicity and directness of a
little child for what she needed.
That morning, after praying for help and strength for herself, to enable
her to be a faithful follower of her Master, she remembered her darling
mother (whom it had been a very real sorrow to leave) and all those at
home; and then her heart seemed overwhelmed with the thought of those
about her, who, as yet, did not know and serve her Saviour. "Oh! Lord,"
she prayed, "do speak to-day, _somehow_, to Monica and Olive. I can’t
bear to think of them going on living without Thee. And kind Mrs.
Beauchamp wants something to satisfy her. O Lord, she wants _Thee_! and
Roger needs Thee, too. Lord, show Thyself to them all to-day, and show
them they will never be happy until they have come to Thee."
Thus, in all earnestness, but with childish simplicity, Elsa poured out
her heart unto the Lord, and "the Lord hearkened and heard."
The dear old-fashioned church, taxed to its utmost to provide
accommodation for the throngs of fashionably attired people who poured
ceaselessly up the aisles, as the five-minute bell gave warning that
service would soon commence, was eventually crammed with a huge
congregation, made up of many types. Perhaps it would be safe to say
that the majority of the people assembled within the sacred edifice had
gone there because "it was the proper thing to do"; they neither
expected nor desired any spiritual help.
Among this class were several of our acquaintances. In one pew, a
prominent one, because the verger had an eye to a substantial sum for
the offertory from such an imposing looking personage as Mrs. Beauchamp,
in her trailing gown of black satin, and a Parisian bonnet, were seated
the two Franklyn girls, Monica and her grandmother; Elsa being next to
the old lady.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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