The Little Gleaner, Vol. X.: A Monthly Magazine for the Young — John Shaqi
The Little Gleaner, Vol. X.: A Monthly Magazine for the YoungVarious
Religion
The Little Gleaner, Vol. X.: A Monthly Magazine for the Young
Various
Christian literature for children -- Periodicals
When the "season" comes round, those that observe may soon find these
are the old-fashioned gleaners. They possess willing legs, eyes, and
hands. They use their legs by starting from their poor home; and, after
walking some distance, the road brings them to this farm of sixty-six
fields. These fields are all numbered. Some look at one field, and some
at another, but the hedges are all good. No one can get through them,
and a high gate is at each entrance. One of the gleaners looked with a
very wishful eye over the gate of the eighth field, and she desired to
be among the gleaners, but there was a notice that "trespassers will be
prosecuted." How earnestly the gleaner uses his eyes, and looks through
the bars of the gate; but there are no ears of corn to be seen at
present by him, so he cannot use his hands, though they are both ready
to pick up; and the thought comes, "No doubt there will soon be plenty
of corn seen, and, if I might, would I not pick up? I feel I would glean
beside any gleaner. If he could pick faster than I, he would have to be
very nimble. I do not know that the great landowner and farmer would
allow me to go into his field. But, though my hands now hang down, and I
cannot use them, I will go home and wait, and come again. If I cannot
get admission to one field, I may to another. I should be happy if I
could glean in the smallest field on the farm. Perhaps, when I come
again, that notice-board may be taken down. If so, I think I shall
venture into No. 8 or 17; but should I not have nerve enough, I shall
humbly ask one of the labourers, and if he says he does not know, I
will, if an opportunity occurs, bow myself to the earth and ask the
great owner. I have been told by some that he often appears as if he
could not condescend to speak to those that live in such a low house,
yet, if you press your suit, he will speak in the kindest manner, and
ask what you really want."
The farmer's son noticed, as this gleaner returned to his humble home,
one of the labourers greeted him with a "Good evening," and asked him
why he looked so sad? He replied, "I have been a long journey to glean
on the farm owned by your master, and I looked at the eighth field, but
could not see that there were any ears of corn for me to pick up; and
besides, I noticed a board, that 'trespassers will be prosecuted,' and
thoughts would keep coming in my mind as I returned, that possibly I
should never be admitted into any of the fields as a gleaner." The
labourer said, "You must not faint, but, as soon as the sun rises in the
morning, try and find the forty-second field, and most probably you will
find the gate open. If, as you enter, the first part of the field looks
bare, walk to almost the middle, and I think you will find some
gleanings to pick up." He returned thanks, bowed, and they parted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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