The Nest in the Honeysuckles, and other Stories — John Shaqi
The Nest in the Honeysuckles, and other Stories
Religion
The Nest in the Honeysuckles, and other Stories
Children -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Children's stories; Christian life -- Juvenile fiction
I am not one of those who imagine children have no trials. I know
their lives are not all bright and sunny. I have not forgotten being a
child myself. Many a hard battle has to be fought with wrong feelings
and wrong wishes; but never fear; resolve to conquer yourselves, and
subdue every thing that is sinful. Every victory will make you
stronger, and render it easier for you to do right. Will you try?
"If at first you don't succeed,
Try, try again."
THE BIRDS AND THE SNOW-STORM.
The weather is warm and sunny. The snow of winter has disappeared. The
grass is green, and growing finely. The early spring-flowers have
opened their blossoms, and we all think summer is so near, that the
cold weather must be over. The birds have thought so, too; for they
are flying from tree to tree, singing most beautiful melodies, and
peeping about, here and there, making arrangements for summer, and
selecting places where to build their pretty nests.
But the wind blows chill again. The sky is clouded, and people begin
to say, "I think we shall have another snow-storm." It is not long
before the feathery flakes begin to descend. The earth is so warm that
they scarce touch it before they are melted and absorbed. The snow
continues to fall, the earth grows colder and colder, and soon it
cannot melt the snow, but is itself chilled, and accepts it as a
mantle. For three days the storm rages. The ground is as white as in
mid-winter.
What is to become of the birds? They can find neither food nor
shelter. It is painful to see them flying distractedly through the
storm, not knowing where to go; but too cold and too hungry to remain
in the trees, and too fearful to seek comfort in the many warm houses,
that would have opened their windows, if they would have entered under
their protecting roof.
Mrs. Dudley's children are all watching them from the windows, and
throwing out hominy and bread-crumbs for them to eat. How cold the
little sparrows look, as they pick up their food! Children's hearts
are generally tender, and always so unless they have been hardened by
the practice of cruelty, and Mrs. Dudley's were full of sympathy for
the little sufferers. "Oh! mother!" said Eddie, the youngest, "if the
birds knew how we loved them, they would come into the house;" but the
birds did not know, and they stayed out in the snow, and many of them
perished.
The children were sadly grieved, when, after the storm, they found
many of their feathered friends dead. How much they regretted they
could not have saved their lives! If the birds had only known, as
Eddie said, how much the children loved them, they would have flown
into the house, and been warmed and fed.
There are many dear children who do not know how much Jesus loves
them; how much he wishes them to enter the "ark of safety," and escape
the dangers there are in the world. There are many who have not even
heard of him; and many of those who have, do not know he is their best
friend.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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