"And now," concluded Edith, "I was led to Him by these words, 'Come
unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest.' I was in greater darkness than I had ever been in before. My
heart ached as if it would burst. Difficulty and danger seemed on
every side, and I saw no way out. I knew the world had only scorn for
us, and I was so bowed down with shame and discouragement that I
almost lost all hope. I had been to the village, and the people looked
and pointed at me, till I was ready to drop in the street. But I went
to Mr. McTrump's, and he and his wife were so kind to me, and
heartened me up a little; and they spoke about the 'Gude Book,' as
they call it, in such a way as made me think of it in my deep distress
and fear, as I sat alone watching with mother. So I found my neglected
Bible, and, in some way, I seemed guided to these words, 'Come unto
me'; and then, for two or three hours, I continued to read eagerly
about Him, till at last I felt that I could venture to go to Him. So,
I just bowed my head, on His own invitation; indeed, it seemed like a
tender call to a child that had been lost in the dark, and was afraid,
and I said, 'I am heavy laden, help me.' And how wonderfully He did
help me! He has been so good, so near, ever since. My weary, hopeless
heartache is gone. I don't know what is before us. I can't see the way
out of our troubles. I don't know what has become of our absent one,"
she said, in a low tone and with bowed head, "but I can leave all to
Him. He is God: He loves, and He can and will take care of us. So you
see I know very little about religion yet; just enough to trust and
keep close to Him; and I feel sure that in time He will teach me,
through the Bible, or in some way, all I ought to know."
"Bless the child, she's right, she's right," sobbed Mrs. Groody. "It
was just so at first. He came right among people, and called all sorts
to Him, and they came to Him just as they was, and stayed with Him,
and He cured, and helped, and taught 'em, till, from being the worst,
they became the best. That is the way that distressed, swearin', old
fisherman Peter became one of the greatest and best men that ever
lived; though it took a mighty lot of grace and patience to bring it
about. Now I think of it, I think he fell from grace worse than I did
that awfully hot summer. What an old fool I am! I've been readin' the
Bible all my life, and never understood it before."
"I think that if you had gone to Him that time when you were so
troubled and overburdened He would have helped you," said Edith,
gently.
"Yes, but there it is, you see," said Mrs. Groody, wiping her eyes and
shaking her head despondently; "I didn't go."
"But you are heavy laden now. I can see it. You can go now," said
Edith, earnestly.
"I'm afraid I've put it off too long," said Mrs. Groody, settling back
into something of her old gloom. "I'm afraid I've sinned away my
time."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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