But while the child Samuel, “girded with a linen ephod,” “ministered before the Lord,” in the Tabernacle, in Shiloh, the loving mother heart, in her home, was stitching her beautiful thoughts year after year into the little coat which she annually brought to him, “when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.” And we may well believe that Hannah’s loyalty and good sense made plain, serviceable garments, so that the mind of the young Samuel was not diverted from his Tabernacle duties to gay and bright colors in his tunics, and so his young heart was kept from the blight of pride. This was the lad’s high privilege. He was always a holy child. He never knew the defiling breath of wickedness. This may be the privilege of your child, Christian mother. God help you to protect your innocent babe from the foul breath of sin’s contamination and always to shelter that trusting life under the protecting wings of God. This may be your privilege, happy Christian child, who perchance may read these lines to-day. Oh, let God have your earliest years and may you never know the mystery of iniquity and the memories of sin and shame which, though they may be forgiven, yet come back to defile and distress the heart. But Samuel was not holy and good by natural birth or disposition. It was not because that he was good anyhow by temperament. The keynote of his life was, “Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.” At first even he made some mistakes and misunderstood the voice that spake to him so gently in his little chamber. Three times it called to him in vain, and he thought it was the old priest’s message, but even when he understood not he still responded and sprang to his feet, ready instantly to obey. The very peculiarities of Samuel’s call lingered in his later life in his messages to Saul, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” All his blessings had come to him by hearkening and obeying, and all Saul’s calamities had come to him because he willfully took his own way and refused to listen to God.