Sunshine Factory | Page 4

him to go to
heaven where his mother had been waiting for him for three years.
However he didn't. It was her softly spoken sentence as they rose from
prayers that morning: "I prayed for you all the time, Stuart," that had
sent him off in a pet with his fishing rod over his shoulder.
"You may go along," he said to Tiger; "thank fortune you can't talk; if
you could no doubt you would ask me to go to prayer-meeting to-night.
What a preaching set they are! I wish I had known it, and I would have
steered clear of them and gone home with Randolph. Well, I'll have one
good day; there isn't a house within four miles of the point where I am
going, and fishes can't preach. I will live in rest for one morning. We
will have some good rational enjoyment all by ourselves, won't we,
Tiger? And carry home a string of trout for Aunt Mattie, to pay her for
looking so sober at us this morning."
Saying which he snapped his fingers cheerily at the dog, and sent him
in search of a ground squirrel, and made believe that he was perfectly
happy. What do you suppose came into Stuart's mind and heart before
he had held his rod in the water ten minutes, and followed him up with
a persistent voice all the morning? Nothing so very new nor strange,
nothing but what he had known ever since he was a little boy five years
old, and had stood at his mother's knee, one summer Sunday morning,
and said it to her; it was just this little verse: "Follow me, and I will
make you fishers of men."
It was wonderful with what a clear voice that seemed to be said over in
his ear. He looked around him once, startled, half expecting to see some
one, and once he muttered: "I was mistaken, I see, about the fishes;

they have caught the preaching fever, and can do it as well as any of
them."
But afterwards there came a wiser thought; those were the words of
Jesus Christ; what if he were repeating them in his ear. Did he really
and truly want him, Stuart Milburn, to follow him?
"Pshaw," said Satan, "that was said to the fishermen at Galilee
hundreds of years ago." Still came the mysterious sentence: "Follow
me;" "fishers of men!" he said over aloud; "what a strange idea. Worth
while, though, to catch men. I should like to be able to lead people.
They wouldn't be led, though, I suppose any more than I will."
Over and over sounded the verse, "Follow me." Stuart grew very grave.
The moments passed; a fish jerked and wriggled at the end of his line in
vain; he did not notice it. Tiger jumped at his heels and talked loudly in
his way, but the fisher paid no attention. An important question was
being settled.
Suddenly he jerked out his rod, threw back the fish into the water and
wound up his line.
"Come, Tiger," he said; "let's you and I go to the woods and find the
boys; I have made up my mind to 'follow.'"
Up in her own little room at home, his Cousin Sarah, who was just
Stuart's age, and thought he was almost perfect, locked her door and
prayed this prayer:
"Dear Jesus: He has got vexed at us all and gone off fishing, by himself.
Don't let him have a good time at all; don't let him have any more good
times until he finds them in thee."
[Illustration]
[Illustration]

RAY'S MORNING.
There is a little nestling among the bed-clothes, and then a ringing
voice says: "Well, mamma, here I am; good-morning. Shall I tell you a
nice pretty story this morning, while you comb your hair?"
"Oh, yes, indeed."
"Well, once there was a man named Peter, and a naughty king named
Herod put him in prison. Prisons are great big stone houses with iron
windows, where they put naughty men. Peter wasn't naughty, but King
Herod was; and he fastened him to two soldiers; he put chains around
his wrists, you know, and then around each soldier's wrist. Then they
locked the doors and locked and bolted the great big gate, and went
away. Peter went to sleep; and in the night he heard some one say to
him, 'Get up, Peter, quick; and put on your cloak and come with me.'
Then Peter opened his eyes, and there stood an angel; then he hurried
and put on his cloak and his belt, and they went out, he and Jesus--the
angel was Jesus hisself, you know--and they went by the soldier, and
the soldier didn't say a word; and Peter wondered and wondered how
they