The Trappers Son | Page 8

his boy how it went with him. At every footstep which passed he
started up and made the same inquiry, and then with a groan lay down
again, his desire to keep on the watch in vain struggling with his
fatigue.
CHAPTER THREE.
ANXIETY OF THE TRAPPER ABOUT HIS SON--JEANIE TELLS
LAURENCE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND GOD'S LOVE TO
MAN--LAURENCE OUT OF DANGER--THE TRAPPER LEAVES
LAURENCE WITH HIS FRIENDS--JEANIE TRIES TO TEACH
LAURENCE TO READ-- HISTORY OF MRS. RAMSAY.
The following morning, the old trapper was sitting on the floor, where
he had passed the night, with his head bent down on his knees, when
Mrs Ramsay came out of his son's room.
"Is he better? Will he live?" he asked in a low, husky voice, gazing up
anxiously at her countenance.
"The issues of life and death are in God's hands," she answered. "Your
young son is very ill; but our merciful Father in heaven can restore him
if He thinks fit; we can but watch over him, and minister to his wants as

may seem best to us. Lift up your heart in prayer to that Great Being
through Him who died for us, sinning children as we are that we might
be reconciled to our loving Parent, and He will assuredly hear your
petition, and grant it if He thinks fit."
The old man groaned as she ceased speaking, and again dropping his
head on his breast made no reply to her, though he muttered to himself,
"She tells me to pray. The Great Spirit would strike me dead in his
anger were I to dare to speak to Him." The kind lady, seeing he did not
speak, passed on.
Old Michael could with difficulty be persuaded to eat anything, or to
quit his post during the day. Little Jeanie was at length sent to him with
some food, to try if he would receive it at her hands.
"Here," she said, placing her hand on his arm. "You must take some of
this, or you will become weak and ill. God, you know, gives us food to
support our bodies, just as He sends His holy spirit to strengthen our
souls. It is very wrong not to eat when we require food, and so it is
when we refuse to receive the aid of the Holy Spirit, which we so much
need every moment of our lives."
"Who told you that, little damsel?" asked the old man, looking up in the
child's sweet face.
"Mamma, of course," she answered. "And Mr Martin, the missionary,
who came here some time ago, says she is right, and told me never to
forget what she says to me. I try not to do so; but when I am playing
about, and sometimes when I feel inclined to be naughty, I am apt not
to remember as I ought; and then I ask God to help me and to forgive
me, through Jesus Christ, and all those things come back again to my
memory."
"You naughty!" said the old man, gazing still more intently at the
young fair countenance. "I don't think you ever could be naughty."
"Oh yes, yes, I am, though," answered the child. "I feel sometimes
vexed and put out, and so do all sorts of naughty things; besides, you

know that God says, `there is none that doeth good, no, not one;' and
even if I did not think I was naughty, I know that I must be in His sight,
for He is so pure and holy that even to Him the heavens, so bright to us,
are not pure."
The old man apparently did not understand what the child was saying
to him, but the sound of her soft voice soothed his troubled heart. She
little knew how dark and hard that heart had become.
"What is it you want, little damsel?" he asked, in a tone as if he had
been lost in thought while she was speaking.
"I came to bring you this food," she said. "I shall be so glad to see you
eat some."
The old man, without further remonstrance, almost mechanically, it
seemed, consumed the food she offered him.
For several days Laurence hung between life and death, but the
constant and watchful care of his new friends was blessed with success;
and once more he opened his eyes, and was able to understand and
reply to what was said to him. As soon as he was considered out of
danger, old Michael regained his usual manner. Though he expressed
his gratitude to his hosts in his rough, blunt way, he uttered no
expression which showed that he believed that aught of thanks were
due to the Giver of all good for his son's recovery. With his ordinary
firm tread he