Willie the Waif | Page 6

hear the
words---
"Suffer little children to come unto Me."
"Don't it sound prime, Willie?" said Bob. Shall we go in?"
"Yes, do; it'll be warm in there."
So Bob pushed open the door, and trying to make as little noise as
possible, so as not to attract attention, the two boys shuffled in. In his
anxiety, however, he managed to drop his broom, which fell with a
thud on the floor, the noise of which caused all the children to stop
their singing and turn round to look at him. This was too much for the
poor little fellow, and he tried to get out again as quickly as he came in.
Just as he was turning to go, however, a lady with the most beautiful
face he had even, came up, and, laying her hand upon his shoulder, said,
"Don't go away, dear. Come and sit down!" and she led them to a form
near the stove. At the same time, a man who was standing upon a low
platform at the other end of the room called out in a quick
voice--"Attention, children!" and immediately the singing went on
again. After the hymn was finished the children seated them-selves, and
the gentleman spoke to them about the One who had said "Suffer little
children." He pictured to them the scene of Jesus going on His journey
surrounded by His disciples. He told them how the mothers came,
bringing their little children along the hot dusty road to meet Him, and
how delighted they were when Jesus took the little ones up in His arms

and blessed them. And then he held up before them a picture, and,
pointing to the central figure, he said---
"Look, dear children, this Man with the kind face is Jesus. See how
lovingly He looks at the little children. Wouldn't some of you have
liked to have been there?"
A low murmured "Yes!" came from the children as they listened
breathlessly.
"Well, dear children," he went on, "Jesus loves you as much as He
loved those children. He is sorry for you when you are hungry and cold.
He wants you to be good too, for it makes Him very sad when you steal,
or say bad words, or quarrel and fight. He is getting a beautiful place
ready for you to live in; but you must let Him help you to be good, and
some day He will send His angel to fetch you to go and live in that
beautiful place."
After he had finished speaking, Miss Elton, the lady who had spoken to
Bob at the door, came up to the platform, and in a sweet, clear voice, so
that the children could understand every word, she sang to them the
well-known hymn---
"I think when I read that sweet story of old."
There was a pin-drop silence in the room when she left off and then
they all sang a hymn together, after which the gentleman prayed a short,
simple prayer, and the meeting was over.
With much noise the little ragged children departed to their homes, but
Bob sat on like one in a dream.
Presently Miss Elton came up to him, and said---
"Well my little man, aren't you going home?"
"Please'm," he said eagerly, "do you think as 'ow 'e'll let me take Willie
to 'im?"

"What do you mean, dear?" she asked.
"Why 'im as we was told about to-night."
"Do you mean Jesus?" she asked.
Bob nodded.
"Yes, dear," was the answer. "He wants Willie and you too. Have you
ever heard about Jesus before?"
"No," was the answer.
So she tried to explain in a very simple way, which both the children
could understand, the sweet story of Jesus. "He is watching you, and
Willie too," she said, "and He wants to help you to be good boys, so
that you may grow up to be good He loves you very, very much. Will
you let Him?"
"I wish 'e would," said Bob. "Don't you, Willie? On'y, I don't see as 'ow
I can tell 'im."
"Well," was the answer, "if you kneel down, and shut your eyes, and
speak to Him ever so softly, He will hear you. Listen!" And kneeling
down beside the children she prayed--"Dear Jesus, these two little boys
want You to help them to be good. They want to be made fit to live in
Your beautiful home. Please help them. Amen."
The children looked at her for a moment or two, awed by her manner.
Then Bob asked--
"Did 'e 'ear yer?"
"Yes, dear, He did," was the reply; "and if you talk to Him, He will
hear you too. But now it is getting late and you must take this little
chap home. Will you come again