,,amy ,,harrison                   ,,or 
,,heavenly ,,seed ,,and ,,heavenly      
,,dew4               ,decoration        
,,london   ,t4 ,,nelson ,,and ,,sons1   
,,paternoster ,,row        ,,edinburgh2 
,,and ,,new ,,york4       ,illustration3
 ,a ,,new ,,feeling4     ,page #eg4     
,,contents4         ,i4 ,,the ,,walk1   
#g       ,,ii4 ,,at ,,school1           
#ae      ,,iii4 ,,at ,,home1            
#cj       ,,iv4 ,a ,,new ,,leaf1 ,,and  
,,how ,,it ,,was ,,filled1         #cd  
,v4 ,,try ,,again1                      
#da       ,,vi4 ,,the ,,truth ,,setting 
,,free1                    #df     ,,amy
 ,,harrison4     ,,chapter ,i4  ,,the   
,,walk4   ,one fine ,sunday morning two 
little girls1 called ,amy and ,kitty    
,harrison1 set out from their mother's  
cottage to go to the ,sunday school in  
the neighbouring village4 ,the little   
hamlet where they lived was half a mile 
from the school4 ,in fine weather it was
 a very pleasant walk1 for the way lay  
by the side of a little chattering      

stream1 which fed the roots of many     
pretty wild flowers2 and then1 leaving  
the valley1 the path struck across some 
corn-fields1 which were now quite yellow
 for harvest4 ,and even in wet weather  
the little girls seldom missed the      
school2 for their mother was a careful  
woman1 and they themselves loved their  
teacher and their lessons4 ,mrs4        
,mordaunt1 the wife of the clergyman1   
taught them on ,sunday1 for both ,amy   
and ,kitty were in the first class4     
,amy was tripping lightly along1        
enjoying the sunshine4 ,every now and   
then she bent down and gathered a wild  
flower1--the four-leaved yellow         
potentilla1 or the meadow-sweet1 or a   
spike of golden rod1 or a handful of    
forget-me-nots1 watered by the stream1  
to make a little nosegay for her        
teacher2 for ,mrs4 ,mordaunt loved      
flowers and would sometimes take the    
lesson for the day from them4 ,and she  
loved better still the affectionate     
remembrances of her children4  ,kitty1  

meanwhile1 was walking very soberly     
along1 reading her hymn-book4 ,perhaps  
from this you may think that ,kitty was 
the more industrious and thoughtful of  
the two2 but it was not so4 ,amy had    
risen early that morning1 and got her   
lessons all ready1 and so she could     
enjoy the pleasant walk freely2 for you 
know1 or if you do not know ,i hope you 
will learn1 that it is always those who 
are busiest at their work that can be   
merriest in their hours of leisure4     
,nothing gives us such an appetite for  
enjoyment as hearty work4 ,so ,amy      
tripped on1 humming a cheerful hymn1    
while poor ,kitty kept on saying over   
and over again the words of her hymn1   
and vainly trying to stop her ears from 
hearing and her eyes from seeing all the
 pleasant sights and sounds around her4 
,but the birds were so busy singing1 and
 the fish kept springing up from the    
stream1 and every now and then a bright 
butterfly would flit across1 or a little
 bird perch on a spray close to her1 and

 everything around seemed trying so     
mischievously to take her attention from
 her book1 so that they had reached the 
gate at the end of the wood before      
,kitty had learned two verses of her    
hymn4  ,you see1 these two little girls 
were not quite like each other1 although
 they had the same home1 and the same   
lessons1 and the same plays4 ,if you sow
 two seeds of the same plant in the same
 soil1 you know they will grow up       
exactly like each other4 ,the flowers   
will be of the same colour1 the same    
smell1 the same shape2 the roots will   
suck up the same nourishment from the   
soil1 and the little vessels of the     
stems and leaves will cook it into the  
very same sweet1 or sour1 or bitter     
juices4 ,but with little children it is 
quite different4 ,you may often see two 
children of one family1 with the same   
friends1 the same teaching1 the same    
means of improvement1 as different in   
temper and character from each other as 
if they had been brought up on opposite 

sides of the world4 ,indeed1 it is as   
strange for children of one family to be
 alike1 as for flowers to be unlike4    
,why is this8 ,among other reasons one  
great one is1 that ,god has given to    
children a will--a power of choosing    
good or evil4 ,flowers have no will2    
they cannot help being beautiful1 and   
being what ,god meant them to be4 ,the  
earth feeds them1 and the rains water   
them and make them grow without any     
choice or will of theirs2 but with you1 
children1 it is quite otherwise4 ,god   
has given you wills2 and it is in your  
own power to choose whether you will be 
good and happy children1 and a blessing 
to all around you1 and turning          
everything around you into a blessing1  
every year growing wiser and better2 or 
whether you will yield to the evil      
within and around you1 and turn health1 
and time1 and ,christian teaching1 and  
all the good things ,god sends to feed  
your souls1 into food for your selfish  
and idle natures1 and so grow every year

 worse and worse4 ,you must do one of   
these two things1--you may do the best4 
,remember ,i do not say you can do them 
for or by yourselves1 but you can do    
them4 ,god has said so4 ,the flowers    
cannot choose or ask for food1 and so   
,god chooses for them and gives without 
asking4 ,you are higher creatures than  
they1 and can choose and ask1 and so    
,god will wait for you to ask before he 
gives2 but he is only waiting for this1 
and he is always ready to hear4  ,mrs4  
,mordaunt had told the children         
something of this last ,sunday1 and ,amy
 thought of it as she walked1 and did   
ask ,god to bless her teacher's words to
 her that day4  ,now you have seen how  
,amy and ,kitty ,harrison used their    
power of choice4 ,the sun had beamed    
into the room for ,kitty as well as for 
,amy that morning4 ,god had given them  
both the pleasant morning hours of his  
day to use as they liked best4 ,kitty   
had chosen to spend them in dozing      
lazily in bed1 while ,amy had jumped out

 of bed and dressed quickly1 and gone   
out to her favourite seat under an old  
cherry tree to learn her lessons4  ,so  
the little girls reached the gate at the
 end of the wood4 ,outside was a road1  
across which lay the corn-fields leading
 to the church1 and beside it stood a   
cottage where ,amy and ,kitty used to   
stop to call for little ,jane ,hutton1  
one of their school-fellows4 ,jane's    
father was a blacksmith2 and the        
,huttons were richer than the           
,harrisons1 so that ,jane had gayer     
bonnets and smarter dresses than ,kitty 
and ,amy4 ,this morning she had such    
beautiful new ribbons that ,kitty's     
attention was quite caught by them4 ,and
 ,jane too was not a little proud of    
them2 her mother had given a shilling a 
yard for them at the next town4 ,if     
,kitty had found it difficult to learn  
her lessons before1 she now found it    
quite impossible2 for in the midst of   
every line she could not help reckoning 
how many weeks' halfpence it would take1

 and how many times she would have to   
open the gate for travellers who came to
 see the waterfall near the cottage1    
before she could buy a ribbon like that4
     ,,chapter ,,ii4  ,,at ,,school4    
,at length the children reached the     
school before the hymn was learned1 and 
,kitty felt very much ashamed when1     
after stammering through three verses1  
,mrs4 ,mordaunt gave her back the book1 
saying1 ,i would rather have no lesson  
from you1 ,kitty1 than one learned so   
carelessly as this4 ,however1 it was too
 late to repair the fault1 so ,kitty    
resolved to give her very best attention
 to the chapter they were going to read4
 ,it was the parable of the sower and   
the seed1 in the thirteenth of ,st4     
,matthew4 ,i cannot tell you all that   
,mrs4 ,mordaunt said about it1 but it   
was something of this kind3--  ,the     
,saviour was sitting on a little strip  
of level land by the side of the ,sea of
 ,galilee4 ,behind him were high        
mountains1 towering one above another to

 the clouds2 before him1 the waves came 
rippling quietly against the low shore4 
,around him were crowds of people       
gathered together from the villages and 
towns many miles around to listen unto  
him4 ,had all these people come to      
,jesus for the same thing1 do you think1
 ,jane ,hutton8  ,jane ,hutton started  
at the question4 ,she had been playing  
with her new parasol1 and her thoughts  
were very far from the ,sea of ,galilee4
 ,mrs4 ,mordaunt repeated the question  
in another way4 ,do you think all the   
people who came to ,jesus came because  
they loved him1 and wanted to be his    
disciples8  ,no2 there were the         
,pharisees1 said ,kitty4  ,yes2 they    
came to try to find fault with him4     
,and the sick1 said ,amy timidly1 who   
came to be healed4  ,true1 said ,mrs4   
,mordaunt4 ,and then there were very    
many1 doubtless1 who came from mere     
curiosity1 because they had heard their 
friends talk of his wonderful power of  
healing1 or the new1 wise1 and strange  

words of him who seemed to them only the
 son of a poor carpenter of ,nazareth4  
,but were there any who gathered close  
around him1 and loved his words for     
their own sake1 not because they were   
new or interesting1 but because they    
were true and ,god's words1 because they
 had sins to be forgiven and ,jesus     
could forgive1 and sick souls which only
 ,jesus could heal8  ,yes2 there were   
the disciples4  ,what do you mean by    
disciples8  ,does it not mean those who 
love ,jesus8 asked ,amy4  ,no2 don't you
 remember it means scholars8 said       
,kitty1 who was quicker than her sister1
 and rather proud of her better memory4 
,you are both right1 said ,mrs4         
,mordaunt4 ,the disciples of ,jesus are 
those who come to learn of him2 and the 
first lesson every one who comes to     
,jesus learns is to love him4 ,nothing  
can be learned of ,christ without loving
 him4  ,well1 she continued1 our ,lord  
looked round on the crowd3 the proud and
 clever men who stood knitting their    

brows1 and eagerly watching his words1  
and from time to time whispering to one 
another2 the eager multitude1 who       
listened in mute wonder to his wonderful
 lessons2 the little group of disciples 
who gathered affectionately about him2  
the sick whom he had healed2 the        
possessed and mad whom he had restored  
to reason2 the despised sinners whom he 
had received and forgiven2 and perhaps  
there were some pious mothers there with
 little children who were not afraid to 
come close to him1 for he loved little  
children4 ,but he saw more of that crowd
 than we should have seen if we had been
 there4 ,what was it that he saw which  
we cannot see8  ,the children were      
silent a minute1 and then ,amy murmured1
 ,was it their hearts1 ma'am8  ,mrs4    
,mordaunt replied kindly1 ,yes2 and he  
saw how differently his words would tell
 on the hearts of the crowd around4 ,and
 so he taught them a lesson in this     
story which we call--  ,the parable of  
the sower1 said ,kitty quickly4  ,then  

,mrs4 ,mordaunt examined the children   
about the parable1 and finding they had 
attended to it and understood it1 she   
talked to them about it4  ,now1 dear    
children1 she said1 this school-room1   
with its whitewashed walls1 is a very   
different place from the shores of the  
,sea of ,galilee2 and you1 little       
children1 with your pleasant ,english   
homes1 and your ,bibles1 and your       
,sunday schools1 ,i daresay think       
yourselves very different from the grave
 priests1 and clever lawyers1 and rough 
,hebrew labourers and farmers1 and      
,roman soldiers1 who gathered around the
 ,saviour then4 ,but among you1 as among
 that multitude1 who have so long since 
gone the way of all the earth1 the eye  
of ,jesus ,christ 7for he sees here as  
well as there7 sees two great divisions1
 not of rich and poor1 or clever and    
stupid1 but of those who are his        
disciples and those who are not4 ,which 
class would you like to belong to8      
,kitty answered eagerly1 ,his disciples1

 ma'am4  ,some of the children were     
silent1 and some spoke with ,kitty2 but 
little ,amy said nothing--the tears     
filled her eyes and choked her voice4   
,you may all be ,christ's little        
disciples1 said ,mrs4 ,mordaunt4 ,he    
calls you to him4 ,you may all come to  
him privately1 as the disciples did2    
pray to him in secret1 and have his     
words made clear to you1 if you will4   
,you may all bring forth fruit to his   
glory1 thirty1 or sixty1 or a hundred   
fold4  ,you see1 she continued1 although
 there are only two great bodies or     
parties in the world1--those in whom    
,christ's words live1 and those in whom 
they die1--yet there are many smaller   
differences among each of these parties4
 ,some of the seed in the parable fell  
merely on the surface1 and never was    
seen any more after it was sown3 just   
as1 ,i am afraid1 some of you have often
 left all thoughts of ,god behind when  
you left the school or the church1 and  
never thought of him or his words from  

one ,sunday to another4 ,the fowls of   
the air--that is1 some light thought or 
play1 or ,satan1 who goes about to put  
these in your heart--come the moment the
 words die on your ear1 and take the    
good seed quite away4 ,and then some of 
you like to hear about ,christ1 and his 
words and works1 and are quick1 and     
easily understand and take in new       
thoughts1 and1 perhaps1 think you would 
like to be good children1 and to love   
,christ1 and be his disciples1 and go   
home and go to sleep full of good       
intentions and plans of correcting your 
faults4 ,but the next morning other     
lessons have to be learned1 and other   
things to be thought about1 and your    
faults and bad habits are strong2 and so
 every day the echo of the ,sunday's    
teaching grows fainter1 and at last the 
end of the week comes1 and finds you no 
nearer ,god or the fulfilment of your   
good resolutions than the beginning4    
,the thorns have sprung up--the cares   
and pleasures of this world--and choked 

the good seed that was beginning to     
grow4 ,and then1 again1 perhaps1 there  
are some of you who would like very much
 to be pious1 only you are afraid of    
being unlike others1 afraid of being    
teased for being strict1 or laughed at2 
for persecution does not only consist in
 burning or hurting the body1--little   
annoyances are often harder to bear than
 great sorrows4 ,but think how very     
cowardly this would be1 how very        
ungrateful and ungenerous to ,jesus4 ,he
 bore the sneers and taunts of crowds   
for your sake1 and bore them too when he
 was suffering great pain2 and can you  
not bear a little laugh for his sake8   
,think how happy it is to be able to    
bear a little for him who bore so very  
much for us2 think what joy to have his 
eye on us1 and to hear his kind voice   
saying1 ',blessed are ye1 little        
children1 who confess me as your ,master
 before men2 for ,i will confess you to 
be my beloved ones before the angels of 
,god4' ,and then1 dear children1 ,mrs4  

,mordaunt added1 ,i hope there are some 
of you who do love your ,saviour1 and   
are treasuring up his words in your     
hearts2 and to you ,i would say1 there  
are differences even among ,christ's    
disciples4 ,some bring forth fruit      
thirty1 some sixty1 and some an hundred 
fold4 ,seek1 then1 not only to bring    
forth fruit1 but much fruit2 to be      
better and happier every day4 ,god means
 you to do this2 he will certainly      
enable you to do it if you ask4  ,and   
before you leave1 she said1 ,i will     
first tell you three things which ,i    
particularly wish you to remember3 the  
place where the seed is to grow2 the    
enemies which try to destroy its life2  
and what makes it grow4 ,first1 where is
 the seed sown8  ,in the heart1 replied 
all the children4  ,are your spelling   
lessons1 or your lessons on the         
multiplication table1 sown in your      
hearts8  ,the children smiled1 and      
answered1 ,no4  ,then you do not expect 
them to bear fruit in your life4 ,it    

does not improve your tempers or your   
hearts to learn that h e a r t spells   
heart1 does it8 or that #ab times #ab   
are #add8  ,the children thought not4   
,then all you are expected to do with   
such lessons is to remember them2 is it 
not8  ,yes1 ma'am1 was the reply4  ,now 
that is precisely the point where your  
lessons in reading and spelling differ  
from your lessons about the ,bible4     
,when you sow seed in your memories1 it 
is like laying up grains in a closed    
box4 ,we do not expect them to grow2 we 
are quite content if we find as many as 
we leave2 we do not expect any fruit or 
growth4 ,but when ,i sow seed in your   
hearts1 it is like putting it into the  
ground2 we want it to grow4 ,it is not  
enough for it to remain safe and sound2 
we hope that it will bear fruit in your 
lives4 ,i do not care only for finding  
it safe in your memories the next       
,sunday4 ,i long to know that it has    
been making you better and wiser        
children during the week1 helping you to

 fight with faults1 teaching you to love
 ,god and one another4 ,and speaking of 
your faults leads me to think of the    
enemies the little seed has to          
encounter4 ,can you think of some of the
 things which try to hinder its growth8 
,there were the fowls1 answered ,kitty4 
,and the thorns1 said some of the other 
children4  ,and the sun1 said ,amy4     
,you know what the thorns and the       
scorching heat are8  ,our faults and    
troubles8 asked ,kitty4  ,yes4 ,side by 
side with the seed1 and from the same   
soil1 the heart1 spring up thorns and   
weeds1 which try to choke the seed4 ,and
 the little seed has to struggle hard   
for its life2 if it does not choke the  
weeds1 the weeds will choke it4 ,what   
must we do with the weeds8  ,cut them   
down1 said the children4  ,yes4 ,we must
 fight with our faults1 and not let one1
 however small1 be neglected1 or it will
 soon cover the garden2 for all weeds   
grow fast4 ,but the other enemies1 the  
heat and the fowls1 cannot be destroyed4

 ,the scorching sun--trials and         
mockery--can only injure those plants   
which have no root1 those hearts which  
are not trusting in ,jesus1 and rooted  
in him4 ,but the fowls of the           
air1--those powerful and wicked spirits 
who are constantly on the watch to crush
 all that is good and encourage all that
 is evil in our hearts1--what can the   
little seed do against such enemies8    
,the children gave no answer4  ,it can  
do nothing1 said ,mrs4 ,mordaunt4 ,you  
all see it has no power whatever2 and in
 this1 too1 the seed is like us4 ,what  
then can save it8  ,there was a pause of
 a minute1 and then ,amy ventured to    
ask1 ,does not ,god watch over it8  ,he 
does1 my child1 replied ,mrs4 ,mordaunt4
 ,but do you remember why ,i said the   
plants are cared for without asking8    
,because they cannot ask4  ,but we can  
ask4 ,what is it called to ask anything 
of ,god8  ,to pray1 said all the        
children4  ,yes2 that is what you may   
all do4 ,our ,saviour calls himself the 

great husbandman or gardener2 and now   
that he has risen and reigns on high1 if
 you ask him1 he will not disdain to    
watch over the little seed of good sown 
in your hearts4 ,he will send the ,holy 
,spirit1 like the rain to young corn1 to
 strengthen all that is good in you2 and
 he will enable you1 feeble as you are1 
to keep down all bad feelings1 and      
tempers1 and habits1 which would choke  
the seed4  ,so there are three things   
for you to remember3 the seed is sown in
 your hearts1 and must bring forth fruit
 in your lives2 you have enemies within 
and without to fight with far stronger  
than any of you2 and you have a ,friend 
far stronger than all your enemies1 who 
will give you the victory if you seek   
his aid4 ,and shall ,i give you a little
 grain of precious seed to bear home    
with you8  ,the children all wished it4 
,think1 then1 on these words1 ',by love 
serve one another4' ,try to love them1  
and pray to ,god for his strength to    
enable you1 for the sake of his ,son1   

our ,saviour2 for remember1 though ,i   
cannot go home with you1 ,god does4     
,the church bells were ringing1 the     
classes broke up to form into marching  
order1 and the lesson was over4         
,,chapter ,,iii4  ,,at ,,home4   ,and   
what did the children think of ,mrs4    
,mordaunt's words8 ,we will follow them 
home and see4 ,little ,jane ,hutton1 ,i 
am afraid1 forgot them2 for during the  
service her eyes kept wandering round   
the church in search of gay dresses and 
bonnets1 and watching what her          
school-fellows thought of her own new   
ribbons4  ,kitty ,harrison had attended 
to what ,mrs4 ,mordaunt said1 and       
resolved to do it2 so she found out all 
the places in her prayer-book1 and went 
home full of plans of amendment1 and in 
the evening she drew her little stool to
 the window1 and began to read her      
,bible1 not so much because she wished  
to learn what it said1 as because she   
thought it right to read it4 ,but1 in   
the first place1 her thoughts would keep

 wandering to ,jane ,hutton's ribbons1  
then she could not help listening to    
what her father and mother were talking 
about1 and the kitten would keep playing
 with her frock2 and so she got through 
a chapter without very well             
understanding it1 and then was rather   
glad that it grew too dark for her to   
read any more4 ,soon after1 the children
 were sent to bed1 and ,kitty went      
upstairs wondering why she did not like 
to read the ,bible better1 and rather   
pleased to think that to-morrow was a   
play-day4  ,kitty had forgotten two     
great things3 she had forgotten that to 
love ,god's ,word we must first love    
,god2 and she had forgotten that the    
little seed could not sprout without    
rain1 and that the dew of heaven1 the   
,holy ,spirit1 must be asked for4       
,meantime1 ,amy was feeling very        
differently4 ,she thought how good it   
was of ,jesus1 the ,son of ,god1 to care
 about the love of little children1 and 
to watch the good seed sown in their    

hearts1 and nourish it1 and water it1   
and make it grow2 and she thought that  
it would be the happiest thing in the   
world to be his disciple1 and to do what
 he wished1 and be loved and approved by
 him2 and she resolved to try4 ,so as   
they walked home1 she planned that she  
would go into a quiet place in the      
garden1 under the trees1 and pray to    
,god4  ,but when they reached the       
cottage1 they had to put away their     
,sunday things2 and when ,amy came down 
her mother desired her to keep the baby 
while she got the tea ready4 ,amy       
thought it hard to be hindered in her   
plans2 but she remembered the verse1 ,by
 love serve one another1 and it came    
into her mind that ,christ might be as  
pleased at her cheerfully giving up her 
own way to help her mother1 as if she   
had been praying to him1 and the thought
 made her happy1 and she danced the     
baby1 and played with it till it crowed 
with delight4 ,after tea1 she could not 
find any quiet in the room where the    

family were sitting1 so she went into   
the bedroom and knelt down by the       
bedside4 ,she had always been accustomed
 to say her prayers morning and evening1
 because she had been taught1 and       
because she would have been afraid to go
 to sleep without2 but now it was a     
different thing--she wanted something   
which she felt only ,god could give4    
,she wanted to be made good1 to have her
 sins forgiven1 to have strength to     
overcome her faults1 that ,christ might 
love her and bless her2 and she asked   
this earnestly of him4 ,she felt sure he
 would hear2 and she rose from her knees
 with a lightened heart1 and opened her 
,bible and read1 until it was quite     
dark1 of the ,saviour and his goodness4 
,and that night she went to sleep happy 
in the care of ,god4     ,,chapter ,,iv4
  ,a ,,new ,,leaf1 ,,and ,,how ,,it     
,,was ,,filled4   ,the next morning ,amy
 awoke early4 ,it was cold and rainy1   
and she felt inclined to turn on her    
pillow1 but the feeling came strongly   

over her that she had something new     
before her1 that this week was to be the
 starting-point of a new life2 and the  
verse1 too1 which had been the last on  
her lips in the evening1 was the first  
in her heart in the morning1 ,by love   
serve one another4 ,she remembered that 
the fire had to be lit1 and the water   
brought from the spring for the kettle2 
so she jumped out of bed1 and was       
quickly dressed and ready to go         
downstairs4 ,kitty would not follow her 
example4 ,she did not forget to ask     
,god's blessing on the day1 and then she
 called ,kitty again4 ,but ,kitty was   
very sleepy2 she only said she was sure 
it would be time to get up in half an   
hour1 and wrapped herself up comfortably
 and went to sleep again4 ,amy thought  
it was rather selfish of ,kitty to leave
 all the work to her2 but she said      
nothing1 and tripped downstairs4 ,she   
had soon brought the water and lighted  
the fire1 and brushed and dusted        
everything neat and bright1 and then she

 found she had a little time to spare4  
,near their cottage lived a poor old    
widow1 named ,hill4 ,amy knew she could 
hardly hobble about her house to do her 
work1 and she thought it would be a nice
 way of serving one another1 if she were
 just to run down and light ,widow      
,hill's fire1 and put her room neat4 ,no
 sooner planned than done4 ,away she    
ran2 half-an-hour1 with ,amy's light    
feet and busy fingers1 did the work     
which would have cost the old woman an  
hour or two2 and rich with the widow's  
thanks1 and hungry with work1 she       
tripped back to breakfast1 happy to     
think how her mother would be pleased   
with what she had done4  ,but on        
entering the cottage1 ,amy's spirits    
received a sudden check2 the family were
 all at breakfast1 and her father spoke 
rather severely to her about her never  
being in time for anything4 ,amy did not
 answer2 she felt ill-used1 and she was 
too much hurt to say what she had been  
about2 so she sat down in silence to her

 breakfast4 ,kitty was beside her1      
yawning as if she had only just got out 
of bed4 ,yet1 thought ,amy1 no one ever 
scolds her2 it is no good to try to     
please people4 ,so ,amy sat1 getting    
angrier and angrier1 and not enjoying   
her breakfast a bit1 and thinking       
everybody very unkind1 although she said
 nothing2 you might1 perhaps1 have      
thought she bore the rebuke very meekly4
 ,now1 ,i do not mean to deny that this 
was a trial for poor ,amy4 ,it is a very
 great trial to be blamed and           
misunderstood when we have been seeking 
to please people2 but it is the pride of
 our own hearts which makes it so       
trying4 ,if we were lowly1 harsh words  
would not have half the power to wound  
us4 ,amy felt this1 and she felt she was
 doing wrong1 but that only made her    
more vexed2 for instead of acknowledging
 her fault to herself1 and asking ,god  
to forgive her and strengthen her       
against it1 she went on brooding over   
her wrongs and nursing her anger in     

silence4 ,after breakfast1 ,kitty asked 
her if she had been working in their    
garden all this time4  ,no1 said ,amy   
shortly4  ,have you been learning your  
lessons for next ,sunday1 then8  ,no1   
answered ,amy still more sharply4       
,kitty looked puzzled for a minute1 and 
then she laughed1 and said1 ,i can't see
 what good you've got1 ,amy1 by being in
 such haste to get up4 ,you seem to have
 done nothing but lose your temper4     
,this was altogether more than ,amy     
could bear2 she made a bitter reply1 and
 a quarrel began between the sisters1   
which made their walk to school very    
uncomfortable4 ,it was so different from
 yesterday1 ,amy felt ready to cry1 but 
she was ashamed that ,kitty should see4 
,poor ,amy entered the school-room with 
a sore heart4 ,a bad temper is not      
likely to get sweet of itself1 so ,amy  
went on more and more discontented with 
herself1 and her lessons1 and everything
 else1 until the class was called to    
read their morning lesson4 ,the text    

from the ,bible which stood at the head 
of the lesson happened to be1 ,for if   
you1 from your heart1 forgive not your  
brother his trespasses1 how can your    
heavenly ,father forgive you your       
trespasses8 ,amy had to read these      
words1 and they struck to her heart2 she
 thought of what sinful and angry       
feelings she had been cherishing1 and   
how much she had to ask ,god to forgive 
her1 and how little she felt inclined to
 forgive in her sister and others2 and  
afterwards1 as she wrote her copy1 hot  
tears fell on the page1 and she         
confessed her fault in her heart to     
,god1 and begged him to forgive her4    
,then she felt happier at once4 ,after  
school1 one of her school-fellows was   
kept in to finish a sum2 she was crying1
 and did not seem able to do it1 so ,amy
 went quietly to her1 and showed her the
 way1 and then danced off to the        
play-ground4 ,on their way home she had 
a harder struggle to make1 and that was 
to tell ,kitty she was sorry for her    

hasty words2 but she conquered1 and     
,kitty having confessed that she too had
 been in the wrong1 the sisters felt    
happy again together4  ,this was true   
repentance2 it was a sorrow for and     
confession of sin1 and then forsaking   
the sin2 it was a change of mind4 ,that 
evening ,amy felt very serious when she 
thought over the day's doings2 she was  
weaker than she had thought--it was     
harder to do right than she had         
believed2 but she resolved to try harder
 again to-morrow4 ,so she went to bed   
hopeful1 although rather sad4 ,we shall 
see how her resolutions were carried    
out4     ,,chapter ,v4  ,,try ,,again4  
,amy did try very hard the next day1 and
 she prayed earnestly for strength from 
on high4 ,she rose early1 she got       
everything ready in time for her father1
 and he praised her and called her a    
thrifty little maid2 she never          
reproached ,kitty with leaving the work 
to her2 she went cheerfully through her 
lessons1 and in the afternoon she had   

the delight of being highly commended by
 the mistress and set to teach one of   
the younger classes4 ,after school1 some
 of the children went                   
blackberry-picking1 and the ,harrisons  
were of the number4 ,they had a merry   
time of it2 the sun was shining1 the    
birds were singing1 and the thick leaves
 of the wood where the blackberries grew
 just let enough of the sunbeams        
through2 and ,amy ,harrison's heart was 
full of peace and sunshine1 and the     
woods were full of beautiful ripe       
blackberries1 so that in a few hours the
 little party tripped homeward full of  
glee1 and with baskets filled to the    
brim with large ripe blackberries4 ,they
 were walking on fast1 laughing and     
chattering1 when ,amy saw that a little 
lame girl named ,lucy ,maitland could   
not keep up with the rest1 and so she   
stayed to talk to her4 ,lucy looked     
rather dismal1 and her basket was not   
half full2 she could not climb in and   
out among the rocks and brambles like   

the others4 ,amy felt sorry for her2 she
 thought she would give her some from   
her own basket1 but she did so wish to  
take it home full1 and she did not like 
,kitty to have more than herself4 ,but  
then the words breathed into her heart1 
,by love serve one another1 and she     
resolved to seize the opportunity2 and  
without another word1 she poured out a  
third of her own little store1 and      
nearly filled ,lucy's basket4 ,lucy's   
eyes glistened1 but she had not time to 
say much1 for the children were         
comparing what they had each gathered1  
and ,amy's basket had to be held up     
amongst the rest4  ,why1 ,i thought your
 basket was quite full1 said ,kitty4    
,so it was1 exclaimed little ,lucy1 but 
she has half emptied it to fill mine4   
,the children all loved ,amy for doing  
this1 and wondered how it was they had  
not thought of little ,lucy before2 so  
now1 many of them insisted on pouring   
some blackberries into ,lucy's basket1  
and giving part of ,amy's back to her4  

,in this way ,lucy and ,amy's stores    
were soon the largest of the whole1 and 
the children separated in good humour   
with each other and everything4  ,as    
,amy and ,kitty entered the garden1 the 
first thing that caught ,amy's eye was  
her little baby sister sitting on her   
little chair under the window4 ,on each 
side of the door grew a little rose     
tree1 one of which belonged to ,amy and 
one to ,kitty4 ,amy's was a red rose4   
,the flowers were nearly all gone1 but  
one had lingered behind the rest4 ,amy  
had watched it with especial care3 she  
had plucked off all the dead flowers    
around it1 and this morning she had been
 thinking it would just be in beautiful 
bloom by ,sunday1 that she might take it
 to school as a present for ,mrs4       
,mordaunt4 ,and now there sat the baby  
with that very bud in her lap quietly   
picking it to pieces1 and holding up the
 scattered leaves in ,amy's face1 she   
lisped1 ,pretty1 pretty6 ,amy was too   
angry and too vexed to think1 and it was

 of no use to scold the baby1 so she    
snatched the rose from the baby's hands1
 and said1 ,you good-for-nothing1       
naughty little thing2 and then she burst
 into tears4 ,the baby began to cry too1
 and their mother came out to know what 
was the matter4 ,o mother1 how could    
you8 sobbed ,amy passionately4 ,why did 
you let baby sit close to my            
rose-bush--my beautiful rose8 ,i had    
been saving it all the week for ,mrs4   
,mordaunt--and it was my last4  ,mrs4   
,harrison tried to comfort ,amy2 and    
,kitty offered her the best flower in   
her garden4 ,they both felt very sorry  
for her4 ,but ,amy was not to be        
comforted1 and so they gave up trying4  
,poor ,amy's evening was quite          
spoilt1--not so much1 ,i think1 by the  
loss of her rose as by the loss of her  
temper4     ,,chapter ,,vi4  ,,the      
,,truth ,,setting ,,free4   ,the next   
day she awoke1 out of spirits and out of
 temper4 ,she did not see why she should
 always work1 while ,kitty was enjoying 

herself in bed4 ,she forgot the joy of  
serving others1 and thought it very hard
 others should not try to serve her4 ,we
 are apt to be very strict about other  
people's duties when we forget our own4 
,so ,amy lay in bed until the last      
moment1 and then hurried on her clothes1
 and hurried over her work1 and what was
 worse1 hurried over her prayers1 and   
thus went out to meet the day's         
temptations unarmed4  ,it never improves
 the temper to be hurried2 and ,amy was 
still further tried this morning by her 
father1 who was in haste to be off to   
his work1 and wondered why she was so   
slow4  ,it's of no use1 grumbled ,amy to
 herself1 to try to do right and please 
everybody4 ,the more one does1 the more 
people expect4 ,nobody thinks of        
scolding ,kitty for being slow4  ,a day 
so begun seldom grows bright of itself4 
,there is a sunshine which can scatter  
even such clouds1 but ,amy did not look 
up to that2 it did not seem to shine for
 her2 it never does1 if you will not    

look up4 ,she felt very discontented and
 ill-used2 it seemed as if no one cared 
for her1 and everything worked together 
to torment her2 and so things got darker
 and darker1 and ,amy's temper more     
bitter and her heart sorer every moment4
  ,at last her mother went out1 and     
,kitty was sent to the bakehouse1 and   
,amy was left alone to rock the cradle  
and watch that the kettle did not boil  
over4  ,amy had much rather not have    
been left alone just then2 her own      
thoughts were not at all pleasant2 but  
as she was alone she could not help     
thinking4 ,at first she thought how     
unkind every one was1 and of all the    
wrongs she had had to bear1--of ,kitty's
 laziness1 of her mother's rebukes1 and 
then of her beautiful rose1 and the     
naughty baby4 ,kitty and the baby might 
do just what they liked1 but if she did 
the least thing wrong she was scolded   
and punished4 ,but this thought of the  
rose led her back to ,mrs4 ,mordaunt's  
lesson on ,sunday4 ,had the good seed   

borne good fruit this week1--this week  
that was to have been the beginning of a
 new life8 ,had it led her to overcome  
one fault1 to be a step nearer to ,god  
and goodness than before8 ,yet she had  
prayed and tried4 ,what was then        
wanting8 ,she was afraid she never      
should be ,god's happy child1 she was so
 full of faults1 and no one helped her  
to overcome them2 and yet it was        
wretched to be as she was4 ,what should 
she do8  ,so she sat rocking the cradle1
 and thinking of her resolutions and her
 failures until the tears rolled fast   
over her cheeks1 and all the proud heart
 within her was melted into sorrow4 ,as 
she sat thus1 her elbows on her knees   
and her hands hiding her face1 she heard
 a gentle voice at the door4 ,she looked
 up4 ,it was ,mrs4 ,mordaunt asking for 
her mother4 ,amy was ashamed to be seen 
crying1 and rose quickly1 and answered  
as briskly as she could4 ,but ,mrs4     
,mordaunt saw she was unhappy1 and she  
came forward1 and laying her hand kindly

 on her shoulder she asked what was the 
matter4  ,amy's tears flowed faster than
 ever now1 and as soon as she could     
speak she sobbed out in a faint voice1  
,o ma'am1 ,i cannot do right1--,i cannot
 be good4 ,mrs4 ,mordaunt sat down      
beside her and said1 ,don't despair1 my 
child2 you know the little song you sing
 in school4 ,try again and again until  
you succeed4 ,every one succeeds who    
goes on trying4  ,but ,i have tried     
again and again1 said poor ,amy1 and ,i 
only get worse and worse4 ,in the very  
moment when ,i want it1 the strength    
goes away4  ,our own strength always    
will1 said the lady4 ,have you          
remembered to ask ,god for his strength8
 ,do you remember what ,i told you about
 the little seed8 its enemies are       
stronger than itself1 but ,god is       
stronger than its enemies4  ,i have     
prayed1 ma'am1 said ,amy mournfully1 but
 ,i am ashamed to ask ,god any more4 ,i 
have done what he tells us not so very  
often1 ,i am afraid he never can love   

me2 and ,amy cried bitterly4  ,my child1
 said ,mrs4 ,mordaunt1 taking her hand1 
if you had disobeyed your mother1 and   
she were angry with you1 would you run  
away from the house in the night1 and   
choose rather to starve or die of cold  
than ask her forgiveness8  ,amy was     
silent4  ,and if your mother could not  
bear to see you in want1 and were to    
come out to you in the cold night with  
food and kind words1 would you turn away
 from her and say1 ',i know she can     
never love me1 ,i have been so naughty2'
 and would you refuse to receive her    
kindness1 and ask her forgiveness8  ,amy
 bent down her head4  ,or would you say1
 continued ,mrs4 ,mordaunt1 as you saw  
her coming1 ',i will not go to meet her 
now2 ,i will go and try to earn a few   
pence1 and then ,i will come back to her
 and say1 ,mother1 ,i am very sorry1 but
 here are some pence ,i have earned4    
,will you take them and forgive me1 and 
let me be your child again8' ,would that
 be humility and gratitude1 or pride and

 ingratitude1 ,amy8  ,pride and         
ingratitude1 said ,amy in a low voice4  
,and when the ,lord ,jesus says to you1 
',you have sinned against me and wronged
 me1 and broken my laws2 but ,i have    
come down from heaven to earth to seek  
you2 come back to me1 and ,i will       
receive and forgive you1' would it be   
humility or pride to say1 ',thou canst  
not forgive me1 ,i am too sinful2 but   
wait a little while1 and ,i will do     
something good1 and make myself better1 
and then ,i will come back to thee'8    
,pride1 said ,amy4 ,but ,i thought ,god 
only loved good children1 ma'am2 and ,i 
am not good4  ,god does only love good  
children1 ,amy1 said ,mrs4 ,mordaunt    
very seriously1 and ,god knows you      
cannot be good4 ,amy looked up in       
wonder4  ,who was ,jesus ,christ1 ,amy8 
,the ,son of ,god1 said ,amy4  ,and what
 did he become man and come into this   
world for8  ,amy answered as she had    
been taught1 ,jesus ,christ came into   
the world to save sinners4  ,to save    

whom8  ,sinners4  ,not those who thought
 themselves good1 but those who knew    
they had been sinful4 ,what did he save 
them from8  ,from punishment1 said ,amy 
thoughtfully4  ,yes1 said ,mrs4         
,mordaunt1 from punishment1 and from    
sin4 ,he came to suffer1 that we might  
be delivered and freely forgiven1 and to
 make us holy4 ,did it cost him nothing 
to do this1 ,amy8  ,he died for it on   
the cross1 said ,amy softly4  ,he did   
indeed4 ,and did he suffer all that pain
 and anguish of mind for nothing8  ,amy 
did not answer4  ,it would have been for
 nothing1 said ,mrs4 ,mordaunt1 if we   
had still to earn forgiveness for       
ourselves4 ,jesus bore the punishment   
for us just because we could not have   
borne it2 and he has borne it so that we
 shall never have to bear it now4 ,if1  
then1 you go and give yourself up to the
 blessed ,saviour as ,he calls you to   
do1 ,god will receive you for his sake1 
as if you had been always a good and    
obedient child1 and ,jesus will give you

 his ,holy ,spirit to abide with you    
always1 and to make you good and        
obedient and happy4  ,i must not wait   
until ,i am better for ,god to love me1 
then1 said ,amy doubtfully4  ,again1 do 
you obey your mother in order to become 
her child2 or do you obey her because   
she loves you and is your mother1 ,amy8 
,because she is my mother1 said ,amy4   
,and will your obedience make you more  
her child than you are1 ,amy8  ,no1     
ma'am4  ,but because you are her child  
and she loves you1 does that make you   
careless of obeying her8  ,if ,i only   
could be a better child to please her6  
said ,amy1 the tears gathering in her   
eyes4  ,it is so with ,god1 my child1   
said ,mrs4 ,mordaunt4 ,he loves you1 not
 because you are good1 but because he is
 good--because he is love1 and so loved 
you that he gave his ,son that you might
 be saved4 ,before you can love him1 you
 must believe his word--that he loves   
you2 and believing he loves you1 he will
 make you good and happy4 ,god has given

 the ,bible to tell of his love to you4 
,read it1 my child2 believe it4  ,mrs4  
,harrison came in just then1 and ,mrs4  
,mordaunt1 after saying a few words to  
her1 rose to leave4  ,that evening ,amy 
took out her ,bible with a new interest4
 ,can it be possible1 indeed1 thought   
she1 that ,god has written in this book 
that he loves me--me1 a little sinful   
child6 ,i will look and see4 ,she read  
some of the passages she had learned    
before for ,mrs4 ,mordaunt3 ,ho1 every  
one that thirsteth1 come ye to the      
waters1 and he that hath no money2 come 
ye1 buy1 and eat2 yea1 come1 buy wine   
and milk without money and without price
 7,isa4 lv4 #a74 ,may ,i1 indeed1 come  
without anything to offer1 and will ,god
 give me all ,i want8 ,then3 ,as ,moses 
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness1
 even so must the ,son of man be lifted 
up3 that whosoever believeth in him     
should not perish1 but have eternal life
 7,john iii4 #ad1 #ae74 ,he that heareth
 my word1 and believeth on him that sent

 me1 hath everlasting life1 and shall   
not come into condemnation2 but is      
passed from death unto life 7,john v4   
#bd74  ,can ,i not now hear his words1  
she thought1 and do ,i not believe8 ,she
 had read the words often before1 but   
now a new light seemed to stream forth  
from them4 ,she wanted forgiveness1 and 
here was forgiveness offered2 she wanted
 ,god to love her1 and here in every    
page was some message of love from him4 
,the ,spirit of ,god opened the little  
child's heart to the ,word of ,god1 and 
she read on as if she never could hear  
enough of this blessed news4 ,we have   
known and believed the love that ,god   
hath to us2 we love him because he first
 loved us4  ,i do believe6 she thought2 
and that evening1 as she fell on her    
knees1 she felt for the first time what 
it was to call ,god ,our ,father4 ,her  
whole heart glowed with gratitude and   
love to him who had so loved her4 ,she  
laid her down to sleep with the eye of  
her heavenly ,father upon her4 ,she     

awoke in the morning and felt that he   
was near4 ,everything made her happy1   
because ,god sent everything1 and ,god  
loved her4 ,the streams1 the woods1 the 
flowers--they had never looked half so  
bright1 for she felt that ,god had made 
them1 and ,god had so loved her4 ,at    
school1 at her tasks1--everywhere she   
was happy as a bird1 for ,god was       
everywhere4 ,she could not feel cross1  
for ,god was near1 and he loved her4    
,she could fight with her faults now1   
for the ,almighty was by to help her4   
,little children6 thousands of little   
children have had their hearts changed  
and made happy1 just as ,amy's was2 and 
so may yours4 ,only believe the love    
that ,god has to you1 and you must love 
him2 and be his dear and happy child4   
,transcriber's ,note  ,minor punctuation
 errors have been repaired4             
,hyphenation has been made consistent4  
,the author uses both a hundred fold and
 an hundred fold4 ,these instances have 
been preserved as printed4