A SERMON IN FIVE LINES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2826, 23 August 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

A SERMON IN FIVE LINES.

"It takes so littlo to make a child happy that it is a pity, in a world full of sunshine and pleasant things, that thero should be any wistful faces, ompty hands, or lonely young hearts." I found theso words in an old nowspaper the other day. They were headed "A Sermon in Five Lines," and they came home to me with all tho force of a personal appeal. "It takes so littlo to mako a child happy." How many times have I seen tho most trivial incident lift my own little boy into tho very esetacy of happiness. How often would some simple gift or a song or a story chase the tears from his eyes, and bring tho bright smiles to his face. And yet, I thought with a pang of regret, how many times I had chided him needlessly; how many times I had refused to exert myself at all for his sake. That very night he had gone to bed with a heavy heart becauso I would not romp with him. I was too tired, I said. I stopped into the boy'* room before I went to bed that night, and passing my hand over his flaxen hair as he lay asleop, I resolved that in tho futuro I would bo o better fathor to him. " It ip< a pity that there should bo any wistful faccs, empty hands or lonely hearts," I thought, aa I dropped asleep. I remember that later in the night I was dreaming of visiting a great factory and inspecting the machinery. "Be careful!" I heard some one say, and then to my horror I saw that I had approached to near to some belting. My beard had been caught and I was frantically trying to extricate myßelf when I awoke. •' Hello, papa," said a voice beside my bed iu the darkness. " Lot go papa's whiskers," I cried. "What on earth are you doing in here anywny, Dick ?" I continued, siting up. " Dick wants Dick's animals," was the answer. " Dick wants to go to bed," said I, " and quick too and I carried hiin iuto his little room and placed him on the bed. " Dick wants Dick's a-a-animals." " You don't want—" I "It takes so littlo to mako a child happy." The words camc to my mind and dispelled all my annoyance at once. I lighted tho gas, turned it down quito low, fished out Noak's ark from under the bed and placed it beside tho boy. " All right," I said eheorfullv, "you may take them, but be very quiet and don't wako your baby br othor." i'hen I kissed him and wont back to my own bed again. " I was nlmost asleep when I hoard a pattering of feot and a subdued voice sayine : " Dick wants papa to find tho elephant." " I wouldn't mind about tho elephant now," said I. " Dick wants—' I arose and found tho elephant. "Now Dick," I said, " you must keep quiot and let papa go to sleep." " Want papa to mako Prancer stand up." He was trying to mako a three-legged horso stand alone on the nountorpane. "Will you go to sleep if I mako him stand up for you ?" I asked. "Yes, papa." I made Prancor stand erect by bracing Noah against his off hind quarter. "There," said I, "now lie down, Dick." "Want papa to make all tho animals stand up." "Dick," said I, impressively, "it is night. Tho animals are all asleep, and don't want to stand up. You must lie down, and let papa go to bed." "Dick wants to seo tho moon." " Mr Dickie," I said, coaxingly, if you will s*top talking, and not wako your little baby brothor—" " Dick wants little baby buz/or to get up and Bhavo." Not a word was spoken after that. Quietly but firmly, I laid him down and drow tho blanket over him. I turnod out tho gns, and, taking a long step to clear the stray animals, I mado my way back to my own room. Throo minutes later I knew from his regular breathing that Diok was asleep, and, if I remember rightly, I didn't care much at the time whether ho had a wistful faco and empty hands and a lonely young heart or not.