Mother's true stories

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6 Nelo
Mary

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ANDREW HOLLAND, WOOD CUT AND OIL COLOR PRINTER, 3 DOANE STREET, BORTOX.

THE FLOOD.








MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.



BOSTON:
CROSBY, NICHOLS, LEE AND COMPANY.
1861.



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by
CROSBY, NICHOLS, AND COMPANY,
in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

PRINTED BY
GEORGE C. BAND & AVERY.

CAMBRIDGE:
ELECTROTYPED BY METCALF AND COMPANY.



UW

‘MOTIER'S TRUE STORIES.

CHAPTER I.

. 3
Ir was the twilight of a short day in:

early winter, when Mrs. Ellis entered
the room where her two children had
been playing. Little Mary jumped up
from her seat, exclaiming : —

‘Dear mother, we were wishing you
would come! We are tired of playing,
and have been telling stories to each
other. Georgie has been telling me a

1



2 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

true one, mother; we like true stories
so much the best.”

“And what true story has he been
telling you?” asked her mother.

“One that you told him a little while
ago, about two people who lived in a
beautiful garden; and he says that you
know a great many such stories; that
you have learned them out of that great
book you read every morning.”

“Yes, mother,” interrupted George,
“the Bible, you know; and we want
you to tell some of them to ‘us; wall
you, mamma? I have been tellitig
Mary all about Adam and Eve?’

*T am glad, Georgie, that you remem-
‘ber so well what I have told you. Yes,
I can repeat many such. stories out, of



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 3

the Bible; and I do not wonder that
you like true stories best. It is so
much pleasanter, when we hear any-
thing, to think, ‘ All this really hap-
pened,’ than to have to say to our-
selves, ‘None of this is true; nobody
ever did so.’”

“T think so too, mother,” answered
the wise little George ; “and. now, while it
is so dark that you cannot read nor sew,
will you tell us one of these stories ?”

Mrs. Ellis smiled, and, sitting down
by the fire, she took Mary, the youngest,
in her lap, while George was not long
in placing a stool at her feet for his
own convenience, where, as he said, he
could look right up in her face, and she
began her story.



4 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES,

. A great while ago, there were not
near so many people in the world as
there are now, but almost every one was
wicked. Men used to do just as they
pleased; and there was nothing heard
but quarrelling and fighting. There was
one good old man, however, who never
did such things. It grieved him to see
how wicked his neighbors were ; and. he
would try to persuade them to do bet-
ter, but they did not mind him. He
and his family used to keep themselves
apart from these bad men ; and although
they were the only ones who did right,
while others laughed at and mocked
them, they still worshipped God and
obeyed his laws.

“At last God told this .good man,



MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 5

that there would soon be a great flood
to drown all these wicked men. He
told him to build a large vessel, so that,
when the flood came, he and his family
might be saved in it.

“People did not go to sea then, as
they do now; and this may have been
the first vessel ever built. It was not a
ship, but rather a huge floating house,
having no masts nor sails, for it was
merely intended to float on top of the
water.

“So Noah, for that was the old man’s
name, set to work to make this great
vessel. It took many years to build it,
and all the while he preached to the
people, trying to make them repent of
their sins; but they only laughed at



6 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

him, and would not believe what he
said of the great deluge which was
coming.

“So Noah quietly finished his vessel,
and put provisions into it, and collected
some living animals to take with him ;
for of course such a flood would drown
the beasts as well as the men. God had
directed him to save a pair of each kind
of creature ; and to save more than two
of the most useful animals, such as sheep
and oxen.

“At last it began to rain violently,
and Noah, with his family and all the
creatures, went into the ark, as it’is
called, and shut the door. Then how
it rained! for more than a month it
poured constantly ; while all the rivers



MOTHER’S TRUE STORTES.” 7

overflowed, and the waves of the sea
rose over the land, and buried every-
thing under the water.”

“O mother,” said little Mary, “ was
everybody else drowned ?”’

“Yes, Mary, everybody who lived, ex-
cept the eight who were in the ark.
This great vessel floated on the water,
rising higher and higher as the water
rose. One day, as they looked out, the
family of Noah could see the tops of
the trees above the waves, but the next
day they were hidden, and at last not
even the emai of the mountains
could be seen.’

“How long did the flood last, moth-

er?”
“ About six months. Then the water



8 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

began to run off into the sea again, and
the ark sank down and settled upon the
side of a hill. Then Noah took one of
the birds he had in the ark, —a raven,
—and, opening a window, let him fly.
The raven never came back, for such
birds eat the flesh of dead animals, and
he found plenty of food. Then Noah
let out a beautiful dove; but doves do
not eat such food as ravens do, and the
poor dove soon came flying back for
Noah to take her into the ark again.

“ After a few days, he sent her out a
second time, and, as she flew over the
water, she saw an olive-tree putting out
its green leaves, and looking fresh and
spring-like. This dear little dove was
so glad to see the leaves again, that she



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 9

plucked one off, and flew back to Noah
with it; as much as to say, ‘ The flood is
over: see this beautiful green leaf!’

“So he knew the water was almost
gone. He waited some time longer, and
when the ground was dry enough, he
and all his household came out into the
fresh air, and rejoiced to see the new
grass and flowers, and to feel safe after
that terrible storm.”

“What became of the little dove ?”
asked Mary. -

“O, she only stayed with Noah a few
days after she brought the olive-leaf,
and then she flew away, and built a nest
in one of the trees, I suppose. Noah
and his family were very grateful to God
for saving their lives all that long time,



10 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

and for making the earth so beautiful
again.”

“Were they not afraid that the wa-
ter would come back again and drown
them?” said George. “I should have
wanted to live on one of the highest
mountains, for fear it should.”

“They would have been afraid,” an-
swered his mother, “ but God promised
them he never would send another flood ;
and he showed them a beautiful rain-
bow in the clouds, telling them to re-
member his promise whenever they saw
a rainbow.

“Do you recollect, children, that
splendid bow we saw last summer after
the thunder-shower, when we were at
the seaside ?”



‘ _ MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. Il

“O yes!” cried little Mary.

“How beautiful it was!” added
George; “you know, mother, it seemed
to arch right over the ocean, and one
end looked as if it stood in the waves.
Did you think of the flood when you
saw it?”

“Yes, Georgie, I always think of God’s
promise when I see a rainbow; and I
love to thank him for saving us from
such dreadful storms and floods as the
one I have been telling you about.

“But it is now time for candles; per-
haps to-morrow I will tell you another
true story.”



CHAPTER II.

Ir was scarcely dark the next after-
‘noon, when Mrs. Ellis was eagerly re-
minded by her children of the expected
story. As they drew her to the fire,
and took their places to listen, George
began with an important question.
“Mamma, you were telling us yester-
day about Noah; where did he live?
It was not in this country, was it?” ,
“No, my dear, I do not believe any-
body lived in this country then. Noah
lived in Asia, and it was there that the



MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 13














eluge took place. I will show you
-morrow on your map exactly where
e lived, — in the western part of Asia ;
nd all the people I shall tell you about
ived either in Asia or in Egypt, which
ou remember is in the northern part
f Africa.

“You shall hear to-night of a very
d man indeed, named Abraham. He
ways tried to do what he knew to be
ight; and to obey the commands of
od. When he was living with his
ather and all his family, a voice ‘from
eaven bade him go and live in another
ountry, far from his friends ; he did not
esitate a moment, for he knew that
hatever God commands is best for us ;
he went away, with his wife, and lived
the land pointed out to him.



14 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

“T cannot tell you how many times
he obeyed this heavenly voice, even
when it. was very hard to do so; but one
time was the hardest of all. He had
a son named Isaac, a good child, whom
he loved dearly ; but God commanded -
him to take this son of his, and to go
to a mountain at some distance, and
there offer him up for a burnt-offering.”

“A burnt-offering, mamma!” said
George ; “what is that?”

“In those times, my dear, people did
not have churches as we do, where we
go to worship God; they used to build
altars, and burn something that they
valued upon them, as an acknowledg-
ment that all they had came from God,
and was to be used in his service.



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES: 15

Every summer, for instance, they
brought the first fruits which ripened,
and the first corn, and offered it up to
God as a thank-offering. Their prin-
cipal riches were sheep and cattle ; and
very often they would kill a lamb or a
kid, and burn it on-an altar, praying and
giving thanks to God.”

“But did God tell Abraham to kill
his little boy?” asked Mary, in a tone
of distress.

“God did it to prove Abraham’s obe-
dience, Mary. As if I should tell you
to do some very hard thing, knowing
that, if you loved me truly, you would
obey. If Abraham was willing to sac-
rifice his darling child, it was a proof
that. he would do anything, however



16 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

hard, that God commanded him. Do
you understand me?”

«Yes, mamma; but did he do it?”

«It was in the night that Abraham
heard the command. Rising early in
the morning, he called his son Isaac,
and two servants; he saddled an ass,
and, taking some wood to build a fire,
he set out for the mountain, without
telling any one what he was going to
do. He was so sorrowful that he could
not bear to speak of the voice he had
heard, and he hoped that God in some
way would save his child.

“When they came near the moun-
tain, he told the servants to wait with
the ass, while he and the boy went to
worship. So he gave the wood to Isaac



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 17

carry, and taking a knife: and a light-
1 torch in his hand, they went on to-
ther up the mountain. After walking
little way, Isaac said :
«Father, here is the fire and the
ood; but where is the lamb for a
rnt-offering ?’
“ Abraham answered, ‘My son, God
ill provide himself a lamb for a burnt-
ering.’
“When they came to the place, he
ilt an altar of stones, laid the wood
it,, and, putting Isaac on the wood,
ok up the knife to slay his son.
“Just then an angel called to him
om heaven, and bade him stop! O
w glad Abraham was to hear that

ord, and to know that God did not
2



18 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES,

intend he should truly put his boy to
death !

“The angel told him that, since he
had not hesitated to give up his dar-
ling child to God, he would bless him
all his life, and make him happy; and
that his son too should be_ blessed.
Then Abraham, looking round, saw a
sheep caught in some bushes; so he
took that and sacrificed it for a burnt-
offering, giving many thanks to God.”

“Tam very glad he did not kill him,”
said little Mary, half crying. ‘“ How
happy Isaac must have been to get home
to his mother again !”

“Now, children,” said their mother,
“cannot you think of one thing we may
learn from this story? God sometimes



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES 19

quires us to give up what we love,
cause he sees that it is best we should
art with it. If we are like Abraham,
w shall we feel then ?”

“We shall be ready to give it up to
od, I suppose, mother,” said George.
“Do you remember going with me
st summer, Georgie, to see that poor
oman whose little baby had just died ?
ou know that, though she said she
issed it dreadfully, she added: ‘It is
1 right; God’s will be done!’ and
oke cheerfully about it. Was she not
e good Abraham ?”

“Yes, mamma; God asked her for
e of her children, and she gave it to
m.” , |

“She resigned it’to him without com-



20 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

plaining, and God must have blessed her
for it, as he did his servant so long ago.

“‘T must leave you now until tea-time,
children ; but I want you to think about
this story, and how we can be like Abra-
ham, even when we are not called to
give up what we love.”



CHAPTER III.













Tue next evening, when their mother
me into the nursery, and the children
ok their places by her side, George
gan : —

“T suppose, mamma, we can be like
braham by always doing what God
ishes us to do.” .
“Yes, Georgie; he krows exactly what
best for us to do, and he tells us in
e Bible what that is; and if we love
, and believe in him, as Abraham
» we shall obey. I will give you an
ample of what I mean.



22 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

“God knows that, if children or men
indulge unkind feelings towardggliiach
other, these feelings will increase ; lead-
ing to hatred, and to great wickedness,
and will cause unhappiness and misery.
So the Bible says: ‘ Little children, love
one another.’ ‘Be kindly affectioned
one to the other, with brotherly love.’
If we obey God, then, we never shall
allow any unkindness in our hearts.
The story I am going to tell you to-
night, shows how fast such evil pas-
‘sions grow.

“There were once twelve brothers
living together with their father. Their
father was quite old, and though he
loved them all, and was kind to them,
there was one named Joseph, whom he
loved the best.



â„¢

MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 23














«Joseph was the youngest but one,
devas a very good son; but the older
nes were envious of him, because they
aid he was the favorite.

“One day his father gave him a beau-
iful coat, prettier than any that the
thers had; and this made them very
ngry, so that the story says ‘they
ould not speak peaceably to him,’ but
very time they were together, they
ould taunt him, and try to make him
appy. This grew worse and worse,
ntil they really hated him.

“At one time the older ones were
eeding their sheep at some distance
trom home, when his father called Jo-
ph, and told him to go to find his
rothers, and bring home news of them.



24 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

“Joseph went directly. It was some
time before he came where they were;
“but when they saw him, they said:
‘See, here is the favorite; let us kill
him, and get rid of him.’ One or two
of them, however, were not prepared for
such wickedness, though they too wished
never to see him again; so they con-
sulted together, and decided to sell Jo-
seph to some travelling merchants who
were passing by.” |

“Poor Joseph!” said Mary; “why
did he not run away home, mother ? ”

‘“‘He would have been very glad to
escape when he heard their fierce words,
but they let him down into a pit for
safe. keeping while they talked: about
getting rid of him. He cried bitterly,





|



MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 25










and begged them not to sell him for
a slave, but let him go home to his dear
father ; but they were so cruel as not
to mind his prayers.”

“O mother!” cried George, “ starting
up from his seat, “ how awfully wicked !
How could they do so? What did their
father say when they told him ? ”

“They were afraid :to tell him what
they had done; so they made a lie to
hide their other sins. . They brought
home poor Joseph’s coat, and told their
father that they had not.seen the boy,
ut had found his coat all’ bloody, and
hey supposed some wild beasts had
illed him.”

“Where were the merchants going,
amma?”



26 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

“ Across the desert to Egypt. They
sold Joseph to an officer of the king,
named Potiphar, who at first treated
him kindly, but afterwards suspected
him of some crime that he did not com-
mit, and put him in prison, where he
stayed for two or three years.”

“How he must have hated his crucl
brothers !”” said George, still excited.

“No, my dear, he was too good and
affectionate for that. He lived long
before Jesus Christ came and taught us
to love our enemies, and do good to
them that hate us; but he acted as if
he had learned these blessed rules.

“TI cannot tell you now all that hap-
pened to Joseph in Egypt. After a
while, he was taken out of prison, and,



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 27

obtaining favor with the king, he was
raised to high offices of trust, until he
became the greatest man in Egypt, ex-
cept the king himself. But he never
forgot his brothers and his kind old
father, and often he longed to hear from
them. Nor did he forget what his
father had taught him of God; but
always tried to obey him, refusing de-
cidedly to do anything displeasing to
him.

“At last there was a great famine,
both in Egypt and in Canaan, where
Joseph’s father lived ; and his ten elder
brothers came to Egypt to buy corn.
For Joseph had provided great quanti-
ties of grain in storehouses, during the
years before the famine, and now he



28 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

sold it for the king to everybody who
needed it. The ten brothers inquired
where they could buy food, and the
Egyptians directed them to Joseph, the
governor.

“They had never heard from him
since they sold him, and of course never
expected to find him so high in power,
and surrounded by servants ; besides
this, he spoke a different language now,
and the Egyptians called him by a dif-
ferent name; so it is no wonder that
his brothers did not know Joseph. He
knew them, however, as soon as he saw
them, and was very much affected ; but
he did: not at first tell them who he was.
He asked them about their family, as
if they had been strangers; and when



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES, 29

they said they had a younger brother
at home, he told them to bring him
with them the next time they came.
Then he supplied them with corn, and
sent them home, giving them back the
price they had paid him.

_ “When their corn was all gone, they
told their father that they must go and
buy some more, and asked him to let
Benjamin, his youngest son, go with
them.

“Their father, since he had _ lost
Joseph, was afraid to let Benjamin go
out of his sight, and at first he refused.
But they said: ‘ The Egyptian ruler told
us he would not sell us any more corn ~
unless we brought him; so he must
go’;— and they promised faithfully. to
take care of him.



30 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

“Indeed, they had lately grown to
be much better men; they often thought
of their former cruelty with sorrow, and
one time when they were in trouble
they said to each other, ‘This has hap-
pened because we were so wicked to
poor Joseph,’ when we sold him.’ At
last their father allowed Benjamin to
go to Egypt with them.”

“Why did not Joseph tell them at
first who he was?” asked George. “I
hope he did now.”

“He wanted to find out if they really
had improved, before he told them,”
said Mrs. Ellis.

“When he was sure that they had
become better men, and were very kind
to Benjamin, then he spoke to them in



MOTHER’S TRUE ‘STORIES. 31

heir own language, saying, ‘I am Jo-
eph; does my father still live?’ and

e wept for joy to be with his brothers
gain.

“At first they were alarmed, and
hought he would punish them for sell-
ing him so long ago; but he assured
hem of his forgiveness, and that he
oved them still. He told them that, if
hey would go home and bring their
ather to Egypt, he would give them a
leasant place to live in, and provide
hem with corn all through the famine,
and as long as they lived. So they went
or their father. You may imagine how
lad he was to hear from his long-lost
on, and to go and live near him. Jo-
eph did as he had promised, and was



32 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

very kind to his brothers as long as he
lived.”

“He was very good,” said George,
thoughtfully. “I don’t believe I could
have done so.”

“Tt is not likely, my son, that you
_ will ever have so great a wrong to par-
don; but you must try to forgive the
teasing ways and little injuries of your
schoolmates now, that you may learn by
degrees what Joseph knew so well, —
how to do good to those who do wrong
to you. But go now and play with
Mary; she is tired of this long story.”



CHAPTER IV.













Ir was two or three nights before Mrs.
is was able to go on with her true sto-
s; and the children were very glad,
nen, on the next Saturday evening, she
led them to her.

«| will tell you to-night,” she began,
story about a little baby.

“The father and mother of this little
ild lived in Egypt, close by the great
er Nile, that you were showing Mary
the map, Georgie, the other day.
ey were good people, but they could

8



34 : MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.










not be very happy, for they and thei
kindred were slaves.

“T do not mean that they were blac
people, like the poor slaves in this coun
try that you have heard of, but they be
longed to a nation named Hebrews, a
of whom were kept in servitude by th
Egyptians. Their masters were ver
cruel to them, and forced them to work
hard all the time, in making bricks, an
in such labor, and never let them rest i
peace.

“There were a great many Hebrews
the king of Egypt thought there wer
too many; so he made a wicked law
that all the little Hebrew boys: bor
after the law was made should
drowned,














MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 35

«The man and woman I spoke of had
o children, —a boy two or three years
, named Aaron, and an older daugh-
, whose name was Miriam. These
ildren were safe; but soon afterwards, —
other little boy was born; and if the
g’s officers should ever see him, they
ainly would take him away and
wn him.

‘His mother kept him very carefully
her room, never going out with him,
letting any one come in, but their
nds. He was a beautiful baby, and
mother’s heart ached to think that
should not be able to hide him much
ger; for as he grew older, he would
gh and crow so loud that any one
© passed could hear him.



36 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

“When he was three months old, his
mother took some large, strong rushes,
-and wove a pretty green basket of them;
then she put pitch on the outside, that
it might keep out water, and lined it
with soft, white linen. In this little
cradle she laid her darling baby. Miriam
had been watching her with wonder, and
now asked her what she was going to
do. Her mother told her that she could
not hide him any longer, and that she
was going to leave him among the rushes
on the river-side; and she hoped God
would take care of him. So she carried
him down to the river, laid the basket
among the flags, and went home weep-
ing; while Miriam stood among some
palm-trees, at a short distance, to watch



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 37

what’ would happen to him. She was
very much afraid the crocodiles would
scize him.”

“ What are crocodiles?” said Mary.

“Q Mary, don’t you know?” cried
George. “I have one in my Book of
Animals.”

A little while was spent in finding the
picture, and in wondering at the crea-
ture’s huge mouth, and awkward form ;
when they both came back to the story
with the question, “ Well, mamma, did
the crocodiles find him ?”

“No, they did not. God intended
this little boy to grow up to be one of
the greatest men that ever lived; and
he kept all harm from his cradle of bul-
rushes; Not long after he was laid



388 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

there, the king’s daughter and her
maidens came down to the river-side.
As they walked along, she saw this basket
among the flags, and sent one of her
maids to bring it to her. When she
lifted up the cover, there was a beautiful
babe asleep; but, startled by the sun-
shine and the voices, he woke up and
cried.

“¢ Poor child!’ said the king’s daugh-
ter; ‘poor little forsaken child! It must
' be one of the Hebrews’ children. I
will take care of it. But I shall want
a nurse for it.’

“Just then, Miriam, who had been
watching eagerly to sce if the great
lady intended to take her baby brother,
came out from among the palm-trees,



MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 39

and said, timidly, ‘Shall I go and find a
nurse for you, to take care of the
child?’ The lady smiled, and said,
‘Yes, you may go.’

“So Miriam ran off, in great delight,.
and went directly home. ‘O mother!’
cried she, ‘such a noble lady has found
my little brother! and she means to
save him, and you are to go and nurse
him!’

“ How glad and thankful the mother
was! She went to the palace and took
care of her own little boy; but nobody
knew she was his mother. The king’s
daughter adopted him as her child, and
named him Moses. He grew up at her
court, and had the best teachers in
Egypt to educate him. But his mother



40 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

told him who he really was, and about
his poor countrymen ; and he never for-
got them, laboring so hard in slavery,
while he, in that beautiful palace, had
everything he wanted. To-morrow I
will tell you some of the things he did
when he was a man.”

“T have not been at all tired to-
night,” said Mary; “I love to hear about
little children. What was the lady’s
name, mamma?” .

“TI do not know, my dear; her father
was called Pharaoh; but her name is
not mentioned.

“Good night, children ; remember to
ask God to take care of you, as he did
of little Moses.”



CHAPTER V.

THE next day was Sunday. Mr. and
Mrs. Ellis lived too far from church for
little Mary to go; but George accom-
panied his father and mother. Very
often their good minister’s sermons were
such as he could understand, and then
he would listen very attentively. To-
day, the sermon was not one that. he
would be much interested in, until near
- the close some words attracted him, and
he attended closely to the rest. His
mother was talking to a friend as they



42 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

walked home, and could not listen to
him ; but when she called the children
to her in the afternoon, George began
with the question : —

“Mamma, was that the same Moses
the minister was speaking of to-day?
and what was he saying about his bring-
ing down bread from heaven ?”

“Yes, my dear, it was the same Moses
who, when a child, slept in the ark of
bulrushes. I will tell you about the
bread from heaven, when you and Mary
have said your Sunday lessons.”

The hymns and questions in the cate-
chism were repeated and explained, and
then their mother went on with the
history of Moses.

“I told you last night that gi



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 43

never forgot his countrymen, the poor
Hebrew slaves. When he grew up, he
thought a great deal about them and
their sufferings, and he tried to find
some way to help them. At last, after
many years, as he was in a desert place
alone, he saw a bush that seemed to be
all on fire, glowing bright like flame ;
yet it did not burn up. While he was
wondering at this, a voice spoke to him
from the burning bush. It was the
voice of God; it called him, and told
him that God had seen how the He-
brews were oppressed, and that he,
Moses, was the man he had chosen to
lead them all out of Egypt.

_ “I cannot tell you now of the won-
derful manner in which the Hebrews,

*
e



44 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

or the Israelites, as they were often
called, were freed from the Egyptians ;
but at last they all left the country
together, with Moses and his brother
Aaron to lead them.

“ Between Egypt and Canaan, the land
they were going to, there is a great
sandy desert. Do not you remember,
Georgie, in your Book of Animals, a
picture of a camel, and the stories told
about his living in the desert ? ”

“QO yes! I was reading it only a day
or two ago; it says there are no trees
or grass in the desert, except in spots ;
nothing but sand; and no water, Mary !
But the camel will travel days and days
without eating or drinking. I forget
the name of the desert it tells the most
about.”



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 45

« Was it the Arabian Desert?”

“ Yes, mamma, it was.”

.It..was through the same Arabian
Desert that Moses led these thousands
of people.”

“But how could they live there ?”

“They could not have lived there
long, but God gave them food by a mira-
cle. A miracle, as I have told you be-
fore, is anything that takes place against
the usual laws of nature. A tree usually
grows for years before it bears fruit ; if
God were to cause one to spring up and
bear fruit in an instant, that would be a
miracle.

“One morning, when the Israelites.
went out of their tents at sunrise, they
found food lying on the ground all round



46 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

them, as if it had come down with the
dew.”

«Food, mamma! what kind of food?”

“They had never seen anything like
it before. It was sweet and pleasant
to the taste, white in color, and was ly-
ing in little round pieces; they thought
it looked like hoar-frost all over the
ground. When they saw it, they said,
‘Manna?’ which was a Hebrew word,
meaning, ‘ What is it?’ and it was after-
wards called manna.

“ Everybody gathered up as much as
they wanted; they either ate it as it
was, or made cakes of it. Every morn-
ing, as long as they were in the desert,
this manna fell; and they found with
wonder, that, on the day before the Sab-



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 47

bath, twice the usual quantity fell, and
none at all-on the Sabbath itself. This
was to prevent their working on God’s
day of rest.”

“Then this was what the minister
meant by Moses bringing bread from
heaven, was it, mamma?”

Yes, Georgie ; he was telling us what
our Saviour, Jesus Christ, said: that
though Moses gave the people food by
a miracle, yet that he could give us
better food,— true bread from heaven,
to make our souls live and grow. He
meant his teachings and example. Do
you understand me ?”’

“Yes, mamma, I believe so. But I
should have liked to see some of Moses’s
bread from heaven,—the manna. But



48 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

what did these poor people have to
drink?”

“There are here and there in the
desert fountains or wells of water, in
the midst of little green spots called
oases ; the people were guided from one
to the other of these, and took a supply
of water there. But twice the springs
were so far apart, that all the water
they carried had been used, and they
began to suffer for want of it. Then
God told Moses to take his staff, and
strike a large rock or cliff near by, and
immediately, the side of the rock open-
ing, a plentiful stream gushed out; so
that all the people drank, and filled
their jars with the pure water.

“I said the people were guided from



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 49

one place to another; a wonderful col-
umn of cloud moved along before them,
and they followed it; while at night
the column glowed like a pillar of fire,
so that all the people could see it.”

“ How strange !” said Mary.

‘“Yes,”’ said her brother; “I should
like to have lived then, and to have had
my bread every day from heaven, and
a cloud sent to lead me.”

‘My dear boy,” said Mrs. Ellis, “ God
as truly gives you your food every day
now, and as truly gives you a guide, as
he did to the Hebrews in the desert.
Did you not ask him this morning,
‘Give us this day our daily bread,’ and,
‘Lead us not into temptation’ ?”

“Yes, mamma, and I know you have
4



50 | MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

often told me what it meant; I will
try to remember it.”

“ Always try to remember, my dear
children, that God is as much with us,
and as near to us, as he was to the men
we read about in the Bible, who heard
his voice speaking to them. May he
guide you always, as he did the He-
brews in the desert!”



CHAPTER VI.

“ Now, little Mary,” began her mother
the next night, as she took her usual
seat, “I have a story to tell you to-night
such as you like, about a little child.”

“Yes,” said the venerable George,
“Mary can understand them better than
older stories, such as suit me. Was
this little child born in the desert,
mamma ?”

“No; it was after the Israelites
reached Canaan, the country God had
given them. Here they settled, and



52 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES,

spread all over the country. They
chose one place, named Shiloh, where
they set up a tabernacle,—a kind of
church ; and they used to go there to
worship. There were beautiful altars’
built there, and sacrifices were offered
every day. There were numbers of men
appointed to take care of this taber-
nacle; to burn the offerings, and to
pray for the people. These were called
priests; and many of them were very
excellent, men. At the time I am going
to tell you of, the chief of these priests
was a good old man named KEii.

“ One day, when he was sitting in the
court of the tabernacle, waiting to give
advice or instruction to any who should
come to him, he saw a woman praying



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 53

very earnestly. Her name was Hannah,
and she had come from her home in the
country to worship God here at Shiloh ;
for they did not have churches then in
every town, as we do now; but only
this one for all the people. Eli went
and spoke to her, and told her he hoped
God would grant what she was praying
for. She thanked the good old priest,
and went home with her husband.”

«What was she praying for, mamma?”
asked Mary.

“She had no children, my dear; and
she was asking God to give her a little
son.”

“ And did he ?”

“Yes, he granted her request; and
a little babe was born, whom she named



§4 MOTHER’S TRUE 8TORTES.

Samuel. When he was three years old,
she told her husband that she wanted to
carry little Samuel to Shiloh, the next
time they went, and leave him there to
be brought up at the tabernacle. Her
husband was willing, so they took their
child to Shiloh.

“ Hannah asked Eli if he remembered
the woman he saw praying there so long
ago? ‘For this child I prayed,’ said
she, ‘and the Lord heard me. Therec-
fore I will lend him to the Lord as long
as he lives.’ So when his father and
mother had offered their sacrifice, they
kissed their little son, and left him with
Eli.”

“T hope Eli was kind to him, mother,”
said George.



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 55

«Yes, Eli was very kind to him, and
taught him to be good; and everybody
loved him. His mother lived so far off
that she could only come to Shiloh once
a year; but every time she came, she
brought him a pretty coat, every year
a little larger, rejoicing to see how tall
he was growing, and what a good child
he was.”

“What did he do in the tabernacle,
mamma ?”’

“He used to open the doors in the
morning, and shut them at night, and
do many little services to help the priests.
He was very fond of old Eli, and would
run directly if he heard him call. One
night, when I think he was about seven
years old, after he was laid down to



“oe

56 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIE |

sleep, he heard his name called. He
started up, saying, ‘Here am I,’ and
ran where Eli was lying: ‘Here am I,
for thou didst call mw*’ But Eli an-
swered, ‘I called not; lie down again.’
And he went and lay down.
“Presently he heard the voice again,
saying, ‘Samuel!’ Again the child rose,
and went: to Eli, saying, ‘Here I am,
for thou didst surely call.’ Again Eli
replied, ‘I called not, my son; lie down
again.’ |
“This happened a third time; and
then Eli thought it must have been the
voice of God calling little Samuel. So
he told him to go and lie down; and if
- he heard his name called again, not to
be frightened, but to answer, ‘Speak,



4
ul
a
4
4
bat
;
n








MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 57

Lord, for thy servant heareth.’ Samuel
obeyed; and soon the voice spoke again,
‘Samuel! Samuel!’ The child knelt on
his little bed, .nd humbly answered,
‘Speak, for thy servant heareth.’

“Then God gave him a message to Eli,
foretelling some event that would soon
happen; after this Samucl lay down qui-
etly until morning. In the morning,
after he had opened the tabernacle
doors, Eli called him, and asked him
what the Lord had said; and Samuel
repeated every word.”

“Did God ever speak to him again,
mothcr ?”

“ Ycs, very often ; and as he grew up,
he became a prophct. Te taught the
people, explained God’s will to them,
and ruled over them.”



58 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

.“ God never speaks to people now as
he did to Moses and Samuel, does he,
mother?” asked Mary.

“No, not in the same way; he never
tells us his. will with an audible voice,
as he did then;.but he speaks with a
voice in our hearts. Do you understand
me?”

“ Not exactly, mamma.”

“This morning, George, when you
were playing with Sammy Brown, I saw
that Sammy’s ball hit you. At first you
were angry, and caught up the ball to
return the blow; then I saw you drop
it. Why was that?”

“Why, I thought all at once, ‘No, I
must not; he did not mean to hurt
me.’ ”



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 59

“That was your conscience that
checked you; and, as I have told you
before, God has given us our consciences
to prevent our doing wrong. That
thought, that preven ed. yousfrom strik-
ing, was God’s v n your heart.”

“T am glad I minded it, mother.”

“So am I, my dear boy; and if you
always listen humbly, as little Samuel
did, God will speak to you yet more
clearly, and will keep you from all sin.
And you too, Mary dear; you are not
too young to listen to this voice.”

“No, mamma; I am almost as old
as Samuel was; and I hope I shall al-
ways do as he did. It is a very pretty
story indeed.” |



CHAPTER VII.

“ GrorGE,” said his mother, the next
evening, “do you know what a shepherd
is?”

“Yes, mamma. I have seen a picture
of a man keeping sheep, whom you told
me was a shepherd. But I have seen
sheep in the fields, and there was no
shepherd with them.”

“No; in this country only a few are
kept at once, near some farm-house,
where the people live who take care
of them. But in Judea, and in other



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 61

countries, there are large flocks of sheep,
which feed on the hills, and in pastures
far from the towns ; and then a man has
to stay with them all the time, to keep
off the wild beasts, and lead the sheep
where the sweetest grass grows.

“There was once in Judea a shepherd
named David. He was quite young, and
had several older brothers ; but he was
old enough to keep his father’s flocks
safe. He loved to sit alone with his
lambs lying or grazing round him, and
to watch the beautiful landscape by day
and the stars by night, and think about
God and his goodness. For he had
learned to love God, who took care of
him, as he did of his sheep; and while
he was there in the fields, he used to



62 “MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

write sweet hymns and sing them, for
he was very fond of music. When you
are older, you will think, as I do, that
these hymns or psalms are some of the
most beautiful poetry ever written.

“ But David was brave too. Once or
twice wild beasts had come among his
flock, and seized the sheep, and he fear-
lessly attacked and slew them; he was
not afraid to risk his own safety to de-
fend the helpless sheep. But he once
«showed his courage in another way.

“There was at this time war between
the Hebrews and a fierce nation called
the Philistines, who knew not God, but .
worshipped idols. David’s elder brothers
were all gone to join the grmy, and to
endeavor to free their country of these



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIEs. 63

enemies, who had seized some of their
towns. One day David’s father told him
to go and carry some things to his broth-
ers, and to see how they did. David
hired a man to keep his sheep while he
was away, and went to the camp where
the army was. When he reached the
place, while he was talking to his broth-
ers, he heard a loud, fierce voice; and
looking toward the army of the Philis-
tines, he saw a man defying the Israel-
ites, and calling some one to come out
and fight him.”

“And did they go, mother? I would
have gone!” cried George.

“This man, my dear, was of gigantic
size, and very. strong. He was about
nine feet high.”



64 ' MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

“QO mamma,” said Mary, “I thought
you told me giants only lived in ay
books.”

“Such giants as Georgie was telling
you about, Mary, never did really exist ;
but now and then men have been known
eight or nine feet high. But this giant,
whose name was Goliath, so terrified all
the Hebrews, that none of them dared
to go within reach of his terrible sword.
But young David was not afraid; he
said he would fight the Philistine.

“The king, who was with the He-
brew army, heard of him, and sent for
him; but when he saw David, he
laughed, and said: ‘You can never kill
_this giant; you are so young and inex-
perienced.’



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 65

“Then David told King Saul how he
had slain a lion and a bear, saying, ‘The
Lord delivered me out of their power,
and he will protect me if I attack this
wicked Philistine.’

“So the king told him to go, and gave
him some armor, and a sword; but he
was not used to armor, and told the king
he could not wear it; all he needed was
his sling, which he had with him. Did
you ever see a sling, George ?”

“Yes, mamma; the boys use them
sometimes to fling stones with.”

“A sling is made of leather, and, a
stone being put in it, it is whirled round
the head, and the stone is slung out with:
great force. David took his shepherd’s
sling in his hand, and five smooth peb-

5



66 MOTHER’ TRUE STORIES.

bles from the brook, and thus armed,
went toward Goliath.”

“What did the giant say to him,
mamma? Did he laugh ?”

“Yes; he would not believe David
was in earnest; he mocked at him, who
came out to fight such a foe without
even a sword, and cursed him by his
false gods. David told him that he
came in the name of the true God, and
that He could give the victory to whom
He pleased. Goliath then drew his
sword, and came striding toward David ;
but David took a smooth stone, and put
it in his sling, and threw it with all his
force, It struck the giant in the fore-
head, and killed him in an instant.”

“Was not he brave?” cried George,
* Don’t you like this story, Mary?"



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 67

“ Pretty well,” answered little Mary.
« And then did he go home to his sheep,
mamma ?”

“No, my dear; King Saul was so much
pleased with him, that he kept him with
him, and after many years David became
king himself.”

‘‘What became of the rest of the
Philistine army?” asked George.

«After they saw that their champion,
as he was called, was dead, they turned
and fled. Now, Georgie, what was it
that enabled this shepherd-boy to be so
courageous P”

“Was it because he een in God,
mamma ? ”

“Yes; though he was but a slender
youth, quite unused to arms, and know-



68 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

ing nothing about fighting, he thought it
was his duty to attack the giant, and was
not afraid but that God would protect
him. Remember what I am going to
say. You will never have to fight with
men; but you will have great evils to
contend with. Then recollect, like David,
that God can give the victory to you,
though they seem so strong and you so
weak. You will understand this better
when you are older. Always trust in
God, and never be afraid to do right.”



CHAPTER VIII.

OnE afternoon, the children sum-
moned their mother from her work
rather earlier than usual, to see a glori-
ous sunset. It was such a sunset as is
rarcly to be seen in winter, with gor-
geous clouds of purple and crimson roll-
ing up over the sky. After they had
watched it with admiration until the
last ray had faded, Mrs. Ellis took her
scat by the fire, saying :—

“Did you ever hear of people who
worship the sun, George ? ”



"0 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

“No, mother. Do you mean that
they think the sun is God?”

“Yes, my dear. I have told you before
what is meant by idolaters, — those who
worship images, or some of God’s crea-
tions, believing they are gods. There
were many such people among the He-
brews. Though they had seen such
wonderful miracles done by God’s power,
and had been taught about him by Mo-
ses and Samuel, and other good men,
yet they very often forgot him, and wor-
shipped idols. They made altars on
every green hill, and set up idols in the.
groves ; and instead of obeying the true
Jehovah, they performed many wicked
actions, to please their false gods.”

“ Did they worship the sun, mother ?”



MOTHER'S. TRUE STORIES. 71

“Yes, one of their gods was Baal, or
adhe sun; and a great many of the Israel-
ites learned to serve him, or rather his
priests, who were wicked people, pre-
tending to know all about this great
Power, as they called him. Good men
often went to the Israelites, and tried to
show them how they were deceived, and
to persuade them to leave Baal; but
they would not hearken. Among these
. good men was one named Elijah. He
used to go among the people, and to the
king, warning them with earnest words,
that God would punish them for their
idolatry ; for the king himself wor-
shipped Baal.
“ At last Elijah told the king to bring
all the priests of his faith together to -



72 ‘MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

Mount Carmel, to offer a sacrifice to
their God, and that he would be there
to meet them. So King Ahab gathered
four hundred and fifty of the priests of
Baal, and they all went to Mount Carmel,
where Elijah met them, he being the
only worshipper of God. All round the
sides of the mountain stood great crowds
of people, silently looking on.

“Then Elijah said: ‘ Let the priests
of Baal slay a bullock, and lay it on an
altar of wood, to offer it to the sun;
and I will prepare a sacrifice to the
Lord; and the God who sends down
fire from heaven to burn his offering, he
must be the true God.’ All the people
acknowledged that none but the true
God could do this; and they promised



MOTHER’S. TRUE. STORIES. 73 .

to believe on the one who should an-
swer by fire.

“In the first place, the priests of Baal
built their altar ; and, slaying a bullock,
they cut it in pieces, and laid it on the
wood. Then they prayed to their god
to send down fire upon it, crying, ‘O
Baal, hear us!’ So they cried from
morning to noon; but all the while the
bright sun moved silently up the sky,
and no answer came. Still they cried
aloud franticly, stretching out their
hands, and praying, ‘O Baal, hear us!’
But the sun sunk slowly down to the
west, and the beautiful sunset clouds
began to gather round it, as you saw
to-night ; and no answer came,

“Then Elijah came quietly forward,



"4 ovien’s-rave. wrontzs,

and in his turn built an altar; and hav:
ing caused a bullock to. be slain, he laid
the pieces upon the wood on the altar.
He dug a trench all round it, and told
the men who helped him, to bring four
barrels full of water, and pour it over
the whole. This they did three times,
until the altar and everything on it was
soaked with water, and the ditch round
it was full.”

“ What was the water for, mother ?”
asked George. |

“You know that anything wet will
not catch fire easily. Elijah wanted to
make it plain to the people that he
could not kindle the wood himself, and
deceive them. Then, standing by the
altar, in the last rays of the setting sun,



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 15

the prophet looked up to heaven and
prayed aloud. All the people stood very
silent, listening to his words, as he said :
‘O Lord God of Abraham and our fath-
ers! Let it be known this day that
thou art God in Israel, and that I am
thy servant. Hear me, O Lord, hear
me! that this people may know that
thou art the Lord God !’

“And immediately a fire fell from
heaven, and consumed the sacrifice, and
the wood, with the very stones of the
altar; and dried up the water in the
trench. Then all the people fell on
their faces, crying out, ‘The Lord he is
God! the Lord, he is God !’

“0,” cried George, “I am glad they
did! They could not help believing,



16 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

could they, mamma? I hope they never
forgot again who made the sun,”

‘Elijah spent all the rest of his life
in the same way, trying to turn his na-
tion from idolatry ; and he did a great
deal of good; but still they often forgot
their God, who had saved them and led
them so long. When his life was fin-
ished, a friend of his, named Elisha, be-
came a great prophet in his stead. To-
morrow I will tell you a story of the
prophet Elisha.”



CHAPTER IX.

““MorTHER,” began George, the next
evening, “I have been trying to tell
Mary what a prophet is; is it not some-
body who knows what is going to hap-
pen?”

“The word prophet generally means
a man who is inspired by God to foretell
future events; but it is sometimes used
in the Bible to mean teachers of the
people, and sometimes poets, who have
not this gift.”

“Are there any prophets now,
mamma ?”



718 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

“No one now can foretell the future,
George. There is no need of such
prophets now ; before our Saviour came,
God sent them to show people his will ;
but now we can go to the Bible and
learn his will there. —I promised you a
story about Elisha.

“This prophet went about, as Elijah
had done, from place to place, instruct-
ing all who would listen to him, and
working miracles to prove that God had
commissioned him to speak to them.

“Once, as he was passing through a
village named Shunem, a rich woman
who lived there invited him to her
house. She did this often, and they
became great friends; at last she had
a little room built on purpose for him,



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 19

and furnished comfortably, so that when-
ever he came, even if it should be late
at night, he might always find a chamber
ready for him. She did everything for
him that she could think of, for she was
a good, kind woman, and her husband
was willing that she should do as much
as she would for the man of God, as
they called Elisha.

“T told you they were rich ; but there
was one thing that they valued more
than all their rich possessions ; that was
their little boy, — their only child.

“One summer’s day his father was
out in the cornfields, overseeing some
men who were reaping wheat. The
little boy asked his mother if he might
go there too, and see the men cutting



80 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

down the beautiful yellow corn. His
mother was willing, and he went. He
played about merrily; for a while, among
the reapers; but the sun was very hot,
and presently he went crying to his
father, saying, ‘My head! my head!’
His father felt that his poor little fore-
head was all flushed and burning ; so he
told a young man that was near to take
him up in his arms, and carry him to his
mother as fast as he could. His mother
was frightened to see him so sick; she
took him up in her lap, and bathed his
head. But it did no good ; the fever
grew worse, and in a few hours he died
in her arms.”

“O mamma!” said Mary, with tears in
her eyes. “Poor little boy! Was his
father at home ?”



MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 81°

“No; his father did not know he was
very sick, and had not come home. His
mother did not allow herself to weep,
but she carried the little body into the
room where Elisha slept when he was
there, and laid it on his bed. Then she
went out to speak to her husband, and
asked him to have an ass saddled, and
to send one of the servants to attend
her ; for she wanted to go to the place
where Elisha lived. He asked her why
she wanted to go in such haste? She
was afraid to tell him what had hap-
pened, lest her grief should overcome
her, so she only said, ‘It is well.’

“When the ass was ready, she
mounted; and though it was so warm

a day, she told the servant who went
6



:

82 - | MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES,

with her to ride as fast as he could. So
they rode in silence until they came
where Elisha was. When she saw him,
she dismounted from her ass, and threw
herself at his feet, sobbing and crying so,
that she could not speak. Elisha spoke
kindly to her, and as soon as she could
tell him what the matter was, he said he
would go home with her. When they
reached the house, Elisha went into his
own room, and there, on his bed, was
the little dead boy, lying so still and
quiet, with a smile on his pale, cold
face.

“The mother did not come into the
_ room, for Elisha wished to be alone. So
he shut the door, and, kneeling down,
he prayed to God to hear him, and to



MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 83

give back her son to the poor mother.
Then he stretched himself upon the
body, putting his mouth on the child’s
mouth, and his hands on the child’s
hands. Presently he felt the cold lips
and icy fingers growing warm. Elisha
rose, and walked about the room; then
again he stretched himself on the little
boy, and life came back to the body ;. the
child opened his eyes and looked won-
deringly at Elisha. The good prophet
thanked God with all his heart, and,
going to the door, called the poor
woman, who came weeping into the
room.

“But behold! there sat her darling
son on the bed, alive and well, looking
as if he never had been so pale and
weak as she had seen him last.”

-



84 ‘MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

“Was not she too very thankful to
God, mother ? ”

“We cannot doubt it. It must have
been a happy family that night, with
the man of God sitting with them as
their guest. They had been separated
by death, but their Father in Heaven
had united them again.

“My dear children, we ought to be
thankful every day to God, that he has
not separated us,—that he permits us
to live together in health and peace;
as thankful as that little family at Shu-
nem were. Never forget this, my dear
ones !”



CHAPTER X.

Mary was very much pleased with
her mother’s last story. She spoke sev-
eral times very affectionately of the good
old prophet Elisha, and when, after two
or three days’ interruption, her mother
said she was at leisure to tell them an-
other true story, Mary petitioned for one
more about Elisha. ‘And the little
boy who lived at Shunem, mamma, do
you know any more about him ?”

“No, Mary, I know nothing further
about him; but you shall hear another
story about the prophet.



86 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

“In some of the Eastern countries,
there is a disease called leprosy. It is a
dreadful disease, making the person who
suffers from it very sick and weak, and
covering the whole body with an erup-
tion, that looks white and scaly. In a
country near to Canaan, where Elisha
lived, there was a nation called Syrians.
They very often were at war with their
Hebrew neighbors, and sometimes they
carried off prisoners from them.

“The captain of their army, Naaman,
was a great man ; rich, and in high favor
with. the king; but all his honors did
him but little good: he could not enjoy
them, for he had the terrible disease I
spoke of, — he was a leper. There was
in his house a little maid, who waited



MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 87

on his wife. She was a young Hebrew
girl, who had been taken prisoner by
his soldiers, and carried away from her
friends. But before she left her home,
she had often heard of the prophet
Elisha; she had heard of his bringing
the child of the Shunamite woman to
life, and of other wonders God had en-
abled him to do; and she said, ‘I wish
my master could see the prophet who
is in my own country, for he could cer-
tainly cure him of his leprosy.’

«Some one who heard her told Naa-
man; and the great general resolved to
go into the land of Israel and see the
prophet. So he made haste and got
ready his chariot and his servants, and
took with him a present for the prophet,



88 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

—six thousand pieces of gold, beside a
great quantity of silver and handsome
garments.

“Elisha heard that he was coming;
and when the splendid carriage and
horses stopped at the door of the hum-
ble cottage where he lived, he was not
surprised. He did not come out and
speak to Naaman, as might be expected :
he sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘ Go
and wash seven times in Jordan, and
your health will return, and you shall
be clean of this disease.’

“ What is Jordan?” asked Mary.

“Don’t you know ?” said George; “I
showed it to you on my map of Pales-
tine: a river that runs north and south
right through the country.”



MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 89-

“O yes!” said Mary; “I forgot its
name. — Well, mamma, did he go?”

“At first he was very angry. ‘I
surely thought,’ said he, ‘he would come
out to me, as suits my importance, and
would stand and call on his God, and
put his hand solemnly on me, to cure
my disease. Why should I wash in Jor-
dan? Are not the rivers of Damascus,
in my own country, better than all the
waters of Israel? May I not wash in
them, and be clean?’ So he turned
and went away in a rage.”

“OQ what a pity!” said Mary.

“So his servants thought. They

knew that he was angry because the
prophet had used so little ceremony,
and had given him so trifling a thing



90 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

to-do ; but they loved their kind master,
and wished to see him well again. They
went to him and begged him to reflect.
‘If the prophet,’ said they, ‘had told
you to do some great thing, very dif-
ficult, would you not have done it?
Surely, then, you should obey, when
he merely says, Wash and be well.’
“Naaman saw how foolish he had
been. He made no answer, but went
and dipped himself seven times in Jor-
dan, and his flesh, the story says, came
again like the flesh of a little child,
all fair and healthy ; and he was entire-
ly cured. Then he and all his company
. hastened back to Elisha. The good old
man came out to see him now, and Naa-
man thanked him again and again, and



MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 91

blessed the God who had healed him by
Elisha’s means. He urged the prophet
to take a present from him; the gold
and silver, or at least some of his splen-
did garments; but Elisha refused. He
cared not for such things ; all he wanted
was to serve God, and do good to his
fellow-men. So Naaman went home in
his chariot, promising never again to
worship idols, as he had done, but the
God of Israel alone.”

“ How glad,” said George, “ the little
servant-girl must have been, to see’ her
master come home well!”

“T think, George,” said his mother,
“you might learn a lesson from this
story of Naaman. When we were talk-
ing the other day about being useful,


184 MOTHR's TRnE srTOaS.

it was enough for his father that he had
come back penitent. The son confessed
how unworthy and wicked he had been;
but the father bade the servant bring
forth the best robe and put it on him,
'and put a ring on his hand,' said he,
'and sandals on his feet, and kill the
fatted calf, that we may make a feast
and be joyful; for this my son was dead
and is alive again, he was lost and is
found.'
"So they made a great feast, and had
music and dancing, for the father wished
to show his son how glad he was to have
him leave his evil ways, and return to
him.
"When Jesus related this parable,
there were many sinners listening to





MTIn' 'S TWNE eimia 191

forgave them. Now, as he rode along,
he saw a poor, wounded man lying by
the road-side; he did not stop to think
that he was only a Jew, and that the
Jews had ill-used him; neither did he
care for the danger of the robbers com-
ing back; all he thought was whether
he could help the poor sufferer.
He dismounted from his animal, and,
finding he still lived, began to dress his
wound with some oil and linen band-
ages. He gave him some wine, too, and
spoke kindly to him; and when he was
a little revived, he helped the man to
mount the ass, while he led it, walking
by its side. When they came to the
nearest inn, he took the man in, and
made him comfortable for the night.




n18 uIeu Taus gaum.


and she fell at his feet, only able to
speak the word, Master!' Her voice
was checked by joy and wonder.
"The evening of that day had come,
and the disciples were gathered together,
some earnestly relating what they had
seen and heard, others doubting if it
could be true. Presently Jesus himself
stood among them, saying, Peace be
unto you!'
"But they thought it was a spirit.
To convince them that it was truly him-
self, he showed them the wounds in his
hands and feet, until at last they could
doubt no more that it was truly their
Saviour."
Oh !" cried Mary, how happy they
mwUt have been!"


T18




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NO1uE3 S, TUI SYMJm.


so that all could hear him, 'Young maq,
I say unto thee, arise!'
"And he that had been dead sat up,
and began to speak; and he delivered
him. to his mother."
How glad he must have been," cried
George, warmly, "to come back and
take care of his mother again! Mamma,
I wish Jesus had been here when Cousin
Henry died."
"We can hardly help wishing, my
son, when we lose a friend, to have him
given back to us. But if we have
learned to love Jesus, we are soon will-
ing to leave our friends with him.
Cousin Henry has seen, I trust, that
kind Saviour whom we long to see, -
who taught us, by these miracles in





210 MOTHER'S TRUE "TOSBI.

body had been taken away; but directly
two beautiful angels stood by them, say.
ing, Why seek ye the living among the
dead ? Jesus is not here, he is risen.'
Then they remembered that he had
foretold that he should rise from the
dead, and full of wonder and joy, they
hastened to tell the other disciples.
Others came to the place, and found in-
deed that the tomb was empty; the
grave-clothes were lying folded together,
and their Master was not there; but
they scarcely could believe he was liv-
ing again.
"They had left the garden, but one
woman remained behind weeping. She
was not one who had seen the angels,
and all she thought was, that her Mas-





MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.


earnest in this cruel work, set out for
Damascus, with some soldiers and com-
panions.
When he was near the city, sud-
denly a great and glorious light shone
round him, a light from heaven, which
so amazed and confounded him, that he
fell to the ground. Then he heard a
voice, saying, 'Saul, Saul, why perse-
cutest thou me?' Saul asked humbly,
Who art thou, Lord ? The voice re-
plied, I am Jesus whom thou perse-
cutest.' "
"Did Saul see Jesus, mother?"
"He saw no visible form, only this
glorious light; but he could not doubt
.who spoke to him. He asked, trem-
bling and amazed, Lord, what wilt thou
have me to do?'


235





XOTHER'8 TRUE STORIES.


"Up sprang Bartimeus, threw down
the cloak he had been wrapped in, and,
taking the hand of the man who spoke
to him, was led to Jesus. Jesus said
to him, What wilt thou that I should
do unto thee ?'
"Bartimeus did not hesitate what to
answer, for there was one thing he had
wanted for years more than all else.
* Lord, that I might receive my sight!'
He had faith in Jesus; that is, he was
certain that he was able and willing to
cure him. The Saviour answered, 'Re-
ceive thy sight. Go thy way; thy faith
hath made thee whole.'
"And instantly the poor blind man
could see! he saw the light, and the
blue sky, the crowd that stood watch-


140.





MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.


"Jesus asked them how muc# they
had; they said a boy was there' with a
little food to sell, but all he had was five
barley-loaves and two small fishes; and
what was that among fte or six thou-
sand people ?
"Jesus bade them bring the bread
and the fish to him, and then go among
the crowd, and arrange them in regular
companies, sitting down on the grass.
It was a green, grassy field where they
were; and soon they were all sitting
down, by hundreds and fifties, in sepa-
rate groups. Then our Saviour took the
five loaves and two fishes, and, looking
up to heaven, asked God's blessing upon
them. Then he gave to his disciples,
and they carried the food round to the


-t,







long looked for must be born; this was
surely hs star. And, as the shepherds
had done, they resolved to go directly
and see if they could find the child.
So taking with them gifts fit to be pre-
sented to one so royal, they journeyed
to Judea, and to Jerusalem.
They went first to the king of Ju-
daea, whose name was Herod, and asked,
'Where is he who is born king of the
Jews? for we have seen his star while
we were in the East, and have come to
do him homage.'
Herod knew nothing about what had
taken place in Bethlehem, nor did any
of his court know; but the priests said,
i0BA Messiah really was born, it must
bt in ethlhiem, for the ancient propBh


s n'Is Tay nrias.





100


hurt made them think that perhaps
they were in danger themselves, so they
hurried on; while the dying man gave
up what little hope he had of life, for
no one would help him.
"But in a little while there was a
sound of some one else coming; it was
a man mounted on an ass. This man
was a Samaritan; he belonged to a peo-
ple who lived close by the Jewish na-
tion; but they were at enmity, and the
Jews and Samaritans would scarcely
speak to each other when they met, and
would often try to annoy each other.
This man, when he had been at Jerusa-
lem, had probably been often mocked
by the Jews, and reviled for being a
Samaritan but he was a good man, and





MOBar'B TRIE ?STOlM.


Jesus bade him go on to Damascus,
promising there to make his further will
known to him. When Saul rose from
the ground, he found that he was blind,
so that they had to lead him into the
city.
"Here he remained for some days, re-
fusing to eat, but spending his time
in payer that God would reveal his
will to him. Then an old disciple came
to him, saying, 'Brother Saul, the Lord,
even Jesus, who appeared unto thee,
hath sent me.' He laid his hands on
Saul's eyes, and he could see again.
Then the disciple, whose name was
Ananias, taught him of Jesus, and per-
suaded him to be baptized, and become.
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to, heir aid; to leave his. friends-so
much longer in their distress, when his
own heart was aching with them. In
two days' time he told his disciples that
he was going back to Judea.
"They tried to dissuade him, for the
Jews had threatened his life if he came
there again. But he said he must go,
and they would not desert him; so they
went toward Betliany.
"The journey occupied some days,
as they travelled on foot; so that, by
the time they approached the village,
Lazarus was dead, and had been burie[
four days. Jesus did not go into the
town, but sent word to Martha and
Mary that he was in the neighborhood.
The sister were sitting weeping in their




MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 131

north than Bethlehem. Here Jesus
grew up to be a man, loving and obey-
ing them; always kind, gentle, obedi-
ent, and industrious. The Gospel says,
he 'grew in favor with God and man':
he was thus preparing himself for the
work his Father in Heaven had given
him to do."





OTHER'S TRUE STORIES.


care for luxuries nor feasts; he preferred
to have Martha sit quietly down, as Mary
did, to converse with him, and listen to
his words; but still Martha thought no
care of hers could show enough love to
her friend.
"Jesus loved Martha and her sister
and Lazarus, and many a happy hour
did he spend in Bethany with them.
But of course he often was absent for
many weeks.
"Do you see this region on the map
east of the river Jordan ? it is called,
Permea. At one time our Saviour was
teaching in the towns and villages of
that part of Palestine, and had been
some time absent. While he was gone,
Lazarus was taken very ill. After a few


168





MOTHa 's TRUE TORIES.


home, I hope we shall be able to read
the Bible together, and talk about it,
a little every night."
I should like that very much," said
both the children at once. "Can you
tell us one story to-night, mamma ?"
"Yes, I will tell you to-night some-
,thing about the Apostles after Jesus left
them."
"You told us that they obeyed his
last words, mother; and they were, bid.
ding them go and preach."
You are right, George. They went
forth to teach more about Christ, and
as they were divinely inspired with
power and eloquence, they convinced
many thousands of people. They taught
ihat Jems was truly the Messiah, and


222





MoTEar's TRUr 9TOURD.


George is right, my dear; but come
into the nursery, and I will tell you
about it."
The children followed her; Mary
sadly repeating, "0 how could they!"
When seated, Mrs. Ellis began:-
Perhaps you remember that the
Jews were expecting their Messiah be-
fore he came; but they thought of him
as a great and warlike king. They hoped
he would deliver them from the Romans,
a powerful nation who had lately ruled
over them; and that he would lead
them to victory and renown.
When they found that Jesus, though
he said he was their Messiah, did not
intend to become their king, nor to fight
at all, some of them began to hate him





M!W1RZ'U TRUE UR!rU.


do; for this reason he chose to die
rather than save himself by his wonder-
ful power.
"( After enduring this agony for sev-
eral hours, he sighed out, 'It is fin-
ished !'
All was over now; his weariness,
pain, and labor were ended; he had
borne all that could be borne for man.
Then he cried, Father, into thy hands
I commend my spirit!' And having
said these words, he bowed his head,
and died. His friends who stood watch-
ing him saw that all was over; his body
suffered no longer, but hung peacefully
on the cross, while his spirit went up
to God.
"For some hours past, the sun had
14







MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.


mother. Then what wonder what joy,
and gratitude Her parents kissed their
daughter again and again, their dear
restored child! But the Saviour's kind-
ness perceived what they did not. She
had been so long ill, and without nour-
ishment, that, now she was restored, she
really needed food. So he bade them
give her something to eat; and then
quietly left the house."
0 mother! that is a beautiful story,"
cried Mary.
"Yes, indeed," said George. "How
I should like to have been there!
Mother, did Jesus ever bring anybody
else to life ? "
"Yes, my dear; tomorrow I will tell
you a story of such a miracle, which is
11


161




MOTREU TJUD ITUOU. 183

to him. But our Saviour did cure the
sick; both because he pitied and loved
all men, and because he could prove by
these miracles that he came from God.
He wished to convince men that the
truths he uttered were in reality mes-
sages from God, and they would be more
ready to believe this, when they saw
that his Heavenly Father gave him pow-
er to do such wonderful works. Would
you like to hear about some of the suf-
fering people whom he cured ? "
"Yes, mamma, very much."
"Do you remember what I told you,
when we were talking about Naaman,
of the disease called leprosy ? "
"You said those who had it were very
miserable and weak, and there was an
eruption all over them."




mVoml '8s TIUB OnnO m


die so soon; he knew that God appoints
the time of death for every man; he re-
membered how Jesus had said, Whoever
loses his lilf for my sake shall ind it';
that is, shall find a more glorious life in
heaven.
But suddenly, as he slept, there was
a great light in the prison, and an angel
of God stood beside Peter; but the light
did not awaken him; so the angel bent
down and touched him, saying, 'Arise
up quickly!'
Peter started up; he was so confused
by seeing the bright light, and the angel,
that he thought he was dreaming. But
he found that the chains had fallen off
his hands, so that he was free from the
two soldiers, who still slept quietly.


298





MOTHEr'B TRUE STORIES.


his power to cure diseases; and as soon
as he saw him, he was certain that he
would be willing to help him, who had
suffered so long. He came directly to-
ward Jesus; the people shrank away
from him, with great disgust, bidding
him keep away and not come near them;
but he did not hear them, he was look-
ing at the Master's face, so kind and
pitiful. He knelt down before him,
saying, simply,' Lord, if thou wilt, thou
canst make me clean,' or well.
"Jesus was moved with compassion;
he felt none of the disgust the others
did, and he would show the poor man
that he loved and pitied him. So he
stretched out his hand and touched him,
saying, I will: be thou clean.'


135





MOTHER'S TRUE STOm. .


days, his disease grew worse, and the
sisters, who had been hoping every day
that Jesus would return, resolved to
send a messenger to him. When the
messenger found him, he said to Jesus,
' Lord, behold! he whom thou lovest
is sick.'
"When the Saviour heard this, he did
not go directly to Bethany, as they ex-
pected, but stayed two days longer in
the place where he was."
"Did he not go, mother! Why
not ?"
"He knew it was best for him not to
go at first, my dear; you will see pres-
ently why it was so. But we cannot
help thinking he must have had a strug-
gle with himself, so to speak, not to fly


169





MOTHEr' TRUE sTORIE8.


shores of the Lake of Galilee. Georgie,
bring your map of Palestine."
Here is the Lake of Galilee, or Sea
of Tiberias, mamma. I remember it."
One day our Saviour had been, for
many hours, in the midst of the crowd;
evening canie, but the people, anxious
to hear him, still lingered. It was a
warm summer's day, and the kind Teach-
er was almost exhausted. He said to
his disciples, who were accustomed to
attend him, 'Let us go over to the other
side of tie lake.'
When the crowd saw he was leav-
ing them, they dispersed, and, enter-
ing a small vessel, Jesus sat down in
the stern, leaning upon a pillow; and
when the disciples had spread thb sail,
10


145





moTHEn's TrltUB ftOrTS.


The dead were not buried in Judea
as they are here, in the earth, but they
were placed in caves or tombs, each body
being laid separately in a niche of the
rock. In such a cave was Lazarus laid,
with a large stone closing its opening.
Jesus bade them take away the stone.
It was done, and they could look into
the dark, quiet tomb, while Jesus looked*
up to heaven. 'Father,' said he, '*
thank thee that thou hast heard me!'
All the multitude stood silent, awaiting
what should happen; when Jesus spake
again, with a loud and distinct voice, to
the dead man in the tomb, Lazarus,
come forth '
"At that word, God gave back life to
the dead; and, rising from his stony b


1I8





mOTra'd vEn ROafn 1t


tive stories, to explain his meaning; and
the disciples, who wrote his history, have
preserved many such beautiful parables.
Jesus not only showed us the love of
God by his own love, as I have told you,
but he repeated often that God is more
kind to us than our own parents can
be; that he takes tender care of all his
works. He pointed out some little
sparrows, which are almost the smallest
of birds, and said that God made and
took care of every bird, fed it without
its own labor, and knew when each
one, even each tiny sparrow, died. He
showed his hearers some beautiful lilies
growing near, and bade them observe
how gracefully each one was formed,
how splendidly colored; saying, that


119





erM'sr! n -E KW1SA.


trees probably, to protect them from the
dew, watching the beautiful stars ovqe
head, and the gentle sheep sleeping
round them."
"But, mother," said George, "if it
was Christmas, it must have been win.
ter."
"The winter in Judma is not like ours.
It is a mild season, with a good deal of
rain at times, but very little snow; often
none at all. The grass keeps green all
the winter. As these shepherds sat
thus, suddenly a great light, a glorious
splendor, shone round about them; and
in the midst of the glory stood before
them a beautiful winged angel. They
we very muoh startled and frightened;
9omea on. their faces, while otheRs


-tM




MOTHER' TRUE TORIES.


Not until their death, Mary. When
they had obeyed his last commands, and
had done the work he left for them
to do, they too went to heaven, and
found him there. He had told them
that he was going first to prepare a
place for them, and that he wished them
to live with him for ever."
Do you think I ever shall see him,
mamma ?"
Mrs. Ellis drew her children closer to
her, and, looking upward, prayed: "0
God, grant that we may all be worthy
to meet Jesus in heaven! Help us
through thine infinite mercy to live
as he lived, thr.t, when we are called
from this world, we may see him in
glory, and be for ever with the Lord!"


220




Wi-w


06 MOYmRI's TIt TrrO s.

away to be put to death You have
often seen the shape of the cross, chil-
dren; here is a small golden cross that
I wear. When a man was to be cruci-
fied, he was nailed by the hands and
feet to two beams of wood fastened
across each other in this shape; and
upon this cross he hung for hours, until
he died of pain. None but the vilest
criminals were put to death in this way;
for it was thought as shameful as it was
painful. Mary, dear! I am sorry that
you should hear of anything so horrible;
no wonder you cry; but you must under-
stand in some degree what our blessed
Redeemer was willing to suffer for us."
"Go on, mamma," sobbed Mary.
*Did they nail him to it?"





xOTHER'8 TRUE STORIES.


"Jesus saw her standing there forlorn
and overwhelmed with grief, and by her
side one of his most faithful disciples,
John. He spoke to them, bidding John
be from this time a son to Mary, and
take care of her, now that her own son
could no longer be with her. For even
in the agony he endured, he thought
more of others than of himself. Some
of his enemies who stood by taunted
and mocked him, saying,' He saved
others, but himself he could not save.
If he is the Son of God, let him come
down from the cross!"'
0, why did he not ?" cried George.
"Because his death would do more
good to men, and prove his boundless
love to them more than a miracle could


208




emam' sIa M ium


were every year expecting that some
great prince would be born among them,
and every time a traveller came front'
that country, they would eagerly ask
if the prince had appeared.
"I told you that these Magi studied
the stars attentively; they had given
names to many of them, and they knew
what stars could be seen every night in
the sky. So, one night, when several of
them were viewing the heavens, they
were very much surprised to see a beau-
tiful star that had never been there
before, very bright and large. What
could this mean?' they asked each
other. The star was in the direction
of Judea; and after some consultation.
they decided that the Jewish prinee-




MOTHIB'8 TRUE STORIES.


"But now good night. We shall
have no more Bible stories, at present.
But I have told you only a small part
of these sacred histories; as long as you
live, you will learn more and more of
them."
They have been beautiful stories,"
said Mary. "You will teach us more
out of the Bible when George comes
home, will not you, mamma ?"
Mrs. Ellis repeated her promise, and
the children left her for their beds, their
minds still occupied with the true sto-
ries they had heard.


THE END.


242





6 Nelo
Mary

Pettr
coe
ANDREW HOLLAND, WOOD CUT AND OIL COLOR PRINTER, 3 DOANE STREET, BORTOX.

THE FLOOD.


MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.



BOSTON:
CROSBY, NICHOLS, LEE AND COMPANY.
1861.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by
CROSBY, NICHOLS, AND COMPANY,
in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

PRINTED BY
GEORGE C. BAND & AVERY.

CAMBRIDGE:
ELECTROTYPED BY METCALF AND COMPANY.
UW

‘MOTIER'S TRUE STORIES.

CHAPTER I.

. 3
Ir was the twilight of a short day in:

early winter, when Mrs. Ellis entered
the room where her two children had
been playing. Little Mary jumped up
from her seat, exclaiming : —

‘Dear mother, we were wishing you
would come! We are tired of playing,
and have been telling stories to each
other. Georgie has been telling me a

1
2 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

true one, mother; we like true stories
so much the best.”

“And what true story has he been
telling you?” asked her mother.

“One that you told him a little while
ago, about two people who lived in a
beautiful garden; and he says that you
know a great many such stories; that
you have learned them out of that great
book you read every morning.”

“Yes, mother,” interrupted George,
“the Bible, you know; and we want
you to tell some of them to ‘us; wall
you, mamma? I have been tellitig
Mary all about Adam and Eve?’

*T am glad, Georgie, that you remem-
‘ber so well what I have told you. Yes,
I can repeat many such. stories out, of
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 3

the Bible; and I do not wonder that
you like true stories best. It is so
much pleasanter, when we hear any-
thing, to think, ‘ All this really hap-
pened,’ than to have to say to our-
selves, ‘None of this is true; nobody
ever did so.’”

“T think so too, mother,” answered
the wise little George ; “and. now, while it
is so dark that you cannot read nor sew,
will you tell us one of these stories ?”

Mrs. Ellis smiled, and, sitting down
by the fire, she took Mary, the youngest,
in her lap, while George was not long
in placing a stool at her feet for his
own convenience, where, as he said, he
could look right up in her face, and she
began her story.
4 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES,

. A great while ago, there were not
near so many people in the world as
there are now, but almost every one was
wicked. Men used to do just as they
pleased; and there was nothing heard
but quarrelling and fighting. There was
one good old man, however, who never
did such things. It grieved him to see
how wicked his neighbors were ; and. he
would try to persuade them to do bet-
ter, but they did not mind him. He
and his family used to keep themselves
apart from these bad men ; and although
they were the only ones who did right,
while others laughed at and mocked
them, they still worshipped God and
obeyed his laws.

“At last God told this .good man,
MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 5

that there would soon be a great flood
to drown all these wicked men. He
told him to build a large vessel, so that,
when the flood came, he and his family
might be saved in it.

“People did not go to sea then, as
they do now; and this may have been
the first vessel ever built. It was not a
ship, but rather a huge floating house,
having no masts nor sails, for it was
merely intended to float on top of the
water.

“So Noah, for that was the old man’s
name, set to work to make this great
vessel. It took many years to build it,
and all the while he preached to the
people, trying to make them repent of
their sins; but they only laughed at
6 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

him, and would not believe what he
said of the great deluge which was
coming.

“So Noah quietly finished his vessel,
and put provisions into it, and collected
some living animals to take with him ;
for of course such a flood would drown
the beasts as well as the men. God had
directed him to save a pair of each kind
of creature ; and to save more than two
of the most useful animals, such as sheep
and oxen.

“At last it began to rain violently,
and Noah, with his family and all the
creatures, went into the ark, as it’is
called, and shut the door. Then how
it rained! for more than a month it
poured constantly ; while all the rivers
MOTHER’S TRUE STORTES.” 7

overflowed, and the waves of the sea
rose over the land, and buried every-
thing under the water.”

“O mother,” said little Mary, “ was
everybody else drowned ?”’

“Yes, Mary, everybody who lived, ex-
cept the eight who were in the ark.
This great vessel floated on the water,
rising higher and higher as the water
rose. One day, as they looked out, the
family of Noah could see the tops of
the trees above the waves, but the next
day they were hidden, and at last not
even the emai of the mountains
could be seen.’

“How long did the flood last, moth-

er?”
“ About six months. Then the water
8 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

began to run off into the sea again, and
the ark sank down and settled upon the
side of a hill. Then Noah took one of
the birds he had in the ark, —a raven,
—and, opening a window, let him fly.
The raven never came back, for such
birds eat the flesh of dead animals, and
he found plenty of food. Then Noah
let out a beautiful dove; but doves do
not eat such food as ravens do, and the
poor dove soon came flying back for
Noah to take her into the ark again.

“ After a few days, he sent her out a
second time, and, as she flew over the
water, she saw an olive-tree putting out
its green leaves, and looking fresh and
spring-like. This dear little dove was
so glad to see the leaves again, that she
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 9

plucked one off, and flew back to Noah
with it; as much as to say, ‘ The flood is
over: see this beautiful green leaf!’

“So he knew the water was almost
gone. He waited some time longer, and
when the ground was dry enough, he
and all his household came out into the
fresh air, and rejoiced to see the new
grass and flowers, and to feel safe after
that terrible storm.”

“What became of the little dove ?”
asked Mary. -

“O, she only stayed with Noah a few
days after she brought the olive-leaf,
and then she flew away, and built a nest
in one of the trees, I suppose. Noah
and his family were very grateful to God
for saving their lives all that long time,
10 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

and for making the earth so beautiful
again.”

“Were they not afraid that the wa-
ter would come back again and drown
them?” said George. “I should have
wanted to live on one of the highest
mountains, for fear it should.”

“They would have been afraid,” an-
swered his mother, “ but God promised
them he never would send another flood ;
and he showed them a beautiful rain-
bow in the clouds, telling them to re-
member his promise whenever they saw
a rainbow.

“Do you recollect, children, that
splendid bow we saw last summer after
the thunder-shower, when we were at
the seaside ?”
‘ _ MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. Il

“O yes!” cried little Mary.

“How beautiful it was!” added
George; “you know, mother, it seemed
to arch right over the ocean, and one
end looked as if it stood in the waves.
Did you think of the flood when you
saw it?”

“Yes, Georgie, I always think of God’s
promise when I see a rainbow; and I
love to thank him for saving us from
such dreadful storms and floods as the
one I have been telling you about.

“But it is now time for candles; per-
haps to-morrow I will tell you another
true story.”
CHAPTER II.

Ir was scarcely dark the next after-
‘noon, when Mrs. Ellis was eagerly re-
minded by her children of the expected
story. As they drew her to the fire,
and took their places to listen, George
began with an important question.
“Mamma, you were telling us yester-
day about Noah; where did he live?
It was not in this country, was it?” ,
“No, my dear, I do not believe any-
body lived in this country then. Noah
lived in Asia, and it was there that the
MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 13














eluge took place. I will show you
-morrow on your map exactly where
e lived, — in the western part of Asia ;
nd all the people I shall tell you about
ived either in Asia or in Egypt, which
ou remember is in the northern part
f Africa.

“You shall hear to-night of a very
d man indeed, named Abraham. He
ways tried to do what he knew to be
ight; and to obey the commands of
od. When he was living with his
ather and all his family, a voice ‘from
eaven bade him go and live in another
ountry, far from his friends ; he did not
esitate a moment, for he knew that
hatever God commands is best for us ;
he went away, with his wife, and lived
the land pointed out to him.
14 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

“T cannot tell you how many times
he obeyed this heavenly voice, even
when it. was very hard to do so; but one
time was the hardest of all. He had
a son named Isaac, a good child, whom
he loved dearly ; but God commanded -
him to take this son of his, and to go
to a mountain at some distance, and
there offer him up for a burnt-offering.”

“A burnt-offering, mamma!” said
George ; “what is that?”

“In those times, my dear, people did
not have churches as we do, where we
go to worship God; they used to build
altars, and burn something that they
valued upon them, as an acknowledg-
ment that all they had came from God,
and was to be used in his service.
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES: 15

Every summer, for instance, they
brought the first fruits which ripened,
and the first corn, and offered it up to
God as a thank-offering. Their prin-
cipal riches were sheep and cattle ; and
very often they would kill a lamb or a
kid, and burn it on-an altar, praying and
giving thanks to God.”

“But did God tell Abraham to kill
his little boy?” asked Mary, in a tone
of distress.

“God did it to prove Abraham’s obe-
dience, Mary. As if I should tell you
to do some very hard thing, knowing
that, if you loved me truly, you would
obey. If Abraham was willing to sac-
rifice his darling child, it was a proof
that. he would do anything, however
16 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

hard, that God commanded him. Do
you understand me?”

«Yes, mamma; but did he do it?”

«It was in the night that Abraham
heard the command. Rising early in
the morning, he called his son Isaac,
and two servants; he saddled an ass,
and, taking some wood to build a fire,
he set out for the mountain, without
telling any one what he was going to
do. He was so sorrowful that he could
not bear to speak of the voice he had
heard, and he hoped that God in some
way would save his child.

“When they came near the moun-
tain, he told the servants to wait with
the ass, while he and the boy went to
worship. So he gave the wood to Isaac
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 17

carry, and taking a knife: and a light-
1 torch in his hand, they went on to-
ther up the mountain. After walking
little way, Isaac said :
«Father, here is the fire and the
ood; but where is the lamb for a
rnt-offering ?’
“ Abraham answered, ‘My son, God
ill provide himself a lamb for a burnt-
ering.’
“When they came to the place, he
ilt an altar of stones, laid the wood
it,, and, putting Isaac on the wood,
ok up the knife to slay his son.
“Just then an angel called to him
om heaven, and bade him stop! O
w glad Abraham was to hear that

ord, and to know that God did not
2
18 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES,

intend he should truly put his boy to
death !

“The angel told him that, since he
had not hesitated to give up his dar-
ling child to God, he would bless him
all his life, and make him happy; and
that his son too should be_ blessed.
Then Abraham, looking round, saw a
sheep caught in some bushes; so he
took that and sacrificed it for a burnt-
offering, giving many thanks to God.”

“Tam very glad he did not kill him,”
said little Mary, half crying. ‘“ How
happy Isaac must have been to get home
to his mother again !”

“Now, children,” said their mother,
“cannot you think of one thing we may
learn from this story? God sometimes
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES 19

quires us to give up what we love,
cause he sees that it is best we should
art with it. If we are like Abraham,
w shall we feel then ?”

“We shall be ready to give it up to
od, I suppose, mother,” said George.
“Do you remember going with me
st summer, Georgie, to see that poor
oman whose little baby had just died ?
ou know that, though she said she
issed it dreadfully, she added: ‘It is
1 right; God’s will be done!’ and
oke cheerfully about it. Was she not
e good Abraham ?”

“Yes, mamma; God asked her for
e of her children, and she gave it to
m.” , |

“She resigned it’to him without com-
20 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

plaining, and God must have blessed her
for it, as he did his servant so long ago.

“‘T must leave you now until tea-time,
children ; but I want you to think about
this story, and how we can be like Abra-
ham, even when we are not called to
give up what we love.”
CHAPTER III.













Tue next evening, when their mother
me into the nursery, and the children
ok their places by her side, George
gan : —

“T suppose, mamma, we can be like
braham by always doing what God
ishes us to do.” .
“Yes, Georgie; he krows exactly what
best for us to do, and he tells us in
e Bible what that is; and if we love
, and believe in him, as Abraham
» we shall obey. I will give you an
ample of what I mean.
22 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

“God knows that, if children or men
indulge unkind feelings towardggliiach
other, these feelings will increase ; lead-
ing to hatred, and to great wickedness,
and will cause unhappiness and misery.
So the Bible says: ‘ Little children, love
one another.’ ‘Be kindly affectioned
one to the other, with brotherly love.’
If we obey God, then, we never shall
allow any unkindness in our hearts.
The story I am going to tell you to-
night, shows how fast such evil pas-
‘sions grow.

“There were once twelve brothers
living together with their father. Their
father was quite old, and though he
loved them all, and was kind to them,
there was one named Joseph, whom he
loved the best.
â„¢

MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 23














«Joseph was the youngest but one,
devas a very good son; but the older
nes were envious of him, because they
aid he was the favorite.

“One day his father gave him a beau-
iful coat, prettier than any that the
thers had; and this made them very
ngry, so that the story says ‘they
ould not speak peaceably to him,’ but
very time they were together, they
ould taunt him, and try to make him
appy. This grew worse and worse,
ntil they really hated him.

“At one time the older ones were
eeding their sheep at some distance
trom home, when his father called Jo-
ph, and told him to go to find his
rothers, and bring home news of them.
24 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

“Joseph went directly. It was some
time before he came where they were;
“but when they saw him, they said:
‘See, here is the favorite; let us kill
him, and get rid of him.’ One or two
of them, however, were not prepared for
such wickedness, though they too wished
never to see him again; so they con-
sulted together, and decided to sell Jo-
seph to some travelling merchants who
were passing by.” |

“Poor Joseph!” said Mary; “why
did he not run away home, mother ? ”

‘“‘He would have been very glad to
escape when he heard their fierce words,
but they let him down into a pit for
safe. keeping while they talked: about
getting rid of him. He cried bitterly,


|
MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 25










and begged them not to sell him for
a slave, but let him go home to his dear
father ; but they were so cruel as not
to mind his prayers.”

“O mother!” cried George, “ starting
up from his seat, “ how awfully wicked !
How could they do so? What did their
father say when they told him ? ”

“They were afraid :to tell him what
they had done; so they made a lie to
hide their other sins. . They brought
home poor Joseph’s coat, and told their
father that they had not.seen the boy,
ut had found his coat all’ bloody, and
hey supposed some wild beasts had
illed him.”

“Where were the merchants going,
amma?”
26 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

“ Across the desert to Egypt. They
sold Joseph to an officer of the king,
named Potiphar, who at first treated
him kindly, but afterwards suspected
him of some crime that he did not com-
mit, and put him in prison, where he
stayed for two or three years.”

“How he must have hated his crucl
brothers !”” said George, still excited.

“No, my dear, he was too good and
affectionate for that. He lived long
before Jesus Christ came and taught us
to love our enemies, and do good to
them that hate us; but he acted as if
he had learned these blessed rules.

“TI cannot tell you now all that hap-
pened to Joseph in Egypt. After a
while, he was taken out of prison, and,
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 27

obtaining favor with the king, he was
raised to high offices of trust, until he
became the greatest man in Egypt, ex-
cept the king himself. But he never
forgot his brothers and his kind old
father, and often he longed to hear from
them. Nor did he forget what his
father had taught him of God; but
always tried to obey him, refusing de-
cidedly to do anything displeasing to
him.

“At last there was a great famine,
both in Egypt and in Canaan, where
Joseph’s father lived ; and his ten elder
brothers came to Egypt to buy corn.
For Joseph had provided great quanti-
ties of grain in storehouses, during the
years before the famine, and now he
28 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

sold it for the king to everybody who
needed it. The ten brothers inquired
where they could buy food, and the
Egyptians directed them to Joseph, the
governor.

“They had never heard from him
since they sold him, and of course never
expected to find him so high in power,
and surrounded by servants ; besides
this, he spoke a different language now,
and the Egyptians called him by a dif-
ferent name; so it is no wonder that
his brothers did not know Joseph. He
knew them, however, as soon as he saw
them, and was very much affected ; but
he did: not at first tell them who he was.
He asked them about their family, as
if they had been strangers; and when
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES, 29

they said they had a younger brother
at home, he told them to bring him
with them the next time they came.
Then he supplied them with corn, and
sent them home, giving them back the
price they had paid him.

_ “When their corn was all gone, they
told their father that they must go and
buy some more, and asked him to let
Benjamin, his youngest son, go with
them.

“Their father, since he had _ lost
Joseph, was afraid to let Benjamin go
out of his sight, and at first he refused.
But they said: ‘ The Egyptian ruler told
us he would not sell us any more corn ~
unless we brought him; so he must
go’;— and they promised faithfully. to
take care of him.
30 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

“Indeed, they had lately grown to
be much better men; they often thought
of their former cruelty with sorrow, and
one time when they were in trouble
they said to each other, ‘This has hap-
pened because we were so wicked to
poor Joseph,’ when we sold him.’ At
last their father allowed Benjamin to
go to Egypt with them.”

“Why did not Joseph tell them at
first who he was?” asked George. “I
hope he did now.”

“He wanted to find out if they really
had improved, before he told them,”
said Mrs. Ellis.

“When he was sure that they had
become better men, and were very kind
to Benjamin, then he spoke to them in
MOTHER’S TRUE ‘STORIES. 31

heir own language, saying, ‘I am Jo-
eph; does my father still live?’ and

e wept for joy to be with his brothers
gain.

“At first they were alarmed, and
hought he would punish them for sell-
ing him so long ago; but he assured
hem of his forgiveness, and that he
oved them still. He told them that, if
hey would go home and bring their
ather to Egypt, he would give them a
leasant place to live in, and provide
hem with corn all through the famine,
and as long as they lived. So they went
or their father. You may imagine how
lad he was to hear from his long-lost
on, and to go and live near him. Jo-
eph did as he had promised, and was
32 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

very kind to his brothers as long as he
lived.”

“He was very good,” said George,
thoughtfully. “I don’t believe I could
have done so.”

“Tt is not likely, my son, that you
_ will ever have so great a wrong to par-
don; but you must try to forgive the
teasing ways and little injuries of your
schoolmates now, that you may learn by
degrees what Joseph knew so well, —
how to do good to those who do wrong
to you. But go now and play with
Mary; she is tired of this long story.”
CHAPTER IV.













Ir was two or three nights before Mrs.
is was able to go on with her true sto-
s; and the children were very glad,
nen, on the next Saturday evening, she
led them to her.

«| will tell you to-night,” she began,
story about a little baby.

“The father and mother of this little
ild lived in Egypt, close by the great
er Nile, that you were showing Mary
the map, Georgie, the other day.
ey were good people, but they could

8
34 : MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.










not be very happy, for they and thei
kindred were slaves.

“T do not mean that they were blac
people, like the poor slaves in this coun
try that you have heard of, but they be
longed to a nation named Hebrews, a
of whom were kept in servitude by th
Egyptians. Their masters were ver
cruel to them, and forced them to work
hard all the time, in making bricks, an
in such labor, and never let them rest i
peace.

“There were a great many Hebrews
the king of Egypt thought there wer
too many; so he made a wicked law
that all the little Hebrew boys: bor
after the law was made should
drowned,











MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 35

«The man and woman I spoke of had
o children, —a boy two or three years
, named Aaron, and an older daugh-
, whose name was Miriam. These
ildren were safe; but soon afterwards, —
other little boy was born; and if the
g’s officers should ever see him, they
ainly would take him away and
wn him.

‘His mother kept him very carefully
her room, never going out with him,
letting any one come in, but their
nds. He was a beautiful baby, and
mother’s heart ached to think that
should not be able to hide him much
ger; for as he grew older, he would
gh and crow so loud that any one
© passed could hear him.
36 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

“When he was three months old, his
mother took some large, strong rushes,
-and wove a pretty green basket of them;
then she put pitch on the outside, that
it might keep out water, and lined it
with soft, white linen. In this little
cradle she laid her darling baby. Miriam
had been watching her with wonder, and
now asked her what she was going to
do. Her mother told her that she could
not hide him any longer, and that she
was going to leave him among the rushes
on the river-side; and she hoped God
would take care of him. So she carried
him down to the river, laid the basket
among the flags, and went home weep-
ing; while Miriam stood among some
palm-trees, at a short distance, to watch
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 37

what’ would happen to him. She was
very much afraid the crocodiles would
scize him.”

“ What are crocodiles?” said Mary.

“Q Mary, don’t you know?” cried
George. “I have one in my Book of
Animals.”

A little while was spent in finding the
picture, and in wondering at the crea-
ture’s huge mouth, and awkward form ;
when they both came back to the story
with the question, “ Well, mamma, did
the crocodiles find him ?”

“No, they did not. God intended
this little boy to grow up to be one of
the greatest men that ever lived; and
he kept all harm from his cradle of bul-
rushes; Not long after he was laid
388 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

there, the king’s daughter and her
maidens came down to the river-side.
As they walked along, she saw this basket
among the flags, and sent one of her
maids to bring it to her. When she
lifted up the cover, there was a beautiful
babe asleep; but, startled by the sun-
shine and the voices, he woke up and
cried.

“¢ Poor child!’ said the king’s daugh-
ter; ‘poor little forsaken child! It must
' be one of the Hebrews’ children. I
will take care of it. But I shall want
a nurse for it.’

“Just then, Miriam, who had been
watching eagerly to sce if the great
lady intended to take her baby brother,
came out from among the palm-trees,
MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 39

and said, timidly, ‘Shall I go and find a
nurse for you, to take care of the
child?’ The lady smiled, and said,
‘Yes, you may go.’

“So Miriam ran off, in great delight,.
and went directly home. ‘O mother!’
cried she, ‘such a noble lady has found
my little brother! and she means to
save him, and you are to go and nurse
him!’

“ How glad and thankful the mother
was! She went to the palace and took
care of her own little boy; but nobody
knew she was his mother. The king’s
daughter adopted him as her child, and
named him Moses. He grew up at her
court, and had the best teachers in
Egypt to educate him. But his mother
40 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

told him who he really was, and about
his poor countrymen ; and he never for-
got them, laboring so hard in slavery,
while he, in that beautiful palace, had
everything he wanted. To-morrow I
will tell you some of the things he did
when he was a man.”

“T have not been at all tired to-
night,” said Mary; “I love to hear about
little children. What was the lady’s
name, mamma?” .

“TI do not know, my dear; her father
was called Pharaoh; but her name is
not mentioned.

“Good night, children ; remember to
ask God to take care of you, as he did
of little Moses.”
CHAPTER V.

THE next day was Sunday. Mr. and
Mrs. Ellis lived too far from church for
little Mary to go; but George accom-
panied his father and mother. Very
often their good minister’s sermons were
such as he could understand, and then
he would listen very attentively. To-
day, the sermon was not one that. he
would be much interested in, until near
- the close some words attracted him, and
he attended closely to the rest. His
mother was talking to a friend as they
42 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

walked home, and could not listen to
him ; but when she called the children
to her in the afternoon, George began
with the question : —

“Mamma, was that the same Moses
the minister was speaking of to-day?
and what was he saying about his bring-
ing down bread from heaven ?”

“Yes, my dear, it was the same Moses
who, when a child, slept in the ark of
bulrushes. I will tell you about the
bread from heaven, when you and Mary
have said your Sunday lessons.”

The hymns and questions in the cate-
chism were repeated and explained, and
then their mother went on with the
history of Moses.

“I told you last night that gi
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 43

never forgot his countrymen, the poor
Hebrew slaves. When he grew up, he
thought a great deal about them and
their sufferings, and he tried to find
some way to help them. At last, after
many years, as he was in a desert place
alone, he saw a bush that seemed to be
all on fire, glowing bright like flame ;
yet it did not burn up. While he was
wondering at this, a voice spoke to him
from the burning bush. It was the
voice of God; it called him, and told
him that God had seen how the He-
brews were oppressed, and that he,
Moses, was the man he had chosen to
lead them all out of Egypt.

_ “I cannot tell you now of the won-
derful manner in which the Hebrews,

*
e
44 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

or the Israelites, as they were often
called, were freed from the Egyptians ;
but at last they all left the country
together, with Moses and his brother
Aaron to lead them.

“ Between Egypt and Canaan, the land
they were going to, there is a great
sandy desert. Do not you remember,
Georgie, in your Book of Animals, a
picture of a camel, and the stories told
about his living in the desert ? ”

“QO yes! I was reading it only a day
or two ago; it says there are no trees
or grass in the desert, except in spots ;
nothing but sand; and no water, Mary !
But the camel will travel days and days
without eating or drinking. I forget
the name of the desert it tells the most
about.”
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 45

« Was it the Arabian Desert?”

“ Yes, mamma, it was.”

.It..was through the same Arabian
Desert that Moses led these thousands
of people.”

“But how could they live there ?”

“They could not have lived there
long, but God gave them food by a mira-
cle. A miracle, as I have told you be-
fore, is anything that takes place against
the usual laws of nature. A tree usually
grows for years before it bears fruit ; if
God were to cause one to spring up and
bear fruit in an instant, that would be a
miracle.

“One morning, when the Israelites.
went out of their tents at sunrise, they
found food lying on the ground all round
46 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

them, as if it had come down with the
dew.”

«Food, mamma! what kind of food?”

“They had never seen anything like
it before. It was sweet and pleasant
to the taste, white in color, and was ly-
ing in little round pieces; they thought
it looked like hoar-frost all over the
ground. When they saw it, they said,
‘Manna?’ which was a Hebrew word,
meaning, ‘ What is it?’ and it was after-
wards called manna.

“ Everybody gathered up as much as
they wanted; they either ate it as it
was, or made cakes of it. Every morn-
ing, as long as they were in the desert,
this manna fell; and they found with
wonder, that, on the day before the Sab-
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 47

bath, twice the usual quantity fell, and
none at all-on the Sabbath itself. This
was to prevent their working on God’s
day of rest.”

“Then this was what the minister
meant by Moses bringing bread from
heaven, was it, mamma?”

Yes, Georgie ; he was telling us what
our Saviour, Jesus Christ, said: that
though Moses gave the people food by
a miracle, yet that he could give us
better food,— true bread from heaven,
to make our souls live and grow. He
meant his teachings and example. Do
you understand me ?”’

“Yes, mamma, I believe so. But I
should have liked to see some of Moses’s
bread from heaven,—the manna. But
48 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

what did these poor people have to
drink?”

“There are here and there in the
desert fountains or wells of water, in
the midst of little green spots called
oases ; the people were guided from one
to the other of these, and took a supply
of water there. But twice the springs
were so far apart, that all the water
they carried had been used, and they
began to suffer for want of it. Then
God told Moses to take his staff, and
strike a large rock or cliff near by, and
immediately, the side of the rock open-
ing, a plentiful stream gushed out; so
that all the people drank, and filled
their jars with the pure water.

“I said the people were guided from
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 49

one place to another; a wonderful col-
umn of cloud moved along before them,
and they followed it; while at night
the column glowed like a pillar of fire,
so that all the people could see it.”

“ How strange !” said Mary.

‘“Yes,”’ said her brother; “I should
like to have lived then, and to have had
my bread every day from heaven, and
a cloud sent to lead me.”

‘My dear boy,” said Mrs. Ellis, “ God
as truly gives you your food every day
now, and as truly gives you a guide, as
he did to the Hebrews in the desert.
Did you not ask him this morning,
‘Give us this day our daily bread,’ and,
‘Lead us not into temptation’ ?”

“Yes, mamma, and I know you have
4
50 | MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

often told me what it meant; I will
try to remember it.”

“ Always try to remember, my dear
children, that God is as much with us,
and as near to us, as he was to the men
we read about in the Bible, who heard
his voice speaking to them. May he
guide you always, as he did the He-
brews in the desert!”
CHAPTER VI.

“ Now, little Mary,” began her mother
the next night, as she took her usual
seat, “I have a story to tell you to-night
such as you like, about a little child.”

“Yes,” said the venerable George,
“Mary can understand them better than
older stories, such as suit me. Was
this little child born in the desert,
mamma ?”

“No; it was after the Israelites
reached Canaan, the country God had
given them. Here they settled, and
52 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES,

spread all over the country. They
chose one place, named Shiloh, where
they set up a tabernacle,—a kind of
church ; and they used to go there to
worship. There were beautiful altars’
built there, and sacrifices were offered
every day. There were numbers of men
appointed to take care of this taber-
nacle; to burn the offerings, and to
pray for the people. These were called
priests; and many of them were very
excellent, men. At the time I am going
to tell you of, the chief of these priests
was a good old man named KEii.

“ One day, when he was sitting in the
court of the tabernacle, waiting to give
advice or instruction to any who should
come to him, he saw a woman praying
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 53

very earnestly. Her name was Hannah,
and she had come from her home in the
country to worship God here at Shiloh ;
for they did not have churches then in
every town, as we do now; but only
this one for all the people. Eli went
and spoke to her, and told her he hoped
God would grant what she was praying
for. She thanked the good old priest,
and went home with her husband.”

«What was she praying for, mamma?”
asked Mary.

“She had no children, my dear; and
she was asking God to give her a little
son.”

“ And did he ?”

“Yes, he granted her request; and
a little babe was born, whom she named
 §4 MOTHER’S TRUE 8TORTES.

Samuel. When he was three years old,
she told her husband that she wanted to
carry little Samuel to Shiloh, the next
time they went, and leave him there to
be brought up at the tabernacle. Her
husband was willing, so they took their
child to Shiloh.

“ Hannah asked Eli if he remembered
the woman he saw praying there so long
ago? ‘For this child I prayed,’ said
she, ‘and the Lord heard me. Therec-
fore I will lend him to the Lord as long
as he lives.’ So when his father and
mother had offered their sacrifice, they
kissed their little son, and left him with
Eli.”

“T hope Eli was kind to him, mother,”
said George.
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 55

«Yes, Eli was very kind to him, and
taught him to be good; and everybody
loved him. His mother lived so far off
that she could only come to Shiloh once
a year; but every time she came, she
brought him a pretty coat, every year
a little larger, rejoicing to see how tall
he was growing, and what a good child
he was.”

“What did he do in the tabernacle,
mamma ?”’

“He used to open the doors in the
morning, and shut them at night, and
do many little services to help the priests.
He was very fond of old Eli, and would
run directly if he heard him call. One
night, when I think he was about seven
years old, after he was laid down to
“oe

56 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIE |

sleep, he heard his name called. He
started up, saying, ‘Here am I,’ and
ran where Eli was lying: ‘Here am I,
for thou didst call mw*’ But Eli an-
swered, ‘I called not; lie down again.’
And he went and lay down.
“Presently he heard the voice again,
saying, ‘Samuel!’ Again the child rose,
and went: to Eli, saying, ‘Here I am,
for thou didst surely call.’ Again Eli
replied, ‘I called not, my son; lie down
again.’ |
“This happened a third time; and
then Eli thought it must have been the
voice of God calling little Samuel. So
he told him to go and lie down; and if
- he heard his name called again, not to
be frightened, but to answer, ‘Speak,
4
ul
a
4
4
bat
;
n


MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 57

Lord, for thy servant heareth.’ Samuel
obeyed; and soon the voice spoke again,
‘Samuel! Samuel!’ The child knelt on
his little bed, .nd humbly answered,
‘Speak, for thy servant heareth.’

“Then God gave him a message to Eli,
foretelling some event that would soon
happen; after this Samucl lay down qui-
etly until morning. In the morning,
after he had opened the tabernacle
doors, Eli called him, and asked him
what the Lord had said; and Samuel
repeated every word.”

“Did God ever speak to him again,
mothcr ?”

“ Ycs, very often ; and as he grew up,
he became a prophct. Te taught the
people, explained God’s will to them,
and ruled over them.”
58 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

.“ God never speaks to people now as
he did to Moses and Samuel, does he,
mother?” asked Mary.

“No, not in the same way; he never
tells us his. will with an audible voice,
as he did then;.but he speaks with a
voice in our hearts. Do you understand
me?”

“ Not exactly, mamma.”

“This morning, George, when you
were playing with Sammy Brown, I saw
that Sammy’s ball hit you. At first you
were angry, and caught up the ball to
return the blow; then I saw you drop
it. Why was that?”

“Why, I thought all at once, ‘No, I
must not; he did not mean to hurt
me.’ ”
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 59

“That was your conscience that
checked you; and, as I have told you
before, God has given us our consciences
to prevent our doing wrong. That
thought, that preven ed. yousfrom strik-
ing, was God’s v n your heart.”

“T am glad I minded it, mother.”

“So am I, my dear boy; and if you
always listen humbly, as little Samuel
did, God will speak to you yet more
clearly, and will keep you from all sin.
And you too, Mary dear; you are not
too young to listen to this voice.”

“No, mamma; I am almost as old
as Samuel was; and I hope I shall al-
ways do as he did. It is a very pretty
story indeed.” |
CHAPTER VII.

“ GrorGE,” said his mother, the next
evening, “do you know what a shepherd
is?”

“Yes, mamma. I have seen a picture
of a man keeping sheep, whom you told
me was a shepherd. But I have seen
sheep in the fields, and there was no
shepherd with them.”

“No; in this country only a few are
kept at once, near some farm-house,
where the people live who take care
of them. But in Judea, and in other
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 61

countries, there are large flocks of sheep,
which feed on the hills, and in pastures
far from the towns ; and then a man has
to stay with them all the time, to keep
off the wild beasts, and lead the sheep
where the sweetest grass grows.

“There was once in Judea a shepherd
named David. He was quite young, and
had several older brothers ; but he was
old enough to keep his father’s flocks
safe. He loved to sit alone with his
lambs lying or grazing round him, and
to watch the beautiful landscape by day
and the stars by night, and think about
God and his goodness. For he had
learned to love God, who took care of
him, as he did of his sheep; and while
he was there in the fields, he used to
62 “MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

write sweet hymns and sing them, for
he was very fond of music. When you
are older, you will think, as I do, that
these hymns or psalms are some of the
most beautiful poetry ever written.

“ But David was brave too. Once or
twice wild beasts had come among his
flock, and seized the sheep, and he fear-
lessly attacked and slew them; he was
not afraid to risk his own safety to de-
fend the helpless sheep. But he once
«showed his courage in another way.

“There was at this time war between
the Hebrews and a fierce nation called
the Philistines, who knew not God, but .
worshipped idols. David’s elder brothers
were all gone to join the grmy, and to
endeavor to free their country of these
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIEs. 63

enemies, who had seized some of their
towns. One day David’s father told him
to go and carry some things to his broth-
ers, and to see how they did. David
hired a man to keep his sheep while he
was away, and went to the camp where
the army was. When he reached the
place, while he was talking to his broth-
ers, he heard a loud, fierce voice; and
looking toward the army of the Philis-
tines, he saw a man defying the Israel-
ites, and calling some one to come out
and fight him.”

“And did they go, mother? I would
have gone!” cried George.

“This man, my dear, was of gigantic
size, and very. strong. He was about
nine feet high.”
64 ' MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

“QO mamma,” said Mary, “I thought
you told me giants only lived in ay
books.”

“Such giants as Georgie was telling
you about, Mary, never did really exist ;
but now and then men have been known
eight or nine feet high. But this giant,
whose name was Goliath, so terrified all
the Hebrews, that none of them dared
to go within reach of his terrible sword.
But young David was not afraid; he
said he would fight the Philistine.

“The king, who was with the He-
brew army, heard of him, and sent for
him; but when he saw David, he
laughed, and said: ‘You can never kill
_this giant; you are so young and inex-
perienced.’
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 65

“Then David told King Saul how he
had slain a lion and a bear, saying, ‘The
Lord delivered me out of their power,
and he will protect me if I attack this
wicked Philistine.’

“So the king told him to go, and gave
him some armor, and a sword; but he
was not used to armor, and told the king
he could not wear it; all he needed was
his sling, which he had with him. Did
you ever see a sling, George ?”

“Yes, mamma; the boys use them
sometimes to fling stones with.”

“A sling is made of leather, and, a
stone being put in it, it is whirled round
the head, and the stone is slung out with:
great force. David took his shepherd’s
sling in his hand, and five smooth peb-

5
66 MOTHER’ TRUE STORIES.

bles from the brook, and thus armed,
went toward Goliath.”

“What did the giant say to him,
mamma? Did he laugh ?”

“Yes; he would not believe David
was in earnest; he mocked at him, who
came out to fight such a foe without
even a sword, and cursed him by his
false gods. David told him that he
came in the name of the true God, and
that He could give the victory to whom
He pleased. Goliath then drew his
sword, and came striding toward David ;
but David took a smooth stone, and put
it in his sling, and threw it with all his
force, It struck the giant in the fore-
head, and killed him in an instant.”

“Was not he brave?” cried George,
* Don’t you like this story, Mary?"
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 67

“ Pretty well,” answered little Mary.
« And then did he go home to his sheep,
mamma ?”

“No, my dear; King Saul was so much
pleased with him, that he kept him with
him, and after many years David became
king himself.”

‘‘What became of the rest of the
Philistine army?” asked George.

«After they saw that their champion,
as he was called, was dead, they turned
and fled. Now, Georgie, what was it
that enabled this shepherd-boy to be so
courageous P”

“Was it because he een in God,
mamma ? ”

“Yes; though he was but a slender
youth, quite unused to arms, and know-
68 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

ing nothing about fighting, he thought it
was his duty to attack the giant, and was
not afraid but that God would protect
him. Remember what I am going to
say. You will never have to fight with
men; but you will have great evils to
contend with. Then recollect, like David,
that God can give the victory to you,
though they seem so strong and you so
weak. You will understand this better
when you are older. Always trust in
God, and never be afraid to do right.”
CHAPTER VIII.

OnE afternoon, the children sum-
moned their mother from her work
rather earlier than usual, to see a glori-
ous sunset. It was such a sunset as is
rarcly to be seen in winter, with gor-
geous clouds of purple and crimson roll-
ing up over the sky. After they had
watched it with admiration until the
last ray had faded, Mrs. Ellis took her
scat by the fire, saying :—

“Did you ever hear of people who
worship the sun, George ? ”
"0 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

“No, mother. Do you mean that
they think the sun is God?”

“Yes, my dear. I have told you before
what is meant by idolaters, — those who
worship images, or some of God’s crea-
tions, believing they are gods. There
were many such people among the He-
brews. Though they had seen such
wonderful miracles done by God’s power,
and had been taught about him by Mo-
ses and Samuel, and other good men,
yet they very often forgot him, and wor-
shipped idols. They made altars on
every green hill, and set up idols in the.
groves ; and instead of obeying the true
Jehovah, they performed many wicked
actions, to please their false gods.”

“ Did they worship the sun, mother ?”
MOTHER'S. TRUE STORIES. 71

“Yes, one of their gods was Baal, or
adhe sun; and a great many of the Israel-
ites learned to serve him, or rather his
priests, who were wicked people, pre-
tending to know all about this great
Power, as they called him. Good men
often went to the Israelites, and tried to
show them how they were deceived, and
to persuade them to leave Baal; but
they would not hearken. Among these
. good men was one named Elijah. He
used to go among the people, and to the
king, warning them with earnest words,
that God would punish them for their
idolatry ; for the king himself wor-
shipped Baal.
“ At last Elijah told the king to bring
all the priests of his faith together to -
72 ‘MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

Mount Carmel, to offer a sacrifice to
their God, and that he would be there
to meet them. So King Ahab gathered
four hundred and fifty of the priests of
Baal, and they all went to Mount Carmel,
where Elijah met them, he being the
only worshipper of God. All round the
sides of the mountain stood great crowds
of people, silently looking on.

“Then Elijah said: ‘ Let the priests
of Baal slay a bullock, and lay it on an
altar of wood, to offer it to the sun;
and I will prepare a sacrifice to the
Lord; and the God who sends down
fire from heaven to burn his offering, he
must be the true God.’ All the people
acknowledged that none but the true
God could do this; and they promised
MOTHER’S. TRUE. STORIES. 73 .

to believe on the one who should an-
swer by fire.

“In the first place, the priests of Baal
built their altar ; and, slaying a bullock,
they cut it in pieces, and laid it on the
wood. Then they prayed to their god
to send down fire upon it, crying, ‘O
Baal, hear us!’ So they cried from
morning to noon; but all the while the
bright sun moved silently up the sky,
and no answer came. Still they cried
aloud franticly, stretching out their
hands, and praying, ‘O Baal, hear us!’
But the sun sunk slowly down to the
west, and the beautiful sunset clouds
began to gather round it, as you saw
to-night ; and no answer came,

“Then Elijah came quietly forward,
"4 ovien’s-rave. wrontzs,

and in his turn built an altar; and hav:
ing caused a bullock to. be slain, he laid
the pieces upon the wood on the altar.
He dug a trench all round it, and told
the men who helped him, to bring four
barrels full of water, and pour it over
the whole. This they did three times,
until the altar and everything on it was
soaked with water, and the ditch round
it was full.”

“ What was the water for, mother ?”
asked George. |

“You know that anything wet will
not catch fire easily. Elijah wanted to
make it plain to the people that he
could not kindle the wood himself, and
deceive them. Then, standing by the
altar, in the last rays of the setting sun,
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 15

the prophet looked up to heaven and
prayed aloud. All the people stood very
silent, listening to his words, as he said :
‘O Lord God of Abraham and our fath-
ers! Let it be known this day that
thou art God in Israel, and that I am
thy servant. Hear me, O Lord, hear
me! that this people may know that
thou art the Lord God !’

“And immediately a fire fell from
heaven, and consumed the sacrifice, and
the wood, with the very stones of the
altar; and dried up the water in the
trench. Then all the people fell on
their faces, crying out, ‘The Lord he is
God! the Lord, he is God !’

“0,” cried George, “I am glad they
did! They could not help believing,
16 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

could they, mamma? I hope they never
forgot again who made the sun,”

‘Elijah spent all the rest of his life
in the same way, trying to turn his na-
tion from idolatry ; and he did a great
deal of good; but still they often forgot
their God, who had saved them and led
them so long. When his life was fin-
ished, a friend of his, named Elisha, be-
came a great prophet in his stead. To-
morrow I will tell you a story of the
prophet Elisha.”
CHAPTER IX.

““MorTHER,” began George, the next
evening, “I have been trying to tell
Mary what a prophet is; is it not some-
body who knows what is going to hap-
pen?”

“The word prophet generally means
a man who is inspired by God to foretell
future events; but it is sometimes used
in the Bible to mean teachers of the
people, and sometimes poets, who have
not this gift.”

“Are there any prophets now,
mamma ?”
718 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

“No one now can foretell the future,
George. There is no need of such
prophets now ; before our Saviour came,
God sent them to show people his will ;
but now we can go to the Bible and
learn his will there. —I promised you a
story about Elisha.

“This prophet went about, as Elijah
had done, from place to place, instruct-
ing all who would listen to him, and
working miracles to prove that God had
commissioned him to speak to them.

“Once, as he was passing through a
village named Shunem, a rich woman
who lived there invited him to her
house. She did this often, and they
became great friends; at last she had
a little room built on purpose for him,
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 19

and furnished comfortably, so that when-
ever he came, even if it should be late
at night, he might always find a chamber
ready for him. She did everything for
him that she could think of, for she was
a good, kind woman, and her husband
was willing that she should do as much
as she would for the man of God, as
they called Elisha.

“T told you they were rich ; but there
was one thing that they valued more
than all their rich possessions ; that was
their little boy, — their only child.

“One summer’s day his father was
out in the cornfields, overseeing some
men who were reaping wheat. The
little boy asked his mother if he might
go there too, and see the men cutting
80 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

down the beautiful yellow corn. His
mother was willing, and he went. He
played about merrily; for a while, among
the reapers; but the sun was very hot,
and presently he went crying to his
father, saying, ‘My head! my head!’
His father felt that his poor little fore-
head was all flushed and burning ; so he
told a young man that was near to take
him up in his arms, and carry him to his
mother as fast as he could. His mother
was frightened to see him so sick; she
took him up in her lap, and bathed his
head. But it did no good ; the fever
grew worse, and in a few hours he died
in her arms.”

“O mamma!” said Mary, with tears in
her eyes. “Poor little boy! Was his
father at home ?”
MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 81°

“No; his father did not know he was
very sick, and had not come home. His
mother did not allow herself to weep,
but she carried the little body into the
room where Elisha slept when he was
there, and laid it on his bed. Then she
went out to speak to her husband, and
asked him to have an ass saddled, and
to send one of the servants to attend
her ; for she wanted to go to the place
where Elisha lived. He asked her why
she wanted to go in such haste? She
was afraid to tell him what had hap-
pened, lest her grief should overcome
her, so she only said, ‘It is well.’

“When the ass was ready, she
mounted; and though it was so warm

a day, she told the servant who went
6
:

82 - | MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES,

with her to ride as fast as he could. So
they rode in silence until they came
where Elisha was. When she saw him,
she dismounted from her ass, and threw
herself at his feet, sobbing and crying so,
that she could not speak. Elisha spoke
kindly to her, and as soon as she could
tell him what the matter was, he said he
would go home with her. When they
reached the house, Elisha went into his
own room, and there, on his bed, was
the little dead boy, lying so still and
quiet, with a smile on his pale, cold
face.

“The mother did not come into the
_ room, for Elisha wished to be alone. So
he shut the door, and, kneeling down,
he prayed to God to hear him, and to
MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 83

give back her son to the poor mother.
Then he stretched himself upon the
body, putting his mouth on the child’s
mouth, and his hands on the child’s
hands. Presently he felt the cold lips
and icy fingers growing warm. Elisha
rose, and walked about the room; then
again he stretched himself on the little
boy, and life came back to the body ;. the
child opened his eyes and looked won-
deringly at Elisha. The good prophet
thanked God with all his heart, and,
going to the door, called the poor
woman, who came weeping into the
room.

“But behold! there sat her darling
son on the bed, alive and well, looking
as if he never had been so pale and
weak as she had seen him last.”

-
84 ‘MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

“Was not she too very thankful to
God, mother ? ”

“We cannot doubt it. It must have
been a happy family that night, with
the man of God sitting with them as
their guest. They had been separated
by death, but their Father in Heaven
had united them again.

“My dear children, we ought to be
thankful every day to God, that he has
not separated us,—that he permits us
to live together in health and peace;
as thankful as that little family at Shu-
nem were. Never forget this, my dear
ones !”
CHAPTER X.

Mary was very much pleased with
her mother’s last story. She spoke sev-
eral times very affectionately of the good
old prophet Elisha, and when, after two
or three days’ interruption, her mother
said she was at leisure to tell them an-
other true story, Mary petitioned for one
more about Elisha. ‘And the little
boy who lived at Shunem, mamma, do
you know any more about him ?”

“No, Mary, I know nothing further
about him; but you shall hear another
story about the prophet.
86 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

“In some of the Eastern countries,
there is a disease called leprosy. It is a
dreadful disease, making the person who
suffers from it very sick and weak, and
covering the whole body with an erup-
tion, that looks white and scaly. In a
country near to Canaan, where Elisha
lived, there was a nation called Syrians.
They very often were at war with their
Hebrew neighbors, and sometimes they
carried off prisoners from them.

“The captain of their army, Naaman,
was a great man ; rich, and in high favor
with. the king; but all his honors did
him but little good: he could not enjoy
them, for he had the terrible disease I
spoke of, — he was a leper. There was
in his house a little maid, who waited
MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 87

on his wife. She was a young Hebrew
girl, who had been taken prisoner by
his soldiers, and carried away from her
friends. But before she left her home,
she had often heard of the prophet
Elisha; she had heard of his bringing
the child of the Shunamite woman to
life, and of other wonders God had en-
abled him to do; and she said, ‘I wish
my master could see the prophet who
is in my own country, for he could cer-
tainly cure him of his leprosy.’

«Some one who heard her told Naa-
man; and the great general resolved to
go into the land of Israel and see the
prophet. So he made haste and got
ready his chariot and his servants, and
took with him a present for the prophet,
88 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

—six thousand pieces of gold, beside a
great quantity of silver and handsome
garments.

“Elisha heard that he was coming;
and when the splendid carriage and
horses stopped at the door of the hum-
ble cottage where he lived, he was not
surprised. He did not come out and
speak to Naaman, as might be expected :
he sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘ Go
and wash seven times in Jordan, and
your health will return, and you shall
be clean of this disease.’

“ What is Jordan?” asked Mary.

“Don’t you know ?” said George; “I
showed it to you on my map of Pales-
tine: a river that runs north and south
right through the country.”
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 89-

“O yes!” said Mary; “I forgot its
name. — Well, mamma, did he go?”

“At first he was very angry. ‘I
surely thought,’ said he, ‘he would come
out to me, as suits my importance, and
would stand and call on his God, and
put his hand solemnly on me, to cure
my disease. Why should I wash in Jor-
dan? Are not the rivers of Damascus,
in my own country, better than all the
waters of Israel? May I not wash in
them, and be clean?’ So he turned
and went away in a rage.”

“OQ what a pity!” said Mary.

“So his servants thought. They

knew that he was angry because the
prophet had used so little ceremony,
and had given him so trifling a thing
90 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

to-do ; but they loved their kind master,
and wished to see him well again. They
went to him and begged him to reflect.
‘If the prophet,’ said they, ‘had told
you to do some great thing, very dif-
ficult, would you not have done it?
Surely, then, you should obey, when
he merely says, Wash and be well.’
“Naaman saw how foolish he had
been. He made no answer, but went
and dipped himself seven times in Jor-
dan, and his flesh, the story says, came
again like the flesh of a little child,
all fair and healthy ; and he was entire-
ly cured. Then he and all his company
. hastened back to Elisha. The good old
man came out to see him now, and Naa-
man thanked him again and again, and
MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES. 91

blessed the God who had healed him by
Elisha’s means. He urged the prophet
to take a present from him; the gold
and silver, or at least some of his splen-
did garments; but Elisha refused. He
cared not for such things ; all he wanted
was to serve God, and do good to his
fellow-men. So Naaman went home in
his chariot, promising never again to
worship idols, as he had done, but the
God of Israel alone.”

“ How glad,” said George, “ the little
servant-girl must have been, to see’ her
master come home well!”

“T think, George,” said his mother,
“you might learn a lesson from this
story of Naaman. When we were talk-
ing the other day about being useful,
92 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

you asked what good’a boy; like you
could do. I mentioned a number of
things that you could do for others,
which would be really doing good; do
you remember your answer?”

“Yes, mother,” answered George,
looking rather ashamed ; “I said I did
not want to do such little things as
those. I know what you mean: you
think I am as foolish as Naaman was.”

“It is not often,” said his mother,
“that we have great things to do; but
such little duties as those I mentioned
are always ready for us. If we want
to become good and fit for heaven, we
go to the Bible for direction ; as Naa-
man went tothe prophet. But instead
of commanding us to do one great and
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. - 93°

difficult thing, some grand action, it tells:
us, if we want to go to heaven, we must
do many little things, one little duty
after another, all our life long.”

“Well, mamma,” said George, with
a sigh, “I will try to remember. But
I should like to do something great
too.” | |

“And perhaps you may, my boy; if
you are faithful in little things, perhaps
God may give you some great work to
do, but not yet. Learn obedience in
little things, and then you will be ready
to serve him in any way; to live or die
for him.”
CHAPTER XI.

‘THERE was once a great city named
Babylon.”

“ Let me get my map!” cried George,
who was very deep in geographical stud-
ies. ‘ Will you show it to me on the
map?”

“Tt is not down on your map, George ;
there is no such city now. But you
may find Turkey in Asia, and trace the
river Euphrates. It was on that river
that Babylon stood; it was the capital
of a great empire. The city was very
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 95

magnificent and beautiful ; the king
lived there in great pomp. At the time
I am going to tell you of, the armies of
the king of Babylon had been fighting
against the nation of the Israelites, and
had carried almost all of them into cap-
tivity. Thousands of them were there
in the Babylonish empire ; most of them
as slaves, but some, who were in favor
with the king, had been made officers
and governors. The king’s name was
Nebuchadnezzar.”

“What a funny name!” said Mary.
“Do not ask me to-morrow if I remem-
ber this story, George; I could not tell
you the king’s name.”

“Perhaps you can pronounce the
names of three Hebrews who lived at
96 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

the king’s court, and held important
offices: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-
nego. — |

“King Nebuchadnezzar and all his
people worshipped idols; but the He-
brews, or Israelites, knew that it was
wrong to do so; and though they were
far from their country and their temple,
they still prayed only toGod. The king
had resolved to make a more splendid
idol than had ever been known before.
So he erected an image covered with
gold, ninety feet high, in the plain out-
side of the city, and decreed a solemn
festival in honor of this new idol.

“So he sent heralds everywhere, to
call together all the captains, governors,
and great men in his kingdom, bidding
= .
® mornen’s TRUE sTORIES, OF

* them come on a certain day; and they
éamc. Then it was proclaimed, that,
when the hour for the ceremonies arrived,
it would be made known by a burst of
music from all kinds of instruments ;
and then all the people present were
to fill down and worship the golden
‘image. If any one disobeyed, he should
be thrown alive into a furnace of fire.”

“O mother, how dreadful!” said Mary.
“Did any one dare to disobey ?”

“ Yes, these three Israelites. The king
was told that they would not obey him,
and"he sent for them. ‘Is it true,’ said
he, ‘that you do not intend to wor-
ship my golden image? Take care what |
you do. Very soon you will hear the

music, announcing the time of the cerer
a
98 § §-—S«s- MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

mony; and then, if you fall down with
the rest and worship, very well, — you
shall be safe and honored. But if you
refuse, within an hour you shall be cast
into a burning fiery furnace; and then
what good will it do you to have been
obedient to your God? Is he able to
save you out of the flames?’

‘“‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
answered the king, saying: ‘We know
certainly that our God is able to save
us out of any danger, even from a fur- —
nace of fire; and if he sces best, he will
do so. But whether he save us from it,
or let us die there, it makes no differ-
ence in our duty. O king! we will never
serve your gods, nor worship the golden
image you have set up,’
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 99

“Then the king was very angry in-
deed. He spoke to, his servants, and
told them to heat the furnace seven
times, so as to make it hotter than it
ever had been before. Then they took
these three men, bound them with cords,
so that they could not save themselves,
and brought them to the mouth of the
furnace. By this time, the fire was so
furious, that it looked like a great sea
of flame roaring in the furnace; while
the heat was so great that it scorched
whoever came near it. So the king’s
servants threw in their victims as quick-
ly as possible, and hastily drew back
to where their master and his court
were sitting, watching the cruel deed. {

“Presently the king started up in as-
100 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

tonishment, crying out, ‘Did ;you not
east three men, bound, intohe furnace ?’
They answered, ‘True, O king!’ ‘But,’
said he, ‘I see four men, unbound, walk-
ing in the midst of the fire! and the
form of the fourth is like a divine
being!’

“So he went near the mouth of the
furnace, and called, saying, ‘Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of

the most high God, come forth, and |

come hither !’

“So the three men came out of the
furnace ; and all the king’s court, the
princes, and captains, and governors,
crowded round them, astonished to find
them quite unhurt; not a hair of their
heads singed, nor.their clothes scorched,
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES, 101

nor, as the thory says, had the smell of
fire passed on them. Then the king and
his ministers glorified God, who had
sent his angel down and delivered these
men who trusted in him. After this,
the king promoted Shadrach and his
companions to some of the highest offi-
ces in the kingdom.”

“Mother,” said George, “ you said —
there were a great many Israelites in
the country round Babylon; did all the
rest of them worship the golden im-
age?”

“The king did not require all the
people in the empire to be present; you
know that would have been impossible :
only the chief men and officers were
formally summoned. Of course crowds
102 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

of people went to see the show of their
own accord, but the Israelites could stay
quietly at home and not be missed.”

“T hope none of them so far forgot
their duty as to worship this idol. Did
they ever go back to their own coun-
try P”

“Some of them did, after many years.
Before they had been taken into cap-
tivity, they had been divided into twelve
tribes; only two of these returned to
Canaan. One of these was the most
powerful of them all, — the tribe of Ju-
dah ; and after their return they were
called Jews. To-morrow I will tell you
another story about them, while they
were at Babylon; or rather about one

of their good men.”
CHAPTER XII.

“After the Israelites had been in
Babylon for many years,” began Mrs.
Ellis, the next day, “the king of Baby-
lon was conquered by the armies of an- -
other king, who ruled over the Medes
and Persians. You know where Persia
is, George P”

“Yes, mother.’

‘His name was Darius, and he treated
the Israelites as kindly as the former
kings had done. He made some changes
in the government at Babylon, appointed
104 MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

one hundred and twenty -princes over
_the different parts of the empire, and
made three presidents, to see that the
princes did their duty. Of course these
three presidents were the greatest men
in the kingdom ; and one of these was
a Hebrew, a man of the tribe of Judah,
named Daniel. He was an excellent
man, very intelligent, of great judg-
ment and skill. He did his business so
well, and was so serviceable to the king,
that he was in high favor.

“Darius found that he did his duty
so much better than the other two presi-
dents, that he trusted him wholly, and
_ even went so far as to think he soon
would make Daniel the head of the
whole kingdom, next to himself. But
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 105

the other presidents, and the princes,
were very much displeased at this. They —
were angry that a Jew, one of a foreign
and a captive nation, should be set over
their heads; and they did not like to
have so faithful a man to oversee them ;
for he prevented their doing wrong and
cheating the king. So they consulted
together, and resolved to find out some
harm of Daniel, if they could, in order
that they might tell the king, and have
Danicl disgraced.

“But they watched him in vain; he
was so faithful to the king, and so obe-
dient to the laws of God, that they
could find no fault nor error in him.
Then they said to each other, ‘ We shall
never find anything to complain of in
106 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

this Daniel, unless we have a law made
that he will think it wrong to obey.’

“So with this wicked intention they
went to the king, and asked him to
make a decree, that for thirty days no-
body should present any petition to any
one but him; that no man should pray
to any of their gods for that time, nor
make requests of any of the governors,
but should all go directly to the king
for what they wanted; and if they dis-
obeyed, they should be thrown into a
den of lions.”

“Why,” said George, indignantly,
“what a foolish law! Did the king
agree to it?”

“Yes, he did. He must have been a
very weak man to do such a thing ; but
MOTHER'S TRUE — 107

he was pleased to think that he should
be the only one in the kingdom who
could grant a favor. So he made the
law, and signed it ; and it was proclaimed
all through the country.

“Now Daniel was accustomed, every
morning, noon, and night, three times
every day, to go to his room, and,
opening the western window, which
looked toward Jerusalem, where the —
temple used to stand, to pray to God.
He was just going to his chamber one
noon, when he heard the herald an-
nouncing the new law. He stopped and
listened. He was grieved to hear so
wicked a law proclaimed, but it made
no difference to him; he knew it was

his duty to pray to God, and he would
7
;
MOTHER’s "TRUE ‘STORIES:

do his duty, whatever happened: So he
went in, and knelt down as usual.

“ This was just what his enemies ex-
pected: they were watching him; and
as soon as they saw him at prayer, they
hastened to the king. They informed
him, with great exultation, that Daniel
the Jew, whom he had favored so high-
ly, had broken the law he had just made.
The king was very sorry to hear this,
and very angry with himself for having
passed such a decree. He tried to find
some way to evade it, and to save Dan-
iel. He would even have repealed the
law, but these cruel men reminded the
king, that the laws of the Medes and
Persians never could be altered: the
law-was made, and must be kept. So
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 109

the king, with a heavy heart, consented
that Daniel should be punished for
breaking it; and at sunset Daniel was
sent for.

“The king told him how grieved he
was, and how he wished to deliver him,
saying, ‘Thy God whom thou servest
so faithfully will surely save thee,’-

« Then the servants opened a cave or
den, where several fierce, hungry lions
were kept, and threw Daniel in, to be
torn to pieces. A great stone was im-
mediately put against the mouth of the
cave, and sealed with the king’s seal,
that none of his friends might try to
save him.

“Then the king went to his palace,
but he would eat no supper, nor did he
110 | MOTHER’S TRUE STORIES.

sleep all night. He would not let his
musicians play to him; he was in great
trouble and full of remorse to think that,
for a foolish vanity, he had sacrificed the
best man in his court. He had said to
Daniel that his God certainly would de-
liver him; but he did not really believe
it possible; he knew no God mighty
enough to save his servants. However,
as soon as day began to break, the king
rose and hastened to the den of lions.
As soon as the stone had been taken
away, he cried, in a sad voice, scarcely
expecting to be heard: ‘O Daniel! ser-
vant of the living God, is thy God whom
thou servest continually able to save thee
from the lions ?’

-“O- how glad he was to hear Daniel’s
MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES. 111

voice! He answered, ‘O king! my God
has saved me; he sent his angel and ~
shut the mouths of the lions, so that |
they have not hurt me. For he knew,
O king! that I was innocent; nor have
I ever done any wrong to thee.’

“Then the king joyfully commanded
his servants to take up Daniel out of the
den, and all saw that he was not in the
least hurt. He had been all night with
these hungry and savage beasts, yet they
had slept quietly at his feet, and had not
touched him. God thus showed, by a
miracle, that he was pleased with what
Daniel had done, and with his trust in
him.”

‘What a noble man Daniel was!” said
George, who had listened with great in-
112 MOTHER’s TRUE STORIES.

terest to this story. ‘It made no dif-
ference to him, you say, whether he was
in danger or not; he would obey God
all the same. Mother, I wonder if I
shall ever do so.”

“It is not likely, my son, that you will
ever be in danger of being put to death
for doing right, as Daniel was ; but you
may be persuaded, or even threatened,
by people who wish you to do wrong.
They may ridicule or injure you, for do-
ing your duty. But never mind them,
my boy, any more than Daniel did. It
is hard to be laughed at; but if you
want to serve God, as he did, never
mind! Do what is right, at any rate,
and. bear the rest quietly ; God will
save you from all real harm!”



MOTra' ra TaUs sOI.


to sit there every day, asking money
from travellers. His name was Bar-
timeus; he was very poor, for he could
not earn his living like other men; he
could not work nor go about alone.
You have seen that little blind boy that
sometimes passes this street, with his
sister ? "
"Yes," answered Mary. "Poor little
boy; he looks so unhappy sometimes!
I asked him once, when I stopped to
give him some flowers, if it was all dark
to him. And he said, 'Yes; it is dark
all day !'"
Yes, it is always like night to him
and he could only smell your flowers;
he never saw one in his life. So it was
with blind Bartimeus; he would think,


187




a Morar'e TaOs p onai .

"Did not the poor sinners feel very
glad to hear this, mother ?"
"Yes, it was indeed good news to
them, and many gladly believed on him.
Nor was it good news to them only; it
is so to us. We may not go so very far
astray as they had done, but we all have
sinned against God; how grateful we
ought to be to Jesus, that he came and
suffered and died, to teach us God's love
and mercy to the sinful! "





MOTHER'S TRUE IrTOIE.


they carried him up to the roof of the
house, which was not more than one
story high; then they brought ropes,
and, taking away part of the railing
round the roof, and throwing back the
awning, they let the couch, with the
sick man, down into the midst of the
crowd, before Jesus."
"What a good plan," said George.
"Did not Jesus heal him in a moment ? "
"Yes, he said to the poor paralytic,
who had not moved for years, 'Arise!
take up thy couch, and go unto thy own
house.'
"( Immediately he rose up before them
all, and took up his bed; he was as
strong and well as any man there. And
he went home, praising God."


143




114 OTHER r TRUE STORIES.


grandmother and cousins, sought their
mother's side.
"Dear mamma, it is not too late for
a story; do tell us one about Christ-
mas."
Shall I tell you the story of the first
Christmas, my children ? "
Yes, mamma," answered George;
"about the time when our Saviour was
born. I have heard you tell it, but I
always like to hear it; and Mary is so
much younger, that I do not believe she
knows anything about it."
I will tell you first, then, children,
that, as long ago as the time when Moses
lived, God had promised the Hebrew
people, that, after many years, a Saviour
should be born, a prince, a prophet,




154 MoraTu's TAe sIL We s.

made it for good purposes, and could
hush it in a moment, so we need not
fear ?"
"Yes, mamma; and I remember you
said Jesus taught us so."
"I did; and one way which he em-
ployed to teach us this truth was by
these miracles I have been telling you
of. The tempest and the sea obeyed
him, thus showing that God has su-
preme power over his works, and can
even give this power to whom he will.
When the wind, or fire, or lightning,
destroyed lives, or what was valuable
to men, we know now that it was not
by accident. God did it all.
"But now good night, -it is late."





WOTnaL's Tla wo um.


out with them to a lonely garden, where
he often went, named Gethsemane. It
was night, and a full moon shone down
among the olive-trees. Jesus knew he
was about to die a dreadful death, and
his soul was sad and troubled. When
he was sorrowful, he always prayed; so
now, leaving his friends, he fell on his
face, and prayed God to save him if pos.
sible from this bitter cup, -this shame
and anguish. Again and again he prayed
earnestly; but after every prayer he
said, 'Nevertheless, not my will, but
thine, be done!'
"And now he felt strengthened: he
was sure that God would be with him
and support him; and he knew that his
sufferings would all be for the good





MOTHMI'E TRUE STORm S.


ished my course. I have kept the faith.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness!'
"George, my son, is not Paul better
worth admiring than Cesar, whom you
read of yesterday ? I have told you but
little of him now; when we have time,
we will study his life together."
0 mother!" said George, I wish
I could be like Paul! Was not he a
hero ? "
"Yes, he was a true, a Christian hero!
Though you can never be so great a man
as he was, you too can spend your life
in Christ's service, in obeying his words
and doing good to those for whom he
died. Heaven grant that your lives, my
children, may be so spent!
16


241





ISO wernm's uaez wromai.

people, and every one of that great mul-
titude ate as much as they chose of both
bread and fish: there was enough for
all."
"I don't understand, mother," said
Mary.
"The loaves and the fishes multiplied
under our Saviour's hands, Mary. Food
was created for all those people by the
power that God had given him. Even
after all had satisfied their hunger, the
disciples gathered up twelve baskets full
of the pieces that had been left; for
their Master told them not to waste
anything."
"It is very strange," said George,
thoughtfully. What wonderful pow-
er But why did they sit down so reg-
ularly, mother ? "





2OTER, II TRUE STORM.


lived at ease, and enduring shame, in-
sult, and reproach. In almost every
city he was met by cruel enemies, who
enraged the people against him.
"At one place the crowd stoned him
until they thought he was dead, and
dragged him out of the city into the
fields; but after they had left him, while
his friends were standing round him,
fearing that he was very much injured,
God gave his strength back to him, and
restored him, so that he was able to rise
up and walk home with them."
"He must have been very unhappy,"
said Mary, "to be treated so."
No," answered her mother, he was
never unhappy. He knew he was do-
ing good, and obeying God; so he bore


238




OTHIIm'I ; n-IU a#r.


everything cheerfully. In one city, some
of the people became very angry with
Paul and a friend who travelled with
him named Silas, and dragged them
before the magistrates. They accused
them falsely; and the magistrates, in-
stead of trying them fairly, commanded
that they should be cruelly beaten, and
then put in prison. This was in the
evening; and to keep them safe for the
night, the jailer put them in an inner
prison, and fastened their feet in the
stocks.
"They could not sleep for the pain of
their wounds; and how do you think
they passed the night,- in lamenting
and complaining?"
No, indeed!" cried George.


209




1b xrMOTa's TrU rrO1EI.

blues you all your life, who will make
you good and holy, fit to serve God on
earth, and to be for ever happy in
heaven."





MOTHER'8 TRUE rTO-I. 19$

saying, Master, thou gavest me so much
money; I have earned as much more,
and doubled my talents.'
Then his master said, Well done,
good and faithful servant! Thou hast
been faithful over a few things, I will
make thee ruler over many things.' So
he appointed him to an important office.
"Then he who had received the two
talents came, and brought four talents;
for he too had doubled his money. His
master praised him, as he had done the
first, and gave to him also reward and
honor.
"But presently the third came, with
a look of shame, to tell his master that
he had earned nothing at all; he said
he was afraid to go into business, and





198 MOrI's T TUE STOm S.

but to spend in his service, and for the
good of men.
They are all his, our time, our money,
our powers. He will ask an account of
them all."









CHAPTER XII.


"I SHALL tell you to-night, my chil-
dren, a few incidents from the life of
one of the greatest men who ever lived.
I described yesterday the trial and death
of the good Stephen, the first martyr.
"Among the Jews who tried him
was a young man from a distant city,
of very great talents. He had been
studying at Jerusalem, and was well ac-
quainted with all that the Jewish priests
could teach; but he had never studied
the things taught by Jesus and his Apos-





UMoSreb' Hffio fiBta.


"That is the reason, tie," said
George, "why he stayed away so long.
It was best for Lazarus to die, was it
not, mother ?"
Yes, my dear, it was the means of
much good in many ways. Jesus would
have saved the sisters from their, grief,
if it had not been for the best. And
Jesus was the Son of God, his very im-
age; and by his love he showed us what
his Father's love is. You spoke yester-
day of Cousin Henry's death; do you
not see that God would have spared his
mother such an affliction, if it had not
been for the best?"
"Yes, mother, it must be."
"It must be so truly. God is love:
whatever he does is done in love, even


175-










CHAPTER VI.


GEORGE and Mary had been waiting
very patiently for their mother, the next
evening, for nearly an hour. She was
detained by company; but as soon as she
was at liberty, she hastened to the nur-
sery. She found the children examin-
ing, by the bright light of the fire, the
map of Palestine which had been given
to George, finding out the towns men-
tioned by their mother, and talking of
the country where so many wonders had
taken place. Taking the map, Mrs. El-





XOTHEB'B TRU arTORIB.


.away; but Jesus was displeased at this,
and said, 'Suffer little children to come
unto me, and forbid them not, for of
such is the kingdom of heaven.'
Then he took the little ones in his
arms, and blessed them, for he loved
all the lambs of his flock, as he called
them. He still loves children; he still
invites them to come to him, and is
pleased when they wish to learn of him
and obey him. You asked me to tell
you what he taught us: I hope you will
all your life learn more and more of his
teachings; they cannot be explained at
once. But I will tell you to-night of
one way in which he instructed the
people who came to him.
"He used parables, or short instrue-


178





13TE8'S TRUE M101U3.


as he sat there alone, 0O if I could only
see! then I could work in the pleasant
fields, and enjoy what other people tell
me of,- the beautiful sunshine and land-
scape. Then I could earn something for
myself, instead of sitting here all day
begging! If I only could see!'
But on this day I was speaking of,
as he sat there musing, he heard a sound
of many footsteps; there seemed to be
a great crowd going by What could be
the cause of such a multitude ? One
man came near him, and Bartimeus
asked him what the matter was. He
could not see who was going by, he said.
The man told him that Jesus of Nazareth
was passing, and all these people were
with him.


l3B





KOTHU 'I ThUR 510113.


the Saviour of the world; and they ex-
plained his words to the people, and a
great many joined them, and began them-
selves to preach."
"But were they not afraid,--afraid
of the Jews ? "
"*The Jews hated them, as they had
hated their Master; but they had learned
from Jesus not to fear suffering nor
death, so long as they could do good.
They were beaten, imprisoned, forced
sometimes to fly for their lives; but
they bore all cheerfully, for Christ's sake.
Some even suffered death in his cause.
There was one of them named Ste-
phen, a man of great power and elo-
quence, whom some of the Jews hated
exceedingly. They paid money to some











































CHRIST BLESSING LITTLE CHILDREN. P. 176.





MOTHERx' TRUE fOfU. .


He looked around at the great foaming
waves, and the black cloud, and then
'he rebuked the wind, and the raging
of the water, and said unto the sea,
Peace! be still! And the wind foi,
and the raging of the water ceased, and
there was a great calm.' All became in
a moment as peaceful as a beautiful sum-
mer evening, when the water seems to
sleep, and only the gentlest breezes blow.
So they came safe to the shore."
"But, mother, how could the waves
hear him?"
"They are not living, and ot qrse
they did not really hear his voicfcy
sbn. But you know it is God's power
that makes the wind and tempest, and
he can calm them in a moment. He


147










. CHAPTER IV.


"I TOLD you yesterday, my children,
that Christ's miracles were performed,
not only to help the suffering, but to
prove to men that God had given him
power and wisdom more than human.
To-night I will tell you of instances in
which this divine power was shown very
wonderfully.
"So many people crowded at all times
to hear him, and he taught them so con-
stantly, that at times he was very much
wearied. He often preached on the









CHAPTER III.


"MOTHER," began George, the next
night, "Mary asked me what you meant
by the work that Jesus had given him
to do. I told her I believed he cured
the sick. Was I right?"
That was not what I meant when I
spoke of the work God gave him, my
dear. He came into the world to save
men from their sins; to teach them how
to be good, and to make them wish to
be so. This was his peculiar work, -
teaching men of God, and their duty





noTNE's TRUE MTIIM


there were many gathered together, who
did not think of sleeping. It was the
house of Mary, a Christian woman;
and many of the disciples were there,
passing the night in praying for Peter,
for they all knew he was to be put to
death the next day.
"Peter went directly there, and
knocked at the door, for it was fastened.
They were obliged to use every caution,
for fear Herod's soldiers should find
them out, and take others beside Peter
to prison; and now, hearing a knock,
they did not dare to open directly. A
young woman named Rhoda came and
listened at the door. Peter spoke, and
said it was he; but though she knew his
voice, she did not let him in, but ran


280




vmrb I' aTRS OseUS U


"Yes, how joyful that meeting was,
we can hardly imagine. All fear, un-
certainty, and grief was gone. God had
restored their best friend to them, and
now all they thought of was that they
should live in his service always.
For forty days he stayed with them,
teaching them many things, and then
he led them out to a quiet, lonely hill.
He told them that he was about to leave
them, and that they must go and preach
to all the world what he had taught
them. He stretched out his hands and
blessed them; and as he blessed them,
he was parted from them, and carried
up into heaven, and a cloud hid him
from their sight."
"And they never saw him apin "
said Mary, with a sigh.


99





MOTXHEI' TRUE SrTOImS.


The beggar had often heard of this
great prophet, and had often thought, if
he could meet Jesus, he might be cured.
So as soon as he heard who it was, he
began to cry out aloud, Son of David!
Jesus! pity me!'
"The people who were nearest him,
told him to be quiet, and not make such
an outcry. The prophet, they said, had
no time to care for blind beggars. But
he cried out so much the more,' Son
of David! pity me!'
As soon as the Lord was near enough
to hear him, he stopped, and told some
of the people to call him, and to lead
him safely through the crowd. Several
hastened to the road-side, saying, Be of
good courage! rise, he calleth thee l


189





m's a 'U I -I


house, with many friends around them,
some of whom had come from Jerusa-
lem to try to comfort the mourned, for
Lazarus was much loved. The meesen-
ger spoke to Martha aside; she rose di-
rectly, and hastened to the place where
Jesus was.
"As soon as she saw him, she said,
what had been in her mind all the time
since she had sent for Jesus: 'Lord, if
thou hadst been here, my brother had
not died.' Jesus answered, Thy broth-
er shall rise again.' She said, 'I know
that he shall rise at the resurrection, at
the last day.' But she did not under-
stand that he spoke of Lazarus rising to
live on earth again.
"After a little more conversation, she





MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.


This man was a priest; he was going
to Jerusalem to perform some services in
the temple of God. He perhaps thought
himself a very good man; but when he
saw some one lying by the road, he
thought he would not stop to see if that
man was dead; it was none of his busi-
ness,- he was in a hurry.
Presently another man came by: he
just glanced at the sufferer, and passed
by on the other side of the road."
"But, mother," said George, indig-
nantly, "why did not they stop ? How
could they be so cruel ?"
"I suppose they were afraid the rob-
bers might come back. It was a lonely
place, and all they cared for was their
own safety. Seeing this man so much


189





MOTrmW'8 TIvaUX InOll.


a our Saviour's actions were.
in your hearts, children, that
believe it when the hour
comes!"


Fix this
you may
of trial


176










CHAPTER V.


THE city of Capernaum," began Mrs.
Ellis, when she next sat down with her
children in the twilight, "is one of the
chief cities in Galilee. Our Saviour
made it his home for some time, and
wrought many miracles there. One of
the principal men of the place was
named Jairus; he was one of the rulers
of the synagogue or Jewish church there,
and was quite wealthy and important.
He had only one child, a little girl."
What was her name ?" asked Mary.





MOTHER TRUE STORIES.


ing him; and, above all, he saw the
face of the blessed Saviour. No won-
der that he followed him with the rest;
all he wished now was to show his
gratitude to one who had given him
such a blessing. Jesus cured many of
blindness, and of every disease. He
cured all the sick who came to him."
"But how could very sick people
come to him, mother?"
Their friends brought them, often
on beds and litters. On one occasion,
Jesus was sitting, teaching, in the court
of a house. The houses in Judea were
usually built in a hollow square, with
an open yard or court in the middle.
This made a pleasant place to sit, in fine
weather, and if it rained, r the ms


141





MOTHEB'R -TRUE STORIES.


back to the assembly, and said, Peter
stood outside. She was so bewildered
with joy, she did not. know what she
did, nor would the others believe-her
story. Meanwhile, Peter kept on knock-
ing.
"At last they opened the door, and
still could scarcely believe he had really
escaped, until he made a sign for them
to listen, and told them the wonderful
story."
I am glad he escaped," said George.
" Herod did not find him again, did
he ? "
"No; Herod lived but a very short
time after this. Peter spent many years
in preaching the Gospel, to Jews and
to Greeks; and when quite old, he was


231





MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.


Next morning he called the keeper of
the inn, gave him what money he had
with him, and said,' Take care of him,
and the next time I come this way, I
will pay you whatever you spend for
him more than this.'
Then our Saviour told those who
heard him, to go and do likewise; to
be forgiving and merciful, like this good
Samaritan."
"That was not something that really
happened, was it, mother ? said George.
I do not know that it ever did, my
dear; but it is not improbable. Our
Saviour often made use of the events
that took place around him, to teach
those who were interested in them.
Perhaps this was a fact, and our Say-


192





MOTHER'8 TRUE STORIES.


blessings to ourselves. Many of Jesus's
parables taught this lesson: I will repeat
two of them to you.
Not many miles from the city of Je-
rusalem is a place named Jericho. The
road between the two was very danger-
ous, being frequented by robbers. Jesus
said, there was a certain man, travel-
ling this road alone, when he was at-
tacked by a party of these robbers; he
made some resistance, but they knocked
him down and wounded him; then, tak-
ing what money he had, and his most
valuable clothes, they went away, leav-
ing him lying half dead on the ground
by the side of Ihe road. He was too
weak and faint to ask for assistance;
and when a traveller approached him,
he could not speak.


188





234 morv na riT nTOwIEs.

ties. He knew very little about the
Christians, but he thought they were
wicked and dangerous men. So he per-
secuted them fiercely. He was glad to
have Stephen put to death; he went
round the city hunting out people who
were Christians, and sending them to
prison, both men and women. Having
heard that there were Christians at Da-
mascus, he resolved to go there and find
them, so that they might be punished."
I was studying about Damascus the
other day," said George; it is in Syria,
and is a very old and beautiful city."
Yes, it was then one of the most
beautiful places in the East; many of
the Jews had settled there, and of late
numbers of Christians. So Saul, very





InorYnnI's t U IoIu.


the Messiah, for he was called by all
these titles. This promise was often re-
peated to the nation by its prophets and
teachers, and every person in the country
had learned to look for some great man
to appear among them. They thought
that when he came he would make the
nation the most glorious on earth,-
that he would be king over all the
earth. /
On the first Christmas night, there
were shepherds in the country keeping
their flocks by night; the shepherds
being accustomed to watch the sheep
all the time, not in the day only, for
the wild beasts were most likely to attack
them in the darkness. Several of these
men were sitting together, under the


115





124 MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.

ous meaning of Christmas day : they too,
with all Christians, had thanked God
that unto them was born a Saviour.
Presently Mary said: "Will you not
tell us another story about Jesus when
he was a little child, mamma ? Do you
know any more? "
I can tell you one more story of our
Saviour's infancy, Mary. There were in
some of the Eastern countries wise men,
as they are called, or, as they styled
themselves, Magi. Some of these Magi
lived in Persia, others in Arabia; they
gave their time to studying philoso-
phy, with astronomy and other sciences.
They had heard that all the people in
the country of Judea, which, you re-
member, is not very far from Arabia,--





M I see *so g13flea


disciples, except three. When they
went into the house, there was much
noise of weeping and lamenting. It was
the Jewish custom to cry and wail aloud
when any one died, and to make mourn-
ful music in the house.
"Jesus said to the minstrels and the
crowd of persons who were lamenting,
' Why do ye make this weeping and
mourning? The maid is not dead, but
sleepeth.' But they laughed at his
words, for they knew she was dead;
they had seen her cold and motionless.
But Jesus sent them all away; then,
with the father and mother of the child,
and the three disciples, he went into the
room where the body lay.
In a quiet, shaded room, on a white


in








MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.


"Upon inquiry, he found he was in
the city, and was now at the house of
a rich 'man named Levi, who had in-
vited him to a feast. Thither Jairus
went directly. When he saw Jesus, he
did him reverence, saying, 'My little
daughter is at the point of death. I
pray thee that thou wouldst come and
lay thy hands on her, that she may
live.'
"Jesus arose immediately and fol-
lowed the anxious father, who said no
time was to be lost. His disciples went
with him, and a great crowd, eager to
see the miracle. The ruler's house was
at some distance; and before they came
near it, they saw one of his servants
coming toward him. He came up to


157





MOTHER'S TRUE TrMrI.


m


"In confusion and alarm for their
own lives, the disciples now fled; and
the soldiers led Jesus away bound. I
cannot tell you now all that happened
that dreadful night; his enemies pre-
tended to give him a trial, and to find
some excuse for putting him to death;
but as he had never done wrong, they
could accuse him of nothing. They in-
sulted and abused him in every way
they could; but through it all Jesus
stood calm and silent, willing to bear
any wrong or pain himself, only pitying
the wicked men who were committing
such crimes.
"At last his foes obtained a sentence
against him, that he should be crucified;
and when the morning came, he was.lea




MOMnU'S TrUE WUaIZ&


'The angel bade him bind on his eaadali,
and prepare to leave the prison, which
he did, and then followed his guide, still
thinking all this was not real. They
passed the two guards of soldiers with-
out being seen, and came to a large iron
gate, the outer gate of all, locked and
barred with huge bolts. But as they
came near it, it opened and swung
back without anybody's touching it, so
that they passed through safely into the
street; then the angel vanished.
"Peter stood bewildered for a mo-
ment; but then, recollecting himself, he
was aware of what had happened: that
God had saved him by a miracle from
death. It was about midnight now; all
the oity was asleep; but in one lese





MOTHER'S TRUE 8TORBII.


I do not know, my dear; but I can
tell you how old she was, -she was
twelve. At the time we hear "of her,
she had not been well for some time:
her father and mother were very anx-
ious about her, but hoped she might
soon recover. However, one morning
she seemed much worse, and the physi-
cian told them it was impossible she
should live; that in a few hours proba-
bly she would die.
The mother began to weep bitterly;
but the father, after a short silence,
asked if the great Teacher was in the
city. He had often seen Jesus, and had
heard of his healing the sick; and now
he thought, if he had come back to
Capernaum, he would seek him.





xorTna'Ia TUMr 5osI. 1


ets had spoken of that town as his birth-
place. So the Magi went to Bethlehem.
"As they came near the town, they
saw the star again. It seemed to stand,
not only over the whole place, but over
one particular house. They were very
glad to see the star again; and, going
into the house, they found the young
child, with Mary, his mother."
Were they in the stable now, mam-
ma ?"
No, this was some time after; they
were only in the stable until some of
the strangers left the town. I suppose
the star appeared on the night the Sav-
iour was born; and since then the Ma-
gi had taken a journey of some length
When they found the ohild, they feSF


127




XOTmcles ThUR 8m10n


ciples of Jesus were found, they were
dragged from their homes and carried
to prison."
"Were any others put to death?"
asked George.
Herod, the king of the Jews, wished
very much to be popular with them; and
seeing how much they hated the Chris-
tians, he began to persecute them him-
self. He seized one of the chief of the
Apostles, named James, and put him to
death; then, finding that the Jews were
much pleased with this, he resolved to
take Peter also. Peter and James were
two of the Saviour's closest followers,
who had been with him nearly all the
time he was teaching, and they were
now the leaders of the disciples.


228





MOTELa'S TMTE TOM.


not seize him openly. They at last
bribed one of his disciples to betray
him. He promised, if they gave him
thirty pieces of silver, to lead them to
a place where he went much alone, so
that they could take him by night.
"Jesus had chosen twelve of his dis.
ciples to be always with him, his near-
est friends; they were called Apostles,
and yet it was one of these twelve who
undertook to betray his Master.
"Jesus knew of it, but he would not
escape; he knew God would save him
from death if it were best. He met his
Apostles one evening, ate his last supper
with them, and tried to prepare them
for what was before them; speaking
such heavenly words I Theni he went





MOTHE'es TRUE STOIRS. 1


started up to flee; for they did not know
what this might be.
But the angel hastened to speak,
and to soothe their alarm. 'Fear not,'
said he, for, behold I bring you good
news of great joy; and not good news
to you only, but to all the people on the
earth. For to you is born this day, in
Bethlehem, a Saviour, who is Christ the
Lord. And this shall be a sign to you,'
- that they might find the child when
they went to Bethlehem, the infant
is in a stable, lying in a manger, wrapped
up in linen bands.'
While the angel was yet speaking,
the light increased, and the shepherds
saw, not one angel only, but a multitude
of the heavenly host, singing praises to


11l




MOTHER's TRUE SO1ZD.


was very much troubled. He thought
that, if this child were put to death,
his crown would be safe; so he wickedly
resolved to slay him. But as he could
not be sure what infant was the dreaded
Messiah, he sent his soldiers with orders
to slay all the male children in Bethle-
hem under two years of age."
0 mother, did they ? cried Mary,
with eyes full of horror.
"They did not kill the child Herod
aimed at. Joseph was warned by God
in a dream, that he must leave the town
by night directly. So he took an ass,
and placed Mary and her child upon it;
and the next night they set out, leaving
the place in the dark, lest any of Her-
od's soldiers should see them; and they


199





MOTBER'S TRUE "MoIN3&


ing diligently, and overcoming difficul-
ties patiently, then you will be faithful
servants; and God will give you after-
wards higher work to do. But if you
waste your time, do not improve your
privileges, but are idle and careless, then
you will be slothful servants, not fit to
do God's work."
Mother!" cried George, eagerly, "I
am not idle! I mean to improve my
talents, and grow up fit for something.
I want to be a good man, and work."
So do I!" said little Mary, mod-
estly.
God grant you may always im-
prove his blessings, my children. Re-
member he gives us all these privileges,
not to use for our own selfish pleasure,


107





MOTHERS' TRUE STORIE.


him; and he explained to them that God
was their Father, and would .welcome
them whenever they should repent and
go to him in prayer. He said there was
joy in heaven over every sinner who re-
pented; for God never forgets his chil-
dren, however wicked they may be. Je-
sus called himself the Good Shepherd,
comparing himself to one of those watch-
ful keepers of sheep I have told you
about; and he asked those who heard
him, if a shepherd would not seek far
and near for a lost sheep. He would
leave his flock and go among the steep
mountains, into dangerous and lonely
places, to find one poor, little wandering
lamb. So had Jesus himself, the Good
Shepherd, come to seek and to save
those who were lost."


1s5





NOTKMU'S TRUE VMI0I.


perhaps we fear he will not forgive and
love us still. Men never knew whether
God would forgive their sins, until Jesus
taught us that he gladly forgives those
who are truly sorry for having done
wrong. He related this parable, to
show God's love to the penitent.
"A certain man had two sons; the
younger grew discontented with his
quiet home, and asked his father to give
him his portion of the inheritance. His i
father gave him the money he intended
for him, and he directly went into a far
country, where he could spend it with-
out his father's knowledge. Of course
he took little care of his money; he
spent it all in riotous living, so that it
soon was all gone.


181




gsIrB' TBX 11"M


"Yes, they did; as if he had been a
thief or murderer, who had all his life
been doing only good. While they were
doing it, Jesus uttered no complaint;
but, lifting his eyes to heaven, he prayed
for his murderers, Father, forgive them,
for they know not what they do !'
"He was crucified about nine in the
morning; and he did not die until three
in the afternoon. A great crowd of peo-
ple had gathered round; for though the
priests had taken care to have Jesus
tried in the night, when the people gen-
erally did not know it, yet, now it was
day, the news had spread through the
city. Some of the Saviour's friends dared
to come and stand weeping by the croes;
among them was his mother, Mary.




MOTHER'S TRUE STORIeS.


198


iour repeated it, not only to show how
men ought to treat each other, but to
make his hearers feel more kindly to-
ward the Samaritans, whom they dis-
liked so much.
I will tell you another parable,
which teaches us how to use the good
things God gives us.
"A certain nobleman was about to
travel into a far country, to receive a
great possession that belonged to him.
He called his servants, and gave money
to each of them, to take care of, and
trade with, while he was gone. To one
he gave a talent, which was a large sum
of money, to another two talents, and
to a third five; then he went away,
and was gone a long time.
13





MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.


were; so, leaving the quiet rest he
needed so much, he came to them, walk-
ing on the water as if it were solid
ground. As soon as he heard their ex-
clamations of terror, he spoke encour-
agingly to them, Be of good cheer! it
is I; be not afraid!' By this time he
reached the vessel, and they gladly re-
ceived him in, full of wonder and awe.
Directly the wind ceased, and they very
soon reached the shore.
We were speaking just now, George,
of that great storm last summer, when
we saw the boat upset, and when so
many vessels were wrecked. When
Mary was so frightened, do you remem-
ber my talking to her and to you about
God's power over the storm, -how he


153





MOTHW]' S TRUE JRoms.


"About the same time, there was a
famine in the country where he lived;
and he not only was poor, but began to
be in great want, and to suffer hunger.
Fearing he should starve, he begged em-
ployment of a farmer; but the farmer
had little to give him. He was sent in-
to the fields to feed the swine; and he
would eat the dry husks and pods he
was carrying to them, so famished was
he.
But he began now to remember how
happy he had been at home; how kind
and bountiful his father had been to
him. He said to himself, How many
hired servants at my father's house have
abundance of food, while I, his son, am
dying with hunger! I will arise and go





MOTrma's TrI ITOmIM.


dwn and did hin homage, as to a great
king; and presented gifts unto him,--
gold, and other precious things. Then
they returned together to Persia, re-
joiced that the long-expected prince
had come.
"But there were other men who
thought of this event very differently.
You remember that I said, when the
Magi were in Jerusalem, that Herod
knew nothing of the birth of the child
they inquired for; he knew, however,
that the Jews were expecting a king,
who, he feared, would take away his
throne. Now, when he heard of the
apearance of this wonderful star, and
that the Magi had gone to Bethlehem
expecting to find the young prince, he





XMrHEz'S TRUE rTORInE. 165

part, that the soul does not die when
the body does, but that God still takes
care of and blesses us after we leave
this world."




1MrsOTr e T"MR TawUS.


God clothed every flower in its lovely
leaves and sweet odors. 'How much
more,' he added, 'will God feed and
clothe you.'
We ought to remember, children,
when we see such beautiful works of
God, how they show his love and kind'
ness. We need not wait until next spring
for the sparrows and lilies, to learn the
lesson Jesus taught; did we not see the
snow-birds yesterday, Mary ? "
O yes, mamma! and God keeps them
warm and happy all winter, does not he?
And he takes care of us too, and gives
us houses and fire?"
"Yet we do not always thank hij,
nor remember him; we even disobey
and displease our kind Father; and then


18i





MOTHrS R-'UEV IromUs.


"Yes, Mary, he rose from the grave,
and met his disciples again."
Will you tell us all about it, manm
ma? "
"It was on Friday that our Saviour
was put to death. At sunset, some of
his friends went sorrowfully to the gov-
ernor, and asked him if they might take
the body of their Master from the cross
and bury it. The governor was sur-
prised to hear that Jesus had died so
soon; but the soldiers assured him it
was true, for one of them had pierced
his side with a spear, and found he was
really dead. The friends were permit-
ted to take the body; and after care-
fully wrapping it in spices and white
linen, they carried it to a garden belong-


$19





194 MOTHER'8 TRUE S TOIEI.

As soon as the money was intruted
to them, two of the servants went to
work as their master wished them to
do; they went into business, and by in-
dustry and prudence earned a great deal
of money. But one was idle and diso-
bedient; he did not want the trouble of
business, and as he had received only
one talent, perhaps he was envious of
the others for having more. So he went
and hid his money away, and wasted his
time until his master came home.
"The nobleman returned, having re-
ceived his inheritance; and calling his
servants, he asked after their money,
and how they had succeeded in business.
"Then he who had received five tal-
ents came, and brought tPPiQ the sug,



































JBSUS IN THE TEMPLE. P. 132.














CHAPTER II.


CHRISTMAS and the holidays passed
merrily away. Grandmamma and cous.
ins were so kind and cheerful, presents,
games, and mirth were so abundant,
that our young friends' time was most
happily employed. But that more seri-
ous thoughts were not wholly forgotten,
their mother was glad to see, when, on
the first quiet evening, she talked with.
them about the pleasant days they had
passed, and about the festival of Christ.
mas. They had remembered the glori-
** '





MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.


men to accuse him falsely of saying
wicked words, and he was brought be-
fore a court of the Jews to be tried.
A&.he stood there, on trial for his life,
they looked at him, and saw that his
face was as the face of an angel. It
was beaming with peace and love,-
with love to all men, even these cruel
enemies of his, and with peace, because
he was not afraid to die. He endeav-
ored to defend himself against their
false charges; but they grew very an-
gry, and would not let him go on.
He saw that it was decided to put
him to death; and, looking up to heaven,
he saw in a vision the heavens opened,
and the glory of God, with Jesus Christ
standing waiting to receive him. This


224





oitn 't tt Yw T r tOfi .


librus eme out into; the daylight.
He was wrapped in his funeral shroud,
his head covered with a napkin. All
stood struck with amazement, gazing at
Lazarus as if doubting their senses; nor
did they offer to assist him, for he was
trying to free himself from the bands.
Jesus perceived, his situation, and at his
bidding, the disciples freed him from
the shroud, and Lazarus, alive and con.
scious, hastened to embrace his dear sis-
ters, and to thank the Saviour who had
given him back to them.
"Many of those who were present,
who had doubted before if God had
truly sent Jesus, now believed on him,
and, as he himself said, the death of
Liaro -wa forw the glory of God'


174




meOma' wa1 vrmarm.


glorious sight filled him with hope and
courage. His enemies carried him out
of the city. to stone him to death, but
he knelt down and prayed, 'Lord, lay
not this sin to their charge!'
Then they cast great stones at him
until he was dead; while he, looking up
to the Saviour he expected in a moment
to meet, cried, 'Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit!' Having said this, he died as
quietly as if he had fallen asleep.
"But Stephen's death did not pre-
vent the other disciples from doing their
duty; and though there was a still fiercer
persecution by the Jews, the Christians
never denied their Master. The chief
priests at Jerusalem sent men into all
the neighboring cities, and if any dis-





940 xosa ann sm sum

"(They passed it in praying, and sing.
ing praises to God, so that all the pri.
owners heard them. It was always so.
Paul even says, I take pleasure in re-
proaches, in persecutions, in distresses
for Christ's sake.' He knew that he
must suffer such things if he preached
the Gospel, and he never murmured at
them. At one time he was a prisoner
for three or four years, and though he
was freed again, yet at last his enemies
succeeded in having him put to death.
"After spending his life in Jesus's ser-
vice, he died like a hero in his cause.
Almost his last words left to us are these:
' I am now ready to be offered, and the
time of my departure is at hand. I
have fought a good fight. I have fin-


II




xOTmERB'S TxRU 8TOvIES.


too, long for to-night. But I shall have
time now to speak of the widow of
Nain.
As our Saviour was travelling in Gali-
lee with his disciples, he approached a
city called Nain. When they were near
the gate, they saw a funeral procession
coming out. The Jewish custom of
burying the dead was to carry them on
a bier or litter, merely wrapped in a
shroud, without a coffin. Four men
carried the bier, and the friends and
mourners followed on foot.
f' Those who were with Jesus stopped
to let the train pass; one asked who was
dead, and who it was that was weeping
by the bier, One of the foremost among
the attendants answered, it was a young


1m










CHAPTER X.


THE next day was Sunday. When the
children's afternoon lessons were fin-
ished, their mother asked them if they
had ever heard the day called the Lord's
day. Mary never had, but George not
only knew that it was called so, but
gave the reason.
"Is it not because Jesus rose from the
dead on that day?"
SDid Jesus rise from -he dead, as Laz-
arus did?" asked Mary, earnestly. 0
I am so glad!"




Ncia5 WUD Ii-


"Then," said George, "he did not
put the poor Christians in prison any
longer ?"
"No; he became their leader. Once
convinced that Jesus was the Son of
God, he resolved to give up everything
for him. That he might preach the Gos-
pel, he left his home, and his friends;
he travelled over land and sea, suffering
more hardships and troubles than we
can well imagine. He never thought
of his own ease or pleasure, always go-
ing wherever his presence would do the
most good, however perilous the journey
might be; he never thought of gaining
wealth or honor, but suffered poverty,
sometimes even oold and hunger; work.
ing for his bread when he might bhe





289 MOTHB'S TiUn 8TORIZ1.

put to a cruel death. Those who died
rather than disobey their Master's com-
mands, who were put to death for his
sake, were called Martyrs; and they
were very numerous. You will find,
when you are older, the history of the
early Christians a very interesting study.
But I have told you enough about them
for to-night."




MOTHER B' TRIE 81TO18.


child, and had related what had oc-
cwrred, they departed; relating these
wonderful things to every one they met.
Georgie, do you remember the words
the angels were singing ? "
Yes, mother: 'Glory to God in the
highest! peace on earth, good-will to-
ward men.'"
By these words they meant that men
should praise God with their highest
powers, for his mercy in sending a Sav-
iour to earth, -a Saviour who should
bring peace to the world, and teach men
to live in love and harmony. Do not
forget to-morrow, my children, to praise
God for this great, this infinite mercy;
to thank him for a Saviour who, if you
will but listen to him, will guide and


1m1





m


xMrzaxaw TRUxE EMMu


men, of all of us,--whom he loved so
deeply.
"Just then, a band of armed men
came into the garden, led by Judas, the
traitor. Jesus went toward them, and
calmly allowed them to seize and bind
him. His disciples were too much
alarmed to know what to do; one of
them drew a sword, and, striking a man
who was with Judas, cut off his ear.
But Jesus bade him put his sword in
its sheath; and, asking permission of
those who held him to approach the
wounded man, he touched his ear, and
healed him. It was the last time he
cured any sufferer, and that man was
his enemy, who had come out to seize
him..










CHAPTER XI.


"MOTHER, have you told us all the
stories out of the Bible?" said Mary,
rather anxiously, when, after a few even-
ings, they were all again round the nur-
sery fire.
"0 no, my dear; I have told you but
a small part of the Bible history. I
could find many more; but I shall only
tell you one or two more stories at pres-
ent. You know that George is going
away soon with his father to make a
visit in New York. When he comes





'Mvmn'V ntAlux-m-


"So that the disciples might easily
reach all of them, and omit none. If
they had stood in a confused crowd,
some man or child might have been
overlooked in the distribution. But I
will tell you what took place after this
miracle.
"When they had eaten, Jesus dis-
missed the people, who now were re-
freshed, and able to go to their homes
without weariness. Then he bade the
disciples cross the lake in a boat, to the
village of Capernaum, where he often
resided, while he went alone upon a
quiet hill-side to pray.
"(It was now dark, and he was there
alone with God; he loved to seek such
solitude after a day's toil, and to refpsh


U1




'* r


M MO T 1' raU' B sNIMs. in

unto my father, and will say unto him,
* Father, I have sinned against heaven,
and before thee; and am no more wr-
thy to be called thy son I'
"' This was the best thing he could do;
it was the only right course for him.
Our Saviour, in telling the parable, said,
' He came to himself'; when he made
this resolution, he came to his right
mind. So he arose directly and went
to his father.
"But when he was yet far off, his
father saw him, and was moved with
compassion, and, instead of coldly wait-
ing for him to come and make his con-
fession, he ran and fell on his neck, and
kissed him. He was thin and worn with
hunger; his clothes were only rags; hut




'fU


rdly; lamenting for the Friend they
had loved, the Teacher who had led
them, the Messiah who they hoped would
have saved their country. It seemed
very strange to them that he should be
so cruelly slain, whom God had declared
to be his well-beloved Son, who had
promised a glorious kingdom to his fol-
lowers; but he was dead, and all hope
was gone.
"But they need not have thus de-
spaired, for while they sat together
weeping, on the morning of the third
day, Jesus returned to earth. Very
early in the morning, in the lonely gar-
den where the Saviour's tomb was, there
was a great earthquake; and a glorious
apn oL God came down from heaven,




IT2 M raal TRUva IOass.

went back and brought Mary, who, fall-
ing at his feet, repeated Martha's touch.
ing words: Lord, if thou hadst been
here, my brother had not died.'
"When Jesus saw her weeping so bit-
terly, and the Jews who had come out
with her weeping also, his own eyes
filled with tears. He always sympa-
thized with those who were in trouble;
and, my children, he sympathizes now
with all who mourn. And as, at his own
request, they led him to the place where
Lazarus' body was laid, he groaned and
wept.
"The Jews said to each other, seeing
his tears, 'How much he must have
loved him, to be so troubled at his
death !





MOTHER'S TRUE STORiS.


"And when he had spoken, imme-
diately the leprosy departed from him,
and he was quite well. He felt as he
had not done for years,- active and
joyful, full of health and life; and oh!
what thankful tears must have come
into his eyes! No need now for him
to go feebly back to his lonely hut, or
to shrink away from the crowd; he
could go now to his family and home!
As he went, he could not help telling
every one he met how he had been
cured; and the story spread all over
the country.
"At another time, Jesus, and a great
crowd with him, were coming toward
a city named Jericho. By the side of
the road sat a blind beggar, who used


186




1MOTHnES TaUlE- STDIZ5


journeyed as far as Egypt, where they
lived until the cruel king was dead.
"But the next morning, the hard-
hearted soldiers went from house to
house in Bethlehem, dragging out all
the dear little ones, the babes from their
mother's arms, and the children who
just began to totter about, and slew
them all. 0 it was a dreadful day!
and there was nothing heard there for
a long time after, but mourning and
weeping."
I should not have thought Jesus's
mother would have gone back there
again," said George.
"She did not; when Herod was dead,
they returned to their country, and lived
in a village named Nazareth, farther


INS




NoDTHa' TIZE s8TOm.


What is a manger? asked Mary.
"It is a place where hay is put for
the horses and cattle to eat. This one
was full of hay, and made a soft bed
for the little babe. The reason why
Mary and her husband were lodging in
a stable at this time was, that they had
come to Bethlehem a few days before,
and had found the inn full. A great
many strangers were in the town at
the same time, and there was no room
left for the new-comers to sleep except
in the stable; but as they were obliged
to remain in Bethlehem for a while,
they had made that stable their home
until some of the visitors should leave
the inn.
"After the shepherds had seen the





MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.


for disappointing them. Many of the
chief men among the Jews were very
wicked; and Jesus often rebuked their
crimes, telling them they must repent.
This enraged them very much, and they
at last went so far as to resolve to put
him to death."
"They were not the ones he had
cured, were they, mother?"
"No; the common people whom he
had taught and healed, loved him,
though they did not understand him.
These enemies of his were chiefly the
rich men of Jerusalem, the priests and
learned men. They often tried in vain
to get him into their power; the crowd
was always round him, and they would
have defended him, so the priests dared


201





mon 'aS TmR fls"Qme.


and rolled away the stone from the sep-
uichre. The guard of soldiers saw the
angel, and for fear and amazement they
fell almost senseless on the ground; but
tieither did they nor any man see the
Saviour, when by God's power he came
living forth from the tomb.
"Before the sun rose, some women
came into the garden. They had brought
spices to add to those already used in
the tomb, and as they came, they asked
each other who would help them move
the great stone, for it was too heavy
for them alone. But when they came
to the place, behold! the stone had been
rolled away. Much alarmed, they looked
into the sepulchre, -but it was empty!
They thought at rst that the Lord's


215





124 KOTHEX 3 U mTORm


The disease, too, was infectious, and
it was dangerous for lepers to live with
the rest of the people; but there were
no comfortable hospitals then for the
poor and sick to go to and be taken
care of; before Jesus taught men to
pity the unhappy, nobody thought of
building hospitals or asylums. So these
poor lepers were obliged to live by
themselves. No one would come near
or touch them; they lived very lonely
and miserable lives, afraid to approach
any human being.
"But one time, when Jesus had been
preaching to the people, and great mul-
titudes were following him, they saw
a man full of leprosy coming toward
them. He had heard of Jesus, and of


134





MotHE 's ThvUE SMO0II.


ing to one of them, and placed it in a
tomb or cave hewn out of the rock.
Having rolled a great.stone against the
opening, they went home, bowed down
with grief and despair.
Before the Saviour died, he had told
his disciples that he should come to life
again; but they did not think of it now
as possible; they had seen him raise
others from the dead, but now he was
himself in the grave, there seemed no
hope. His enemies, however, remem-
bered that he had said so, and feared his
disciples would take away their Master's
body, and pretend that he was risen; so,
to prevent it, they placed a guard of sol-
diers to watch the tomb.
"The disciples passed the time most


218




AN0 -..0umew 4ssa aaMs

been darkened; and when he died,
there was an earthquake which rent the
rocks, as if the earth trembled at the
deed that had been done.
"Dear children, what greater proof
could Jesus give us of his love, than
willingly to suffer such a death. Let
us not be so ungrateful as to forget to
love and obey him!"





MOTHER'S TIUE 8TORIES.


lis pointed out to them a village quite
near to the chief city, Jerusalem.
This small town," she said, "is Beth-
any. It was a quiet spot, where our Lord
used often to retire, when the day had
been spent in Jerusalem, to escape from
the heat and the crowd. While there,
he usually stayed at a house where lived
a brother and two sisters. They were
excellent people, who loved him sin-
cerely, and always received him with
joy.
"The brother's name was Lazarus;
the older sister was named Martha, the
younger Mary. Martha was the house-
keeper, and whenever Jesus visited them,
she would try to set before him the best
entertainment she could. Jesus did not


167





MOTn'8s TlUn 8sTOa 8.


God, and saying, Glory be to God in
the highest! on earth peace, good-will
toward men.'
Then the angels and the wonderful
light rose up, and vanished into heaven,
among the stars.
As soon as they had disappeared, the
shepherds said to each other, Let us go
to Bethlehem, and see this wonderful
child, whose birth the Lord has made
known to us.' They, as well as the rest
of the Jewish nation, had been hoping
every year for their Messiah, and now
they knew that God had accomplished
his promise. They did not wait until
morning, but hastened to Bethlehem,
which was a pleasant little town near
by. It was often called the city of


i18





MOTHEr TRUE BTOBIE8.


and the vessel began to glide along, he
fell asleep.
"But while he was sleeping quietly,
a sudden storm came up, and the wind,
striking the vessel, almost overset it.
The waves dashed high, and began to
fill the boat; it was a great tempest,
such as we saw last summer on the sea-
shore."
"0 mother! when we saw that boat
upset? What did these poor men do?
Why did not they speak to Jesus?"
"They did, -they woke him, crying
out, Master, we shall be lost! Carest
thou not that we perish ? '
Jesus had been sleeping so wear,
that the tempest had not waked him;
but as soon as they called him, he arose.


'146




xQTHEr'8 TRUE IRTO=I.


While the Christians were lamenting
for the cruel death of James, they were
much alarmed to hear that Peter too
had been put in prison. But they knew
God could save him from the wicked
king, and night and day they prayed
to God to give Peter back to them.
Peter was kept in prison some days;
he was chained to two soldiers, one on
each side, so that it was impossible for
him to make his escape, and there were
guards of soldiers placed at the prison
gates. It was now the last night he was
to live; he knew Herod intended to
have him pit to death the next day, but
he was sleeping quietly in his dark pris-
on, with the soldiers asleep beside him.
It did not trouble him that he was to


227




I9T3UI5 Thug sTOwIs&


ter's body had been taken away, perhaps
by his enemies; so she wept there alone.
Presently she stooped down and looked
in again to the tomb; then she saw two
angels in white garments, but she did
not know they were angels. They asked
her why she was weeping; she answered,
* Because they have taken away my Lord,
and I know not where they have laid
him.' As she spoke, she looked round
and saw Jesus himself standing by her."
"0 what did she say ? "
"Her eyes were so dim with tears she
did not know him. She thought he was
the gardener, and begged him to tell her
where her Master's body had been laid.
Jesus said to her, Mary!' As soon
as he called her by name, she knew him;.






MOTIrI S TZBE 8ITaIES.


110


David, because David, the poet and king,
whom I told you of, was born there.
"They soon found the stable wheo
the child and his mother were,--the in.
fant lying in a manger. The shepherds
told his mother, whose name was Mary,
and Joseph, her husband, what they had
seen and heard in the fields, and all re-
joiced and praised God together.
Mary knew that her babe was to be
the Messiah, for an angel had told her
so before he was born; but she was
deeply interested in the shepherds' story.
The shepherds wondered that their Sav-
iour, who was to be, as they thought,
a great king and ruler, should be born
in a stable, instead of a palace, and for
* oly oracle ahould huae manger."





MOTHER'S TRUE 8TORIELS


his soul with prayer to his Father, in
whose service and love he lived. But
the disciples,. when they had gone some
way from shore in their boat, found the
sea very rough. The wind was contrary
to them, so that they could not hoist
their sail, and they were very much
tossed about while rowing. They were
quite tired and discouraged, when they
saw a form approaching them, moving
over the water. They discerned it by
the starlight only, and thought of course
no man could walk on the waves, so it
must be a spirit; and they, being much
alarmed, cried out for fear.
"But it was no phantom, it was Jesus.
He had seen from the hill how much
difficulty they met, and how weary they


152





MOTHBR'S TLUE STOxftI.


he had kept his money safe, buried in
the ground. His master was much dis-
pleased. Thou wicked and slothful ser-
vant,' said he,' couldst thou not have
made even some little use of so much
money?' So he took his talent from
him, and sent him away in disgrace."
"I know what that parable means,"
said George; "that men must use their
money in a right way. But I have no
money, nor has Mary."
"No, while you are children, your
talent is not money. But this parable
refers to other gifts of God as well as to
money. You have many opportunities
of learning and improving yourselves:
these are among your talents. If you
employ your school talents well, learn-


196











CHAPTER IX.


MRS. ELLIS, on returning home from
some business abroad, the next after-
noon, found both the children in her
own chamber. They had taken the
large Bible from her desk, and were
turning over the leaves. As soon as
Mary saw her mother, she left the book,
and, running to her, inquired:-
Dear mother, did the Jews kill Je-
sus ? Georgie said they did, and I would
not believe it; so we were trying to find
the place."










CHAPTER VII.


MOTHER, tell us more of what Jesus
taught," began little Mary. "I love
him very much."
And he loves you, my darling. While
he was on earth, he would often notice
and bless little children.
Once, when he was teaching, several
mothers came bringing their infants and
young children, that he might lay his
hands on them and bless them. The
disciples were unwilling to have him in-
terrupted, so they told the parents to go
12





148 XOTHEB'Sz TRUE MILoa.

gave to Jesus power over all things on
the earth, and by this divine authority
he hushed the storm.
"I will tell you another instance of
this power. Our Saviour had been
teaching, as usual, a great multitude;
--there were more than five thousand
people crowded round him. It was a
desert place, some way from any village;
and when the evening was approaching,
the disciples said to him, Master, it is
late, and the people have nothing here
to eat. Is it not best to send them away
now, that they may go into the villages,
and buy food ?'
Jesus answered, 'They need not go
away; give ye some food to them.' But
they said, How can we get food enough
for all these people ?'







Jairus, looking very sad, and said to
him, in a low voice: 'Thy daughter is
dead. She has just ceased to breathe.
It is no use troubling the Teacher any
longer.'
"When the father heard this, he
stopped in despair, saying, 'It is too
late, it is of no use to go on.'
But Jesus, who had heard the mes-
sage, said to him, in the kindest tone,
'Fear not,--only believe, and she shall
be restored.'
Jairus made no answer; he scarcely
understood: he was thinking that his
only child, his darling, was gone for
ever. But they moved on. Jesus spoke
to the crowd, and bade them leave him
now, and he also seat back all of his





MoThER s TIJEr TOX~tB. 1


man who had died. He was the only
son of his mother, and she was a widow;
it was she, he said, who lamented so.
Her husband had died some years be-
fore, since which time this son had sup-
ported her, taken care of her, and made
her happy; but now, the man said, she
would have to live with strangers.
"While they were talking, they saw
that Jesus was moving through the
crowd toward the bier; he looked com-
passionately on the mother, saying,
'Weep not!'
"She looked at him wonderingly, per-
haps thinking, 'Ah, why should I ever
stop weeping ?' He laid his hand on
the bier, and the four bearers stood still
Theah esu said, in a calm, distinct vioe,


10





MOTHER'S TUV STORIES.


couch, lay the little girl, so quiet and
peaceful, looking so like sleep, that the
father thought he understood what the
Teacher meant, when he said she was
sleeping. But Jesus meant more than
the beautiful quiet of death; he meant
that by God's love and power, given to
him, she could be as easily awaked as
from a night's sleep.
He went to the side of the bed,
and, taking one of the small white
hands gently in his, he said to her,
' Maiden, arise !'
"And her spirit returned: she opened
her eyes. She no longer felt sick and
languid, as before she fell into death's
sleep; she was well and strong. She
arose from the bed, and hastened to her










CHAPTER VIII.

SBUT Jesus did not teach us of God's
love alone," began Mrs. Ellis, the next
evening; "he taught us what we must
do to please him. If our Father in
Heaven is kind and merciful, we also
must be merciful, or we shall not be
worthy of his love. We must be for-
giving, and pardon those who injure or
trouble us, or we shall not deserve his
forgiveness. We must use the good
things he gives us to bless other men,
or we have no right to pray for new






































PBTR Inr PRIOMN.


P. 268.





MOTHER'S TRUE STORIES.


was too hot, an awning was stretched
over it. At this time, the awning was
drawn over, and the little shaded yard
was crowded with people, who were
listening to the Master's teachings.
"In the neighborhood lived a man
who was paralytic; he could not move
nor help hiniself; he had lost all power
over his limbs. When his friends heard
that Jesus was in this house near, they
resolved to take the sick man there.
So four of them took up the mattress
he was lying on, and carried it through
the streets to the house; but they could
not get through the crowd so as to come
near to Jesus, and the people were too
eagerly listening to him to heed them.
After consulting what should be done,


142








PART II.



CHAPTER I.

THk short days' of Decembet were
drawing to a close. Christmas and New
Year had for some time been in the
children's thoughts, and many important
preparations had been made for the holi-
days. On the evening before Christmas,
George andctfary, rather wearied with
their plans and anticipations for the next
day, which they were to spend with their