After a few minutes silence, she lifted up her head, and rising from the ground, returned to her home, and the chamber of her mother.  Never before had there been so sweet and calm a loveliness on the face of Cornelia.  It was a reflection of the peace and tranquility of her soul, for she had held communion with her God!

FORGIVENESS.

A friend with whom I was conversing a few weeks since, told me of a beautiful example of this Christian grace, even in a little child.  It has often dwelt in my memory since, and perhaps some of my little readers may be induced to cultivate the same spirit, if I repeat it to them.

Little Sarah was a sweet child of six summers.  Gentle and affectionate in disposition, she soon won a large portion of that love which few hearts can withhold from the happy spirit of infancy.  It has been said, “Childhood is ever lovely,” and I would add, childhood is ever loved.  Sarah was an attentive and careful reader of the word of God, at a very early age.  There it was that she found the Divine promise, “Forgive, and thou shalt be forgiven.”  And she not only read this precept, but showed by her life of gentle forgiveness, that she had engraven it upon her heart.

[Illustration]

She attended a small school which was kept near her home; and I am sorry that all who were her schoolmates had not the same kind spirit.  There were some who were very rude and unkind and Sarah soon found many trials to encounter.  Often would the gentle child return to her sweet home in tears to forget her sorrow in a mother’s love.  Yet every harsh and ungentle tone was forgiven by her, for she knew that forgiveness was of Heaven.

One day when her mother had given her some plums she observed that Sarah did not eat them, but put them all into her little workbag to carry them to school.

“Why do you do so?” said she; “you do not eat the plums which I have given you.”

“No, mother,” said Sarah “I will carry them to the little children who do not love me.  Perhaps they will love me better if I am kind to them.”

Here was the true secret of human love.  The power of kindness—­there is none other that will reach every heart.  There is none other that can influence them for good.  It can lead the sinner from his evil way, for none are too sinful to love, and where love is, there is power.  We are all frail and erring beings, whose hourly prayer should be for pardon, and shall we not forgive?

THE GUILTY CONSCIENCE.

A mother one day returned home very sorrowful, and lamented bitterly to her husband that she had heard that one of their sons had beaten a poor child.

“This,” said she, “must have certainly been done by our naughty Caspar, but he will deny it if I put the question to him.”

“I will answer for it,” said the prudent father, “that I will put the question to him in a way in which he cannot answer with a lie; and thereby come at the truth.”