by Betty Bruechert
clearing, made a kind of leap into the air and ran straight toward Spotty. Father, Mother and the little girls well hidden by the trees watched breathlessly. When the doe reached Spotty she began to lick him all over and Spotty snug gling up to his mother just as close as possible began to eat his dinner. “ That’s really his mamma, isn’t it?” asked Phyllis. “ It ¡certainly is,” answered Fa ther, “Aren’t you glad we brought him back?” “ Oh, , yes,” Gloria said, “ She must have been lonesome without him.” Father looked at Mother. ftWhy, you sentimental woman,” he re marked, “ I do believe there is a tear in your eye.” “ So what?” she answered. “ I was just thinking how I would miss my little girls if they wandered away from me,” and she put an arm about each. if “ Oh, we won’t, Mamma, truly we won’t,” the girls said in chorus. And the day — like this story — had a very happy ending as a very contented family drove home in the bright moonlight. ★ * * * * But when people wander away from God and forget Him, there is never a happy ending, dear boys and girls. The Bible says, “ Remem ber now thy Creator in the days of thy youth . . .” (Eccl. 12:1). •Now when you are young is the time to learn to know Him and love Him. Many people have for gotten John 3:16: “ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” They have wandered away from God, and they do not love Him any more. Let us never forget Him. Then we will not wander in a dark forest of sin and be lost. END.
that they didn’t hear their mother spelling out words not meant for their ears. They parked the truck under a big shady maple in the clearing, and removing Spotty from the back tied him to a tree and spread out their lunch. “Keep your eyes open for any deer,” warned Father, and so they all watched as they ate. Phyllis was the first to see them, silhouetted against the horizon. “ Oh, look! There’s Spotty’s mam ma,” she shouted as she and Gloria ran to tell Spotty the good news. “ You certainly are a little bright eyes,” said Father. “ That’s a long distance from here. Guess we’ll have to go in the back way so as not to frighten them. Pack up the picnic things and I’ll load Spotty again.” Soon the truck was bumping along over the uneven ground. Keeping his eyes on the deer, Fa ther circled about them and came down a side road that brought the truck almost face to face with the animals. But so obscured by over hanging branches of trees was the road that the deer, did not realize human beings were so close. Father whispered, “ Be very quiet. Help me get Spotty out and we’ll just turn him loose and watch.” “Which one is his mother?” asked Gloria, in a whisper. “ I can’t tell but you’ll soon seel” replied Father, lifting Spotty from the truck. The little fawn trembled as he was carried to the edge of the trees. Walking very softly over stones and brush, Father put him down and gave him a little push. For a minute Spotty didn’t move. Th e n he k i c ked his heels and bounded toward the other deer. The animals looked up in aston ishment from the grass they were munching. They turned to run, then stood perfectly still. And then, quicker than I can write it, one big deer, feeding at the edge of the
brought him in the first place. I didn’t realize the girls would be come so attached to him. Now how can I let him go without breaking their hearts?” Mother thought awhile. “ I think if we presented the case from the mother deer’s viewpoint, it might touch their hearts.” “ Yes,” said Jim, with a grin, “ I think you have something there. You paint a picture of a sad-look- ihg doe looking everywhere for her baby. And it is true the poor animal is probably nearly wild with grief. Our girls have very ten der hearts, I am glad to say.” “How do you suppose the little creature strayed from the others?” “ I haven’t any idea. I never saw a deer in that part of the woods before. They feed in the clearing a few miles away. At breakfast we will break the news to the girls.” At first Phyllis and Gloria cried at the thought of parting with their beloved Spotty, but when Mother told them how lonely his mother must be, their tears were for her rather than for themselves. They were such good little sports about the whole matter that their father had an inspiration. “ I’ll tell you what we will do! Tomorrow is Saturday and we will all go and look for Spotty’s mother. We’ll put him in the truck and drive up to the clearing and see if we can find her!” “Oh, goody, goody!” exclaimed Gloria, who loved to eat: “ Can we have a picnic?” “Of course,” Mother replied, and sure enough on Saturday after noon, with Spotty tied in the back of the truck so he couldn’t jump out, the entire family set out. “ This isn’t the kind of deer hunting I used to do when I was young,” remarked Father. “Hush!” c a u t i o n e d Mo the r , “ don’t mention g-u-n-s here!” But the girls were too occupied petting Spotty and reassuring him that he would soon see his mother
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