JUNIOR KING’S BUSINESS
WHEN
'SUNSHINE MARY”
BROUGHT
GOOD NEWS
by Alice M. Ardagh
T h e y couldn’t comfort “ Sunshine Mary”—not her daddy, who was distressed by her crying, or her mother, who grew quite impatient about it. They couldn’t comfort her, for, “They have killed Jesus!” she cried. “ They have crucified Him!” Mary was only five, but she re membered what was told her—re membered so well, that she had been put in the first grade. But Mary wasn’t happy about what she had just learned at school. She sobbed, “ And now I can’t ever see Him and hear Him say, ‘Suffer the little chil dren to come unto me’ !” No, they couldn’t comfort Mary! This was too great a sorrow. It was only a month ago that Miss Aylmer had come to be her teacher at the little mountain school, but every day of that month Mary had been learning what she had never heard before.The first thing Teacher did every day was to read out of a Book she called the Bible, a Book which she said God had written. Mary had never heard of God be fore! When she got home the first day, she ran to her mother and asked, “ Mother, did you know there was Some One living up in the sky, and He’s called God—and He can do anything"!” “ Who told you about Him?” asked her mother. “ Teacher did,” replied Mary. “Oh!” said her mother. “ Yes, I’ve heard of Him. Now run away and wash your hands and come and have your supper!” 34
As Mary washed her hands she wondered why, since her mother knew about God, she had never told her about Him! She decided that it was because Mother thought Mary had heard all there was to know. The next day Mary ran home fast er than the day before. “ Mother,” she cried, as she ran into the kitchen, “ God has a Son! God sent His Son down here. And He lays' His hands on children’s heads and blesses ’em. I’d love to feel His hand on my head! Don’t you wish He’d come to Gold Rock and bless me?” “ Oh, yes, I guess so,” said her mother. “ Now the buns are nearly ready, and Daddy will be here in a minute. Go and wash your hands!” Mary went away to do as her mother bade her, but she was a little puzzled. Mother didn’t seem to care to talk about God and Jesus as Teacher did. And then, one Friday, Mary came running home, weeping bitterly. “ Oh, Mother,” she cried, “ they’ve killed Him! They’ve killed the Lord Jesus!” It didn’t do any good to offer her hot biscuits’ and maple syrup that night. Mary couldn’t eat anything. On Saturday morning, she ran up the road to the house where Teacher lived. She must ask her if there was no hope; had they really killed him? But Teacher had gone to the near est town, fifteen miles away, to spend the day. Mary was very sad all that day.
Then Sunday morning came. Mary thought Teacher would be at home then; so, at nine o’clock, up the road she ran and saw Teacher standing in her doorway. “Good morning, Sunshine Mary!” she cried, in a cheery voice. “Why, dear, you don’t look at all like your name today! Where’s that smile we all love so much?” “ Oh, Teacher,” Mary cried, “ is He really dead? Didn’t He p’waps get well again, even if they did crucify Him? I want to see Him, and have Him lay His hand on my head!” Teacher knelt right down there on the rocky ground and drew Mary to her in a tight embrace. “You blessed child!” she cried. “You didn’t know, and I should have told you. They crucified Him, but He rose again and came right out of the grave, and His disciples saw Him, and His mother, and the other Mary, and—” But Sunshine Mary couldn’t wait to hear of any others who had seen Him. “Will I see Him?” she cried eagerly. “Oh, Teacher, w ill 7?” “Yes, dear,” Teacher answered. “ But not here. He didn’t stay down here very long after He arose from the grave. He went back to heaven to His Father. But, Mary, He said He went because He wanted to pre pare a place for us to go and live with Him forever. All who love Him will go there, so you and I will both go, dear, and see Him and hear Him, and feel His loving hands.” Mary’s heart was brimming over THE KING'S BUSINESS
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