The Pearl of Love: or, Josey's Gift

"Do you want to keep Aunt Fanny from telling them this?" mamma asked. "Do you want them to go on worshipping those senseless idols, which can neither see, nor hear, nor understand?"

With a great sob Josey answered,

"No, mamma, I love her dearly, dearly; but I'll let Jesus have her. He'll know then how I love him."

With a gush of tears, she folded him to her heart. When they were more calm, she urged him to return to the parlor.

"Pretty soon I will," he said softly, "And oh, mamma, if you'll please let me sit up an hour later every night till she – I mean, till we're all alone. Now I'm going to write her a letter."

My little reader, would you like to read it, and see how our dear Josey showed his love to his Saviour? how he tried to obey the rule, "My little children let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth?" It was this:

"My dear, darling Aunt Fanny:

"I've been thinking a great deal about you, and once I said I couldn't let you go away; but I'm willing now. I know I shall miss you dreadfully. And it makes me cry to think how I shall want to hear you pray by my bed, every night; but I'll tell you why I'm willing. You know I'm trying to be a Christian child, and I do hope the dear Saviour has pardoned my sins; so I want to show Him that I really thank Him for it, and to-night, I said to myself, 'I have nothing to give Jesus, to show him my love, but my dear, dear aunty. I do hope it will show the heathen a little, that I love them, and want to be kind to them. When you get there, will you please tell them a little boy gave his aunt to the Saviour, so that they may learn the way to heaven.

"When I am a man, I hope I shall be a missionary, too; and perhaps then God will let me see you and Uncle James again.

    "Your little nephew,
    "JOSEY CODMAN."