| Show JiL jillie lle the cripple idy iby lucy 11 berrish in union signal hurrah ten cents every week tor for all the errands I 1 do shouted ralph to his wend herbert as he rushed out of the house on oil ills his way to school 1 I wish I 1 could have ten cents said herbert softly but I 1 dont think my namma could spare it to roe me there are so many of us and you know jamie is sick so much we have lots of 0 bills to 0 pay poor jamie I 1 do wish his baik back would not keep growing so crooked and ache so I 1 would like to have t cism grow well the two boys started off to school and during the opening exercises ralph was wag thinking all the time what tf herbert erbet had said about little jamie tie ile knew jamie was a cripple but he did not realize that lie he must suffer a great deal how did god happen to make him that way said ralph to his mother that night he did not make him that way dear clear replied his mother he was running about the field after a beautiful yellow butterfly it flew over the old iron fence and as jamie was very small email he tried to get through after it but the fence gave way and fell ciuch ing attle ittle jamie beneath it ills his cries tit lri ed the men who were at work in the field and they took him up gently and carried hini him home never to walk again as he had injured his spine so he has to keep in his chair all the time and mamma thinks he must he be a very patient little boy much more so than some little boys who have everything and I 1 am sure god must be proud of such a patient little sufferer 1 I should not have thought god would let that horrid fence come down dowd said ralph it was riot not gods fault he made jamie well and strong but others were careless and did not keep the fence as it should be kept do you suppose ile he would care cara it if I 1 bought an awful lot of candy with my money 1 I am afraid he would think ralph rather selfish the next day was saturday ralph kept hearing the word selfish and his heart seemed full of the story of little littie jamie tho the bright blight little silver piece still stayed in hla his pocket twice he was tempted to spend it for candy and twice something said in the little heart Sein sh another week went by and still another and another until four little silver allver siler aller er pieces making forty cents were nicely put away in a little box one night as aa his mother kissed hissed hi him in goodnight good night she sald said what is the matter with my boy that he Is so quiet and thoughtful ralph choked back a lump which would come in hla his throat and wita wila cry said 0 mother I 1 cant get that word selfish out of my heart and I 1 do wish I 1 could make god see me not so selfish I 1 tried to think it was not me that was selfish but I 1 know it was never mind said his mother it if you a arc a really sorry god hilll iii tinder understand mother dear I 1 know what I 1 will do with my silver pieces I 1 will gle them to jamie to buy whatever whitt ever he waties a and halt of all I 1 can earn jamie shall have that Is mothers noble unselfish dry bey to give others pleasure dear will give you much more pleasure than tie tae money possibly could the next day the silver pieces found r tt air way to the sick child and such 6 i happy boy as little jamie was waa and such a happy face ralph wore the next saturday night beside his bed lie he found a piece of paper on which were the words it la Is more blessed ti tb give than to receive and beside the paper a beautiful picture of the boy christ under this to my dear little son ron that it may help him to bo be unselfish |
