va got well, and was permitted to use her
new and precious gift of sight; but then the amazement and delight with
which she ran from one thing to another--the joy with which she gazed
upon the faces of her parents and Ruth, no one of us, who have always
seen, can ever know or appreciate.
"And old Binah said, as she hugged her darling to her faithful breast,
'God bress de good massa dat gib de sight to my little missis. It don't
make no sort of difference to she, case old Binah _black_. Dear, no!
she lub her just de same when she see _dat_! don't you, little missis?'
"'Why, _of course_ I do,' answered little Eva, and she kissed good old
Binah, and ran off with Ruth to look at some flowers. Oh, that precious
sight! how dear it was, to her!
"And now she is no longer _poor_ rich little Eva."
* * * * *
The children had listened to the story of Eva, with eager, breathless
attention; and when Ruth screamed out, "She will see! she will see!"
they very nearly screamed, too, so rejoiced were they that the blindness
had been removed; and the dear little girl had not suffered so much for
nothing.
"It must be so terrible to be blind," said Anna; "don't you remember
when we went to see the exhibition of the blind children at the Academy
of Music, the tears were rolling down mamma's face nearly the whole
time, and we all felt so sorry, that we came home quite unhappy?"
"Dear me," cried Harry, "I do wish there was no such affliction; why
must there be, mamma?"
"God knows best, dear Harry," answered the little mother. "If He did
not, for His own wise purpose, permit us to know trouble and sorrow in
this world, we would never desire that blessed rest and peace hereafter,
which he promises to all those who put their trust in him."
"Yes, God must know best," said Clara, in a low voice; "for dear Charley
has had more suffering and sorrow than any of us, and yet he loves Him,
and wants to go to heaven."
"When Charley was very little," said the mother, "I found him crying
bitterly one day. 'Why, what is the matter, my darling?' I said.
"'Oh mamma!' he sobbed, 'I am so afraid there won't be room enough in
heaven for me! Do you think such a poor, lame child can get there?'
"I took him in my arms, and kissed and comforted him, and told him that
Jesus looked at the heart, not at the weak, crooked body; and that the
better and purer his life was, the greater would be his welcome to His
house
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