Tip Lewis and His Lamp Part 7

And this was why he lingered in the kitchen,--not knowing just what to say. Kitty helped him.

"Tip," said she, "I suppose they sing over at that Sunday school, don't they?"

"I guess they do;" and Tip's eyes brightened. "Ever so many of them sing at once, and it sounds grand, I tell you. They play the melodeon, too: don't you want to go and hear it?"

"Humph! I don't know. I don't suppose it will be any stupider than staying at home. I get awful sick of that. If I knew the way, maybe I would go."

"Oh, I'll take you!" said Tip, in a quick, eager way. He wanted to speak before his courage failed.

So Kitty, in her stiff blue sunbonnet and green calico dress, went to Sabbath school. There was no mission cla.s.s for girls, so Mr. Parker sent her among the gaily-dressed little girls in Miss Haley's cla.s.s; but Mr.

Holbrook detained Tip.

"Edward, you intend to come to Sabbath school regularly, don't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then I think we must leave your place in the mission seat to be filled by some other boy, and you may come forward to my cla.s.s."

It is doubtful whether Tip will ever see a prouder or happier moment than that one in which he followed the minister down the long room to his _own_ cla.s.s. But when he saw the seat full of boys, his face grew crimson. At the end of the seat was Ellis Holbrook, the minister's son,--the boy who but a few days before had, he believed in his heart, told a wicked story about himself, and gained him a severe punishment. He did not feel as though he could sit beside that boy, even in Sabbath school. But Mr. Holbrook waited, and sit down he _must_. Ellis moved along to give him room, and disturbed him neither by word nor look during the lesson. But Tip's heart was full of bitterness, and he thought the pleasure of that morning gone. The lesson was of Christ and His death on the cross, and, as he listened, hard thoughts began to die out. The story was too new; it touched too near his heart not to calm the angry feelings and to interest him wonderfully.

As soon as school was dismissed, Mr. Holbrook turned to him. "What disturbs you to-day, Edward?"

Tip's face grew red again. "I--I--nothing much, sir."

"Have you and Ellis been having trouble in school?"

"He has been getting _me_ into trouble," spoke Tip boldly, finding himself caught.

Mr. Holbrook sat down again. "Can you tell me about it, Edward?"

"He said I threw paper b.a.l.l.s, and Mr. Burrows whipped me; and I didn't."

"Are you sure you didn't?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did you say so at the time?"

"Over and over again, but he said he _saw_ me."

"Edward, have you always spoken the truth? Is your word to be believed?"

Tip's eyes fell and his lip quivered. "I've told a great many stories,"

he said at last, in a low, humble tone; "but this _truly_ isn't one. I'm trying to tell the truth after this, and Jesus believes what I have said this time."

"So do I, Edward," answered Mr. Holbrook gently, even tenderly. "Ellis was mistaken. But I see you are angry with him; can't you get over that?"

Tip shook his head. "He got me whipped for nothing, sir."

"Suppose Christ should follow that rule, Edward, and forgive only those who had treated Him well; would you be forgiven to-day?"

This was a new thought to Tip, and made him silent. Mr. Holbrook held out his hand for the little red Bible.

"Let me show you what this lamp of yours says about the matter."

And Tip's eyes presently read where the minister's finger pointed: "If ye forgive not men their trespa.s.ses, neither will your Father forgive your trespa.s.ses."

"Trespa.s.ses mean sins," explained Mr. Holbrook; then he turned away.

All this time Kitty had been standing waiting,--not for Tip, she didn't expect his company,--but for the stylish little girls to get fairly started on their way to church, so she could go home without having any of them look at or make fun of her.

Kitty had not been having a very good time: she had the misfortune to fall into the hands of a teacher who thought if she asked the questions in the question-book, and if one scholar could not answer, pa.s.sed on to the next, she had done her duty. So the singing was pretty nearly all Kitty had cared for. G.o.d was leaving most of the work for Tip to do, after all. He went over to her now, and walked down the road with her.

The boys had all gone, as well as the girls, so there was nothing to hinder their walking on quietly together.

"How did you like it, Kitty?" he asked.

"Oh, I didn't think much of it. I sat by the ugliest girl in town, and she made fun of my bonnet and my shoes. I _hate_ her."

Tip had a faint notion in his heart that Kitty also needed the verse which had just been given him; but he had other thoughts about her. G.o.d's Spirit was at work. Having taken her to Sabbath school, having begun a good work, he wanted it to go on. It was very hard to speak to Kitty; he didn't know what to say; but all the way down the hill there seemed to ring in his ears the message, "Freely ye have received, freely give."

"Kitty," he said at last, "don't you want to be a Christian?"

"I don't know what a Christian is."

"But wouldn't you like to love Jesus?"

"How do I know?" replied Kitty shortly. "I don't know anything about Jesus."

"Oh, didn't you hear, in the lesson to-day, about how He loves everybody, and wants everybody to love Him, and how He died so we could?"

"I don't know a thing about the lesson. I counted the b.u.t.tons on Miss Harley's dress most all the time; they went up and down the front, and up and down the sides, and everywhere."

"Oh, but, Kitty, you surely heard the hymn,--

'Jesus loves me, this I know, For the Bible tells me so.'"

"Yes," Kitty said; "the hymn was pretty enough, only n.o.body gave me a book, and I could just hear a word now and then."

Altogether, Tip didn't feel that he had done Kitty a bit of good. But he knew this much, that, since he had begun to think about and talk to her, he longed--yes, _longed_--with all his heart to have her come to Christ.

"Ellis, come here a moment," said Mr. Holbrook, turning towards his study door, as the family came in from church. "What is it about this trouble in school with Edward Lewis?"

"No trouble, father; only Tip threw a paper ball, just as he always _is_ doing, and, as Mr. Burrows asked me if I knew who threw it, of course I had to tell him, and that made Tip mad. Why? Has he been complaining to you, father?"

"Ellis, did you see Edward throw paper?"

"Yes, sir."