he following anecdote was given as a fact by a clergyman at hampstead, in a sermon to children:—

a gentleman, travelling on a railway, was much struck by the vivacity of a lovely little girl about five years of age, who, with her mother, happened to be travelling in the same carriage, and he took a great deal of notice of the child. about ten minutes before the train reached the station at which the lady and her daughter were to alight, the little one went up to the gentleman, and putting her lips close to his ear, asked softly, “do you love god?”

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the child’s question.

the traveller, who apparently was not a devout man, was so startled by the unexpected question, that he coloured to the roots of his hair; and the child, seeing his confusion, and probably frightened at her own boldness, retreated, and hid her face on her mother’s bosom until the train stopped at the station.

but her solemn question had sunk deep into the mind of the traveller. “do you love god?” he repeated to himself again and again. for a long period the words haunted him, till at length he was able to[104] give to them the only reply which a true christian can give.

about two years afterwards, the gentleman happened to be in the town at which he had left his little fellow-traveller on that never-to-be-forgotten day. while passing along it, he fancied that he saw at a window the face of the mother of the child. his desire to see the little one to whom he owed so much was so great, that he could not refrain from knocking at the door and introducing himself to the lady. upon seeing her, he inquired after her lovely child. the lady was dressed in mourning. god had sent her heavy affliction; her sweet girl now slept in the silent tomb. the mother took the stranger to a room, in which were laid out various trifles which had belonged to her darling.

“it may interest you to see these,” she said; “these are all that remain of my child.”

“oh no!” exclaimed the traveller; “here am i!” and he related to the wondering parent how the word spoken in season by those infant lips had been the means of leading him to his god.

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even that feeble child had done her work for her master before he called her to her rest; even that feeble child had been given a soul to be her “joy and crown of rejoicing for ever.”

o dear young reader! how would you now answer that whispered question, “do you love god?” could your heart give the reply, “i love him because he first loved us”?