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[Transcriber's Note: Italic text is represented by _underscores_. Small capitals in the original have been converted to all capitals.]
_LITTLE SUNBEAMS._
I.
BELLE POWERS' LOCKET.
By the same Author.
I.
THE BESSIE BOOKS.
_Six vols. in a neat box._ $7.50.
The volumes also sold separately; viz.: Bessie at the Seaside; City, Friends; Mountains; School; Travels, at $1.25 each.
"Really, it makes the heart younger, warmer, better, to bathe it afresh in such familiar, natural scenes, where benevolence of most practical and blessed utility is seen developing itself, from first to last, in such delightful symmetry and completeness as may, and we hope will, secure many imitators."--_Watchman and Reflector._
II.
THE FLOWERETS.
A SERIES OF STORIES ON THE COMMANDMENTS.
_Six vols. in a neat box._ $3.60.
The vols. can also be had separately; viz.: 1. Violet's Idol; 2. Daisy's Work; 3. Rose's Temptation; 4. Lily's Lesson; 5. Hyacinthe and her Brothers; 6. Pinkie and the Rabbits, at 75 cents each.
"The child-world we are here introduced to is delightfully real. The children talk and act so naturally that we feel real live children must have sat for their portraits."--_Baltimore Christian Advocate._
BELLE POWERS' LOCKET.
"YE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD."
BY JOANNA H. MATHEWS, AUTHOR OF THE "BESSIE BOOKS" AND "THE FLOWERETS."
NEW YORK: ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS, 530 BROADWAY.
1882.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by
ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
UNIVERSITY PRESS: JOHN WILSON & SON, CAMBRIDGE.
Dedicated
TO
BESSIE MUIR FISHER.
CONTENTS.
I. BELLE AND HER PAPA 9
II. AN EXCITEMENT 25
III. AN UNPLEASANT SURPRISE 40
IV. SUNLIGHT 57
V. A DAY WITH MAGGIE AND BESSIE 73
VI. PROVERB-PICTURES 88
VII. MABEL'S NEW WHIM 104
VIII. THE LOCKET 118
IX. BELLE'S MISFORTUNE 133
X. A TERRIBLE LOSS 149
XI. BELLE'S GRIEF 163
XII. CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE 180
XIII. MABEL'S GENEROSITY 196
XIV. FOUND 219
BELLE POWERS' LOCKET.
I.
_BELLE AND HER PAPA._
Dear little Belle!
There she sat, upon a low stool, doll and picture-book lying unheededat her feet, as she watched the slanting beams of light whichstreamed in between the crimson curtains and poured life and gladnessover all within the pleasant room. There she sat, watching themthoughtfully, yet with a half-smile upon her lips, as they travelledslowly and steadily from spot to spot, now over the carpet, now upthe table-cloth, now touching the gilded mirror-frame and making itflash with added brightness, and now falling softly on a vase of lovelyflowers and bringing out their brilliant colors in new and more perfectbeauty. And now in their noiseless but busy march they fell upon herown little self, the brightest and sunniest thing in all the room, tothe loving eyes which watched her.
"What is my darling thinking of?" asked Mr. Powers, breaking thestillness.
In an instant Belle was upon his knee and nestling close to him; butshe did not answer his question till it was repeated.
"What were you thinking of, my daughter?" he asked again, laying hishand fondly on the little round head, with its short, dark rings ofhair.
"About sunbeams, papa," answered the child, turning her eyes again uponthe bar of light, which was now quivering and shimmering among and overthe prisms of the chandelier above their heads.
"Ay, they are very pretty," said her father.
"But it was not about _those_ sunbeams, papa, though they did make thethinking come into my head. It was about being a sunbeam. I would liketo be a little sunbeam, papa."
"And so you may, and so you are, my darling," said the father. "You arepapa's little sunbeam, the brightest sunbeam he has on earth; and hisway would be very dark and sad without you."
"Yes, papa," said Belle: "you mean I am your comfort, and you are mysunbeam, papa, 'cause you are my comfort; but I was thinking I wouldlike to be a sunbeam to other people too. I wonder if I could. MaggieBradford says I could."
"I am sure you could, darling."
"Maggie does say such nice things, papa; and so does Bessie; andsometimes when a thing does not seem very pleasant, or as if I wouldlike to do it, they talk about it so that it seems very nice indeed,and so very right that I feel in a great hurry to do it. That is, ifI do not feel naughty; for do you know, papa,"--and Belle's voice tooka mournful tone,--"do you know sometimes I am so _very_ naughty that Ifeel like doing a thing just because I know I oughtn't. Papa, could youhave b'lieved that of me?"
"Yes," said Mr. Powers, smiling: "I could believe that of any one,Belle."
"Could you, papa?" said Belle, solemnly. "Well, that does make me agreat relief; for when I used to get good again after I had been sonaughty as that, I used to think I must be 'most the wickedest childthat ever lived. But one day when I told Maggie and Bessie about it,Maggie said sometimes she felt that way too; and then we made eachother promise to keep it a great secret, and never tell anybody."
"And so you keep your promise by telling me," said her father.
"O papa! we didn't mean our fathers and mothers. We don't think you'reanybody."
"Thank you," replied her father, taking the compliment as it was meant,though somewhat amused at her way of putting it. "That is right, dear.It is better for little children not to mean their fathers and motherswhen they promise not to 'tell anybody.'"
"Yes, papa; and then you see you have nobody but me to tell yousecrets, so I would feel too badly not to do it. But I want to knowabout being a sunbeam, papa; how I can be a sunbeam to 'most everybody,or to a good many people."
"What did Maggie Bradford say about it?" asked Mr. Powers: "let me hearthat."
"Why, it was yesterday, when I was spending the day with Maggie andBessie," answered Belle; "and it was cloudy, and the sun came out fromthe clouds, and Maggie said--Papa, Maggie is the smartest child; anddo you know what I heard Mrs. Norris say about her? She said Maggiehad quite a--quite a--a--talent, that was the word, quite a talent forpoetry. Are you not very glad, papa, that my in-sep-era-ble has atalent for poetry? Don't you think that is a pretty nice thing for achild to have?"
"Very nice; and I am indeed happy that my Belle has such a talentedfriend," said Mr. Powers, who knew that he could not please hislittle daughter more than by joining in the praise and admirationshe showered upon her young friends and playmates, Maggie and BessieBradford,--"very nice, indeed; but still I do not hear what Maggie saidabout the sunbeams."
"Well, such a beautiful sunbeam came out of the cloud, papa; and itmade every thing look so bright and pleasant, even though the cloudswere there yet; and I said if I wasn't myself, I would like to be asunbeam, 'cause every one was so glad to see it, and it seemed to makethings so bright and happy; and then Maggie said we could be ourselvesand sunbeams too. Not _really_, true sunbeams, you know, but likesunbeams, to make all bright and glad about us; and she said we didthat when we helped ea
ch ofer, or when we tried to make sorry peoplefeel glad, and comforted them, or did a kind thing that made some onefeel nice and happy. And Bessie and I were very proud of her for sayingsuch a nice thing as that, papa; and we begged her to make some poetryabout it, and she made one verse; and then Bessie said she b'lieved wecould be sunbeams for Jesus if we chose, and she coaxed Maggie to makeanother verse about that, and we learned it. Shall I say them to you,papa?"
"Certainly," said her father; and Belle repeated the following simplelines, which she plainly thought extremely fine:--
"I wish I was a sunbeam, To sparkle all the day; And make all glad and happy Who came across my way.
"I'd like to shine for Jesus, And show to every one That all my light and brightness Did come from Him, my Sun."
"There, what do you think of that, papa?" she asked in a tone oftriumph, which showed her own delight and pride in her little friend'scomposition.
"I think it very fair for a nine-years-old girl," answered her father.
"I think it is be-ew-tiful," said Belle. "Maggie writes lots and lotsof po'try, and she copies it all. Some of it is pious po'try, and sheputs that in one book called 'Bradford's Divine Songs,' and she putsthe unpious in another called 'Bradford's Moral Poems;' and Bessie andI learn a great deal of them. They're splen-did, and she is just thesmartest child,--Bessie says she is."
If Bessie said a thing, it must be so, according to Belle's thinking;and her father did not dispute the fact. Belle went on,--
"And that is the kind of a sunbeam I would like to be, papa, 'cause Is'pose that is the best kind,--to have the light and brightness comefrom Jesus,--and it would make me nicer and pleasanter to every one."
"Yes, my darling."
"But I don't see how I am to be much of a sunbeam to any one but you,papa. Maggie and Bessie seem to know how without any one telling them,but I don't know so very well. They are my sunbeams next to you, I knowthat: are they not, papa?"
"Yes, indeed, my daughter. God bless them," said her father, speakingfrom his heart as he remembered all that these two dear little girlshad been to his motherless child; what true "sunbeams" they had provedto her, cheering and brightening the young life which had been soearly darkened by her great loss. Gay, bright, and happy themselves,they were not only willing, but anxious, to pour some of the sunshineof their own joyous hearts into those of others who had not so manyblessings.
All this, and more than this, had her young friends done for the lonelylittle Belle, not only bringing back the light to her saddened eye, andthe smiles to her once pitiful face, but also giving her a new interestby awakening in her the wish to shed some happy rays on the lot ofothers, and leading her by the shining of their own example to becomemore obedient, gentle, and unselfish than she had ever been before.
"Daphne told me I'll have a whole lot of money when I am a big lady,"continued Belle; "and then I should think I could be a sunbeam toever so many people, and do ever so much to make them glad and happy.I'll build a room, oh, ever so big! and bring into it all the lameand deaf and blind and poor people, and make them have such a nicetime. The good ones, I mean: I won't have any naughty people that dobad things. I shan't be a sunbeam to them, or have them in my sunbeamhome; no, nor the disagreeable ones either, who don't have nice mannersor be pleasant. I'll take ugly people, 'cause they can't help it; buteverybody can be pleasant and polite if they choose, and I shan't helpthe old things who are not. Ugh!"
"But that is not the way Jesus wants us to feel, dear. When He was hereon earth, He taught us that we must try to do good to all, that wemight be the children of our Father in Heaven, who, He tells us, 'makesHis sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on thejust and the unjust.' Do you know what that means?"
"Um--m--m--yes, papa, I b'lieve so," answered Belle, half unwillingly:"I s'pose it means I ought to try to be a sunbeam to disagreeablepeople, just the same as if they were pleasant."
"Belle," said Mr. Powers, "do you remember the story Mrs. Rush toldyou of Lem and Dolly, those naughty, unkind children who treated yourlittle friends so badly; and who were so disagreeable and rude in everyway, both in looks and behavior?"
"Oh, yes, indeedy!" answered Belle, in quite a different tone from thatshe had last used. "I never _could_ forget that story; and now I do seewhat you mean, papa. Maggie and Bessie were sunbeams to poor Lem andDolly, for all they were so very naughty to them."
"Yes, dear; and they lighted the path to Jesus so that Dolly found theway to Him before she was taken from this world; and by all that wehear it may be that some ray of light has fallen across poor Lem's waytoo."
"Yes," said Belle, eagerly; "and the ofer day Maggie and Bessie's papahad a letter from the captain of the ship what Lem is a sailor on, andhe said he was a real good boy, and tried to do right all he could.But, papa, you see I don't know any very dirty, ragged, horrid childrento be a sunbeam to; so what shall I do? I s'pose when I say my prayersI could ask God to let there be some _for_ me. I'll ask Him to-night tolet there be six dirty beggars, three boys and three girls, that I canbe good and kind to, and show the way to Him. Wouldn't that be a goodplan, papa?"
"Well, I think I would hardly do that," said her father, smiling."There is quite enough of misery in the world without asking for moreonly that we may cure it; and some of it is pretty sure to come inyour way. But any little child may in her daily life shed light andbrightness around her, even though it does not happen to her to findany such special work as was given to your Maggie and Bessie; and withthe will and heart to do it, I think my Belle will be a sunbeam indeedto all with whom she has to do."
Now as you may not know the story of which Belle and her father werespeaking, you may like to hear something about it; and you shall haveit in a few words.
These two little girls, Maggie and Bessie Bradford, the youngfriends of whom Belle thought so much, went one summer to spendthe season among the mountains; and, while there, fell in with twopoor, neglected, and wicked children, named Lem and Dolly Owen. Fromthese children, who seemed to love mischief and wickedness for theirown sake, and to feel a spite toward all who were better off thanthemselves, Maggie and Bessie, and indeed all their family, had muchto bear. Every petty annoyance and vexation which they could inventwas tried by Lem and Dolly to trouble and grieve those who had neverinjured them. But although it did cost them a hard struggle, the twodear little girls had forgiven all this, and so won upon the miserableoutcasts by the sweet, forgiving kindness they had shown, that thelatter were at last brought to look upon them as friends, and to feelsorry for all the evil they had done to them. Nor was this all; forby their simple teachings and bright example they had pointed out topoor, sick Dolly the way to Jesus; and before she died she was led toHis feet, and knew that He could save her and take her to dwell withHim. So, happy and trusting, she had gone from a world where she hadknown little but misery, to that other and better home where sin andsuffering never come; while Lem, softened partly by his sister's death,had been put under the care of kind Mr. Porter for a while, and wasnow, as you have learned from Belle's words, gone as a sailor boy witha prospect and promise of doing well.
All this, and much more which it is not necessary to repeat,--since, ifyou choose, you may learn all about it in a little book called "Bessieamong the Mountains,"--had been told to Belle by some of Maggie's andBessie's older friends; and had, if possible, increased her love andadmiration for them. She had received such tenderness and affectionfrom them herself, this motherless little one, and their friendship hadbrought her such new happiness and comfort, that it was not surprisingthat she did indeed look upon them as her "sunbeams next to papa," andlove them with her whole heart.
Whether Belle and her papa would have talked much more cannot be told,for now they were interrupted by a knock at the door; and when Mr.Powers said, "Come in," a waiter obeyed, bringing a note directed to--
"Miss BELLE POWERS, Care of her Papa, In the hottel, U. S. of America, New York."
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Happily, this note had not gone by post, but had been brought by oneservant-man who knew for whom it was intended, and had given it toanother, who brought it directly to the young lady whose name it bore.Otherwise, I think it just possible that it might never have reachedher.