Australian Tales - Setis

your sins, and give you grace to walk uprightly, in time to come, to help
you to love Him, and to strive to serve Him. Jesus Christ died to atone
for your sins and mine, and for the sins of the whole world. ‘Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.’ These words are written
in this Book. Kneel down, Micky, and I'll pray for you, and you pray too.
Pray with all your heart.”
They knelt, and Mr. Hopewell offered up a short, appropriate prayer to
God, and at its conclusion Micky said Amen, in a tone which plainly
evidenced that it was sincere.
For some time after they arose from their knees they sat without
speaking, each one being absorbed in his own reflections. At length the
silence was broken by Micky, who had resumed his roofless hat, and was
preparing to relight his pipe.
“I've bin thinkin, sir, while I was fillin me pipe, that if I could be
sartain I'd go to heaven and see me dear owld mother, when I die, I'd be
happier than if I'd got the whole world full of tobaky.”
“Well, Micky,” said Mr. Hopewell, with a smile, “and what prevents
your being certain of going to heaven? Search the Scriptures, and you
will there find your title, as clear as the light of heaven itself. You say
you believe that the Bible is the word of God.”
“I do that, sir, most cartinly, for me darlint mother teached me to
believe that as soon as I could spake; an she, poor dear ould sowl,
believed every word of it, and so did me fayther too. They used to say it
wor the greatest help they'd got in life. Whatever mishaps befel them,
they'd go to that book, an they allers said they found comfit and direction
there.”
“So have millions of poor heart-weary persons beside them, and so
may you, Micky,” said Mr. Hopewell. “If you take God's word and read
it carefully, you will find plain direction in every difficulty, and comfort
under every trial of life. You may learn the way to live happily, to die
peacefully, and after death to share everlasting happiness in heaven.
There is not a poor shepherd in the bush, who is able to read, but may
find his title to those blessings, by ‘searching the Scriptures.’ What
books have you got at home?”
“Sorra a book have I got at home at all, sir,” said Micky; “an barrin a
pair ov ould boots, an me poor dog Nip, I haven't a haporth in me hut
belongin to me name. Joe Griddle has got the ‘Newgate Calender,’ an the
‘Mysteries of London,’ the ‘Bottle Imp,’ the ‘Black Dwarf,’ an a few
other story books ov that sort; forbye a ‘Joe Miller,’ an a fortune tellin
book; that's all Joe's libery.”
“Have you not a Bible in your hut, Micky?”
“No, sir, nor niver have had, iver since I've been in the bush; but it will
not be long afore I git one afther this, if I have to travel a hundred miles
to buy it; I'll get one pretty quick whatever I pay for it.”