Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

The Children's CornerFounded on factGOPAL FINDS THE THIEVESBy Amelia O. StottGopal Singh looked up from his games on the riverbank and saw that the sun had set. The twinkling lights ofthe ferryboats were dancing up and down on the waters.He waved good-by to his companions, wriggled his toes inthe shallow water to clean off some of the mud, and ran offtoward the town.Supper would be over by now, and he had reallymeant to be on time, for it didn't help his family to believein the "Jesus doctrine"if he kept on being late for theevening meal. His mother had warned him only thatevening and said that he must stop going to the mission(Sabbath) school, if he were not back early.As Gopal ran alongit seemed as if he and the nightwere having a race together. There had been a faint, pinkglow in the west when he stopped his game, but now tinyoil lamps were flickering in the bazaar streets. As he ranhe happened to cut his toe against a sharp stone. In a darkarchway hidden from all passers-by he looked at his foot,and then he heard voices as two men walked past, so nearthat Gopal heard his father's name mentioned."Yes, I know the money is there in the house. Did notI see Matthma Ram at the goldsmith's shop changing allhis family jewels into money?"Then the men turned a corner and Gopal heard nomore. Still wondering what it meant, he reached his owncourtyard to find the door shut. He thumped hard on theoutside panels, for he could hear his mother scouring thebrass supper trays, and his sister Loti in the kitchen. Aftera time the door was opened and his mother looked veryvexed at her small, mud-stained son."Go wash," she said sternly, "the supper is all eatenand cleared away." Gopal hurried over to where a big potof water stood at one side of the house, and when he wasclean he called out in Indian fashion, "Bring food!" Hiseldest sister brought him some chapatti (flour and waterpancakes) and a heaped dish of rice."It is a pity you are so often late," said Loti; then shewhispered, "Great news, Brother, our father starts off ona long journey to Madras tomorrow. I heard him tell ourmother he is going to buy a shop there, and if all goes wellwe shall soon leave this poor little mud-walled place for afine stone house in the city.""Oh! Loti, when shall we go there? Won't it take a lotof rupees for us to travel all that way? ""Yes," said his sister, "almost as many rupees asthere are rice grains in your bowl. But our father can getnothing to do here, and some relative in Madras told himof this good bargain, so he must go quickly to secure it."Then, with a swift glance around, she whispered, "Whenour father locked the inner room door this morning Ipeeped through the little hole in the wall, and I saw himscoop up the mud floor and take out the treasure box thatguards our jewels. He put them all into a leather bag andwent out. Oh, dear, what will happen when I become abride, — not a gold anklet, not even a nose-ring? No onewill want a beggar-girl like me" and Loti sighed."Don't worry, Loti by the time your wedding dayarrives our father will have made piles of rupees inMadras." Just then their mother called, "Time to sleep!"and soon the house was still, for every one was tired outafter a hot, sultry day.(To be continued)HOW SAFE ARE YOU? . . . From Page 9"So, if you've got it made," Matt had to add, "thethere's nothing for you to do, you can just coast intoHeaven, huh?""That's not the way I look at it, Matt. Heaven awaitsme, but I don't feel that I want to bite the hand that feedsme the bread of eternal life. God has truths that He wantsme to know and laws that He wants me to obey. I coulddisplease Him considerably by ignoring His commandsand can get estranged from Him so that life would bemiserable and He would have good reason to punish me. IfI truly believe in Christ and love Him, I won't want to dowhat hurts Him or discredits Him, would I? It certainlydoes matter how a Christian lives."Art and Matt had to get back to work. They were kindof quiet and every once in a while Matt would look over atArt and find him nodding his head as if he were agreeingwith something. At least Art learned something about hisquestion of eternal security.10 COVENANTER WITNESS