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mUDIT H,

THE YOUNG TEACHER.

 

REVISED BY D. P. KIDDER.

 

New-Dork:
PUBLISHED BY LANE & SCOTT,

FOR THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL
CHURCH, 200 MULBERRY-STREET.

JOSEPH LONGKING, PRINTER.
1851.
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EDITOR'S PREFACE.

Everx good child that goes to the sab-
bath school should seek to become wise
and good, so as to become a teacher by
and by. Sabbath-school teachers ought
to encourage their scholars with the hope
and prospect of future usefulness. In this
way they will set before them the strongest
motives for dutiful conduct.

The experience of little Edith will show
how children may often be rendered useful,
even before they have put away “childish
things.”

It is hoped that the good qualities only
of this young teacher will be imitated.
Her faults and mistakes may serve to
show others how they also are liable to
err; so that they may ever be humble and
anxious for instruction whenever they may
obtain it.
CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

SUNDAY MORNING 42 - <£4..0- lah mvedse dewacts - Page7

CHAPTER II.

A NEW TASK wlohe SEL SSS sree sd 2 16

CHAPTER ITI.

Serious THOUGHTS AND GOOD DESIRES ..----......- Q4

CHAPTER IV.

ANOTHER SUNDAY

CHAPTER V.

A TEMPTATION

CHAPTER VI.

PFFORTS TO DO Goop 2.2... . wc came cnccec coccnces 48
EDITH,

YOUNG TEACHER.

ec RL

CHAPTER I.

oSUNDAY MORNING.

Epirus and her mother were sitting
in a shady part of the garden one
bright morning in summer time. It
was early, for breakfast had not long
been over, and the village clock had
not yet struck nine. Mrs. Austen had
been reading to the little girl some
verses about the sabbath; and they
were still talking of the verses, and
of the blessings which God has pro-
mised to those who love his day, and
keep it holy, when aunt Mary came

 
8 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

in sight, walking quickly along by the
row of evergreens which grew at the
foot of the lawn. She had on her
bonnet and shawl; a small black silk
bag hung on her arm, and she had
her Bible and hymn-book in her
hand. She knew where Edith and
her mother were to be found, and
came toward them with a kind and
’ cheerful smile.

Now I should tell you that Edith
was a very happy little girl, though
she had no brothers or sisters to play
with her, and had scarcely ever spent
a day from home in her life. It had
pleased God to take the soul of her
dear father to heaven at a time when
she was too young to miss him, or to
orieve for his loss; and after his death
she went with her mother to live with
her grandfather and aunt Mary in a
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 9

pretty village far away from any town.
Here she had lived until now that she
was ten years old; learning her les-
sons under the care of her tender and
watchful mother; playing about the
garden in fine weather with her doll
_and her little dog Tiny; and some-
times rambling over the hills with
aunt Mary, and calling at the cot-
tages of the poor, to take some nice
thing to those who were ill, or to ask
others to send their children to the
Sunday school. ‘This leads me to
speak again of the sabbath morning
when Edith and her mother were sit-
ting in the garden, and aunt Mary
came smiling toward them, with her
Bible and her hymn-book in her
hand.

Edith made room for her on the
garden-seat beside them; but aunt

 
10 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

Mary shook her head. “I must be at
the school-house on the green before
the clock strikes nine,” she said, ‘‘and
I wish to know whether my little niece
would like to go with me this pleasant
morning. It seems a long time since
she was there.”

“Tt zs along time, aunt Mary,” said

 Bdith: “I have not been since the

winter, when mamma thought that I
took cold on coming out of a warm
room, and she was afraid to let me go
again. Dear mamma, can you spare
me this morning ?”

“Veg, you may go, my dear,” said
Mrs. Austen; “and be sure that you
attend closely to all that goes forward
in the class, and to the manner in
which aunt Mary instructs her scho-
lars; for I hope and pray that when
you are old enough you also may
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 11

become a good and useful Sunday-
school teacher.”

Edith and aunt Mary then went
back to the house; and shortly after
they were seen coming out at the
hall-door, and nodding good-by to
Mrs. Austen, who still sat with her
book under the shady trees. Edith
was much pleased with the thought
of bemg herself a Sunday-school
teacher by and by; and as they went
alone she talked of nothing else, ask-
ing her aunt how soon she would. be
old enough, and wishing that the time
were come.

“Will it be when Iam twelve, aunt
Mary?” she. asked; “that is little
more than a year, for you know |
shall be eleven in August, and now
it is June.”

“T cannot tell,” said aunt Mary;
12 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

‘for other matters besides your age
must be taken imto account. You
have many things to learn, my dear
Edith, before you can become a use-
ful Sunday-school teacher.”

“How can that be, dear aunt?”
said Edith, looking up into aunt Ma-
ry’s face. ‘I know how to read and
spell, and I could explain the mean-
ing of such words as the poor child-
ren might not be able to understand.
And I would tell them to pray to God, |
and to keep holy the sabbath day;
and never to tell a falsehood, nor to
steal, nor to do anything that would
be asim. I dare say they would not
mind what I said to them, if I tried to
teach them now, while I am such a
child; but when I am grown older
and taller, perhaps they may.”

‘So, then,” said aunt Mary, kindly,
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 13

“vou think that you have all the
knowledge which is necessary for a
Sunday-school teacher ?”

Edith did not know how to answer,
for there was something in aunt Ma-
ry’s looks which seemed to say that
the little girl was wrong. “ Please to
tell me, aunt,” she said at last, “some
of the things which I must learn be-
fore I can be a teacher in the school.”

“T will with pleasure instruct you
as far as I can, my dear child,” said
aunt Mary, “and Iwill pray that God
himself may teach you by his Holy
Spirit, and write upon your heart the
words of eternal life. There is not
time to say more at present, for we
are nearly at the school; but I hope
to have some talk with you upon the
subject another day.”

‘Were you very young, aunt Mary,”
14 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

asked the little girl, “when you began
to teach at the Sunday school ”

“T was about four years older, I
think, than my little Edith. Your
dear mamma first brought me here,
and took great pains to show me all
that I ought to do.”

“What, here, to this very school-
room? Dear aunt, how odd _ that
—geems! So mamma taught you, and
you are going to teach me. I hope,
though, that I shall not have to wait
until I am four years older. Ah!
there is little Fanny Smith, from the
cottage on the heath; and those two
girls at adistance are Jane and Betsy
Peters. I know them by the blue rib-
bon on their bonnets, for I saw them
last Sunday, as we passed when the
children were coming out of school.
Aunt Mary, I am sure you do not
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 15

like to see poor girls try to dress
so fine.”

“Hush, hush, little chatter-box,”
said aunt Mary; “and, so that the
children are clean and tidy, let us not
concern ourselves about the clothes
they wear. Instead of such idle
thoughts, my Edith, the heart of a
sunday-school teacher should be filled
with love and care for the souls of
these poor, ignorant little ones; and
we should offer a prayer to God that
they nay not come here in vain, but
be led to seek for the pardon of their
sins through the Saviour, who died
upon the cross that he might take
away our guilt. ‘This should be our
great and earnest desire, to tell our
scholars the glad tidings of the gos-
pel, and to teach them the way to
heaven.”

 
16 UDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

CHAPTER II.

, A NEW TASK.

Tuey had now reached the school-
room door, and Edith went in with
grave looks, caused by her aunt's
-reproof. The children were in their
places, and in a few minutes the clock
struck nine, when they all knelt down
to prayer; and Edith tried to do as
she had been bid, by putting away
idle thoughts from her mind. After
prayer she sat by aunt Mary, while
the girls of the class stood around,
each with a Bible in her hand, and
began to read the second chapter of
Matthew, which tells about the birth
of Jesus Christ, and how the wise
men came from a distant country to
worship him, having seen his star in
the east. But they had not read far
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 17

before aunt Mary was called away to
Speak to a person at the other side
of the room; and by and by a little
girl came to Edith, and told her that
she was wanted too. "
Aunt Mary was talking to one of
the other teachers, near to a class of
little children, the youngest in the
school. There was no one to keep
these little folks in order, and they
were playing with each other, laugh-
ing, and making a sad noise. “Hush,
hush!” said the teacher who was with
aunt Mary, looking at them, and hold-
ing up her hand; and then she turned
to speak to Edith. ‘My dear,” she
said, “do you think you could take
care of this class to-day? The young
lady to whom it belongs is ill, and
cannot attend. Will you try to give
us a little help ?”
| z
18 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

Edith smiled, and was going to say,
yes ; when it came into her mind that
aunt Mary had said there were many -
things which she must learn before
she could be fit for a Sunday-school
teacher ; so she looked in her aunt’s
face with some doubt as to the reply
that she ought to make.

“You may try, my love,” said aunt
Mary, who guessed what was passing
in her thoughts. “If you are kind
and patient, and do the best you can,
{ think you may be of use.” Then
Edith, smiling and happy, sat down
to teach ; feeling much pleased that
she was thought old enough to be
trusted with a class. The children
became quiet, and gathered around
her, and soon she was as busy as
any in the room. It was the alphabet
class that she had; and some of the
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 19

children did not know a single letter;
besides which, they needed to be told
the same thing again and again; it
seemed so very hard for them to learn.
But Edith was kind and patient, and
she did not grow tired. She felt that
it was pleasant to be useful, though
in ever so small a degree; and she
hoped that, .af a teacher should be
wanted another day, some one would
think of asking leave for her to come.
When Mrs. Austen and her daugh-
ter walked home from the house of
prayer, Eidith told her what had taken
place. She was glad to hear her
daughter speak with delight of her
new employment, and gave a willing
consent that she should go again in
the afternoon. Edith felt herself quite
a person of importance as she ran up
stairs to get ready; and though aunt
20  EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

Mary was never late in the school-
room, yet she hurried her away full
five minutes before the usual time,
for fear that her little class should be
waiting. It was the happiest Sunday
she had ever spent. All the evening,
until bed time, she could think and
talk of nothing but the school. She
begged her mamma to give her the
whole history of aunt Mary’s attend-
ance there, when she was a girl of
fourteen; and she said that she wished
the next few years could fly away
while she was asleep, that she might
not have to wait so long before she
became a teacher. But grandpapa
shook his head, and said it was a.
foolish and naughty wish; because
time is of great value, and little girls
ought to make the most of it for their
own improvement. And aunt Mary
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 21

looked grave, and told Edith it would
give her more pleasure to see this
concern for the Sunday school, if
there were reason to hope that it
arose from love to the Saviour, and
a desire that others should be brought
to seek his mercy.

Now, though Edith was sometimes
rather giddy, she was not upon the
whole a careless child; and aunt
Mary’s words that evening sunk
deeply into her mind. She had often
: Been urged to make the care of her
‘soul the one thing needful, and her
pious mother had prayed for her and
with her, that she might have grace
to give her heart to God, and to de-
vote her youth and her whole life to
his service. But Edith knew that as
yet she had not done so; and her
conscience told her that aunt Mary
22 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

was thinking of this when she said
that the time for her to become a
Sunday-school teacher must depend
upon other matters besides her age.
Edith felt sorry that she did not love
her Saviour more, and she wished
that she could be a better child, and
keep from sin. When she knelt down |
to pray that night, this desire was
still in her heart, and she thought
more of the meaning of the words
she had been taught to use than she
had ever done before. She hoped
that God would hear her prayer, for
Christ’s sake; that her sins might
be blotted out, and her evil nature
changed, and a love for holy things
be put into her mind.

Reader, you also have been taught
to ask these blessings in the name of
Christ. Is it the desire of your heart
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 23

that God would hear your prayer,
and bestow upon you the gift of his
saving grace? Are you seeking for
the help of his Holy Spirit, to give
you strength when you are tempted
to do wrong, and to incline you to
that which is good? Do not deceive
yourself, but remember that you can-
not be sincere in your prayers if you
are daily giving way to the evil pas-
sions and tempers of your fallen
nature. Remember, also, that God,
who looks upon the heart, can see if
you cherish there the love of sin, and
will not be mocked by the words of
the lip without the earnest desire of
the soul.
24 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

CHAPTER III.

SERIOUS THOUGHTS AND GOOD DESIRES.

E\DITH’s serious thoughts did not
leave her, as is often the case with
the young, who are too willing to let
vain and triflme thmgs draw away
their minds from God. The very
next day, as she was walking with
aunt Mary, havmg been to visit a
scholar who was ill, she began to
express her fears that she should
never be fit for a Sunday-school
teacher, for she had found out, she
said, that much more was needed
than a knowledge of reading and
spelling. Aunt Mary heard her with
some surprise, as it was only the day
before that Edith had been talking ©
to her in quite a different manner;
but the little girl soon told her what
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 29

had been passing in her mind, and
of her wish that she could love her
Saviour more, and serve him for the
time to come. “I thought a great
deal of all that you said to me last
night,” Edith went on to tell her;
“and just now, when you were talk-
ing to poor Jane Summers, and bee-
cing her to pray to Jesus for the
pardon of her sins, I thought that I
never should be wise enough or good
enough for a teacher.”

Now aunt Mary was glad to hear
Edith speaking in this way, for she
knew that God will give grace to the
humble, and help to those who feel
their need. She also was very thank-
ful that her niece had been led to
think about her soul, and to see that
the knowledge of the Saviour was
above all other things that were
26 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

taught in the Sunday school. She
told her to go to Christ with frequent
prayer, and to beg him to forgive her
sins of his free mercy, and to give
her a new heart by the grace of his
Holy Spirit. “Thus,” said aunt Mary,
“you will learn to love him, and to
take delight in doing his will. When
you believe that he has blotted out
your sins, and given you peace with
God, through his blood which was
shed upon the cross, your heart will
be filled with thankfulness, and with
an earnest desire to give yourself to
his service. Then, having yourself
found mercy, you will long that others
may also be brought to Christ; so
that if you engage in the Sunday
school, you will not be content with
just teaching the children to read:
you will wish them to understand the
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 27

Scriptures, and to feel their need of
Jesus to save them from their sins.
You will tell them of a Saviour’s love,
and pray for them in secret, and seek
for grace that you may be able to
teach them rightly the things that
belong to their eternal peace.”

Hidith said that she hoped she should
now begin to forsake her sins, and to
lead anew life; and whenthey reached
home she went into her chamber, and
having shut the door, she knelt down,
and prayed to God for the help of
his grace, that she might not forget
the good resolves which she had
made. She felt very peaceful and
happy when she had ended her
prayer; for she knew that Christ
has promised to have pity upon
every sinner who looks to him
for mercy, and has also said that
28 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

he will give his Holy Spirit to them
that ask him.

During the rest of the week Edith
thought much of the school, and had
a great desire to know whether aunt
Mary meant to take her again, to
supply the place of the teacher, who
was still very ill, and was not likely,
it was said, to get better for some
time to come. But she did not like
to ask if she might go, because she
now began to think more humbly of
herself, and had also a higher sense
of the duties that were required from
a Sunday-school teacher. Aunt Mary
said not a word until Saturday night,
just as her niece was going to bed.
Then, when Edith went to kiss her
in her turn, as she was sitting with
grandpapa and Mrs. Austen, she took
hold of her hand, and said to her with
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 29

a smile, “If mamma will permit, and
if you, my dear, are willing, I should
be glad to take you to the school to-
morrow morning. We shall be happy
to have some help from you while
poor Miss Price is unable to attend.”

“QO, thank you, dear, kind aunt!”
said Edith, joyfully. ‘May I go,
mamma‘? Yes, I see you smile, and
I know you will give me leave.
Thank you, again and again, aunt
Mary. I promise to do my very best.”
30 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

CHAPTER IV.

ANOTHER SUNDAY.

THE next morning, when Edith
was by herself, before she went down
stairs, she did not forget that it is a
very solemn employment to teach in
a Sunday school, and she prayed
that God would enable her to be
useful, and to speak in a way which
the little children might understand.
She thought that when no grown-up
person was by, she would talk to
them about their souls, and tell them
how the Son of God came down from
heaven to die for sinners. Edith had
been taught this long ago, when she
did not care about holy things; but
since she had been to Christ for par-
don, and prayed to him with all her
heart, the Saviour’s love in thus dying
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. ol

for us was often in her mind, and
she took delight in thinking of it
more and more.

The children were glad to see her
again, and some of them seemed to
mind what she said, and tried to
learn. Others, however, were care-
less, and paid no heed to the lesson ;
and one little girl, named Susan Da-
vis, was so naughty, that Edith called
her a tiresome child, and felt herself
getting very cross. But she thought
it would never do to be angry or un-
kind; so, by and by, she spoke to
her ma more gentle manner, and
after some time brought her to attend
to her book, and to behave much bet-
ter than she had done at first.

So passed another Sunday; not
without some more good advice from
aunt Mary, which Edith was very
32 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

willing to receive, and hoped to bear
in mind. Some change had indeed
begun in her heart. She was learn-
ing to love prayer, and to find plea-
sure in trying to keep the commands
of God; and as we cannot do this of
ourselves, for our hearts are by na-
ture so very sinful that we only love
the way of evil, so Edith’s pious
friends had reason to hope that Jesus
himself was leading her by his Spirit
into his own happy fold.

Young reader, stop here to ask
yourself whether this change has
taken place in you. You also are
by nature sinful and far from God.
How is it with you now? Do-you
love the world, and the things of the
world, better than you love the Sa-
viour, and the things of heaven? If
so, you have not yet entered the nar-
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. oo

row way that leadeth unto life. You
cannot be a child of God unless your
sins have been washed away by the
blood of his dear Son, and your evil
heart renewed by his Holy Spirit.
This change, where it has been
known and felt, will show itself by
a change of conduct, by a desire
alter holiness, and a hatred of former
sins. “If any man (young or old) be

in Christ, he is a new creature: old |
things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new.” 2 Cor. v, 17.
Without this we cannot see the king-
dom of God. O, awful and solemn
thought! Let it rest upon your mind,
and cause you to examine yourself,
and to pray, while time is given to
you, that you may have grace to
turn from sin, and henceforth to

live, not unto yourself, but unto Him

3
34 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

who died for you, and rose again.
2 Cor. v, 15.

The teacher of the alphabet class
was ill many weeks, during which »
time Edith went every Sunday to
supply her place at the school; and
the pleasure of seeing the children
improve under her care repaid her
for all her trouble. Still Edith was
not without her faults even at the
Sunday school. One of them has
been already noticed. She was of
a quick and hasty temper, and when
her little scholars were giddy and
heedless, she did not always reprove
them in a proper manner. Now, in
teaching the young, nothing is of
more importance than a good ex-
ample. It was of no use that Edith
talked to the children of the meek
and lowly Jesus, and said that they
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 30

‘must try to be kind and gentle as he
was, when she herself gave way to
sudden anger, and made use of sharp,
reproving words. If a Sunday-school
teacher wishes to do good, she must
learn to be very patient; and though
she should blame, and even punish,
when there is cause for it, this must
be done with mildness and love, to
correct the child, and not just to
indulge her own feelings of anger.
36 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

CHAPTER V.
A TEMPTATION.

Acain, Edith had a fault which
you would not at first suspect, as it
is one that persons almost always
seek to hide. She was fond of fine
clothes; and though her mother, you
may be sure, did not indulge her in
this respect, yet as she was of course
much better dressed than the poor
children who came to the school, she
was proud of her nice white frock
and straw bonnet, and felt a silly
pleasure in seeing them admired. It
is true, that smce she had begun to
pray, and to watch against sin and
sinful thoughts, this fault had not
appeared so often as before; but it
was not easily rooted out; and Mrs.
Austen and aunt Mary saw it with
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. oO”

grief and concern. Mrs. Austen feared
that it would prove a snare to the soul
of Edith, and keep her from growing
in grace, and in the knowledge of
her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ;
and aunt Mary knew that while she
gave way to vain and foolish thoughts
of this nature, she could never be a
useful teacher in the school.

We cannot say to what evils these
faults of Edith might have led, if
they had not, happily, been cured in
time. Perhaps they might at last have
turned away her heart from the love
of Christ; for we do not know the
danger there is in yielding even to
one sin, nor can we tell where its
sad effects may end.

It happened, late in the summer,
that an old lady came to spend a
fortnight with Mrs. Austen, and she
38 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

took great notice of Edith, and was
very kind to her all the time that she
stayed with her mamma. About ten
days after she went away there came
by the coach, one Saturday evening,
a large box directed to Edith, which
was found to contain a handsome
work-box, and some books, with a
gay silk dress, made just to her size.
There was also a note to say that
the whole was a present from the
old lady, to show how much she had
been pleased by LEdith’s conduct
during her visit. ‘The writer added,
that the dress had been chosen of
the little girl’s favorite color, and she
hoped that Mrs. Austen would allow
her to wear it for the sake of her
distant friend.

How great was Edith’s delight as
she unfolded the gay silk dress, and
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 39

held it toward the window, that all
its beauty might be seen! She could
scarcely find time to examine the
work-box, or to open the books; nor
did she once observe that her mam-
ma looked grave, and showed ne
sions of pleasure, while aunt Mary
also was silent and sad. She seemed
as if she could never be tired of
praising the kindness of the old lady;
and she was only sorry that the box
did not arrive till just before bed-
time; on which account she had soon
to fold up her pretty dress, and put
it out of sight.

It will not be a matter of surprise
that Edith read her chapter that night
without much thought about its mean-
ing; and when she knelt down to
pray, her heart was not with her
words, as at other times. The next
40 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

morning, though it was the morning
of the sabbath, her first thought when
she awoke was about her dress; and
as she had asked the maid to bring
the box into her room, she jumped
out of bed, and lifted up the lid, to
take a peep before any one should
come in. But just at this moment,
as she was kneeling before the box,
aunt Mary opened the room door,
and saw what she was about. Edith
started up, looking very silly, and
shut down the lid in haste; but, to
her great relief, aunt Mary made no
remark of the kind that she feared:
she only told her it was time to rise,
for the clock was striking seven. So
Edith began to dress herself in great
haste, and before long was ready to
go down stairs.

After prayer, aunt Mary walked
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 41

with her in the garden for half an
hour, and then they went im to break-
fast. When this was over, it was
their custom to prepare for going to
the school; and now Edith came,
and stood by her mother’s side, look-
ing as if some great concern was in
her mind.

“Well, my dear,” said Mrs. Aus-
ten, “what is it you wish to say?”

“May I wear my new dress to-
day, mamma?” Edith asked, mm an
anxious tone.

“No, my dear child,” said Mrs.
Austen, “neither to-day, nor at any
other time. Our friend’s present was
sent to you from a kind motive, and
I wish you to feel grateful for every
act of kindness; but the dress is not
one which I think it proper for a
little girl to wear. Try to be content
42 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

with the neat muslin frocks which
you have; and let not your adorning
be the outward adorning of putting
on of apparel; for though man look-
eth on the outward appearance, the
Lord looketh on the heart.”

Kidith knew that her mother’s will
must be obeyed, and she turned away
without making any reply. But Mrs.
Austen saw, and was deeply grieved
by her sullen looks as she left the
room. Yes, I am sorry to say that,
moved by her foolish and sinful pride,
Iidith for the time forgot all her good
desires and resolves, and gave way
to the unholy tempers and feelings
which are so hateful in the sight
of God.

A few minutes after this, when
aunt Mary went into Edith’s room
to see if she was ready, she was
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 4S

surprised to find her in tears. Edith
was not in the humor to say much ;
but her aunt soon saw the real state
of the case, for the little girl’s face
and tone of voice told plamly what
was passing in her heart. She dried
her eyes, however, and began to
move quickly about the room; for
as aunt Mary had on her bonnet and
shawl, she knew that there was no
time to lose, and she did not mean to
deprive herself of the pleasure of
- going to the school.

But aunt Mary took the little white
tippet from her hand, and laid it
gently on the bed. ‘ Not this morn-
ing, Edith,” she said, looking very
orave. ‘You are not in a proper
state of mind to teach in the Sunday
school. How could you tell the child-
ren to be meek and humble in temper,
44 &EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

while anger and other evil passions
are striving in your breast? Or how
could you urge them to obey their
parents in all things,—to submit with-
out amurmur to those whom God has
set over them,—while you are ready
to oppose your mother’s will, and
would, if you dared, act directly
against her commands? Above all,
how could you teach them to love
the Saviour, and to resist every sin-
ful desire for his sake, when your
own heart is so full of pride and
vanity, that you have not room for a
thought of the holy Jesus in your
mind? No, Edith, you must not go
to the Sunday school to-day. Re-
main here for the present, and think
over your sins, and pray that grace
may be given you to repent. And
when you go to the house of God,
EIMTH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 45

humble yourself before him as a
guilty sinner, and ask him to have
mercy upon you for Christ’s sake,
and to bring you to a better mind.”
Aunt Mary then went away, closing
the door after her; and Edith, now
roused to a sense of her sin, knelt
down by the side of her bed, and
wept. She asked herself what were
to become of all her good resolves,
and her love for the Saviour, and
her desire to act according to his
wil}. She felt that she was a griev-
ovs sinner; and having found that
she was unable of herself to keep in
the right way, she prayed that God
would blot out all her offenses through
the blood of his dear Son, and strength-
en her by his Holy Spirit against every
evil thought and deed. Edith then
went humbly to confess her fault to
46 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

her mother, and to ask forgiveness,
which the kind parent was ready and
willing to grant. It was agreed be-
tween them that the little girl should
write a letter the next day, to thank
the lady for her present; though
Kidith begged that her mother would
take away the dress which had
caused her such sin and sorrow, for
she wished never to look at it again.
But Mrs. Austen said it might
sometimes be useful, by putting
her m mind that she was of her-
self a weak and helpless sinner,
and in constant need of divine
grace, which she must seek for by
daily prayer.

{ suppose that I need not. tell
you how pleased and thankful aunt
Mary felt when she heard of the
good effects of her reproof. The
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 47

lesson was of lasting benefit to Edith,
who became from this time more
- watchful over her temper, and was
also avle by degrees to overcome her
foolish love of fine clothes.
48 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

CHAPTER VI.
EFFORTS TO DO GOOD.

fipiTu soon heard that the teacher
of the alphabet class was getting bet-
ter. She was not so unkind and
wicked as to feel sorry on this ac-
count, yet she could not help griev-
ing at the thought of leaving the
Sunday school. One day the young
lady called to thank her for having
taken care of her scholars, and to
say that as she hoped to return to
them on the next sabbath, she need
not trouble Edith any more. When
she was gone, the little girl sat
thoughtful and silent, and aunt Mary,
who watched her very closely, saw
that sometimes the tears came into
her eyes. Aunt Mary could guess
Nn, a SEE —————

EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 49

what she was thinking of, and soon

called her to her side.

“What are you grieving for,
Edith?” she asked; “is it because
you are no longer a teacher in the
school ?”

“QO, aunt, I am so sorry!” Edith
began.

“For what reason, my dear? ‘Tell
me, and then perhaps I may be able
to give you some comfort.”

“JT am sorry, dear aunt, that I can-
not be a better child, so as to deserve
to have a class of my own.”

“Carry this trouble in prayer to
your heavenly Father,” said aunt
Mary, “and ask him to give you
grace to love and serve him better
every day. I trust that the Holy
Spirit has given you a sense of your

sinfulness, and put these good desires
| 4
00 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

into your mind. And you must pray
that he may carry on the work of
grace, and lead you into his own
holy ways.”

“T shall never be so good as I
ought to be, I am afraid,” said Edith,
looking very sad. “O, how hard it
is, aunt Mary, to keep away sinful
thoughts, and to watch against my
naughty tempers and foolish pride !”

“Yes, my dear child,” said aunt
Mary, very kindly, “I know it 1s, for
I too am a sinner, and cannot think
or do right without the help of God.
We have all gone astray like lost
sheep: ‘there is none that doeth
good, no, not one,’ Psa. xiv, 3; and |
we are all alike in need of a Saviour’s
blood to wash away our sins, and of
the grace of his Holy Spirit to renew
and sanctify our Souls. O, how thank-
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. ol

ful should we be for the love which
brought the Son of God from heaven
to die for lost and helpless sinners !
Can we do too much for Him who
laid down his own life for us? Should
we not delight in making known the
riches of his mercy, and in urging
others to come to him, that they also
may have eternal life /”

“O that I may do so!” said Edith ;
‘and I hope that if I live to be a
woman, I shall visit the poor like
_ you, and be as useful as I can.”

“Tf such indeed is your desire,”
said aunt Mary, “it is never too soon
to begin. You remember that when
we talked, some time ago, about
your fitness to become a Sunday-
school teacher, I told you that other
matters besides your age must be
taken into account. I did not then
o2 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

consider that your motive was a right
one; for it was not the love of Christ,
nor the wish to do good, which led
you to the school: it was only the
desire for a pleasant employment.
and this, I knew, was likely soon to
pass away. At that time you were
careless about the welfare of your
soul, and had never been to Christ
with true sorrow for your sins, and
earnest prayer for pardon. I knew
that while this was the case, you
would never do for a Sunday-school
teacher ; whose first duty it is to care
for her own soul, and for the souls
of those whom she goes to teach.
But now, my dear Edith, we hope
better things concerning you. We
have all offered many fervent pray-
ers on your behalf, and we trust that
God has been pleased to answer them
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. 3

with his blessing. We believe that
you feel yourself a sinner, and that
you are seeking for mercy through

Christ, and praying that your heart
may be renewed by divine grace.
This is the change that we earnestly
longed to see, for we knew that you
could neither be safe nor happy your-
self, nor useful to others, without it.
Now, therefore, that we hope you
have given yourself to Jesus, to be
his servant till your life’s end, your
mother is willing that you should try
_ to do something for his cause.”

Aunt Mary smiled to see how
eagerly Edith looked in her face,
waiting for her to go on.

“Yes, you may at once become a
Sunday-school teacher,” she said.
“There are a few very little girls,
who have lately come to us, and do
o4 EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER.

not yet belong to any class. We will
— eall them together next Sunday, and
set down their names, and appoint
you to be their teacher. You are
young, and have still much to learn;
but if you go on to love God, and
seek to do his will, he will accept
and bless your humble efforts for the
sake of his dear Son.”

Kidith was now very happy. She
went the next Sunday to the school,
and aunt Mary set the new class in or-
der, and gave her much useful advice
about the method of teaching which
she would find the easiest and the
best for these very young children.
Edith thought it very pleasant to
have a few little scholars of her own.
She did not grow weary in well-
doing. Sabbath after sabbath, un-
less kept away by illness, she was
EDITH, THE YOUNG TEACHER. DO

to be seen in her place; and she
found that a blessing was given to”
her own soul, while she tried to do
good to the souls of others.

Reader, do you believe in Christ?
Have you felt the burden of your
sins, and have you been to Him for
help who alone is able to pardon
and to save? What, then, are you
doing for his cause ? |

THE END.
 
 

 
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