130 "COME UNTO ME."

vvanted him to touch their children and bless them; "that
he should put his hands on them and pray." Ah! that
was what they all wanted, more than his touch: his bless-
ing upon them. And so they all came: the mother with
the baby yet in her arms, too young to speak or under-
stand; others with little toddling things just trying to
put one plump foot before the other in tiny steps; they
were praying in their own hearts just as loving mothers
do now, and have ever since that time-asking, that before
the little innocent feet learned to walk in evil ways, they
might be led aright; that the little hands might never
grow strong in sin, or touch whatever is wrong or untrue.
There were some older children who had listened to the
stories of his wonders; they looked at him in love, and
saw in his mild, gentle face and beaming eyes the kind-
ness that he showed every day. Some were eager them-
selves to have his hand rest on them, and they pressed
close and looked wonderingly in his face.
 There may have been others who sat off a little way
and watched to see what he would do; perhaps they felt
how pure he was, and they were a little afraid; perhaps
they had heard how he read men's hearts, and it made
them shy to wonder if he knew when they had disobeyed
the mother, those teasing words to little sister, that
wicked lie they had hoped would never be known, that
time in the dark when a hand took and hid away some-
thing which belonged to another. Yes, he knew it all,