Well, then, the walls of the palace were built of jasper وو "I have read something like this in the Arabian Nights," said Edward. "But I don't know what jasper is," said Mary. "A very clear, bright crimson stone," said her father; "and it was polished till it shone like a looking-glass; then every door in the palace was made of one whole pearl." "What wonderful pearls they must have been!" said Mary. Oh, such things are very common in these stories," said Edward. 66 So you may think," said his father. "How beautiful all these doors would look, carved out of white glistening pearl!" "And had they gold hinges ?" asked Edward. "No doubt," said his father. "Then all the foundations of the palace were set full of sparkling precious stones; for instance, one foundation stone would be full of diamonds, and the next would be of bright yellow topaz, and the next would be sparkling green emeralds, and so on, all the colours you could think of; so that the foundation looked like a dazzling rainbow." 'Oh, this is really a fairy story," said Edward; "better than any I ever heard." 66 Then," said his father, "this palace was not one small house, such as we live in. This palace is itself a city; it has streets through it, and these streets are paved with gold, and the gold is polished so smooth and clear that it is just like a looking-glass, so that you can see every thing in it." "And who lives there?" asked Edward. O, all sorts of beautiful spirits; you know I told you that this was a Spirit King," said his father. "But you have not told us anything about the King; was he very beautiful?' "Yes, my boy, he was very beautiful: so beautiful, that those who saw him among all these splendid things, forgot to look at them, and looked only at Him." "How did He look ?" "That I cannot tell you. It is said that His robes were all dazzling and bright. I can only tell you that He was more beautiful than all the most beautiful things you ever saw together." "Well, papa, and what about those children?” 66 Why, there were two little children once, and this great King was their father. They never had seen him." "Never seen their father! How strange! Did He love them?" "Yes; he loved them very dearly, and took excellent care of them, as you shall hear." "But, pray, where did these children live ?" "What should you say if I told you that you were these children?" "We, papa?" "Yes, my children, have you never heard of a Spirit King, who covers himself with light as with a garment, who stretches out the heavens as a curtain, who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters, who maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind?" "Oh, papa, we know now," said the children. I "But that is out of the Bible," said Edward; have read it a great many times. I thought you were telling a fairy story." "And what is that about his palace?" said Mary. Do you not remember the twenty-first chapter of the book of Revelation, where the beautiful city is described? And her light was like unto a jasper stone, clear as crystal, and the building of the wall of it was of jasper, and the foundation of the walls of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones, and the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each separate gate of one pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.' "Oh, yes, I remember," said Mary. 'Well, now, my dears," said their father, "I want you to remember one thing. There is nothing that you read of in fairy stories that is as strange and wonderful as what is true about you children.” "About us, papa ? " "Yes, my children; you are children of one greater than any spirit king; you have a Father who knows everything, and can do everything, and who can make more beautiful things in an hour than ever you read of in any fairy tale; and you will live as long as he doesfor ever." The little children looked at their father with a serious air; they were struck with the tone in which he pronounced the words for ever. 66 'But," added their father, "you will not only live as long as God lives, but you may become yourselves more beautiful, and bright, and glorious than the sun or stars in yonder sky." "Does the Bible say so, father?" said Mary. "You know," said their father, that our Saviour says, when speaking of the day of judgment, Then shall the, righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father;' and it is said in Daniel, chapter xii. verse 6 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.' And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever.' Now, my little ones, I do not forbid your reading these wonderful fairy tales, but I want you to remember, when you read the strangest and most wonderful things that are told in them, that things more strange, more wonderful, are true with regard to you. To have a Father in heaven, to have a soul that never can die, to hope, through your Saviour, to live for ever in heaven, is more wonderful than all the wonders of fairy-land. Mrs. H. B. Stowe. THE END G. WATSON, PRINTER, |