No More Learning

She, a tiny tot, one day surprised me by
asking, "Mamma, what did you do in
heaven? "
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
Without thinking, I answered, "Why, my
dear, I have never been there. "
"Oh yes, but you have. "
"When? "
"Why, before you came here a little baby. "
"Well," I replied, "tell me what you did
there, for you have only been here four years,
and I have been a great deal longer. "
"Oh," she answered, " I have been thinking,
and trying to 'member, but I can't one bit. "
"Lord Jesus, kiss me before I die," was the
nightly prayer of a sweet little maiden, her
idea being that a kiss was the sign of forgive-
ness. And when she was four years old the
angels came and laid her in the Good Shep-
herd's bosom, and I doubt not He gave His
little lamb the kiss she so earnestly desired.
"I don't want to go to heaven for a good
long time, mother! " said a little girl.
"Why not, dearie? "
"Well, I wouldn't know any one there, you
see. "
"But God would know you, darling; He is
your heavenly Father. "
"Would He take me on His knee, mother? "
"Yes, I am sure He would. "
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
These children are always striking ancient
chords of feeling with their simple ques-
tions. Many will recollect the passage
in Abbe Carme's Life of Madame de
Farcey, "When the soul arrives in heaven,
God takes it on His knees and calls it
His daughter. " And have we not a lovely
companion passage in the sixteenth canto
of the " Purgatorio ":
Forth from the hand of Him, who fondles it
Before it is, like to a little girl
Weeping and laughing in her childish sport.
Issues the simple Soul, that nothing knows
Save that, proceeding from a joyous Maker,
Gladly it turns to that which gives it pleasure.
"Do you know what God does when He
wants poorly people not to get well again? "
asked Gerald of his sister just after their
grandfather's death.
"He makes them die, of course," answered
the matter-of-fact Florence.
"AhI" said Gerald, with a far-away look in
his eyes, "but do you know how He does it? "
Florence shook her head.
"Why, God just stoops down over them,
and breathes into their mouths, and their souls
fly right away to heaven. "
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
A little seven-year-old boy, on hearing for
the first time about the Rontgen rays, ex-
claimed, "If I were a doctor, I know what I
should do. I should turn the Rontgen rays
on to a person who was dying, so that I could
see his soul going to God. "
My little girl was three or four years old.
When walking out one day she saw a funeral.
Telling us of it next morning, some one kindly
and solemnly said that one day she too must
die and be buried.
An emphatic denial was the immediate reply.
"Oh yes, dear, indeed you must. "
I glanced anxiously at my child, for I had
purposely kept the subject of death away from
such little ones.
Never shall I forget the horror expressed on
that young face, instantly succeeded by a look
and tone of glad triumph as she appealed
to me.
"No, I shan't; shall I, mamma? Jesus died
instead of me, and I shall live for ever. "
After a swift prayer for aid I replied,
"Well, dear, your body must die, but your
body is not really you. Your soul's you; that
which thinks and feels and loves. "
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
She seemed satisfied, but I wondered if she
understood. A week later she looked up at me
and said, "My body will die, but my body is
not me; my soul's me, isn't it, mamma? "
Perhaps most of us are slow to realise how
early the heart of a child vibrates with tender
sympathy, and how easily that sympathy is
aroused.
Little Charlie had been taken for a walk
through the cemetery, which lies on the slope
of the old seaport town and just within sound
of the sea. His bright keen eyes seemed to
take note of everything, and at tea-time he
gave his father an animated description of the
place.
Suddenly he asked, "What does 'R. I. P. '
stand for? Some of the gravestones had a lot
of reading on them, and then at the bottom of
the words there were the big letters 'R. I. P. '
What do they mean? "
"What does my little son think they
mean? " said his father.
Charlie paused for a moment. Then, lifting
his earnest little face, he voiced all uncon-
sciously the longing of many a broken heart
whose dead lay sleeping in that " God's Acre":
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
"I think, father, they must mean 'Return If
Possible:"
Maurice's father died when he was quite a
little chap, but Maurice used to love to talk
about him; and one day, when his mother had
been telling him that his father was really
alive, only out of sight in heaven, Maurice said
thoughtfully, "Mother, I wish God would put
some panes of glass in the floor of heaven, so
that we could see dear father's feet just now
and then when he's walking about. "
It was touching and beautiful to hear a
dying child say, "Mother, I have been pray-
ing to Jesus not to let you cry. I don't like to
see you crying. "
Wonderful strength was granted the mother
in answer to her darling's prayer, and the
child passed away, without being distressed
by her mother's grief, to the land where there
are no more tears.
Leslie was only just four years old when
grannie died.
"Do you ever think of grannie ? " some one
asked.
"Oh yes, I always think of dear grannie on
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
Sundays: I look at the altar, and I think God
is there, and grannie must be there too, for
grannie is with God. "
And, hearing of the death of one who had
known grannie, Isobel said, " What a surprise
dear grannie in heaven will get when Mr. S.
from S. walks in! "
"Yes," said Leslie; "he'll tell her all about
us. "
"Yes, I know it's Mr. McT. 's funeral, but
where is he? " said three-year-old Isobel,
with that curious searching into the unseen
that often characterises very young children.
Evelyn was sitting with her aunt, when
her uncle came in and said, "Mr. is
dead," referring to a friend who had passed
away.
"Auntie," said the child, "I wonder what
Mr. is doing now. I suppose the angels
are just showing him round. "
"I'm very sorry Mr. Egerton is dead,"
remarked six-year-old Maggie, on hearing of
the death of an old friend of the family, "but"
(cheerfully) "I suppose he has seen dada by
now, and told him how we all are. "
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
The other day our youngest heard of the
death of a friend, and instantly remarked:
"Then she sees Ag to-night," Ag being
a sister who had gone home at the age of ten
years.
We often hear interesting conversations in
the Kindergarten. The following is one:
"Oh, Eric, my boy, I have told you so often
not to scribble on your book; now you are
four you ought to know better, Eric. "
"But, auntie, it is my name, and Jesus says
if my name is not written in the Book I shall
be punished. "
Ethel. "What is punished? "
Ida. "Whipped. "
Ernest. "Put in a corner. "
Laura. "No, it means 'not go to heaven. '"
Ida. "Well, I don't believe you do go to
heaven. "
Eric. "Yes, you do; my father says so. "
Ida. "But they put you in the ground; I've
seen them. "
Ernest. "Oh, and does the nasty dirt get in
your eyes? "
Ethel. "No, they put you in a big box to
keep you clean. "
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
Ida. "Well, you see, you don't go to
heaven. "
Laura. "Yes, you do if you are good.
Don't you know when it is dark at night Jesus
comes down and gets you out of the box. He
fastens some wings on you, and away you go
with Him. "
Ernest. "Does He bring a scewdiver wiff
Him? "
Laura. "No, silly boy; don't you know
Jesus is strong enough to do anything? "
Percy's merriment while a friend of the
family lay dead shocked his brother, who said,
"I wonder you can do that when Mr. M
is dead. "
When the reproof had been administered
several times, Percy retorted, "Oh, stop saying
that. The world must go on. "
It is curious to note the easy and indeed
inevitable transition from the grave to
heaven and the angels.
James was a little boy of about four years
old. One day he was walking with his
mother in a cemetery. Impressed evidently
by the peace and beauty of the spot, he
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
looked up and said thoughtfully," "Mother,
isn't it nice that the dead have such a pretty
home-place? "
One lovely spring day little Annie was taken
by her mother to the cemetery. Seeing all
the tombstones and flowers, and the spring
sunshine over all, she said, "Oh, mother, how
lovely! Is this heaven? "
A little boy, eight years old, when lying ill
in bed, asked his governess to read to him the
"Burial of Moses. " "It am beautiful," he
said, "to be buried by the angels. "
When he lay dying, watching the setting
sun, his words were:
"How lovely it must be on the other side! "
Little Willie was listening attentively while
the story of Jacob's ladder was read at prayers.
When I was putting him to bed he said,
"Now I know how it is when people die.
They get to that place where Jacob's ladder
was, and climb up by that to heaven.
"
I said, "Not quite, Willie: wherever we are
when we die, if we love Jesus we go straight
up to heaven. "
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
He said, " Yes, mamma; but that was one oi
the gates of heaven, wasn't it? "
"I do think it rather funny of mother to
have gone away and left little Nannie," sighed
a little three-year-old maiden who had just
been left motherless; "but, never mind," con-
tinued she, a tender smile trembling on her
lips, "she's gone to grannie, and it's always
summer weather there. "
"I've been to heaven ! " brightly exclaimed
another child, who, with his brothers and
sisters, had been taking flowers to "Grannie's"
grave. And then, shaking his little head, he
emphatically added, "but I shouldn't like to
live there! " He had been to the funeral of
this same dear friend, and had then been told
she was " gone to heaven. "
When that great and good man, the late
Archbishop Plunket, passed away, a bright
blue-eyed little fellow, who was walking
with his grandmother on the road running at
the foot of the beautiful Dublin mountains,
suddenly looked up and said, "Oh, grandma,
I wish you would take me to St. Patrick's to
the good Archbishop's funeral. "
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
"I will take you there some Sunday," I
said.
"Oh no, grannie," he said ; " it would be
too late. I would rather go to the funeral. I
have never seen the gate of heaven, and when
such a good man is being buried I am sure it
would open, and I should see in. "
The other world is such a real and glorious
place to children, that it is a subject of some
surprise when they see the tears of their
parents in times of bereavement. "Mamma
cried when grandpa was taken to heaven, but
we did not cry," said a little girl.
A little thing of three years, hearing that
nurse had been to her husband's funeral, ran
up to her and asked, "Have 'ou been to
heaven, nursie? Do tell baby all 'bout it. "
Death, to them, is like "stepping into another
room. '1
A sweet, winsome little maiden, three years
old, lost the father who had loved and prized
her as "the flower of the flock "--his youngest.
A year or so later she showed his photograph
to a visitor, saying, "That is my father! My
papa is in heaven, but he loves us just the
same. "
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
"Who told you so, darling? " the visitor
asked.
With a rather indignant air, she replied,
"No one told me. I know it myself. "
The same little queen of the house allowed
her auntie, who had just come to see them, to
put her to bed on condition that she told her
stories. After hosts of anecdotes, auntie
talked to her about "Jesus loves me, this I
know. "
The wee maiden then enlarged upon it by
saying, "Yes, Jesus loves mother, and Bertha,
and me, and auntie--and every one. I do love
Jesus so. I'm going to write Him a letter to
say how I love Him. "
Bertie sat up in bed, blowing good-night
kisses to every one. "There's a kiss for
father, and a kiss for mother, and a kiss for
baby," said he gleefully.
"Baby can't get a kiss now, dear," said
father; "he is with God in heaven. "
"Oh, then I'll blow a kiss to God, and He'll
give it to baby. " And raising his little face,
he blew a kiss to God for baby.
Tricksy Four-and-a-half-years to her nurse:
"When I am a licky angel I s'all come down
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
and kiss you, and I s'all get in your bed, side
of ze wall. It will be funny to sleep with me
when I have wings; I hope I s'ant fighten
you. "
Auntie had come to tuck Joyce up in bed,
and had been reading to her from the well-
worn copy of " Peep of Day. " As she took up
the candle to leave the room, Joyce, who had
spent a delicious day in the garden with her
dolls, said meditatively, "I s'all have to leave
my dollie's pram behind when Jesus comes to
take me tc heaven? "
Auntie was obliged to answer in the affirma-
tive. Then, in a rather more cheery voice, the
small niece exclaimed:
"But I 'spect He'll have lots of moons and
things for us to play wiv up there! "
Three-year-old Georgie had lost a very dear
grannie, and one day, having asked his mother
when grannie was coming back, she explained
that grannie would not return to them because
she had gone to heaven, but that some da^
they would go to her. Several days latei,
after sitting quiet for some time, he suddenly
asked, " When you, an' me, an' Johnnie go to
live with Jesus, who'll make dada's tea? "
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
A little girl who was delicate, and had
frequently to rest in her crib during the day,
inquired of her sturdy brother whether there
were any "tibs" in heaven. "Oh no," was
the answer. "They sing hymns there all day
and fly about all night. "
Another child evidently appreciated what he
must have considered very prudent foresight
on his father's part. "Mamma," he asked,
"why is it that people don't have enough to
eat in heaven? " His mother was naturally
surprised--not to say shocked; but he per-
sisted, "Well, then, why does father pray
every day, 'Make us more meat [meet] for
heaven'? "
Little Eric was discussing heaven one day
with his friend Ernest; it was just before
Christmas. Eric said, "I want to go up to
heaven to see what it is like, and see if Jesus
and David and Paul are there. "
"But," said Ernest, "I wouldn't go before
Christmas, 'cause you'll get nothing in your
stocking there. "
"Oh! won't you? " exclaimed Eric.
Next day we heard him tell Ernest con-
fidentially that he wasn't going at all,
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
"because Ada says they have nothing to eat
in heaven. "
Two little boys had been tucked into their
cots for the night, when the elder was overheard
describing to the younger the glories of heaven.
As he paused, tiny Eddie asked anxiously,
"But, Ivey, won't there be anything to eat in
heaven? "
"Why, yes," replied Ivey confidently;
"there'll be angels' food, of course. "
Paul was riding outside an omnibus, and
from this coign of vantage saw a dying horse
in a crowded London thoroughfare. He cried
so bitterly that mother had to explain that
the poor horse was tired, so God had sent it to
sleep.
Weeks later his mind reverted to the scene.
"Mother, do you remember that po-o-r horse
we saw in London? " he asked. "He's in
heaven now, isn't he, with a beautiful golden
crown on his head? "
"Mother," said three-year-old Innes, who
had been to church, " I didn't see God, and
sister said it was God's house? "
"God lives in heaven," explained mother,
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"and if you are a good boy you will go to
heaven, too. "
Looking around, Innes said incredulously,
"I don't see the stairs! "
"But you will have wings like the angels,"
was the reply.
After pondering a while, the wee fellow asked
in somewhat wisful tones, "Mother, can the
angels take off their wings when they go to
bed? "
A little boy, whose mother was teaching him
about the angels, suddenly exclaimed joyfully,
"Mother, wouldn't the little angels be pleased
to get my 'hullabaloon' what went up? "
meaning a coloured air-balloon, the string of
which had broken. -
"I think the angels must be our little dead
brothers and sisters sent to watch over us,"
said sweet little Connie, who had recently lost
two sisters.
Little Pansy had been told that her grand-
mamma was in heaven. One day during a
thunderstorm she toddled up to her mother's
knee and said sadly, " Big noise up in heaven
to-day. Poor grandmamma! "
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
A child I know intimately very much amused
her family by the way she showed a little touch
of jealousy. She was one of a very large
family, but there having been six boys born
between her birth and that of her elder sister,
she was naturally very much petted. A little
more than two years after her advent another
little sister was added to the fold. Being very
delicate, this baby had to receive more attention
than baby number one quite approved of, but
when about six months old she died. This
had to be explained to the child, and her elder
sister, taking her on her lap, told her that
"dear little Jessie had gone to live with God
and the angels in the beautiful heaven. " After
a moment's thought the child answered, in a
very contented tone, "And a welly dood place
for her, too. "
"I hope I shan't die the last," said a little
girl to her father.
"Why, dearie? "
"Because," she answered, "there won't be
any one to fasten on my wings for me. "
Tommy had been hearing about the angels
in heaven in their white robes. "Do they all
wear white robes, auntie? "
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
"Yes, dear. "
"Are there very many angels? "
"Oh yes, a great many. "
"How many? "
"Oh, thousands and thousands. "
"What a big wash-house God must
have! "
A little niece visiting me asked if God
gave everybody in the world bread. I said
"Yes. " She said, "What a large bread-
basket God must have. "
The baker brought our bread to the door in
a basket.
I have now reached a section of the Sayings
which cannot but suggest to thoughtful
readers many serious considerations. It
opens with two very pregnant utter-
ances:
My little girl, when very young, on being
found fault with for fractiousness, quaintly
remarked, " I not naughty, I not kite well. "
Another child: "I don't feel very well
to-day. I feel rather ugly. "
Both remarks are "quaint" enough, but
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
they embody an important truth which
most of us are exceedingly slow to
recognise--that much of the fractiousness
and naughtiness of the little ones springs
from some unfavourable physical condi-
tion, and should be treated from a physical
point of view. A brisk run in the fresh
air, a merry greeting, a tune on the piano
a few minutes' frolic, will often restore the
physical equilibrium, and the child will
cease to feel ugly and to seem naughty.
And the Saying which follows, audacious as
it may sound in its frank wording, conveys
a warning which no wise father or mother
will venture to neglect:
"If you don't forgive me now, mother, when
Tm sorry" exclaimed a little boy who was in
disgrace for a fault, "I'll soon not be sorry, and
then I won't care about the forgiving! "
It is not my province, however, to convert
these childish utterances into homiletic
texts. I will set them down without further
comment, and let the reader derive from them
what amusement or instruction he may.
"If there was just one Sunday in the year,
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? CHILDREN'S SAYINGS
how well I should keep it! " sighed eight-year-
old motherless Godfrey, as he applied himself
to the learning of the hymns and paraphrases
which his grannie thought necessary for the
"keeping " of Sunday.
Davie, on hearing a hand-organ out of
doors: "Don't talk to me now. The music
makes me think of heaven and of my dear
mamma," but on the first Sunday on which he
was taken to chapel Davie said, "I wish I
was a butterfly, and then nobody would ask
me to go to chapel. "
Jim had managed to learn his first hymn.
A friend was visiting the family, and the
mother, pleased with Jim's progress, asked
him to repeat a verse, whereupon he said
gravely:
"I'm a little pilgrim
And a stranger here;
Though this world is pleasant
Sunday is always near! "
Molly was always a little church-goer, being
promoted from children's service in the after-
noon through evening service (in the summer)
to the long morning services, and great was
her pride therein.