he preaching, wanting him to show them how they
could belong to Jesus. Mr. Wesley had both then and always the words of
Jesus Himself, before him, "Suffer the little children to come unto Me,
and forbid them not;" and so he knelt down with those boys and girls and
led them to the Good Shepherd, who had laid down His life for them.

The children of Judea loved Jesus, and were glad to be with Him; and Mr.
Wesley was so like Jesus, so loving and so kind, that the children of
England could not help loving him, and were glad to be with him. A whole
crowd once waited in the street a long time for him, and when at last he
came, they all followed him like so many little lambs after their
shepherd, as many as could clinging to him. They went to the
meeting-house with him, and after the service was over would not leave
until they had all shaken hands with him.

"In Cornwall, Manchester, and Epworth," Mr. Wesley says, "numbers of
children were converted."

These verses apply to all my readers:

"God wants the boys, the merry, merry boys,
The noisy boys, the funny boys,
The thoughtless boys.
God wants the boys with all their joys,
That He, as gold, may make them pure,
And teach them trials to endure;
His heroes brave He'd have them be,
Fighting for truth and purity,
God wants the boys.

"God wants the girls, the happy-hearted girls,
The loving girls, the best of girls,
The worst of girls.
God wants to make the girls His pearls,
And so reflect His holy face,
And bring to mind His wondrous grace,
That beautiful the world may be,
And filled with love and purity.
God wants the girls."

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXXV.

How Mr. Wesley settled a school-boys'
quarrel.--Dr. Watts and little birds.--Mr. Wesley,
loved and honoured.--A holiday for the children.

HERE is a story of how Mr. Wesley settled a dispute between two
quarrelsome school-boys. When he was an old man, seventy-three, he was
staying with one of his local preachers, a Mr. Bush, who had a
boarding-school. One day Mrs. Bush brought to him two boys who had been
fighting.

"Boys! boys!" said Mr. Wesley:

"'Birds in their little nests agree,
And 'tis a shameful sight,