ou know, always comes to him, and seems to know exactly what he is
saying. Even the old cow follows him around the meadow, and the other
day I saw her licking his hand, just as a dog would. I think it must
be because father loves them. You know he will often get up and give
pussy something to eat; and he pulls carrots for the cow, and pats
her; and somehow I think his voice never sounds so sweet as when he
is talking to these dumb creatures."

"I think his voice is very pleasant when he is talking to his little
boy," said his mother.

Charley smiled, and said, "That's so, mother. Father loves me, and I
love him dearly. But he loves the birdies too I am sure. He whistles
to them every morning when they are eating their cherries, and they
don't seem a bit afraid of him, although he is near enough to catch
them. Mother I wish everything loved me as they do father."

"Do as father does, Charley, and they will. Love all things and be
kind to them. Don't kick the dog, or speak roughly to him. Don't pull
pussy's tail, nor chase the hens, nor try to frighten the cow. Never
throw stones at the birds. Never hurt nor tease anything. Speak
gently and lovingly to them and they will love you, and everybody
that knows you will love you too."

Now Charley's father, in acting as he did, was trying to make all the
dumb creatures about him know that he was their friend; that he loved
them, and had nothing but kindness in his heart towards them. In
this way he encouraged them to come to him, and not be afraid of him.

And this is just the way in which Jesus was acting when he did and
said so much to show his interest in children. He wants them all to
understand that he is their friend; that he loves them, and wants
them to come to him and love and serve him. And so every child who
hears or reads about Jesus may feel encouraged to say:

"Once in his arms the Saviour took
Young children just like me,
And blessed them with his voice and look
As kind as kind could be.

"And though to heaven the Lord hath gone,
And seems so far away,
He hath a smile for every one
That doth his voice obey.

"I'd rather be the least of them
That he will bless and own,
Than wear a royal diadem,
And sit upon a throne."

And so we may well say that in what Jesus did and said about the
children there is great encouragement.

_And then there are_--GREAT LESSONS--_too, in this part of the life
of Christ_.

There ar