Little Susy's Little Servants Part 9

"If you give your tongue to G.o.d," said her papa, "you never will let it speak angry, unkind words. Or tell tales. Or speak an untruth."

"I guess I'll give Him my tongue," said Susy.

"And if you give G.o.d your hands, you will watch them and keep them from touching things that do not belong to them. You will not let them be idle, but will keep them busy about something, either work or play--"

"Oh! will G.o.d let them _play_!" cried Susy in a joyful voice. "Well!

then I'll give Him my hands."

"And if you give Him your feet, you never will let them carry you where you ought not to go, but teach them to run quickly when mamma calls; and when you are old enough, they will carry you to visit and comfort poor and sick people."

"Yes, that will be nice!" said Susy. "G.o.d shall have my feet."

"If you give Him your eyes, you will never, never let them look at any thing you know _He_ would not like to look at if He were here by your side. Not to read a book you would not read if He were looking over the page with you. And to use them wisely and with great care."

"Could I cry with them?"

"Why, certainly."

"Mamma says I cry too much."

"I did not say you might cry _too much_ with them."

"Well!--I'll give G.o.d my eyes some of the time, and some of the time I'll keep them."

"Oh! no! G.o.d will not like that, at all."

"Well, I might want to--let me see--I might want to look at something--and I couldn't. And I should want to be naughty _sometimes_."

"A little girl who loves G.o.d want to be naughty!"

"I love Him, I do love Him," said Susy. "And He may have my eyes. I guess I shan't want to look at any thing naughty."

"I dare say you will, Susy, but if you give your eyes to G.o.d, you know He will help them not to do wrong."

"Then I _will_ give them to Him and _welcome_," said Susy.

"And as to your ears, after you have given them to G.o.d you will not let them listen to a _word_ that you think He would not like them to hear.

And you will take care to make them listen to people who try to teach you. They have behaved very well to-day, and I am sure you will give them to G.o.d."

"Yes papa, I will."

Then they knelt down together and Susy's papa prayed to G.o.d to hear all they had been saying and to be so good as to accept all Susy had now promised to give Him, and to keep her from ever forgetting her promise, but to make it her rule in all she said and all she did, all she saw and all she heard, to remember,

"I am not my own."

And then he taught her the lines you will find at the end of this book.

They were written nearly two hundred years ago, but are just as good now as they were then; and may G.o.d help every child who reads about little Susy, to live according to this prayer.

"Oh! that mine eyes might closed be To what concerns me not to see; That deafness might possess mine ear To what concerns me not to hear; That truth my tongue might ever tie From ever speaking foolishly; That no vain thought might ever rest, Or be conceived in my breast; That by each word, and deed, and thought, Glory may to my G.o.d be brought!

But what are wishes! Lord, mine eye On Thee is fixed, to Thee I cry-- Wash, Lord, and purify my heart And make it clean in every part; And when 'tis done, Lord, keep it so, For that is more than I can do!"