Chapter 2

"Yes, I know Kate must be good if she is happy. But I think she will be when she gets her dress, and goes to Sunday school. Don't you, aunt?"

"We will hope so, my dear. But now let us lay aside our work and take a walk."

To this Minnie could make no objection. So she and her aunt walked out into the shady streets and lanes of Rosedale. On their way, they saw a poor old soldier, with a wooden leg, hobbling towards them slowly. As soon as Minnie saw him advancing, she said,--

"O aunt! here comes poor Corporal Jim, the one-legged soldier."

"Poor fellow!" replied her aunt. "It must be hard work for him to hobble through the world on his wooden leg."

"Yes, aunt; and he is very poor. He lives in a little shanty alone; and he has not a relation in all the world."

"Well, let us speak kindly to him, and cheer him on his lonesome way. We may cast a sunbeam in his path."

Minnie looked up into her aunt's kind face, and smiled with delight at the idea of being a sunbeam to poor old Corporal Jim, who, by the way, was a great favorite with all the children in Rosedale.

By this time, the poor old soldier was close upon them, holding out his hat for a gift. Aunt Amy stopped, asked him several questions, and, finding that he was pious, cheered him with gentle words of hope. She then dropped a piece of gold in his tattered hat, and passed on.

Poor Corporal Jim! The kind words of aunt Amy, and the sight of the piece of gold, went to his heart. Tears filled his eyes. "Heaven bless ye!" he murmured; and then he hobbled to the roadside, sat down upon a large rock, and wept for joy.

Minnie's keen eye had watched the effect of her aunt's words and gift upon the old corporal. She saw how glad they made his heart. The sight of his joy caused a stream of rich emotion to flow through her own little bosom. It filled her so full she could not, for the moment, speak. But fondly pressing her aunt's hand, she walked on by her side in silence. As soon as she recovered herself, she said,--

"Dear aunt, you have been a sunbeam to Corporal Jim. I saw by his face that you made him feel very happy."

"That is just what God expects us to do, my dear, to every one who crosses our path. If every person in the world would smile upon and help every body, nearly all the misery and sorrow which make the world wretched, would be prevented; and every heart would be cheered by the sunlight of love and sympathy."

"Yes, but you know, aunt, that every body is not rich enough to give gold pieces to the poor, as you are."

"That is true, Minnie; but all can speak _golden_ words, and look with friendly smiles upon the poor and sad."

"_Golden_ words, aunt! What are _golden_ words?" asked Minnie, gazing with surprise into her aunt's face.

"_Kind_ words are _golden_ words, Minnie, because they are precious to the heart. They are often worth more than gold to the unfortunate."

This Minnie could not deny. Indeed, it pleased her very much to think that she could speak golden words, if she could not give gold pieces.

Having finished their walk, aunt Amy and her delighted little niece returned home. After tea, they worked again upon Kate's dress, and it was decided that they should take it, the next day, with some other things, to Mrs. Button's cottage.

So the next day, early in the afternoon, they started for the old stone quarry, to visit Mrs. Button and her daughter Kate. At Minnie's request, Arthur Ellerslie went with them to carry the bundle, which was quite a large one. Aunt Amy was very much pleased with Arthur. As they walked, he told her all about his history, and she gave him much good advice.

Presently they reached the cottage. There was quite a change in its looks since aunt Amy's last visit, a few days before. The floor had been nicely cleaned, the shingles which formerly covered the broken windows had been taken away, and clean paper pasted over the broken places instead. The bed in the corner was "made up." The pine stools were set along the sides of the cottage; and it was quite plain that Mrs. Button had been trying to make her poverty appear as respectable as possible. In her person, too, she was greatly improved. Her face was now clean, her hair neatly combed, her gown mended, and she wore a hopeful look, which wonderfully changed her appearance. Her manners, also, were more civil. When her guests entered, she spoke to them with respect, and invited them to be seated. Her only chair she offered to aunt Amy. As to Kate, she seemed to have caught her mother's spirit, and looked as well as rags and bad habits would allow her to do.

The gifts brought by aunt Amy were produced, and many kind words of advice offered by that good lady. Kate seemed half wild with joy when Minnie spread her new calico frock out for her to look at, and when she saw the nice little bonnet, the new shoes, and many other things which were meant for her. Mrs. Button was very thankful. And when aunt Amy told her of certain plans, which she had arranged through Minnie's mother, by which she would have employment, and when she placed a bank bill in her hand as she arose to go, the poor woman was so overcome with grateful feeling she could not speak. She modestly raised the hand of her kind friend to her lips, kissed it, turned away, sunk into a seat, and buried her face in her apron. Aunt Amy found her hand wet with the poor woman's tears.

After they left the cottage, Arthur hurried to school. Aunt Amy and Minnie walked leisurely, and, for a time, silently along. At last Minnie said,--

"Aunt, I am very glad you came to see us."

"I believe you, Minnie, for you have given me full proof of that. But why are you glad?"

"Because you have taught me how to be a sunbeam, and how to speak golden words. I used to think a little girl, like me, could not do much good. You have taught me that I may."

"I am glad to see you so willing to learn, Minnie. I hope you will try to practise the precious lesson after I return home. Whatever your lot in life may be, you must always try to be a sunbeam to others. I know a poor old lady who is so lame she cannot leave her house; yet she not only makes every one happy who comes near to her, but she contrives to give a handsome little sum of money every year to benevolent objects."

"How can she do so, aunt, if she is poor?"

"She does it by the help of her dog."

"By the help of her dog!" exclaimed Minnie, laughing.

"Yes; she has a little dog, named Fido. She has so trained the little fellow that he brings home all the bones he finds in the street. These she hoards very carefully, sells them at a junk shop, and gives away the money."

"That is a capital scheme," said Minnie, clapping her hands, "but I should never have thought of it."

"Perhaps not; but you may find other ways of gaining means to do good. If not, you can make smiles serve for sunbeams, and gentle words will do for gold."

"It makes me so happy to be kind, aunt Amy, I think I shall try to be so always," said Minnie.

"Do, my dear child, and be kind to _every one_ with whom you have to do."

"I must speak kindly to my enemies, too, mustn't I, aunt?"

"Yes, Minnie, you must; for so Christ has taught us, you know. And there is nothing like kindness to change enemies into friends. It melts away their enmity when they see us returning their evil with good."

"But suppose my heart won't let me love them, aunt, what shall I do?"

"You must pray to God for aid. He will help you. So that you may be a sunbeam in the path of the worst enemy who may seek to injure you."

In a few days after this visit to Mrs. Button's cottage, aunt Amy returned to her home. Minnie was sorry to have her go, but she knew it was proper for her to do so, and she did not complain. She felt lonesome at first; but she did not forget the precious lesson her aunt had taught her. She had been a good and gentle girl before; now she was a light in her home, and her presence was as sunshine to all who knew her, and especially to Kate Button, who became a bright scholar in her Sunday school. She had her little failings, it is true; but she tried hard to subdue them; and henceforth the purpose of her life was

TO BE AS A SUNBEAM, ALWAYS SHINING ON THE HEARTS OF OTHERS.