PAID IN ONE'S OWN COIN

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 21, 1881

PAID IN ONE'S OWN COIN.

Peter's mother died. After that he was sent to his grandmother's, for he had a quarrelsome, fretful temper, and his aunt could not manage him with the other children. His grandmother dealt kindly and patiently with him, and helped him to improve.

Peter now had a new mother, and his father had sent for him to come home. But he did not want to go, he felt sure he should not like his new mother and that she would not like him.

"That depends upon yourself, Peter," said grandmother. "Carry love and kindness in your pocket and you'll find no difficulty."

The idea struck the boy favorably. He wished he could, he said.

"And the best of it is," said grandmother, "if you once begin paying it out, your pockets will never be empty, for you'll be paid in your own coin. Be kind and you'll be treated kindly; love and you'll be loved."

"I wish I could," said Peter.

All the way home he thought more or less of it. I do not know about his welcome home, or what his father or new mother said to him. The next morning he rose early, as he used to do at grandmother's, and came down stairs, where

every thing being new, he felt very strange and lonely.

"I know I shan't be contented here," he said to himself: "I know I shan't: I'm afraid there's not a bit of love in my pocket."

However, in a little while his new mother came down, when Peter went up to her and said :-

"Mother, what can I do to help you?"

"My dear boy," said she, kissing him on the forehead, "how thoughtful you are. I thank you for your kind offer; and what can I do to help you, for I'm afraid you will be lonely here at first, coming from your dear, good grandmother."

What a kiss was that! It made him so happy.

"That's paying me in more than my own coin," thought Peter.

Then he knew he should like his new mother; and from that good hour Peter's pockets began to fill with the beautiful, bright coin of kindness, which is the best "small change" in the world. Keep your pockets full of it and you will never be in want.-Selected.