WHAT THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES DID.
By Birdie Rogers
The following was prepared and read at a local missionary meeting recently by a little girl 12 years of age:— In the little village of S. lived a mason by the name of Mr. Jackson, together with his family. He had a little girl that he loved dearly, whose name was Millie. Millie’s mother said she was a little sunbeam about the house and she always gave her joy when she was around. Millie kept the depot racks filled with papers and tracts, such as, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Gospel of Health, etc. Every morning Millie and her mother offered prayer to our heavenly Father to bless the husband and father and help him to see the blessed truth of the Gospel of Jesus. One morning while they were eating their breakfast a telegram came for Mr. Jackson to take the next train for the village of W., to do some work for a man there. When he came to the depot, he found out that he would have to wait some little time for the train; he took one of the papers from the rack; it was the SIGNS OF THE TIMES; but he did not know that his only little girl had put them there. Would you like to know what Millie and her mother were doing while Mr. Jackson was waiting? They were praying that he might get some of the papers in the depot. “Mama,” said Millie, “don’t you hope the Lord will answer our prayer?” “Yes,” said her mother, “I do, and I am quite sure He will, for He said if any man should ask Him in faith for anything, He would give it to him.” After a pause Millie said, “I am so glad that we have such a Father that will give us every good and proper thing we ask for; aren’t you, mama?” When Mr. Jackson went into the car, he took the paper with him and read and read. He was so interested that he did not know where he was, and when the conductor came to tell him that this was the village of W., Mr. Jackson was greatly surprised. He still kept that SIGNS OF THE TIMES with him; it seemed to him that he could not throw it away. After he finished the job, he went home, but still clung to that copy of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. What a rejoicing there was when he got home, but more when Millie and her mother learned that Mr. Jackson had found the paper! While Mr. Jackson was at work around home or in the garden, Mrs. Jackson and Millie were praying that that paper would convince him of the power of the Gospel. One evening while they were sitting around the fire, Mr. Jackson looked thoughtfully at the coals, and presently he said, “Minnie” (which is his wife’s name), “what a wonderful paper that SIGNS OF THE TIMES is. I have been reading it. It has convinced me that you and Millie are right. I intend to obey God. I believe you have been praying for me.” At this Millie looked up from the book she had been reading, and said, “So we have been praying for you, and the Lord has answered our prayers.” At this Mr. Jackson began to weep. There were two silent prayers sent straight up to heaven to convert him, and sure enough he was. He said: “Let us bow down and pray. Minnie, you pray first. You have prayed more than I have.” So they kneeled down and prayed, and what a happy hour that was! How much a good paper may do! We should never forget to pray when we give away papers or tracts. BIRDIE ROGERS.