“GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD.”
A LITTLE girl in a wretched attic, whose mother had no bread, knelt down by the bedside and said slowly:— “Give us this day our daily bread.” Then she went out into the street and began to wonder where God kept His bread. She turned around the corner and saw a well-filled baker shop; so she entered confidently and said to the baker:— “My daily bread,” she answered, pointing to the tempting loaves. “I’ll take two, if you please—one for mother and one for me.” “All right,” said the baker, putting them into a bag and giving them to his little customer, who started at once to go into the street. “Stop, you little rogue; where is your money?” “I haven’t any,” she said simply. “Haven’t any!” he repeated. “You little thief, what brought you here, then?” The hard words frightened the little girl, who, bursting into tears, said:— “Mother is sick and hungry. In my prayers I said, ‘Give us this day our daily bread,’ and then I thought God meant me to bring it, and so I came.” The rough but kind-hearted baker was softened by the child’s simple tale, and instead of chiding her he said:— “You poor, dear girl! Here, take this to your mother.” And he filled a large basket for her.—Selected.