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'FAID OF THE DARK

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Oct 26, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 42.

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"'FAID OF THE DARK."

THERE were two little girls in the Crofton family, Anna and Julia. Both from babyhood had been timid children and always particularly "afraid of the dark." The mother had tried from the beginning to make them fearless, overcoming, by a force of will hitherto impossible, her own timidity born of frightful stories told by an ignorant nurse in her own childhood.
No servant ever came into the Crofton family after these little girls came that was not promised instant dismissal if anything was ever said or done to frighten these little ones.
The children had been told over and over that there was nothing in darkness of which to be afraid, but there seemed to be an unconquerable fear, especially in the mind of the younger.
One night, when Julia was about three and a half, the mother awoke and found the little one sobbing as tho her heart would break.
"What is the trouble, precious?" she asked, as she put her face beside her darling's wet cheeks. "I's so 'faid!" sobbed the child.
" 'Faid! There's nothing to be afraid of, little one," replied the mother.
"Yes, there's the dark, and I's so afraid of the dark," Julia answered between her sobs.
"But God is here in the dark," said the mother, as soon as her petting had somewhat soothed the nervous terror of the child. "God is here in the dark just exactly the same as He is in the sunshine. God is always right here, and loves you and cares for you. You can't see God with your little eyes, but He is here. He is in the darkness just as real as in the sunshine."
"O-h!" came with trembling gladness from the child, after a moment's silence, "O-h! God is down in the sunshine in my heart."
"Yes, my dear baby," said the mother, a new idea of God's presence coming to her with the child's explanation, "yes, my dear; God is always in the sunshine in your heart."
"Then it don't matter if it is dark outside. I can see if He always has sunshine;" and her sobs were hushed, baby fears were banished, and she sweetly slept, trusting the great Shepherd of Israel, who never slumbers or sleeps.
From that time Julia lost all fear of darkness or storms. She goes into any part of the house after dark as fearlessly as at noontime. God stays with her in the sunshine down in her heart, and she sheds that sunshine wherever she goes.—Selected.