Her pet dog was lying in his basket by the fire, and
she pointed to him, and then pointed to the letters, and after she had done
this over and over again many times, she saw that the boy was beginning to
understand that the letters, in some strange way, must have something to
do with the dog. When this step was gained, she threw the D, O, and G back
into the box, and Jack had to pick the three letters out, one by one, and
put them together again. Then, when this word was quite learnt, she taught
him the names of other things which he knew--all in three letters--and last
of all showed him how to make the letters on his fingers, teaching him what
is called the deaf and dumb alphabet.
All this seemed a pleasant game to poor Jack, and he little thought that he
was being taught to read, and to speak on his fingers while he was playing
at it. As time went on, the boy became very quick at this game; he knew how
to write a great many words, and to spell them in the finger alphabet, and
the more he learnt the more he wanted to know. He now began to bring all
sorts of things to his teacher, spelling "W-h-a-t, what," on his fingers
again and again, until she had taught him their names. She saw that his
mind, which had been almost asleep, was fast waking up, and she prayed God
to show her how to teach this child not only words and names, but that
"fear of the Lord" which "is the beginning of knowledge."
Jack's lady well knew that though he was so clever and quick at learning,
he knew nothing about the God who had made him for Himself, nor about the
Lord Jesus Christ who had paid such a price--His own precious blood--to
redeem poor Jack, and buy him back for God.
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