"
The lightning was to him "God's eye"; the rainbow, "God's smile"; and of
living creatures he would say, patting them kindly, "God made, God made."
About this time, while Jack's lady was still praying for him, and asking
God to show her how to teach him the sweet story of the love of the Lord
Jesus Christ his Saviour, a fever came to the place, and the boy saw the
strange and sad sight of many funerals passing along the road, as one and
another of those whom he had known when they were strong and well, fell
sick and died. One day he spoke about them, asking by signs whether they
would ever open their eyes again. Without answering his eager question, the
lady took a piece of paper and began to draw, and Jack stood by looking
at her. It was a strange picture, and she went on explaining it as she
drew. First Jack saw a crowd of people--men and women, boys and girls--and
his teacher told him to look at them well, for he, Jack, was in that
crowd--everybody was there. Then she drew a great pit, and out of it came
flames; and she told him that all in that crowd were "bad, bad," and that
God was very angry with these bad people, and said they must all go into
that dreadful pit.
Poor Jack looked in her face with a frightened stare; he knew that he was
in that crowd, that he was one of those bad people. "Must I go there?" his
anxious look seemed to ask. Still she did not speak, but went on drawing,
and as she drew one man, standing alone, she told Jack that He was the Son
of God, come down from heaven--come to die instead of that crowd of bad
people, so that they might be saved from that dreadful pit.
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