The Dying Girl’s Prayer for Her Drunken Father
A child from a poor family had an intemperate father, who would often abuse his wife and child. This child had been to the Sunday School—had become a Christian. The physician told the father that his little girl would die. No! he did not believe it. Yes, she will—she must die in a few hours. The father hastened to the bedside; would not part with her, he said.
“Yes, father, you must part with me; I am going to Jesus. Promise me two things. One is, that you won’t abuse mother any more, and will drink no more whiskey.”
He promised in a solemn, steady manner. The little girl’s face lighted up with joy.
“The other thing is, promise me that you will pray,” said the child.
“I cannot pray; don’t know how,” said the poor man.
“Father, kneel down, please. There, take the words after me. I will pray; I learned how to pray in Sunday School and God has taught me how to pray too, my heart prays, and you must let your heart pray. Now say the words.”
And she began in her simple language to pray to the Savior of sinners. After a little he began to repeat after her. As he went on his heart was interested, and he broke out into an earnest prayer for himself. He bewailed his sins, confessed and promised to forsake them, entered into covenant with God, and light broke out in his darkness.
How long he prayed he did not know; he seemed to have forgotten his child in his prayer. When he came to himself he raised his head from the bed on which he had rested it. There lay the little speaker, a lovely smile was upon the face, her hand was in that of the father, but she had gone to be among the angels.