Cripple Tom and His Texts part one

In one of the miserable East London homes, in a dark, wretched room at the top of the house, lay a cripple boy. He had lain there for over two years, greatly neglected and comparatively unknown. When quite young his parents had died, leaving him to the tender mercies of an aged relative. Born a cripple, he had always been a sufferer; but, as long as he was able, he had swept a crossing on his crutches, or gone short errands to earn a few pence. But soon after his parent’s death the boy had to take to his bed. Very ungraciously the old woman allowed him to occupy the top room of her house, which room he never left again.

His mother had taught him to read and write; but, not knowing the truth for herself, she had never told him of "Jesus and His love." Sometimes, however, on a snowy night when the wind was blowing hard and cold, the lad had crept into a mission hall not far distant, merely for the sake of getting a warm by the comfortable stove. Numb with cold, and weary in body, he took little heed of what he had heard on those nights; but now, lying alone day after day, there came to his mind the memory of it, and by degrees he was possessed with a great longing to know more of the things of God, and to have a Bible of his own. He knew that it was from the Bible that the speakers had gathered their knowledge, but that was all. So, summoning his courage, he one day consulted granny about it. His only encouragement in that direction was a laugh. " Bibles weren't in her line! What did a lad like him want with Bibles?" So, the matter dropped for a time, but the lads desire to possess one did not grow less.

One day, however, up the creaking stairs came noisy, boisterous Jack Lee, the only friend the cripple had in the world. "Hurrah! Hurrah! Got a new birth! Off north tomorrow! Come to say goodbye, Tom," he cried, all excitement, seating himself on the bed, and wiping the perspiration from his brow. "But I've got a real beauty present for you, my lad," taking from his pocket something wrapped in a greasy bit of brown paper. Tom raised himself on his elbows, not at all gladdened by the news he had heard. "A bright new shilling for you, Tom, lad. And you're not to spend it till yer wants suffin real particular."

"Oh Jack! You're good, but I want something now very particular."

"Yer do? What's he?"

"I WANT A BIBLE."

"A bible! Well, I never! Spending all that on a Bible, when I had to save months and months to save it in coppers."

"Don't be angry Jack," said the cripple boy.

"I do so want a Bible. Please get it Jack, now, this very evening, at Fisher's, afore the shop closes. Granny never would; she would spend it in gin, if I let it get into her hands."

"What can ya want with a Bible, Tom, lad.? Only scholars understand them there things," he answered rather crossly.

"Maybe so, Jack, but I'm hankering after one."

"Very well, lad, then I'll go, but I knows nought about Bible buyin' Fisher has 'em at a shilling, for I saw 'em marked in the window when I used to go by."

Jack descended the stairs less rapidly than he had mounted them. But he got over his disappointment before he returned with a beautiful shilling Bible.

"Fisher says I couldn't leave you a better friend, Tom, lad, the shilling couldn't be vested better; and, says he, 'it may be worth thousan' pound to the lad.' So, 'pears there's a suffin as we ought to know about."

Tom's joy and gratitude were unbounded. "I know it, Jack. I know it!" Hugging the book to his breast.

"I'm happy now. Oh! How kind you were to save that shilling."

So, Tom got his Bible, and valued it, and read it.

Do you? - you, reader-man, woman, boy, girl, do you value and read the Book of God? If so, you will find out what Cripple Tom discovered. And what was that? He found out he was a sinner, lost, and in need of a Saviour, and he found the Saviour in Jesus. He trusted Him, confessed Him, loved Him, and was filled with a great longing to do something for Him. But what could He do? Tied to a bed of sickness, it seemed as if he could do nothing but lie still and suffer.

(to be continued)