Stories Told to a Child. Jean Ingelow
it would never come. But very soon after Mr. Davis drove up in his gig, and he brought me on to the gate.'
'And so this account of your adventures being brought to a close,' his father says, ' we discover that there were no adventures to tell!'
'No, papa, nothing happened; nothing particular, I mean.'
Nothing particular! If they could have known, they would have thought lightly in comparison of the dangers of 'the jib-boom end, and the main-top-mast cross-trees.' But they did not know, any more than we do, of the dangers that hourly beset us. Some few dangers we are aware of, and we do what we can to provide against them; but, for the greater portion, ' our eyes are held that we cannot see.' We walk securely under His guidance, without whom 'not a sparrow falleth to the ground!' and when we have had escapes that the angels have admired at, we come home and say, perhaps, that 'nothing has happened; at least nothing particular.'
It is not well that our minds should be much exercised about these hidden dangers, since they are so many and so great that no human art or foresight can prevent them. But it is very well that we should reflect constantly on that loving Providence which watches every footstep of a track always balancing between time and eternity; and that such reflections should make us both happy and afraid—afraid of trusting our souls and bodies too much to any earthIy guide, or earthly security—happy from the knowledge that there is One with whom we may trust them wholly, and with whom the very hairs of our head are all numbered. Without such trust, how can we rest or be at peace? but with it we may say with the Psalmist, 'I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety!'
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