THE CHILDREN’S PAGE.

AN UNCONSCIOUS JONAH.

The following correspondence will explain itself. A letter sent by mail to buy Wellsprings, and enclosing the necessary money missed its way, and was brought with waste paper to a mill; there it was found by a boy of ten years. The sender of the letter was sought out by the boy’s father, and, as a result of it all, the money, somewhat increased, has through us purchased Wellsprings to supply the school at Ogeechee, Ga., for six months. So at last this Jonah has arrived at his Nineveh. We think this singular discovery and pleasant correspondence has in it several suggestive lessons. If some of our young friends will write us what they think it teaches, we will be glad to print their suggestions in the next Missionary.

“N. A., Mass., May 17, 1878.

“Mr. D. O.: Sir—The letter written by yourself, which I enclose in this, will explain the reason for my wishing to ascertain your address. My little boy found the letter, with the money enclosed, in the paper-mill in this place, as he was looking among the old waste for some fancy scraps of paper. He came to me with it, to know what was to be done. I thought it a good opportunity to impress upon his mind the value of strict honesty, and told him that of course we must try to find the owner. Thus, after being tossed about among old rags for nearly two years, the money will if not again miscarried, return to its original owner. If the money is received, please acknowledge the same.

“Yours truly,

C. R. D.”

The Lost Letter.

“New York, July 19, 1876.

“Moses H. Sargent, Esq.:

“Dear Sir—Enclosed find one and 20/100 dollars. Please send me by return (if possible) the value in Wellsprings—the latest issue. I want to use them next Sabbath.

“Yours very truly,

D. O.”

“New York, May 20, 1878.

“Mr. C. R. D.: Dear Sir—Yours of the 17th, with the money enclosed, reached me, for which please accept my best thanks.

“Due inquiries for the letter were made at the post-office here at the time, but without success, and of course I concluded that it had been opened and money stolen by some post office official. Even now there is some mystery, which perhaps might be removed if the (original) envelope could be found.

“The amount at the time was designed for a good cause, in connection with Sunday-school work, and I feel, after what has happened, that the Lord, having delivered it from the jaws of the paper mill, has an additional claim upon it, and so I propose that your little boy (with your help, if necessary) name an object to which he would like it applied.

“Jonah, when appointed to do certain work, was disobedient and, you know, soon found himself in the ‘fish’s belly.’ From this uncomfortable situation, however, he was soon delivered, and one more opportunity given him to obey orders—with better results. Now, suppose we call our dollar and twenty cents the disobedient Jonah, and our little friend the fish; and now that our Jonah has landed safely, suppose we give him one more opportunity for obeying his orders?

“Please say to my little friend that I appreciate what he has done in this matter, and congratulate the son on having a good adviser, and the father on having a son inclined to take good advice.

“Should you reply to this note, please give me the boy’s name and age, and photograph likeness if you have one.

“Yours respectfully and truly,

D. O.”

“N. A., Mass., May 25, 1878.

“Mr. D. O.: Dear Sir—Your very happy acknowledgement of the receipt of that money (or I might, say, of that ‘Jonah’), which went so far astray from the first direction given to it, was duly received, and the reaching of it listened to by our little boy, or the ‘fish’ with much delight.

“Our son’s name is Edwin H. He is ten years of age. He is quite pleased that the money is going to be used to do missionary work and that you have given him the privilege of deciding what direction it shall take in starting on a second trip.

“Now, Eddie thinks that if this Jonah has not done the work which he was first directed, and has had such a wonderful escape from a terrible death, that, he can do no better than to follow the directions given to the Prophet Jonah, who was saved by a much bigger ‘fish’ than himself, and those directions are found in Jonah iii. 2, viz.: ‘Arise; go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.’ Therefore, this Jonah must go and sell himself for as many good little papers as he can, and be distributed among the little boys and girls of some mission Sunday-school; and may the good resulting be proportionate to that accomplished by Jonah of old.

“We have no recently-taken photograph, but such as we have I enclose, in compliance with your request.

“Yours very truly,

C. R. D.”