But she could not raise him quite high enough, and so the
Colonel lifted up the little fellow till he clutched the prize; and when
he set him down, his hands full of sugar-cake, asked him, "Whose bright
little five-year-old is this? What is your name, blue eyes?" "Bobbie
Nilkinson," was the answer. It went right to the Colonel's heart. "It
is Christmas," said he; "and the dear Jesus himself said, 'Suffer little
children to come unto me.' Well, well, he said something to us old
folks, too: 'If thy brother trespass against thee,' &c., and 'If thou
bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath
aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar; first be
reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.'" He walked
about awhile, thinking, and then found his neighbor. "Mr. Wilkinson,"
said he, "it is bad enough that you and I should quarrel in law, but let
us be friends in the gospel. As I looked at your little boy, and held
him up in my arms, and found out whose son he was, I felt ashamed that I
had ever quarreled with his father. Here is my hand, if you think fit
to take it." "With all my heart," said Wilkinson.
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