Chapter I: Waking

"WAKE up! Wake up! Master Willie."

Willie Gray rubbed his eyes, and sat up in the bed. Then he lay down again, and hid his face in the pillow.

"I'm so sleepy, nurse. I don't want to get up yet."

"Not get up yet, Master Willie, with the sun shining, and the birds singing like this? See;" and she drew the curtains aside, letting a bright sunbeam stream on his rosy face and tumbled hair—"it would be a shame to sleep any longer."

Willie's eyes were open by this time, and nurse added, "You forget, I think, where we are all going to-day."

"To the sea-side!" said Willie, clapping his hands, and wide awake at last. "Oh, nurse, are we really going?"

"To be sure we are, Master and a long journey we have before us too, while you are lying there and wanting to go to sleep. There is no time to be lost. Come, jump up, and dress as fast as you can. Why, Miss Lucy is twice as quick as you."

This made Willie jump out of bed, and set to work in good earnest. With nurse's help, he was very soon dressed, and then he knelt down to say his morning prayer, asking God to forgive his sins, to make him one of Jesus Christ's little lambs, and to bless his dear papa and mamma and little sister. Willie had been taught to say his prayers slowly and gravely, and to think all the time of what he was saying. He knew that if he looked about the room, and thought of other things, he could not hope that God would hear him.

This morning his mind was so full of the journey that he found it very hard to attend to what he was saying, but he kept his eyes shut, and tried not to let such thoughts come into his head. Then he stood up, and said his pretty morning hymn, and nurse read to him a few easy verses in the Bible, and then Willie gave her a kiss, and ran out of the room.

Such a bustle the house was in! Boxes were standing, packed and corded, in the hall, and there was papa at a side table, very busy over a great basket, which he was filling with buns, and biscuits, and cold chicken, all to be eaten on the way.

Little Lucy, Willie's sister, who was only five years old, stood looking on very gravely. She was a year younger than Willie, and Willie always felt as if he were a great deal older than she was.

"Lucy, isn't it nice?" he said to her. "Don't you think the journey will be fun? I do."

"No, I don't like it," said Lucy, shaking her head. "Nurse says there will be a great noise."

"Oh, but a noise won't hurt you, Lucy. It will be so nice to go on—on—faster than you can think. I want so much to see the train. You need not be afraid of it, Lucy. I'll take care of you."

"But you are not big enough," said Lucy, with a sigh.

And Mr. Gray stopped for a moment in his work of packing, to look down and ask—

"What is the matter, my little girl?"

"She's afraid of the train, papa," said Willie. "But she needn't be. I'll take care of her."

"You!" said Mr. Gray, with a little smile.

"I'm six years old, papa," said Willie, holding up his head, and wishing very much that he were taller.

Mr. Gray had a bag of biscuits in his hand, which he was just going to stow away in the basket. But he put it down for a minute, and patted Willie's head.

"I have no doubt you will do the best you can, my boy. But if papa and mamma and Lucy had no one to take care of them except their little Willie, I don't think they could feel very happy at going such a long journey."

"'You' can take care of yourself, papa," said Willie, rather surprised, and Lucy said the same.

"No, Lucy, papa can't take care of himself," said Mr. Gray, looking down gravely at the two little faces. "Papa is much bigger and stronger than either Willie or Lucy, but still he is not big enough or strong enough to take care of himself. Willie can tell me who can take care of us all."

"God can, papa," said Willie softly.

"Yes, Willie, and we must ask God to watch over us on our journey, and all the time we are away from home."

"And when we come back too," said Willie gravely.

"Quite right, Willie. We should never be happy to pass a single day, without feeling that we have prayed God to guard us and watch over us, for Jesus Christ's sake. And my little Lucy need have no fears about the journey. Willie might wish to take care of her, and might not be able, but God is able and willing too."

Willie and Lucy stood looking on in silence for a few minutes, while Mr. Gray began again to pack the basket. Presently he shut down the lid, and tied it tight with a piece of string.

"Now, Willie, will you run and see if mamma is in the parlour, and tell her I am ready for breakfast as soon as she can give it to us."

Willie ran off, and found his mamma waiting, so he came back to tell his papa. Then he went again to the parlour, and rang the bell for family prayers, and put out the large Bible. After prayers, they all had breakfast, and a little later started in a fly for the station.

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