<h2><SPAN name="CHAPTER_VIII2" id="CHAPTER_VIII2"></SPAN>CHAPTER VIII.</h2>
<p>The little chicken, or something, did Susy's mamma so much good, that
the next day she was able to sit up an hour; and she felt able to look
over her Bible for the verses that she had promised to find for Susy.</p>
<p>Susy enjoyed reading them, very much.</p>
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<p>"Why, mamma, there are enough to fill a book!" said she. "We would
put in the story of the man who had the withered hand, and then all
about blind Bartimeus, and the man who was blind and dumb that Jesus
made to see and speak. And then there's a story of a man who was laid at
the Beautiful gate of the temple, who could not walk a step, and he was
cured so that he walked and leaped."</p>
<p>"And praised God," said her mamma. "Don't leave that out because that
is the best part of the story. I suppose he would not have been likely
to praise God for the use of his feet if he had never felt the want of
them. I sometimes think that one reason why God has made so many lame
and deaf and blind people, is to teach them to praise him for what
mercies he <i>has</i> given, and to teach us who have feet and eyes and ears
and hands to praise Him with our hearts and our lives for His goodness
to us."</p>
<p>"How <i>can</i> we praise Him with our lives?" asked Susy.</p>
<p>"Why, by obeying Him and trying to please Him. If you had been blind all
your life, and I at last gave you my eyes, what do you think would be
the first use you should make of them?"</p>
<p>"O mamma! I should want to look at you the first thing, to see how you
looked. And at papa and Robbie too. And I should want to do something
for you for giving me eyes. But at first I shouldn't know how."</p>
<p>"But when you had learned, you surely would not use the eyes I had given
you to look at any thing I did not want you to see? If, out of love and
gratitude to me, you should always refuse to look at things you knew
were improper, that would be praising me with your life, or thanking
me, which means nearly the same thing."</p>
<p>"I should think these lame men that Jesus healed, would have followed
Him everywhere He went," said Susy. "And do every thing for Him. <i>I</i>
should, I am sure."</p>
<p>"But you have more to be grateful for, than those poor men had. For some
of them had been blind or lame ever since they were born, and had
suffered many years before Jesus came to heal them. And do you follow
Jesus wherever He goes, thanking Him, and doing all you can for Him?
Look at those little hands! Have they done for Jesus all they could? And
those strong, busy feet that can carry you anywhere you want to go; have
they never carried you where you knew Jesus would not go? And have you
never spoken any unkind words you would not have liked to speak if you
saw Him standing near, and listening?"</p>
<p>"I have done a good many naughty things," said Susy. "I never thinked
how good God was. And I've said a good many things I shouldn't think He
liked to hear. I am sorry, mamma. I <i>am</i> sorry, really."</p>
<p>And Susy <i>was</i> sorry. After she left her mamma she went away by herself
and knelt down and prayed to God. She thanked Him that she was not a
little lame girl, sitting pale and sad and unable to run and play. She
thanked Him that she had eyes to see this beautiful world with. She
thanked Him that she had ears with which to hear about Jesus, and the
holy angels, and the happy heaven above. And last of all, she thanked
Him that she had a tongue with which to thank Him, and asked Him to keep
it from speaking unkind and untruthful words. And He who loves little
children, heard her prayer, and wrote it in His Book.</p>
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