Speaker 1: Eddie's Faith by Abby Philip's Walker. The day before Christmas,
Eddie Fenton had worked hard doing errands for the grocer
near where he lived. He was now hurrying home late
in the afternoon to tell his mother that he had
earned fifty cents, which seemed a great deal of money
to him, and he also had an orange to give her,
for his mother was sick. When he went into the room,
he found his mother crying, but she dried her eyes
and smiled when she saw Eddie. The fire was out
and there was no more fuel, and Eddie thought she
was crying about that, And because she was sick, he
ran to the store for a bag of coal and
soon had a fire burning. Then he fixed the orange
for his mother and said, do not cry any more, mother.
We have a nice fire now, and you read to
me from the Bible that the prayer of faith shall
save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up,
and he will take care of you. I am sure
as he promised to do. I am not thinking about myself,
said his mother. But tomorrow is Christmas and there will
be no Christmas dinner for you and no presents, And
the tears rolled down her cheeks. Again, do not cry, mother,
said Eddie. I will read to you from the Bible
that always makes you feel happy. What shall I read,
he asked, Whatever you open to first? His mother replied.
Eddie opened to a chapter in Matthew, and after reading
a while, he came to this verse, and all things,
whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing ye shall receive.
Eddie stopped reading. Why, mother, he said, we need not
worry about Christmas. We believe in prayer. Why can't we pray?
This verse tells us that we shall receive if we ask.
His mother did not answer at once. Then she said, yes, yes,
we can pray. I'll pray now, said Eddie, kneeling by
the bed. Dear Jesus, he began, please look down on
my mother and me and help us to have a
merry Christmas. Please make mother well and send us a
turkey all cooked, if you can, we would be very thankful.
You have so many to look out for. I will
not ask for any more. I thank you for telling
me how to get the things we need, and I
have faith that you will send them. Amen. Now do
not worry any more, he said, getting up and smiling
at his mother, who seemed already to be better, and
a little child showed them. His mother repeated very softly.
The sun threw a last ray of light into the
room just as it sank out of sight, and she
felt that her faith had been strengthened. The next morning,
when Eddie awoke, the sun was shining. He jumped out
of bed and called, Merry Christmas. Mother. I will get
you some breakfast, and then I'll run to the grocery
store and see if I can do some errands. His
mother looked at him anxiously, for there were no Christmas presents,
and she feared that his faith would weaken. But Eddie
smiled and said, by the time I return, we will
have a turkey dinner. I am sure. Merry Christmas, called
some one in the hall, and when he opened the door,
there stood the prettiest lady Eddie had ever seen. Her
arms were filled with holly and wreaths, and with her
was a gentleman with a huge basket. Does missus Fenton
live here, she inquired. It was one of the ladies
for whom Eddie's mother worked when she was well, and
she had brought them a Christmas dinner and stockings and
a cap for Eddie a nice warm coat and hood
for his mother, and best of all, she sent for
a doctor to make his mother well. This turkey is cooked,
said the lady, taking the things from the basket. Eddie
can put it in the oven while the vegetables are cooking,
and it will be ready to eat. Then she put
a wreath on each window, and some holly over the door,
and there will be some coal here to day, she said,
as she went out. When Eddie and his mother were alone,
he said, you see, mother, we did just write. All
Jesus was waiting for was to have us ask him.
I think you are right, said his mother, and now
we should thank him. I think so too, said Eddie,
as he knelt by her bed again. End of Eddie's
Faith by Abby Philip's Walker