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Speaker 1: Eddie's Faith by Abby Philip's Walker. The day before Christmas,

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Eddie Fenton had worked hard doing errands for the grocer

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near where he lived. He was now hurrying home late

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in the afternoon to tell his mother that he had

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earned fifty cents, which seemed a great deal of money

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to him, and he also had an orange to give her,

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for his mother was sick. When he went into the room,

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he found his mother crying, but she dried her eyes

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and smiled when she saw Eddie. The fire was out

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and there was no more fuel, and Eddie thought she

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was crying about that, And because she was sick, he

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ran to the store for a bag of coal and

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soon had a fire burning. Then he fixed the orange

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for his mother and said, do not cry any more, mother.

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We have a nice fire now, and you read to

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me from the Bible that the prayer of faith shall

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save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up,

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and he will take care of you. I am sure

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as he promised to do. I am not thinking about myself,

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said his mother. But tomorrow is Christmas and there will

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be no Christmas dinner for you and no presents, And

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the tears rolled down her cheeks. Again, do not cry, mother,

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said Eddie. I will read to you from the Bible

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that always makes you feel happy. What shall I read,

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he asked, Whatever you open to first? His mother replied.

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Eddie opened to a chapter in Matthew, and after reading

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a while, he came to this verse, and all things,

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whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing ye shall receive.

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Eddie stopped reading. Why, mother, he said, we need not

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worry about Christmas. We believe in prayer. Why can't we pray?

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This verse tells us that we shall receive if we ask.

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His mother did not answer at once. Then she said, yes, yes,

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we can pray. I'll pray now, said Eddie, kneeling by

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the bed. Dear Jesus, he began, please look down on

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my mother and me and help us to have a

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merry Christmas. Please make mother well and send us a

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turkey all cooked, if you can, we would be very thankful.

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You have so many to look out for. I will

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not ask for any more. I thank you for telling

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me how to get the things we need, and I

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have faith that you will send them. Amen. Now do

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not worry any more, he said, getting up and smiling

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at his mother, who seemed already to be better, and

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a little child showed them. His mother repeated very softly.

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The sun threw a last ray of light into the

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room just as it sank out of sight, and she

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felt that her faith had been strengthened. The next morning,

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when Eddie awoke, the sun was shining. He jumped out

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of bed and called, Merry Christmas. Mother. I will get

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you some breakfast, and then I'll run to the grocery

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store and see if I can do some errands. His

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mother looked at him anxiously, for there were no Christmas presents,

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and she feared that his faith would weaken. But Eddie

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smiled and said, by the time I return, we will

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have a turkey dinner. I am sure. Merry Christmas, called

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some one in the hall, and when he opened the door,

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there stood the prettiest lady Eddie had ever seen. Her

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arms were filled with holly and wreaths, and with her

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was a gentleman with a huge basket. Does missus Fenton

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live here, she inquired. It was one of the ladies

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for whom Eddie's mother worked when she was well, and

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she had brought them a Christmas dinner and stockings and

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a cap for Eddie a nice warm coat and hood

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for his mother, and best of all, she sent for

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a doctor to make his mother well. This turkey is cooked,

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said the lady, taking the things from the basket. Eddie

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can put it in the oven while the vegetables are cooking,

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and it will be ready to eat. Then she put

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a wreath on each window, and some holly over the door,

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and there will be some coal here to day, she said,

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as she went out. When Eddie and his mother were alone,

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he said, you see, mother, we did just write. All

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Jesus was waiting for was to have us ask him.

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I think you are right, said his mother, and now

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we should thank him. I think so too, said Eddie,

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as he knelt by her bed again. End of Eddie's

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Faith by Abby Philip's Walker