Harold and Bobby were two young brothers who grew up in a Christian home. They attended church faithfully every Sabbath and had morning and evening worship as a family. Most of the time the boys got along quite well. They were taught to be very industrious at a young age. Harold proved to be quite adept in using his tools to construct things. Bobby, who was younger, was not quite as skilled, but was learning by watching and helping his older brother.
“Bobby,” called Harold to his little brother, who was playing on the back door-step, “Can you please go out to the barn and bring me my saw?”
Bobby left his two pet cats, Topsy and Tiger, on the steps, and ran obediently for the tool. Harold was very busy constructing a hen-coop, and he needed a great deal of assistance.
“Thanks,” he said, shortly as the little boy returned. “Now, where did I put those nails? O, they’re on the kitchen table! Can you please hand them out to me?”
Bobby brought the nails, and sat down again to watch the work.
“Are you going to finish it today, Harold?” he asked.
“No; I don’t have time. I am going to the park in about ten minutes. There is a lacrosse match on; but I want to drive these nails first. O, by the way, Bob, my lacrosse stick is up in my bedroom! Can you go and bring it down, as I am so awfully busy.”
Bobby loved his older brother and eagerly ran up the stairs. He always went on errands for his big brother very willingly, but this time he made special haste; hoping that perhaps Harold would take him to the park with him.
“Mother!” he cried, poking his head out to the shady front veranda, where his mother and aunt sat sewing. “Harold’s going to the park; may I go, with him?”
His mother looked up from her sewing rather doubtfully. “O, I really don’t know,” she began.
“O, let the little man go!” pleaded Aunt Kate, when she saw the disappointment on Bobby’s round face. “Harold will take care of him.”
“Well, keep near Harold, Bobby. I don’t like you crossing the railroad track on your own.”
Bobby bounded out to the back yard full of joy, waving the lacrosse stick.
“Mother says I can go, too,” he shouted excitedly, running down the steps.
“O dear,” moaned Harold, hammering a nail rather viciously. “Why do you always want to follow me around?”
“O, you don’t want me to go?” cried little Bobby, in distress. “Aw, Harold please let me come with you.”
“I can’t have a kid like you forever tagging after me. Why can’t you play with boys of your own age? You can’t come today and that’s it.”
“O please Harold, I won’t bother you, I will just watch you play.” Bobby’s eyes were beginning to brim over with tears. His face wore a look of despair.
“O, cry-baby; of course you will cry now. You can stay at home and play with the cats.”
And so, Harold, whom Bobby had served so willingly all day, took his lacrosse stick and went off whistling.
As he was leaving the house he met his Aunt Kate in the hall. “Where is your little servant?” she asked cheerfully. “Isn’t he going?”
“Who? Bobby? O Aunt Kate, he’s too small to go everywhere with me.”
“Ah!” Aunt Kate looked surprised. “I thought he was quite big enough to be with you when there was work to be done, but I see, a servant is wanted only to run errands and do such things.”
Harold was not quite sure whether she was joking or not. How could she say that Bobby was his servant? She had made him feel uncomfortable.
He had just reached the street when he remembered that he had left his ball on the back porch where he had been working. He half wished Bobby were with him, so he could send him back to get it. And then he felt ashamed when he remembered his aunt’s words. Was she right, after all, and did he make use of his little brother, and then thrust him aside when he did not need him?
He did not like the idea of facing Aunt Kate again so he slipped in through the back gate, and walked quietly around the house. As he approached the house, he heard a voice, and paused a moment, hidden by a lilac bush. Poor, Bobby was sitting on the steps, one hand on Tiger’s neck, while the other stroked Topsy. He was pouring out to his two friends all his troubles.
“He doesn’t like me, Tops, not one little bit. He never wants me round, only to run and get things for him. You don’t be bad to Tops just ‘cause she’s smaller than you, do you, Tiger? But I guess you like Topsy, and Harold don’t like me. He don’t like me one little teeny bit.” Here a sob choked him, and through the green branches, Harold could see a big tear-drop upon Topsy’s velvet coat.
“I wish I had a brother that liked me,” went on the pitiful little voice. “Tom Benson likes Charlie. He likes him an awful lot. And Charlie doesn’t do nearly as many things as I do. And they are not even Christians. Harold could see the blue shirt sleeve raised to brush away the hot tears.
Harold drew back quietly, and tiptoed down the walk to the street. He had forgotten all about the ball. His eyes were so misty that he did not notice Charlie Benson, waiting for him at the gate, until Tom called:—
“Hello there! I thought you were never coming. What kept you?”
“Say, is Charlie going?” asked Harold, suddenly.
“Of course I am!” cried the little fellow, romping around on the sidewalk. “Tom said I could. Didn’t you, Tom?”
Tom laughed good-naturedly. “He really wanted to come,” he said. “I am sure he won’t bother us.”
Harold suddenly felt ashamed of himself. What kind of a young boy was he, who claimed to be a Christian? While his friend, who did not go to church and pray as he did, was more kind to his own little brother. “Well—I—think Bobby wants to come too,” said Harold, hesitatingly, “and if Charlie is going—“
“O, goody!” cried Charlie, who was Bobby’s special friend. “Where is he?”
Harold put his fingers to his lips, and uttered two sharp whistles. Bobby understood the signal, and came around the side of the house. He had carefully wiped away his tears, but his voice was rather shaky.
“What do you want?” he called. He felt sure Harold had an errand for him and even though he felt hurt, he loved his brother so much that he would happily do anything for him.
“Charlie’s going to the park with us,” shouted his brother, “So I guess you can come, if you want to.”
Bobby came down the path in leaps and bounds.
“I’m going, mother!” he shouted, waving his cap.
And away he and Charlie ran down the street ahead of their brothers.
Later that day, Aunt Kate laid her hand on Harold’s shoulder, and said: “I am afraid I made a mistake the other day, Harold. I believe Bobby’s been promoted from the rank of servant to be a brother. I have been praying for you.”
Harold smiled, and that night as he prayed, he thanked Jesus for his young brother and for showing him how selfish he had been. He prayed for forgiveness and promised to be more kind towards his brother in the future.
Is not that how we sometimes treat our parents, or siblings? Or how we treat Jesus? We keep asking for help, and expecting the help, but then when we want to be with our friends, our parents are not so important and Jesus is often left out of many social gatherings.
This makes our parents, siblings and Jesus very sad. Jesus has done so many wonderful things for you. He protects you every day and gives you food and shelter.
Remember to thank your parents, and thank Jesus every day for all that they are doing for you. Take Jesus with you every where you go.