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The Complete Guide To Wiring Current With 2017 2020 Electrical Codes Updated 7th Ed 7th Edition Black & Decker Corporation
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The Complete Guide to
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© 2018 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. Library of Congress Control Number: 2017947411 G
First published in 2018 by Cool Springs Press, an imprint of Acquiring Editor: Mark Johanson U
The Quarto Group, 401 Second Avenue North, Suite 310, Project Manager: Jordan Wiklund
Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA. T (612) 344-8100 F (612) 344-8692 Art Director: Brad Springer G
www.QuartoKnows.com Layout: Danielle Smith-Boldt
Technical Reviewer: Bruce Barker H
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any New Photography:
form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images Photographer: Rich Fleischman W
in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior Photo Assistant: Tom Tschida
consent of the artists concerned, and no responsibility is accepted
by producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright Printed in China
or otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication. Every W
effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with
information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may W
have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or missing information in a
subsequent reprinting of the book. N
Cool Springs Press titles are also available at discount for retail, C
wholesale, promotional, and bulk purchase. For details, contact the
Special Sales Manager by email at specialsales@quarto.com or by S
mail at The Quarto Group, Attn: Special Sales Manager, 401 Second
Avenue North, Suite 310, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 B
Digital edition published in 2018 E
eISBN: 978-0-7603-5357-8 I
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BLACK+DECKER and the BLACK+DECKER logo are trademarks of The Black & Decker Corporation and are used under license. All rights reserved.
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NOTICE TO READERS T
For safety, use caution, care, and good judgment when following the procedures described in this book. The publisher and S
BLACK+DECKER cannot assume responsibility for any damage to property or injury to persons as a result of misuse of the
information provided. T
The techniques shown in this book are general techniques for various applications. In some instances, additional
techniques not shown in this book may be required. Always follow manufacturers’ instructions included with products,
since deviating from the directions may void warranties. The projects in this book vary widely as to skill levels required: R
some may not be appropriate for all do-it-yourselfers, and some may require professional help.
T
Consult your local building department for information on building permits, codes, and other laws as they apply to
your project. R
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The Complete Guide 9
to Wiring 7th Edition
Introduction 7
SWITCHES 83
Wall Switches 84
Types of Wall Switches 86
Specialty Switches 94
Testing Switches 98
RECEPTACLES 103
Types of Receptacles 104
Receptacle Wiring 110
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114 123
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231 235
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Introduction
T his newly updated, 7th edition of BLACK+DECKER The Complete Guide to Wiring is
the most comprehensive and current book on home wiring. Inside you will find accurate
and detailed information covering all of the home wiring situations that most homeowners
are likely to encounter in their home repair and improvement projects. The information
within also conforms to the 2017 edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Typically,
most simple home wiring projects are unaffected by the changes to the NEC, which is
updated every three years. But according to top-notch home inspector Bruce Barker, who
helped us update this book for its 7th edition, there are four code alterations that may
impact homeowners soon. Local authorities use the NEC as the basis for their electrical
code, although it usually takes a few years before the changes are adopted. And local codes
always supersede any national codes.
Here are the provisions most likely to affect your wiring replacement of defective switches and receptacles
project, based on the new 2017 edition of the NEC: with like devices, may be subject to this requirement.
1. Install AFCI protection for most circuits when 2. GFCI protection required for lights in crawlspaces.
remodeling and adding new circuits. This is not a GFCI protection is now required for new lights inside
change in the 2017 NEC, but as more jurisdictions crawlspaces. As is true for most code requirements,
adopt more recent editions of the NEC, this existing lights are not required to be GFCI protected.
requirement may be enforced more often.
3. Garage receptacles may not feed other outlets.
AFCIs (Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupters) must A dedicated 20-amp, 120-volt branch circuit is
be installed on most 15- and 20-amp, 120-volt required to serve only receptacles in the garage and
branch circuits inside the house. This includes receptacles on the exterior garage walls. This circuit
circuits serving lights, receptacles, and equipment may not serve lights or other loads inside or outside
(such as a microwave oven) installed inside the the garage. A receptacle is required for each parking
house. The primary exceptions are circuits serving space in the garage.
bathrooms, unfinished basement areas, garages, and
exterior circuits. 4. Receptacles required in fixed cabinets and
bookcases. When laying out receptacles in most rooms,
AFCI protection must be installed whenever you should include wall space where permanently
a branch circuit that is now required to be AFCI installed cabinets and bookcases are located. This
protected is added, replaced, extended, or modified. means that a receptacle may need to be located behind
Many of the projects in this book, except for a cabinet door or at shelves where books will be stored.
INTRODUCTION 7
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Working Safely
with Wiring
In this chapter:
• How Electricity Works
• Glossary of Electrical Terms
• Understanding Electrical Circuits
• Grounding & Polarization
• Home Wiring Tools
• Wiring Safety
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Faucet
T
Water flows
under pressure E
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How Electricity Works t
p
Water supply pipe t
Switch
Light fixture
P
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S
v
Black (hot) wire
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The Delivery System
Electricity that enters the home is produced by large from the two 120‑volt wires may be combined
power plants. Power plants are located in all parts of at the service panel to supply electricity to large
the country and generate electricity with generators 240‑volt appliances such as clothes dryers or electric
that are turned by water, wind, or steam. From these water heaters.
plants electricity enters large “step‑up” transformers Incoming electricity passes through a meter that
that increase voltage to half a million volts or more. measures electricity consumption. Electricity then
Electricity flows at these high voltages and enters the service panel, where it is distributed to
travels through high‑voltage transmission wires to circuits that run throughout the house. The service
communities that can be hundreds of miles from the panel also contains fuses or circuit breakers that shut
power plants. “Step‑down” transformers located at off power to the individual circuits in the event of
substations then reduce the voltage for distribution a short circuit or an overload. Certain high‑current
along street wires. On utility power poles, smaller appliances, such as microwave ovens, are usually
transformers further reduce the voltage to ordinary plugged into their own individual circuits to
120‑volt electricity for household use. prevent overloads.
Wires carrying electricity to a house either run Voltage ratings determined by power companies
underground or are strung overhead and attached and manufacturers have changed over the years.
to a piece of conduit called a service mast. Most These changes do not affect the performance of
homes built after 1950 have three wires running to new devices connected to older wiring. For making
the service head: two power wires, each carrying electrical calculations, use a rating of 120 volts or
120 volts, and a grounded neutral wire. Electricity 240 volts for your circuits.
Power plants supply electricity to Substations are located near the Electrical transformers reduce the
thousands of homes and businesses. communities they serve. A typical high-voltage electricity that flows
Step-up transformers increase the substation takes electricity from through wires along neighborhood
voltage produced at the plant. high-voltage transmission wires streets. A utility pole transformer—or
and reduces it for distribution along ground transformer—reduces voltage
street wires. from 10,000 volts to the normal
120-volt electricity used in households.
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Parts of the Electrical System
The service mast (metal conduit) and the weatherhead create The meter measures the amount of electricity consumed. It is T
the entry point for electricity into your home. The mast is usually attached to the side of the house and connects to the b
supplied with three wires, two of which (the insulated wires) service mast. The electric meter belongs to your local power c
each carry 120 volts and originate at the nearest transformer. utility company. If you suspect the meter is not functioning o
In some areas electricity enters from below ground as a properly, contact the power company. p
lateral, instead of the overhead drop shown above.
Surges in current flow to grounding rod Current flows back to neutral at service mast
A grounding wire connects the electrical system to the earth Light fixtures attach directly to a household electrical S
through a metal grounding rod driven next to the house. system. They are usually controlled with wall switches. S
The two common types of light fixtures are incandescent a
and fluorescent.
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The main service panel, in the form of a fuse box or breaker Electrical boxes enclose wire connections. According to the
box, distributes power to individual circuits. Fuses or National Electrical Code, all wire splices and connections
circuit breakers protect each circuit from short circuits and must be contained entirely in a covered plastic or metal
overloads. Fuses and circuit breakers also are used to shut off electrical box.
power to individual circuits while repairs are made.
Switches control electricity passing through hot circuit wires. Receptacles, sometimes called outlets, provide plug-in access
Switches can be wired to control light fixtures, ceiling fans, to electricity. A 120-volt, 15-amp receptacle with a grounding
appliances, and receptacles. hole is the most typical receptacle in wiring systems installed
after 1965. Most receptacles have two plug-in locations and
are called duplex receptacles.
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GLOSSARY OF ELECTRICAL TERMS
Ampere (or amp): Refers to the rate at which electrical Neutral wire: A wire that returns current at zero voltage to
current flows to a light, tool, or appliance. the source of electrical power. Usually covered with white or
light gray insulation. Also called the grounded wire.
Armored cable: An assembly of insulated wires enclosed in
a flexible, interlocked metallic armor. Non-metallic sheathed cable: NM cable consists of two
or more insulated conductors and, in most cases, a bare
Box: A device used to contain wiring connections.
ground wire housed in a durable PVC casing.
BX: A brand name for an early type of armored cable that
Outlet: A place where electricity is taken for use. A
is no longer made. The current term is armored cable.
receptacle is a common type of outlet. A box for a ceiling
Cable: Two or more wires that are grouped together and fan is another type of outlet.
protected by a covering or sheath.
Overload: A demand for more current than the circuit wires
Circuit: A continuous loop of electrical current flowing or electrical device was designed to carry. This should
along wires. cause a fuse to blow or a circuit breaker to trip.
Circuit breaker: A safety device that interrupts an electrical Pigtail: A short wire used to connect two or more wires to a
circuit in the event of an overload or short circuit. single screw terminal.
Conductor: Any material that allows electrical current Polarized receptacle: A receptacle designed to keep hot
to flow through it. Copper wire is an especially current flowing along black or red wires and neutral current
good conductor. flowing along white or gray wires.
Conduit: A metal or plastic pipe used to protect wires. Power: The work performed by electricity for a period of
time. Use of power makes heat, motion, or light.
Continuity: An uninterrupted electrical pathway through a
circuit or electrical fixture. Receptacle: A device that provides plug-in access
to electricity.
Current: The flow of electricity along a conductor.
Romex: A brand name of plastic-sheathed electrical cable
Duplex receptacle: A receptacle that provides connections
that is commonly used for indoor wiring. Commonly known
for two plugs.
as NM cable.
Flexible metal conduit (FMC): Hollow, coiled steel or
Screw terminal: A place where a wire connects to a
aluminum tubing that may be filled with wires (similar to
receptacle, switch, or fixture.
Armored Cable, but AC is pre-wired).
Service panel: A metal box usually near the site where
Fuse: A safety device, usually found in older homes,
electricity enters the house. In the service panel, electrical
that interrupts electrical circuits during an overload or
current is split into individual circuits. In residences, the service
short circuit.
panel has circuit breakers or fuses to protect each circuit.
Greenfield: A brand name for an early type of flexible metal
Short circuit: An accidental and improper contact between
conduit. The current term is flexible metal conduit. Note:
two current-carrying wires or between a current-carrying
flexible metal conduit is different from armored cable.
wire and a grounding conductor.
Grounded wire: See neutral wire.
Switch: A device that controls electricity passing through
Grounding wire: A wire used in an electrical circuit to conduct hot circuit wires. Used to turn lights and appliances on
current to the service panel in the event of a ground fault. The and off.
grounding wire often is a bare copper wire.
UL: An abbreviation for Underwriters Laboratories, an
Hot wire: Any wire that carries voltage. In an electrical organization that tests electrical devices and manufactured
circuit, the hot wire usually is covered with black or products for safety.
red insulation.
Voltage (or volts): A measurement of electricity in terms
Insulator: Any material, such as plastic or rubber, that of pressure.
resists the flow of electrical current. Insulating materials
Wattage (or watt): A measurement of electrical power in
protect wires and cables.
terms of total work performed. Watts can be calculated by
Junction box: See box. multiplying the voltage times the amps.
Meter: A device used to measure the amount of electrical Wire connector: A device used to connect two or more
power being used. wires together. Also called a wire nut.
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Weatherhead prevents moisture from entering the house
Service wires supply electricity to the house from the utility company’s power lines
Chandelier
Switch loop
Wall switch
Separate 120-volt circuit for microwave oven
Separate 240-volt
circuit for water heater
Separate 120/240-volt
circuit for clothes dryer
Grounding wire to
metal grounding rod
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Anatomy of a circuit
Understanding
Electrical Circuits Service panel
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Light switch Light switch
e panel
Common Common
terminal terminal
wires
kers
Circuit wires
Grounding wire
Hot wire
Light fixture
Grounding wire
Receptacle
Receptacle
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a
s
y
e
b
E lectricity always seeks to return to its source water and gas pipes are the most common examples. g
and complete a continuous circuit. Contrary A metal water and gas pipe could become energized
to popular belief, electricity will take all available by coming in contact with a damaged electrical wire. f
return paths to its source, not just the path of lowest Metal gas pipe could become energized by a ground d
resistance. In a household wiring system, this return fault in a gas appliance such as a furnace. c
path is provided by white neutral wires that return Bonding is a very important safety system. A a
current to the main service panel. From the service person could receive a fatal shock if he or she touches
panel, current returns along the uninsulated neutral energized metal that is improperly bonded, because
service wire to a power pole transformer. that person becomes electricity’s return path to
You will see the terms grounding and bonding used its source. Bonding is also a fire safety system that
in this and other books about electricity. These terms reduces the chance of electrical fires.
are often misunderstood. You should understand the Grounding connects the home’s electrical system
difference to safely work on electrical circuits. to the earth. Grounding’s primary purpose is to help
Bonding connects the non‑current‑carrying metal stabilize voltage fluctuations caused by lightning and
parts of the electrical system, such as metal boxes and other problems in the electrical grid. Grounding also
metal conduit, in a continuous low‑resistance path provides a secondary return path for electricity in
back to the main service panel. If this metal becomes case there is a problem in the normal return path.
energized (a ground fault), current travels on the Grounding is accomplished by connecting a wire
bonded metal and quickly increases to an amount between the main service panel and a grounding
that trips the circuit breaker or blows the fuse. The electrode. The most common grounding electrode is M
f
dead circuit alerts people to a problem. a buried copper‑coated steel rod. Other grounding
a
Other metal that could become energized also electrodes include reinforcing steel in the footing, c
must be bonded to the home’s electrical system. Metal called a ufer ground. r
Current
Service panel Black hot wire returns to
Grounding wire
transformer
White
neutral
wire
Grounding
screw
Grounding wire
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Grounding of the home electrical system is however, that deterioration of this older cable may
accomplished by connecting the household electrical decrease its effectiveness as a bonding conductor.
system to the metal water service pipe, if any, between Modern cable includes a green insulated or bare
your house and the street and to another grounding copper wire that serves as the bonding path. This
electrode such as metal grounding electrodes that are bonding wire is connected to all three‑slot receptacles
buried in the earth. and metal boxes to provide a continuous pathway for
After 1920, most American homes included any ground‑fault current. By plugging a three‑prong
receptacles that accepted polarized plugs. The plug into a grounded three‑slot receptacle, people are
two‑slot polarized plug and receptacle was designed protected from ground faults that occur in appliances,
to keep hot current flowing along black or red tools, or other electric devices.
wires and neutral current flowing along white or Use a receptacle adapter to plug three‑prong
gray wires. plugs into two‑slot receptacles, but use it only if the
The metal jacket around armored cable and receptacle connects to a grounding wire or grounded
flexible metal conduit, widely installed in homes electrical box. Adapters have short grounding wires or
during the 1940s, provided a bonding path. When wire loops that attach to the receptacle’s coverplate
connected to metal junction boxes, it provided mounting screw. The mounting screw connects the
a metal pathway back to the service panel. Note, adapter to the grounded metal electrical box.
Modern NM (nonmetallic) cable, Armored cable is sold pre-installed in Polarized receptacles have a long slot
found in most wiring systems installed a flexible metal housing. It contains a and a short slot. Used with a polarized
after about 1965, contains a bare green insulated ground wire along with plug, the polarized receptacle keeps
copper wire that provides bonding for black and white conductors. Flexible electrical current directed for safety.
receptacle and switch boxes. metal conduit (not shown) is sold empty.
Tamper-resistent three-slot receptacles A receptacle adapter allows three-prong Double-insulated tools have
are required by code for new homes. plugs to be inserted into two-slot non-conductive plastic bodies to
They are usually connected to a receptacles. The adapter should only prevent shocks caused by ground
standard two-wire cable with ground. be used with receptacles mounted in a faults. Because of these features,
bonded metal box, and the grounding loop double-insulated tools can be used
or wire of the adapter must be attached to safely with ungrounded receptacles.
the coverplate mounting screw.
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Home Wiring Tools
K J I H G
Hand tools you’ll need for home wiring projects include: Stud finder/laser level (A) for locating framing members and aligning
electrical boxes; tape measure (B); a cable ripper (C) for scoring NM sheathing; standard (D) and Phillips (E) screwdrivers; a D
utility knife (F); side cutters (G) for cutting wires; channel-type pliers (H) for general gripping and crimping; linesman pliers (I) c
that combine side cutter and gripping jaws; needlenose pliers (J); wire strippers (K) for removing insulation from conductors. (
r
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Use a tool belt to keep frequently used tools within easy A fish tape is useful for installing cables in finished wall
reach. Electrical tapes in a variety of colors are used for cavities and for pulling wires through conduit. Products
marking wires and for attaching cables to a fish tape. designed for lubrication reduce friction and make it easier to
pull cables and wires.
Diagnostic tools for home wiring use include: A touchless circuit tester (A) to safely check wires for current and confirm that
circuits are dead; a plug-in tester (B) to check receptacles for correct polarity, grounding, and circuit protection; a multimeter
(C) to measure AC/DC voltage, AC/DC current, resistance, capacitance, frequency, and duty cycle (model shown is an auto-
ranging digital multimeter with clamp-on jaws that measure through sheathing and wire insulation).
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Wiring Safety
straightforward, always use caution and good TIP: Test a live circuit with the voltage tester to
judgment when working with electrical wiring or verify that it is working before you rely on it. W
devices. Common sense can prevent accidents. Restore power only when the repair or O
The basic rule of electrical safety is: Always turn replacement project is complete.
off power to the area or device you are working on. Follow the safety tips shown on these pages. Never
At the main service panel, remove the fuse or shut off attempt an electrical project beyond your skill or
the circuit breaker that controls the circuit you are confidence level.
E
r
Shut power OFF at the main service panel or subpanel where Create a circuit index and affix it to the inside of the door to
the circuit originates before beginning any work. your main service panel. Update it as needed.
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Wear rubber-soled shoes while working on electrical projects. Use fiberglass or wood ladders when making routine
On damp floors, stand on a rubber mat or dry wooden boards. household repairs near the service mast.
Extension cords are for temporary use only. Cords must be Breakers and fuses must be compatible with the panel
rated for the intended usage. manufacturer and match the circuit capacity.
s Never alter the prongs of a plug to fit a receptacle. If possible, Do not penetrate walls or ceilings without first shutting off
install a new grounded receptacle. electrical power to the circuits that may be hidden.
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Wire, Cable
& Conduit
In this chapter:
• Wire & Cable
• NM Cable
• Conduit
• Surface-Mounted Wiring
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wire, which does not need insulation. The insulation
is color coded (see chart, below left) to identify the
wire as a hot wire, a neutral wire, or a grounding wire.
New cable sheathing is also color coded to indicate
the size of the wires inside. White means #14 wire,
yellow means #12 wire, and red means #10 wire.
In most wiring systems installed after 1965, the
Wire & Cable wires and cables are insulated with PVC. This type of
insulation is very durable and can last as long as the
house itself.
White or gray Neutral wire carrying current #6 55 amps, 240 volts; central air
at zero voltage conditioner, electric furnace
Individual wires are color-coded to identify their function. In Wire sizes (shown actual size) are categorized by the American
some circuit installations, the white wire serves as a hot wire Wire Gauge system. The larger the wire size, the smaller the
that carries voltage. If so, this white wire may be labeled with AWG number. The ampacities in this table are for copper wires
black tape or paint to identify it as a hot wire. in NM cable. The ampacity for the same wire in conduit is
usually more. The ampacity for aluminum wire is less.
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Knob and tube wiring, so called because of the shape
of its porcelain insulating brackets, was common
before 1940. Wires are covered with a layer of
rubberized cloth, but have no additional protection.
Armored cable (AC) has been around since the 1920s. Early versions
had no grounding function, but existed solely to protect the wires that
were threaded into it. Later armored cable products either had ground
wire twisted in with the flexible metal cover or relied on the metal cover
itself for connecting to ground.
Metal conduit has been used for over 100 years to protect wires from
damage. Metal conduit may be used as the equipment grounding conductor
if the electrical continuity is maintained. Modern conduit and tubing (a
thinner material) is made from metal and plastic.
NMNM (nonmetallic)
cable cablearound
was developed was developed
1930.
around
The first 1930.
version The
had first version
rubberized had
sheathing
rubberized
that degradedsheathing that had
rapidly and degraded rapidly
no ground
and Modern
wire. had no ground
versionswire.
withModern versions
a hard PVC
with
shell acame
hard onto
PVC the
shellmarket
came in onto
thethe market
1960s.
in the 1960s.
Sheathing Sheathing
is now is now
color‑coded by color-coded
gauge (the
by gauge
yellow (the
seen yellow
here is 12seen
AWG).here is 12 AWG).
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Coaxial cable is used to connect cable television jacks.
It is available in lengths up to 25 ft. with preattached
F‑connectors (A). Or you can buy bulk cable (B) in any length.
R
(
A
NM (nonmetallic) sheathed cable should be used for
most
for most
indoor
indoor
wiring
wiring
projects
projects
in dry
in dry
locations.
locations.
NMNMcable
is
cable
available
is available
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Text
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Little Dot
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Language: English
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ANGEL'S CHRISTMAS, AND, LITTLE DOT
***
Transcriber's note: Unusual and inconsistent spelling is as printed.
ANGEL'S CHRISTMAS
AND
LITTLE DOT
BY
MRS. O. F. WALTON
AUTHOR OF
"THE MYSTERIOUS HOUSE," "PEEP BEHIND THE SCENES,"
"CHRISTIE, THE KING'S SERVANT," "WINTER'S FOLLY," ETC.
LONDON
CONTENTS
ANGEL'S CHRISTMAS
LITTLE DOT
ANGEL'S CHRISTMAS
CHAPTER I
FROM morning till night, poor Mrs. Blyth was hard at work with her great mangle.
It was a very dismal room; no one could call it anything else. The window was very
small, several of the panes patched together with pieces of brown paper, and the dust
and the spiders had been very busy trying how much sunshine they could keep from
coming into the gloomy little room.
Yet one could hardly blame poor Mrs. Blyth very much, for she had a hard life and
plenty to do. A drunken husband, a mangle, and five children! No wonder that she had
not time to look after the spiders!
The mangle filled up at least half of the room, and from early morning till late at night it
was going backwards and forwards, almost without stopping. When Mrs. Blyth was
making dinner ready, Angel turned; and when Angel was eating her dinner with her
little brothers and sisters, Mrs. Blyth turned again. And in this way the mangle was
almost always going; and old Mrs. Sawyer, lying on her bed next door, would quite have
missed the noise it made rolling backwards and forwards, which acted as a kind of
lullaby to her the whole week long.
Little Angel was standing by the door with a large clothes-basket in her arms, waiting
for it to be filled. She was the eldest of the five children, and she was not quite seven
years old. She was very small, and her little figure was a good deal bent with turning
the heavy mangle. She had to stand on a stool to turn it, and it made her back ache.
But that did not matter,—the mangle must be turned, or they would have no dinner to-
morrow.
And now the clothes must be carried home; and they were a very heavy load.
"Is all these for Mrs. Douglas, mother?" said little Angel, when the flannels, and dusters,
and towels, and stockings were all piled carefully into the basket.
"Yes, child; there's just six and a half dozen. Now mind you don't spill any of them."
Little Angel tried to lift the great basket, but it was more than she could manage; the
blood rushed into her little pale face with the effort.
"Tim will help you," said her mother. "Go and call him; I'll give him a slice of treacle and
bread, if he'll come."
Tim, who was a neighbour's little boy, agreed to the bargain, and the two children
started together.
On they toiled through the wet and muddy streets, almost without speaking, until little
Angel paused before a large house in one of the grander streets of that small town.
"Who lives here?" said Tim, as he glanced up at the bow windows and at the great door
with pillars on each side of it.
"This is where we're going," said Angel. "These are Mrs. Douglas's clothes. Help me to
carry them in."
They rang twice before any one came to open it; and then the cook came to the door
with a very red face, and with very white hands, for she was in the midst of baking.
"You'll have to wait a minute or two," she said; "come inside and put your basket down;
it's Miss Ellie's birthday, and I'm very busy. I'll take them out of the basket when these
cakes are done."
The two children stood on the mat by the kitchen door, and looked around them. There
was a large fire, and the cook was taking a number of little cakes from the oven shelf.
They were curious little cakes, of all shapes and sizes. Some were round, some square,
some diamond-shaped: some were like birds, some like fishes, some like leaves.
The children peered curiously at them as the cook arranged them on tiny plates, not
larger than the inside of Angel's little hand. She was in the midst of doing this when the
kitchen door opened, and a little girl ran in. She was much younger than Angel, and she
was dressed in a white frock and blue sash. In her arms was a beautiful doll, more
beautiful than any doll Angel had ever seen except in a toy-shop window.
The little girl ran quickly into the kitchen; but when she saw the children she looked
shyly at them, and crept up to cook's side.
"Now, Miss Ellie," said cook, "are you come to look at your cakes?" and she lifted the
little girl upon a stool, that she might stand by and watch what she was doing.
"Yes; but I suppose there's plenty of little folks to eat them," said cook, laughing.
"Oh yes," said the child; "there's me, and Alice, and Fanny, and Jemmy; and then
there's Nellie Rogers and Joe Rogers, and little Eva; and there's Charlie and Willie
Campbell. And then there are all my dollies: they must come to my birthday tea,
mustn't they, cook?"
"Oh, of course," said cook; "it would never do to leave them out. Is that a new one,
Miss Ellie?"
"Yes; Uncle Harry gave her to me for a birthday present. Isn't she nice? She has curls,
cook!"
"I don't know," said the child; "I can't think what would be the nicest name. What would
you call her if she was your dolly, cook?"
"Oh, Emma, or Sarah, or Jane, or something of that sort," said cook, laughing.
"I don't think those are very pretty names," said the little girl; "I would like her to have
quite a new name, that I never heard before."
"Well, we must think about it," said cook. "I must go and take the clothes out now, and
let these children go."
"She has brought the clothes from the mangle: her mother mangles them."
"I don't know, Miss Ellie; you'd better ask her," said cook.
So cook turned to the children, and asked them what were their names.
"He's Tim, ma'am," said the little girl, pointing at the boy, standing shyly with his finger
in his mouth; "and I'm Angel."
"Oh, cook!" whispered little Ellie, "please, please let me see her wings. Are they tucked
up under her shawl? Oh, please do let me see them!"
"However did you come by such an outlandish name?" she said, turning to little Angel.
"It's Angelina, please, ma'am, for long. My mother read it in a penny number before she
was married; and Angelina lived in a palace, please, ma'am, and had gold shoes and a
carriage with six horses, my mother said."
"Well, to be sure!" said cook. "And so she gave you that heathenish name, when you
haven't got gold shoes, nor a carriage, nor six horses. Well, to be sure!"
"Oh, cook!" said little Ellie, "I think it's a beautiful name: the angels live in heaven."
"She doesn't live there, poor little soul!" said cook compassionately; "I'll be bound it's
anything but heaven where she lives. Her father drinks, and her mother has five of
them."
"Cook," whispered the child again, "would she like one of my birthday cakes?"
"I should think so," said cook. "Should we give her one?"
And, to Angel's great astonishment, she found herself the sole owner and possessor of a
pastry bird, a fish, a star, and a heart; while little Tim was made equally rich.
"There, now! The basket's ready," said cook; "and here's the money for your mother."
"Good-bye, little Angel," said the child shyly; "I do wish you had some wings."
"Cook, don't you think Angelina would be a pretty name for my dolly?" they heard her
saying as they went down the steps.
"Ay, it was nice in there!" said Tim, as they walked homewards in the dirty, dismal,
muddy streets. "I wish I had a birthday."
"Did you ever have one?" asked Angel; "I never did."
"Yes, one," said Tim; "only once, and that was a long, long time ago."
"It's a nice sort of a day!" said Tim, "When everybody's good to you, and gives you
things. One day mother let me have a birthday."
"Oh, the kitchen was swept all clean and tidy, and mother never scolded me once all
day, and she made a cake for tea that had lots of currants in it—not just one in each
slice, like the cake we have on Sundays. And father gave me a penny and a packet of
goodies for my very own! That's the only birthday I ever had. Mother says she hasn't
any time for birthdays now."
"I wonder if I shall ever have a birthday," said little Angel with a sigh, as she went in to
turn the mangle once more.
CHAPTER II
WHO KNOCKS?
THE mangle went on, backwards and forwards, until very late that night. Little Angel's
arms and back ached terribly when the work was finished and she and her mother crept
close to the flickering fire.
"Oh, mother, please let me stop a little longer with you. Are you going to sit up?"
"Yes, I must wait till he comes," said the mother wearily, glancing at the large clock
which was ticking solemnly in the corner of the little kitchen. "Oh dear, oh dear! what a
lot of trouble there is in the world!"
"Mother," said little Angel suddenly, "did you ever have a birthday?"
Mrs. Blyth did not answer at first, but bent lower over the fire. Little Angel fancied she
was crying.
"Yes," she said at last, "when I was a little girl, and my father was alive. I wish I was a
little girl now."
"It was very nice having a father," said Mrs. Blyth. "Ay, and he was a good father too;
he was a real good man, was your grandfather, Angel."
"Oh, it was a real happy day. My mother made a plum-pudding for us, and my father
took us all to the park for a walk after tea. And then, he used always to give me a
present. I have one of them yet."
"Where is it, mother?" said little Angel; "do let me see it."
"Oh, it's up on that shelf," said her mother, pointing to some little shelves at the top of
the kitchen. "It's a shame to let it lie there when I promised him to read it every day.
But what can a woman do that's got a drunken husband, five children, and a mangle?"
she said, more to herself than to the child.
"Please let me look at your birthday present, mother," said little Angel again.
Mrs. Blyth stood upon one of the broken chairs, and took down from the shelf an old
and shabby book. The cover was half off, and it was thickly coated with dust. One of the
spiders had been busy in its neighbourhood, and had fastened one end of a large
cobweb to its cover.
She wiped it with her dirty apron, and handed it to the child; then she sat down again,
and bent over the fire.
"Here's writing at the beginning, mother," said Angel; "what does it say?"
Mrs. Blyth took the book, and a tear fell on the soiled leaves of the Bible as she opened
it.
"Given to Emily Brownlow by her dear Father on her birthday, with the hope that she
will remember her promise."
"Read me just one little bit before I go to bed," said Angel, sitting on the stool at her
mother's feet.
Mrs. Blyth turned over the leaves, and in a mechanical way began to read the first verse
on which her eye fell.
"'Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I
will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.'"
"It means Jesus Christ, I think," said her mother. "'Behold, I stand at the door and
knock.' I expect it means Jesus. I learnt a hymn at the Sunday school about it. I went
to the Sunday school when my father was alive. I remember it began—"
"and then—I can't remember what came next—something about using no other friend
so ill."
"I never heard Him knock," said Angel; "does He come when I'm in bed at night?"
"No," said her mother; "I don't think it's that door He knocks at. I don't rightly know
what it means."
"I hope He won't come in to-night," said little Angel, when she had finished.
"Because we've got nothing for supper to-night, only those crusts Billy and Tommy left
at tea. I'm afraid He wouldn't like those."
"Oh, it doesn't mean He's really coming to supper," said the mother; "I wish I could
remember what it does mean. But it's lots of years since I read it. My father died when
I was only ten, and nobody never took any trouble with me afterwards."
Little Angel was very sleepy now, so her mother took her upstairs, and put her into the
bed with her little brothers and sisters, and then she sat down on a chair beside her,
and buried her face in her hands. Recollections of a father's love and of a father's
teaching were coming into that poor, ignorant mind. Imperfect, childish recollections
they were, and yet quite distinct enough to make her sigh for what had been and for
what might have been.
And so she sat, this poor wife, as the clock ticked on and the children slept. Then, after
long hours of waiting, came a great noise at the door, and she rose, trembling, to open
it.
Little Angel started from her sleep, and, sitting up in bed, called out, "Mother, He's
come; I heard Him knock."
"Yes," said her mother, who was lighting the candle, "I'm going to let him in."
"No, nonsense, child," said her mother; "your father's sure to be in drink. I'll get him
quickly to bed."
"Oh, dear!" said little Angel, in a disappointed voice, as she lay down, "I thought it was
Jesus knocking at the door!"
CHAPTER III
THE next week there were more clothes to be taken home to Mrs. Douglas's. It was not
a heavy load this time, and little Angel went alone. She was passing under one of the
bow windows on her way to the passage leading to the kitchen door, when she heard a
loud tapping on the pane. She looked up, and there was little Ellie nodding to her, and
kissing her hand, and holding up the new doll for her to see.
And when cook opened the kitchen door, and Angel came in with the clothes, little Ellie
was just coming in at the other door.
"Please, cook," said the child, "Mabel wants to see the little Angel."
"Bless us!" said cook, laughing. "I'd clean forgot about the child's name. I couldn't think
what angel it was at first. You take her, Miss Ellie."
"Please, come," said the little girl; and she held out her tiny hand for Angel to take.
Little Angel had never seen such a beautiful house. They went up a long easy staircase,
very different from the one Angel climbed at night when she went to bed. They passed
a splendid window, with pretty coloured glass in it, which threw all sorts of lovely
colours on the stairs. And the carpet was so soft that Angel could not hear the sound of
her own feet.
At the top of the staircase was a long passage, with doors at both sides of it. Ellie
opened one of these, and led Angel into a pretty little sitting-room. A bright fire was
burning in the grate, and by the side of the fire was a sofa. On this sofa Angel saw a
young lady lying, with a very sweet and gentle face. She looked very ill and tired, Angel
thought, and had such a kind face that she could not feel afraid of her.
"This is the little Angel, Mabel," said little Ellie, as she took her by the hand to her
sister's couch.
"Bring a stool for her to sit on, Ellie. I'm very glad to see you, little Angel."
"Yes; but, Mabel, cook says she hasn't any wings, and she doesn't think she lives in
heaven. She says it's only her name."
"Yes," said her sister; "I understand. But some day, I hope she will live in heaven. Do
you think you will, little Angel?"
"But, if you are ever to live in heaven with the Lord Jesus, you must learn to love Him
now," said the young lady.
"Is that the door He knocks at?" said Angel, starting from her seat, as a sudden thought
seized her.
"The door with the great pillars on each side of it, and the brass bell and knocker; is it
there He knocks every night?"
"I don't quite understand what you mean," said Mabel gently. "Can you tell me a little
more about it?"
"My mother read it in the Bible last night, and it said He knocked at a door and wanted
to come in, and mother said she didn't think it meant our door."
"Is this what you mean?" said the young lady. She took up a little Bible which lay beside
her, and read aloud: "'Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.'"
"Yes, that's it," said Angel; "and my mother said she had clean forgot what it meant;
but she thought it meant Jesus."
"Yes; your mother was quite right, little Angel; it is Jesus who is knocking at the door."
"No, not this door," said the young lady; "it means a door that belongs to you, little
Angel. It is not a door that you can see or touch; it is the door of little Angel's heart.
Jesus calls it a door, to show you what He means. He wants to come into your heart. He
wants you to love Him, and to give your own little self to Him. This is what it means,
little Angel."
"Do you love your mother, little Angel?" asked the young lady.
"Then your mother is inside your heart. You love her with your heart, don't you?"
"Oh yes, please, ma'am; she does everything for me, does mother."
"But Jesus loves you better than your mother does; and He has done a great deal more
for you than she has."
"Yes, indeed He has. Do you know, He lived in heaven, where everything is beautiful
and happy, and He left His home there and came to live down here. He lived a very
sorrowful life. He was a poor man, little Angel. He had no home of His own, but went
about from place to place, often very tired, and hungry, and faint. And people were very
unkind to Him; they laughed at Him and hated Him, and threw stones at Him, and
hunted Him from place to place; and at last, little Angel, He was nailed on a cross of
wood, and they put a crown of thorns on His head."
"Oh yes, please, ma'am; mother has a picture of that. Jesus is on a cross, and some
soldiers laughing at Him; it's in a book on the drawers-top that my father bought at a
sale."
"Yes," said the young lady; "that was how He died; oh, such a cruel, painful death! And,
little Angel, it was all for you!"
"Yes, little Angel, all for you. For, if Jesus had not died, you could never, never have
gone to heaven. Shall I tell you why?"
"You could never have gone to heaven, because no one can go there who has done any
wrong; only good and holy people can go there; all who have done anything wrong
must be punished for it. And, little Angel, have you ever done anything wrong?"
"Yes," said little Angel, hanging down her head; "yes, please, ma'am, I have."
"Then you could never go to heaven, for God must punish sin. But Jesus is God, and He
came and led that sorrowful life, and then died that dreadful death, that He might be
punished instead of you—instead of you, little Angel. And now He says, 'I wonder if little
Angel will love Me for dying for her? I will knock at the door of her heart, and see if she
will let Me in, and love Me for what I have done for her, and be My little child!'"
Angel opened her eyes very wide, and looked earnestly at the young lady as she spoke.
"Then He has been waiting for you for years. Knocking—knocking, and you have never
let Him in!"
"Yes; and still He does not give up knocking. He is waiting still; waiting for you to love
Him; waiting for you to let Him in."
"He must be very tired," said Angel; "I wish I knew how to let Him in."
The young lady did not answer at once; she covered her face with her hand for a
minute, and was quite still.
Then she said, "Little Angel, I have been praying to Him to help me to show you how to
let Him into your heart. But I think, after all, the best way will be for you to ask Him
yourself. Will you ask Him now?"
"I don't know how," said Angel; "I don't know what to say."
"When you pray, little Angel, you should talk to Jesus just as you are talking to me, and
ask for just what you want. Kneel down by me, and I will help you."
Little Ellie, who had been listening in silence all this time, knelt down too, whilst her
sister prayed.
"O Lord Jesus, show little Angel how to open the door of her heart to Thee! Grant that
she may let Thee in, and not keep Thee waiting any longer. Oh, may she indeed be
saved by Thee, and love Thee with all her heart, for all that Thou hast done for her!
Amen."
"And now, little Angel," said Mabel, when the children rose from their knees, "when you
get home you must ask Him yourself, and remember He ever listens to every word that
you say."
Angel had a great deal to think of as she walked home that morning with her empty
basket. She was very quiet all day as she was looking after the children and turning the
mangle—so quiet that her mother asked her if she were ill. But Angel said, No, she was
quite well, and turned the mangle quietly again. But when the other children were in
bed, and she and her mother were alone, Angel said:
"Dear me, let me see," said her mother. "I was just nineteen when I got married to your
father. I know I was just nineteen then, because I remember my old aunt said, 'You're
young enough, my lass, not twenty yet. You'd better not be in a hurry.' Well, I was
nineteen then, and, let me see, I believe we've been married eight years next month.
Nineteen and eight, what's that? Count it on your fingers, Angel."
"Twenty-seven, mother," said little Angel, when she had carefully counted it twice over.
"Twenty-seven years old! Then Jesus has been knocking at your door twenty-seven
years! What a long time!"
"Oh, you're after that again, are you?" said her mother. "I wish I could remember what
it means."
"Miss Douglas told me," said Angel; and she repeated, as well as she could, the
conversation in the little sitting-room.
"Well, to be sure," said the mother, "it's very wonderful to think He waits so long; I'm
afraid I've been very bad to Him."
"Oh, child! I'm too busy," she said; "there's so much to do. There's the children, and
your father, and the mangle to look after, and always dinner to cook, and things to clear
away, and such lots of clothes to wash, and your father's shirts to iron. I've no time to
be good, Angel."
"But Miss Douglas said if you don't let Him into your heart and love Him, you won't ever
live with Him and the angels in heaven."
"Ah, well!" said the mother. "I suppose not; but there's lots of time yet. When baby gets
a bit older, and Tom goes to school, I shall have a bit more time; and then, Angel, I can
sit still a bit and think about it."
"Only, perhaps, as He's been knocking twenty-seven years," said Angel, "it's such a
very long time, He may get tired of waiting, and walk away."
"Oh no! I hope not," said her mother; and she got up and bustled about the room, and
sent Angel off to bed. She hoped the child would forget about it before morning.
But when she went upstairs, after a few minutes, to see if Angel was in bed, she found
her kneeling in her nightgown before the window. There was no light in the room, but
the blind was up, and the moonlight was streaming on the child's fair hair and clasped
hands.
"She looks like one of the little angels in heaven," said the mother to herself.
Angel had not heard her mother come upstairs, so Mrs. Blyth stood quietly on the last
step, and listened to Angel's little prayer.
"Oh, Jesus, please come in to-night! Oh it was very bad to keep You outside when You
did all that for me! Oh, Jesus, please don't knock any longer, but just walk into my
heart, and please never go away again? Amen."
And then Angel crept into bed, and her mother wiped her eyes, and came in and kissed
her.
CHAPTER IV
"MOTHER! mother!" said little Angel, in the middle of the night, creeping over to the bed
where her father and mother were asleep. "Mother, mother, there's a loud knock at our
door!"
"Bless you, child," said the mother, "you're dreaming. Your father's been in long since.
Go to bed again."
This time Mrs. Blyth heard it, and even Mr. Blyth opened his eyes, and said, "What's
that?"
Some one was knocking at the door as loudly as he could. Mrs. Blyth put on some
clothes, lighted a candle, and went down stairs to see what it was.
When she came back her face was very white indeed. "Oh, Angel," she said, "it's Tim;
his mother's dead! She went to bed quite well, and then Mr. Carter woke and heard her
groaning, and she was dead in two minutes—before he could call anybody."
"Oh, mother," said little Angel, trembling, "how dreadful! She was washing all day
yesterday, and I saw her put the shutters up just before I came to bed."
"Yes," said Mrs. Blyth; "I'm sure it's made me feel quite sick. I must go over and help
them a bit, poor things."
Angel could not sleep any more that night. She lay awake thinking of poor Tim, who had
no mother, and wondering if Mrs. Carter were in heaven with the angels. When her
mother came back it was time to get up. Mrs. Blyth had been crying very much, and
she went about her work almost without uttering a word.
But when she and Angel were turning the mangle, she said—
"Angel, do you remember what you said when you waked me last night? You said,
'Mother, there's a loud knock at our door.' I've never got those words out of my head
since. All the time I was laying out poor Mrs. Carter I heard you, saying, 'There's a loud
knock at our door, mother.' And when Mr. Carter told the doctor how well she had been
all yesterday, and the doctor said, 'Yes, it's very sudden, very sudden indeed,' I heard
you saying again, 'There's a loud knock at our door, mother.' And now, even when I'm
turning the mangle, it seems to be saying those same words over and over again."
"Yes," she said, after a minute or two, "it's of no use me saying, 'I'm too busy, I can't
let Him in just yet.' Death won't take that excuse when he knocks at the door."
That was a very dull day. Angel peeped out of the window, and saw the closed house
opposite, and the darkened room upstairs where poor Mrs. Carter was lying. And then
the man came to measure her for her coffin, and then Mr. Carter and his poor little
motherless children came into Mrs. Blyth's house to get their dinner, and Mr. Carter
cried all the time, and would hardly eat anything.
But after tea, as Angel was washing up the tea things, and her mother was folding the
clothes for the mangle, an unusual sound was heard in the narrow court where they
lived. It was the sound of singing—several voices singing.
In a moment, all in Pleasant Place had opened their doors or their windows and were
looking out. They saw a young man standing in the middle of the court, and a little knot
of people round him, with open books in their hands.
"What is it, mother?" asked little Angel, as Mrs. Blyth came into the room.
"That's young Mr. Douglas, Miss Douglas's brother," said her mother, in a whisper. "I've
often seen him there when I've been to take the clothes home; he's one of the
ministers here."
"Why, mother," said the child, as she listened to the singing, "they are singing your
hymn—the hymn you learnt in the Sunday School."
"No," said her mother, "it isn't my hymn, but it's very like it."
"Eighteen doors in this court," said the young minister, looking round on the people,
who were all peeping out at him. "Eighteen doors, and every one of them open!"
"Here is a closed door, and some one standing outside it. He knocks at the door; He
calls out to the one inside; then He waits, He listens. There is no sound within; no one
comes to open the door."
"Will He walk again? No, He waits still; He knocks once more; He calls again; He listens
again. No answer."
"Surely the door must be bolted and barred so fast inside that it cannot be opened, or
perhaps the owner of the house is out, or asleep, or deaf, and does not hear the
knocking."
"But look a little longer. Some more people come up to the door and knock, and as soon
as ever they knock they are admitted. They are let in, and the door is shut in the face
of Him who has waited so long."
"Many times in the day that door is opened to all kinds of people; but it is always closed
in the face of the One who still stands outside."
"Does He weary of standing there? No; night comes, but He goes on knocking, goes on
calling, goes on listening for any answer from within."
"No, He is no beggar; for if you look you will see that His hands are full of presents for
the one inside the house."
"Is He a rent collector come to demand that which is due to Him? No; for although the
house really belongs to Him, He demands nothing, He only pleads for an entrance."
"Is He an enemy to the one inside? No; He is, on the contrary, his best friend, the One
to whom he owes everything."
"Is it a strange thing?" said the minister, looking earnestly at all the people. "Is it a
strange thing? Then get up at once and let Him in, for it is at your door He is knocking."
"My door!" you say. "My door! What do you mean? No one is knocking at my door."
"No one? Oh, my friends! Did you hear no knock this morning at your door—your
heart's door. When the neighbours came in and told you that one in that house, whom
you had seen well and strong a few hours before, was now in eternity—oh, my friends!
Was it not a knock?"
"Did not the Lord Jesus, your best Friend, knock then? Did He not call as well as knock?
Did you not hear Him saying, 'Are you ready to die? Oh, let Me in before it is too late!'"
"That was a very loud knock, my friends; but it is not the only time He has knocked.
Day after day, week after week, year after year, ever since you were little children, He
has been knocking and waiting, and knocking and waiting for you to let Him in. That
night when you were so ill, and the doctor told you that you might never get better, was
He not knocking then?"
"And when your child died, and you stood by its open grave, was He not knocking
then?"
"And these are only the great, startling knocks; there are many others which you do not
hear—there is too much noise and bustle inside the house for their sound to reach you.
Yet never a day passes that He does not knock in some way or other."
"But oh! Take care, for the day is coming—who can say how soon? When there will be a
last knock, a last call; and then He will turn and walk away from the door, never to
return."
"Oh, my friends! Why do you keep Him waiting outside? You let all others in. Your
pleasures, your companions, your work,—all these knock at the door, and are let in at
once. But you have no room for Christ."