The Painter's London

There was a great painter a few years ago who was painting a picture, which I believe afterwards became a notable one. He wanted to give a picture of the present-day aspect of life in London, and on his canvas he wanted to represent the various forms of life in the great busy metropolis. He was looking about to get a good specimen of a little London street arab— you know the little specimen, all alive, dirty, in rags, but with a lot of sharpness.

And at last he got just the sort of boy he wanted in the gutter. “My boy,” he said to him; “my boy, would you like to earn sixpence?”

“What,” he said, “a tanner? Yes, I would like a tanner.” “Well, here is my card. You come just as you are tomorrow at nine o’clock to this address, when you shall have a tanner.”

The little boy thought he had never got sixpence so cheap before. “Yes, sir,” he said; “I’ll be there.”

At nine o’clock to the stroke he was pulling the bell of the painter’s studio. The maid who answered the door came and said, “There is a little boy, sir; wants to see you.” The painter had forgotten all about what had happened. He had many other things to think about.

“A little boy,” he said. “What sort of little boy?” “Well, sir, he is a very respectable little boy; his face is nice and clean and his clothes are neat, though he is very poor.” “Tell him to come in,” said the painter, and the little boy of the day before stood before him.

But his face was clean, his hair was brushed, and his mother, who had thought there was a good opening for the boy, had sewn together his rags. When he stood before the painter he said, “Where is that tanner you promised me?”

“Do you remember what I told you?” asked the painter. “Yes, sir.” “Are you sure?” “Yes, sir, you told me to come at nine o’clock and here I am plump on time.

It has just gone nine.” “But I wanted you just as you were.

If you had come just as you were you would have got the sixpence, but as you are not as you were I will not have you.” I do not know whether the painter gave the boy the tanner or not, but I should have done so had it been me.

The boy did not suit because he had come clean when the painter had said, “Come as you are.” Now, God wants you just as you are. He wants to put you into redemption; He wants to show you what His precious blood can do in washing your sins away. He wants to show what His grace can do in restoring you.

He can wash you white as snow.