The One Moss-Rose

One surviving rosebud holds much of the pleasure in Jacob Dobbin's life. Living with his father in a cottage on Squire Courtenay's estate, the boy has a painful disability and carefully tends his treasured plant. The squire's son James enjoys toys, a pony and many other advantages, yet his temper troubles those around him. Their unequal circumstances come into sharp focus when James cuts the rose despite Jacob's urgent plea.

Philip Bennett Power uses this short Christian story for children to explore patience, selfishness and forgiveness. Jacob's father speaks with him about faith and the value of enduring everyday trials, while James's old nurse Aggie warns her charge to consider other people. The later excerpt turns toward conscience and distress, giving weight to the consequences of a thoughtless act. Readers studying religious writing for children can see how a small garden incident becomes a lesson about responsibility and care for others.