Lost Gip by Hesba Stretton
One stormy night Gip was missing. "Gip" is short for Gipsy because she had dark black eyes and black hair. Sandy continued to search for Gip and made good friends with John and Mrs. Shafto, who became his spiritual mentors. Mr. Shafto, a Scrooge-like character, badly needed a change of heart and is helped by Sandy. A street preacher spoke of Christ seeking those that are lost, which becomes the theme of the story, with John 19:10: "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. "
Paperback 6X9, 114 pages, 6 illustrations. ISBN 9781935626688
SARAH SMITH (1832-1911) was born in Wellington, England. She had the good fortune of being able to read books from her father's bookshop, a printer of evangelical literature. Her mother was a strong evangelical, but died when Sarah was young. In the March 19th, 1859 issue of Household Words, a publication conducted by Charles Dickens, she published her first short story called The Lucky Leg. It is an intriguing story about a man who wanted to marry a woman with a missing leg. It was more secular, but her talent was recognized. Hesba Stretton became her pen name, Stretton coming from the name of a neighboring village, and Hesba coming from the initials of her siblings. H (Hannah or some sources Harriett), E (Elizabeth), S (Sarah), B (Benjamin), and A (Annie).