“Did de good Lord Jesus die for poor ole Dinah, Miss Elsie?” she asked eagerly.

“Yes, Aunt Dinah, if you will believe in him; it says for whosoever believeth.”

“Ole Dinah dunno how to believe, chile; can’t do it nohow.”

“You must ask God to teach you, Dinah,” replied the little girl earnestly, “for the Bible says ’faith’—­that means believing—­’is the gift of God.’”

“You don’t mean dat, Miss Elsie!  You don’t mean dat God will save poor ole Dinah, an’ gib her hebben, an’ all for nuffin?” she inquired, raising herself on her elbow in her eagerness.

“Yes, Dinah; God says without money and without price; can’t you believe him?  Suppose I should come and put a hundred dollars in your hand, saying, ’Here, Aunt Dinah, I give you this; you are old, and sick, and poor, and I know you can do nothing to earn it, but it is a free gift, just take it and it is yours;’ wouldn’t you believe me, and take it?”

“’Deed I would, Miss Elsie, kase you nebber tole nuffin but de truff.”

“Well, then, can’t you believe God when he says that he will save you?  Can’t you believe Jesus when he says, ’I give unto them eternal life’?”

“Yes, yes, Miss Elsie!  I do b’lieve; read de blessed words again, darlin’.”

Elsie read the verse again, and then finished the Chapter.  Then closing the book, she asked softly,

“Shall we pray, now, Aunt Dinah?”

Dinah gave an eager assent; and Elsie, kneeling down by the bedside, prayed in simple, childlike words that Jesus would reveal himself to poor old Dinah, as her Saviour; that the Holy Spirit would be her sanctifier and comforter, working faith in her, and thereby uniting her to Christ; that God would adopt her into his family, and be her God and portion forever; and that Jesus would be her shepherd, so that she need fear no evil, even though called to pass through the dark valley of the shadow of death.

“Amen!” was Dinah’s fervent response to each of the petitions.

“De good Lord bless you, darlin’,” she said, taking Elsie’s little white hand in hers, and pressing it to her lips; “de good Lord bless an’ keep you, an’ nebber let trouble come near you.  You knows nuffin ’bout trouble now, for you’s young, an’ handsome, an’ rich, an’ good; an’ Massa Horace, he doats on you; no, you knows nuffin ’bout trouble, but ole Dinah does, kase she’s ole, an’ sick, an’ full ob aches and pains.”

“Yes, Aunt Dinah, and I am very sorry for you; but remember, if you believe in Jesus, you will soon go to heaven, where you will never be sick or in pain any more.  But, Dinah,”—­and the little voice grew very mournful—­“we cannot always know when others are in trouble; and I want you to pray for me that I may always have strength to do right.”

“I will, darlin’, ’deed I will,” said Dinah earnestly, kissing the little hand again ere she released it.