The motion was seconded and carried, and when the time came nearly every one went.  The service occupied an hour; after that almost everybody sought the beach; but though some went into the surf—­doubtless looking upon it as a hygienic measure, therefore lawful even on the Lord’s day—­there was not the usual boisterous fun and frolic.

Harold, by some manoeuvring, got his mother to himself for a time, making a comfortable seat for her in the sand, and shading her from the sun with an umbrella.

“Mamma,” he said, “I want a good talk with you; there are some questions, quite suitable for Sunday, that I want to ask.  And see,” holding them up to view, “I have brought my Bible and a small concordance with me, for I know you always refer to the Law and to the Testimony in deciding matters of faith and practice.”

“Yes,” she said, “God’s Word is the only infallible rule of faith and practice.  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness!”

“Yes, mamma, I have the reference here; Second Timothy, third chapter, and sixteenth verse.  And should not the next verse, ’That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works,’ stir us up to much careful study of the Bible?”

“Certainly, my dear boy; and, oh what cause for gratitude that we have an infallible instructor and guide!  But what did you want to ask me?”

“A question that was put to me by one of our fellows at college, and which I was not prepared to answer.  The substance of it was this:  ’If one who has lived for years in the service of God should be suddenly cut off while committing some sin, would he not be saved, because of his former good works?’”

“Is any son or daughter of Adam saved by good works?” she asked, with a look and tone of surprise.

“No, mother, certainly not; how strange that I did not think of answering him with that query.  But he maintained that God was too just to overlook—­make no account of—­years of holy living because of perhaps a momentary fall into sin.”

“We have nothing to hope from God’s justice,” she replied, “for it wholly condemns us.  ’There is none righteous, no, not one....  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight.’

“But your friend’s question is very plainly answered by the prophet Ezekiel,” opening her Bible as she spoke.  “Here it is, in the eighteenth chapter, twenty-fourth verse.

“’But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live?  All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned:  in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.’”

“Nothing could be plainer,” Harold said.  “I shall refer my friend to that passage for his answer, and also remind him that no one can be saved by works.