“‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,’ ’Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.’

“Just take the first step, and He will help you on all the way, one step at a time, till you reach the gates of the celestial city.  ’This God is our God forever and ever, He will be our guide even unto death.’

“Just speak to the Lord Jesus, dear Max, as if you could see Him standing before you while you knelt at His feet; say to Him as the leper did, ‘Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.’  Tell Him how full you are of the dreadful leprosy of sin, how unable to heal yourself, and beseech Him to do the work for you, to wash you and make you clean and cover you with the robe of His righteousness; give yourself to Him, asking Him to accept the worthless gift and make you entirely and forever His own.”

She rose to leave him.

“Oh, do stay a little longer!” he pleaded, clinging to her hand.  “Tell me, do you think Mamma Vi will ever love me any more? that she will ever kiss me again?” he sobbed.

“I am sure she will, Max,” Elsie answered in moved tones; “she has not ceased to love you, and I think will come and speak a word to you now, if you wish it.”

“Oh, so much! only—­only I’m dreadfully ashamed to look her in the face.  And—­O Grandma Elsie, do you think it will break my father’s heart when he hears it all?”

“It will make him very sad indeed, I have no doubt, Max,” she answered, gently, “but if he hears, too, that you have truly repented and given your heart to God, he cannot fail to be greatly comforted.  Tell him the whole truth, my dear boy, don’t try to conceal anything from him.”

“It’s what I mean to do, Grandma Elsie,” he said with a heavy sigh, “though I’d rather take the worst kind of a flogging.  And that’s what I’d get if he was here, for he told me so.”

“I am very glad you love your father so well, Max, and that your sorrow is more for grieving him, and especially for having dishonored and displeased God, than for the unpleasant consequences to yourself; it gives me great hope that you will never be guilty of such conduct again.

“Now, I shall go and send your mamma to you; she is in her own rooms, for she has been too much distressed over her dear boy’s sad fall to join the others at the table or in the drawing-room.  She loves you very dearly, Max.”

“It’s very good of her,” he said in trembling tones, “and oh, I’m ever so sorry to have grieved her so!”

Violet was greatly comforted by her mother’s report of her interview with Max, because both saw in his conduct and words the evidence of sincere repentance toward God, giving them strong hope of his future avoidance of the sins of profanity and gambling.

She went to him presently, put her arms about him, kissed him, wept with him, and like her mother pointed him to the Saviour, telling of His willingness to forgive every truly penitent soul.