“Dear child,” her mother responded in tones tremulous with emotion, and bending down to press a kiss on the quivering lips, “it gives me a sad and sore heart to think of it.  And yet, daughter dear, we may hope to see each other very often—­to spend weeks and months of every year in each other’s society, and when we are apart to exchange letters daily; and best of all, to be in a few brief years together in the better land, never to part again.”

“Ah, mamma dear, that last seems a long look ahead.  At least—­oh, mamma, I cannot bear the thought of—­of death coming between us; and yet we can hardly hope to go together.”

“No, daughter dear, but time is short, as you will realize when you have seen as many years in this world as I have; and after it will come the never-ending ages of eternity—­eternity, which we are hoping to spend with our dear ones in the immediate presence of our Redeemer—­united, never to part again.”

“Yes, mamma; oh, that is indeed a sweet thought.  But,” she added with a heavy sigh, “sometimes I fear I may miss heaven; I seem so far, so very far from fit for its employments and its joys—­so often indulging in wrong thoughts and feelings—­so taken up with earthly cares and interests.”

“Dear daughter, look to God for help to fight against your sinful nature,” replied her mother in moved tones.  “He says ’In me is thine help’; ’He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.’  ’They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.’  ’Fear thou not; for I am with thee:  be not dismayed; for I am thy God:  I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’  These are some of his gracious promises.”

“Ah, mamma, but the question with me is, is he really my God? am I his?—­truly one of his redeemed ones, his adopted children?  How shall I make sure of that?”

“By accepting his conditions and believing his word, ’Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.’  ’Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.’  Come now and accept his offered salvation, whether you have done so before or not; come, believing his word; ‘I will in no wise cast out,’ ’I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins:  return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.’  ’Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength; even to him shall all men come.’  ’In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.’  ‘The just shall live by faith,’ and faith is the gift of God, as we are told again and again in his Holy Word; a gift that he will grant to all who ask it of him.”

There was a sound of approaching footsteps and Rosie resumed her seat, taking up the work she had dropped.  They recognised the step as Harold’s, and the next moment he stood in the open doorway.