They agreed that they were willing she should know it all, and called to her.  She came and sat with them, and they related to her the conversation which they had had together, to which she listened with much interest, and a warm heart, and replied, “It is a great wonder to me now, dear girls, that any should need to be persuaded to accept of Christ, and devote themselves to His service; yet it was once just the same with me.  I had all of your excuses and many more, and considered them good reasons for not becoming a Christian.  How true it is, that ’the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel should shine unto them.’  Could you but once experience the blessedness of being children of God, you would be surprised and ashamed that you have so long refused so precious a privilege, to possess instead, the unsatisfying pleasures of earth.  Consider, to be a Christian, is to have God for your father, to have all that is glorious and excellent in his perfections engaged for your good.  It is to have Jesus for an ever-present, almighty friend, ready to forgive your sins, to save you from sin, to bear your sorrows, to heighten your joys, to lead and bless you in all the scenes of life, to guide and assist you while you engage in his blessed service, to be with you in the hour of death, and to admit you to the realms of eternal joy.  I can scarcely commence telling you of all the benefits he bestows on His people.”

“What must we do, Fanny?” inquired Annie.

“The first thing of all, dear Annie,” she replied, “is to go to the Savior, at His feet ask for repentance and true faith in Him.  Consecrate yourself to Him, and resolve that you will from this time serve the Lord.  Then, Annie, you will have done what you could, and ’He giveth the Holy Spirit to them that obey Him.’  That Spirit will convince you of sin, and you will be surprised and grieved that you could ever have thought of yourself as other than the chief of sinners, and while you shed tears of sorrow and repentance, He will lead you to Christ, the Lamb of God, whose precious blood will prevail with God for the pardon of your sins; in it you can wash away your sins, and be made pure and holy in his sight.  Do what you know how to do, and then shall you know if you follow on to know the Lord; will you not?”

Annie.  “I will try.”

Fanny.  “I think the sin of procrastination must be very displeasing to God, as it is to our earthly parents, when we defer obeying their commands.  It is solemn to think that He against whom we thus sin, is He in whose hands our breath is, and who can at any time take it away.  If He were not so slow to anger, what would become of us?  Dear Clara, and each of you, you are only making cause for sorrow and shame in thus neglecting to do what you know you ought to do.  ’Enter in at the strait gate and walk in the narrow way that leadeth unto life,’ and you will find that every step in that way is pleasure.  Not such pleasure as the world gives, Alice, but more like the happiness of angels.  Religion takes away no real pleasures, nor the buoyancy and happiness of the youthful spirit.  It only sanctifies and leads its possessor to do nothing but what a kind heavenly Father will approve, Alice.”