ent his steps
homeward. As he wound his way by the path down the mountain-side, at a
far more sedate pace than was his wont, he thought over the matter.
Suddenly the words of the Lord's Prayer occurred to him--"Forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us."

"That's it; she has been very wicked, and so she forgives me that she
may be forgiven," he said to himself. "But then I have been very wicked
too, and I have nobody to forgive. I don't know anybody who has done me
harm; I wish that somebody would, and then I might forgive them." He
reached home, and made his way to his room again. No one came near him
all day. At dinner-time Anna stole up with a plate of meat and
vegetables. She placed it before him, but he felt very little
inclination to eat. Anna was about to quit the room; Willie stopped
her.

"I know I am very wicked, but I don't know what to do!" he exclaimed,
sobbing. "I wish that papa would come and tell me."

Anna reported these words to their father. The Doctor might have
hastened at once to Willie, but he judged it wiser to allow the good
impression that had been formed to take root. He therefore sent him up
the Bible, by Anna, and begged him to read the answer of Paul to the
gaoler at Philippi. Anna showed him other texts of Scripture--"Blessed
are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy"; and then pointed out
warnings against those who wrong and oppress the poor and the afflicted.

"I know, I know that I have done very wrong, and am very wicked," sobbed
William. "Do you think God will pardon me? I do not feel as if I could
do anything to make God forgive me, or love me, or be kind to me again."

Anna stopped to collect her thoughts before she spoke; she then said--

"I am very sure that you never can do anything to make God forgive you,
dear Willie; and yet I am sure that God _will_ forgive you if you seek
Him through the Mediator He has given us. God loves to be gracious. If
you really are sorry for what you have done, if you repent, not because
your fault has brought you into trouble and disgrace, but because you
have offended God, then God will assuredly pardon you, for He has
promised in His Holy Word to do so. He says `Knock and it shall be
opened to you, seek and ye shall find'; so you see, dear Willie, you may
be pardoned if you seek it in the right way."

And she spoke of God's love in sending His blessed Son to save us from
our sins, and of the