he ice; and even when the latter did venture to
do so, Adams resisted at first with the dogged resolution of an
unbelieving man.

"We've been awful sinners, John Adams," said Young one afternoon as they
were sauntering home from their plantations to dinner.

"Well, sir, no doubt there's some truth in what you say," replied Adams,
slowly, "but then, d'ye see, we've bin placed in what you may call awful
circumstances."

"That's true, that's true," returned Young, with a perplexed look, "and
I've said the same thing, or something like it, to myself many a time;
but, man, the Bible doesn't seem to harmonise with that idea somehow.
It seems to make no difference between big and little sinners, so to
speak, at least as far as the matter of salvation is concerned; and yet
I can't help feeling somehow that men who have sinned much ought to
repent much."

"Just so, sir," said John Adams, with a self-satisfied air, "you're
right, sir. We have been awful sinners, as you say, an' now we've got
to repent as hard as we can and lead better lives, though, of course, we
can't make much difference in our style o' livin', seein' that our
circumstances don't allow o' much change, an' neither of us has bin much
given to drink or swearin'."

"Strange!" rejoined Young. "You almost echo what I've been saying to
myself over and over again, yet I can't feel quite easy, for if we have
only got to repent and try to lead better lives, what's the use of our
talking about `Our Saviour?' and what does the Bible mean in such words
as these: `Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.'
`Only believe.' `By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of
yourselves, it is the gift of God.' `By the works of the law shall no
flesh living be justified.'"

"Do you mean to say, sir, that them words are all out of the Bible?"
asked Adams.

"Yes, I know they are, for I read them all this morning. I had a long
hunt after the Bible before I found it, for poor Christian never told me
where he kept it. I turned it up at last under a bit of tarpaulin in
the cave, and I've been reading it a good deal since, and I confess that
I've been much puzzled. Hold on a bit here," he added, stopping and
seating himself on a flowering bank beside the path; "that old complaint
of mine has been troubling me a good deal of late. Let's rest a bit."

Young referred here to an asthmatic affection to which he was subject,
and which had begun to give h