ut it is a great thing to be a true follower of the Lord
Jesus Christ. But why do you ask?"

"O," replied he, embarrassed, "I don't just know why. I know you're
_good_ enough to be a Christian; but you never spoke to us children
about it, and--I didn't know what to think."

Mrs. Jones seemed pained by the answer, and said,--

"Tom, I know I have been negligent in this matter." Then she added,
hesitatingly, "But your father does not feel as I do about it; and I
have scarcely felt like instructing the children contrary to his
views. I have ever tried to please him in everything; perhaps I have
carried this too far."

"Mother, were you praying just now?"

"Yes," said she, hesitatingly.

"And were you praying for me?"

"Yes, my son."

Tom was silent for a while, and then said,--

"Mother, since I heard the preacher, I have many times wished I were a
Christian; that is, if--if--the Bible is true. But there are some
things that I don't understand, and they are right in my way."

"What are they, Tom?" He colored, and said,--

"I don't like to tell you, for I am afraid you will think me very bad.
But I thought some time I would like to ask some one about it who
knows more than I do. You believe that there is a God, mother?"

"With all my heart."

"And that he is pleased with those who do good, and angry with those
who do wrong?"

"Certainly, Tom."

"Well, it seems hard, if this is true, that he should let me get hurt
so the other morning, as I was trying to shoot the hens for you, and
you needed them so much, when there's Jo Priest, and ever so many
more, swearing, ugly fellows, that go a gunning almost all the time,
and kill things just for the fun of it, and they get plenty of game,
and never get injured;" and the lad spoke bitterly.

"My child," said the mother, "there are many things hard to be
understood about God's dealings with us, and I am afraid that a great
part of them seem harder than they really are, because we are so
ignorant. But you know how I am situated. I don't hear any preaching,
nor see those that do, very often; and it's not to be expected that I
can clear up these things, as they can."

"I wish," interrupted Tom, petulantly, "that the preacher was here.
I'd like to ask him; but perhaps he wouldn't like to talk with a poor
ignorant boy like me."

"Well," continued the mother, "I know _here_"--and she placed her hand
upon her heart--"that all God does is just right, however dark it