nly earned a small
sum at first, it would help. Full of this determination he made his way
home. The doctor was just leaving as he went in, and Charlie heard from
his mother that he held out no hope of his father's recovery; the
disease had gone too far. He was on no account to go down the mine
again, even if he fancied he felt strong enough; the impure air had
already aggravated the disease. The doctor had said that if he took
great care of himself he might, perhaps, be spared to them for some
time.

Charlie's heart was too full then to speak to his father; he went into
his own room, shut the door, and stood for a moment as if uncertain what
to do. "If only Mrs. Greenwell had been at home," he thought, "I could
have told her all about it, and she would have advised me."

"Tell it to God, He is always to be found, and can help as well as
advise," something within him seemed to whisper. He listened to the
voice, and kneeling down, poured out all his trouble, and sorrow, and
anxiety, asking God to help him for Jesus Christ's sake. He then got up,
bathed his face in cold water, for his eyes were swollen with tears, and
started off to the chemist's with the doctor's prescription that his
mother gave him.

"Wait for the medicine," she said, "and bring it home with you."

He was waiting in the shop until it was ready, and turning over all
sorts of plans for the future in his mind, when one of Mrs. Greenwell's
servants came in. "Is that you, Charlie Scott?" she exclaimed. "Master
Harry was just inquiring after you, if you had been at the house
lately."

"How long have they been at home?" he asked in surprise.

"About two hours; they came this morning."

Charlie picked up the medicine that the chemist had placed before him,
and set off home as hard as he could run.

"I'm just going to Mrs. Greenwell's, mother dear," he said, giving it in
at the door; "I'll soon be back."

Harry Greenwell saw in a moment by Charlie's face that he was in
trouble, and asked anxiously what was the matter. He liked Charlie, and
from the first they had been as close friends as the difference in their
station and education would allow. Charlie always went to Mrs. Greenwell
and "Master Harry" when he was in trouble; indeed, Mrs. Greenwell had
succeeded in making all the boys who went to her Bible class feel that
she was their _friend_, and interested in all concerning them; and many
of them were thankful for her advice and kind, encouraging