our sorrow is
more for grieving him, and especially for having dishonored and displeased
God, than for the unpleasant consequences to yourself; it gives me great
hope that you will never be guilty of such conduct again.

"Now, I shall go and send your mamma to you; she is in her own rooms, for
she has been too much distressed over her dear boy's sad fall to join the
others at the table or in the drawing-room. She loves you very dearly,
Max."

"It's very good of her," he said in trembling tones, "and oh, I'm ever so
sorry to have grieved her so!"

Violet was greatly comforted by her mother's report of her interview with
Max, because both saw in his conduct and words the evidence of sincere
repentance toward God, giving them strong hope of his future avoidance of
the sins of profanity and gambling.

She went to him presently, put her arms about him, kissed him, wept with
him, and like her mother pointed him to the Saviour, telling of His
willingness to forgive every truly penitent soul.

"O Mamma Vi," he sobbed, "I thought I was that before, when papa showed me
what an awful sin swearing was, and I didn't think I could ever do it
again; but I got dreadfully angry with Ralph because he cheated me out of
everything--all my money and my watch that I've always thought so much of,
you know--and the wicked words slipped out before I knew it; they just
seemed to speak themselves."

"Ah, dear Max, that is one of the dreadful consequences of allowing
ourselves to fall into such wicked ways; it is the power of habit which
grows upon us till we are bound by it as with an iron chain.

"The Bible says, 'His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he
shall be holden with the cords of his sins.' So the longer any one lives
in sin, the harder it is for him to break away from it--to repent and be
converted and saved. Therefore, I beseech you to come to Jesus now; God's
time is always now."

"Mamma Vi, I think I have," he said low and humbly; "I tried to do it with
my heart, when Grandma Elsie was praying for me."

"O Max, dear Max, I am very glad!" she returned with tears of joy in her
eyes. "And your father will rejoice almost as the angels do in heaven when
a sinner repents and is saved."

"It's a dreadful task to have to write down all about this afternoon for
him to read," sighed the boy.

"But you will do it, Max? will you tell him the whole truth like a brave
boy?" queried Violet anxiously.

"Yes, ma'am, I w