" said Dolly.

"No, we do not call it so. But it is really the same thing. We call it
prayer, when we speak to God."

"Why should I speak to God, Aunt Harry? I don't know how."

"Why He is our Father in heaven, Dolly. Wouldn't it be a strange thing
if children never spoke to their father?"

"But they can't, if they don't know him," said Dolly.

Here followed a strange thing, which no doubt had mighty after-effects.
Mrs. Eberstein, who was already pretty well excited over the
conversation, at these words broke down, burst into tears, and hid her
face in the bedclothes. Dolly looked on in wondering awe, and an
instant apprehension that the question here was about something real.
Presently she put out her hand and touched caressingly Mrs. Eberstein's
hair, moved both by pity and curiosity to put an end to the tears and
have the talk begin again. Mrs. Eberstein lifted her face, seized the
little hand and kissed it.

"You see, darling," she said, "I want you to be God's own child."

"How can I?"

"If you will trust Jesus and obey Him. All who belong to Him are God's
dear children; and He loves them, and the Lord Jesus loves them, and He
takes care of them and teaches them, and makes them fit to be with Him
and serve Him in glory by and by."

"But I don't know about Jesus," said Dolly again.

"Haven't you got a Bible?"

"No."

"Never read it?"

"No."

"Never went to Sunday School?"

"No, ma'am."

"Little Dolly, I am very glad you came to Philadelphia."

"Why, Aunt Harry?"

"Because I love you so much!" exclaimed Mrs. Eberstein, kissing the
child's sweet mouth. "Why, Dolly, Jesus is the best, best friend we
have got; nobody loves us so much in the whole world; He gave his life
for us. And, then, He is the King of glory. He is everything that is
loving, and true, and great, and good; 'the chiefest among ten
thousand.'"

"What did He give His life for?" said Dolly, whose eyes were growing
more and more intent.

"To save our lives, dear."

"From what?"

"Why, Dolly, you and I, and everybody, have broken God's beautiful law.
The punishment for that is death; not merely the death of the body, but
everlasting separation from God and His love and His favour; that is
death; living death. To save us from that, Jesus died Himself; He paid
our debt; He died instead of us."

"Then is He dead?" said Dolly awefully.

"He was dead; but He rose again, and now He lives, King over all. He
was God as well as ma