n, to take a position of respect when we speak
to the King; don't you think so?"
Dolly shuffled herself up upon her knees in the bed, not regarding much
that Mrs. Eberstein threw a shawl round her shoulders; and waited a
minute or two, looking intensely serious and considering. Then laying
her hands involuntarily together, but with her eyes open, she spoke.
"O Lord Jesus,--Aunt Harry says you are here though I cannot see you.
If you are here, you can see, and you know that I love you; and I will
be your servant. I never knew about you before, or I would have done it
before. Now I do. Please to teach me, for I do not know anything, that
I may do everything that pleases you. I will not do anything that don't
please you. Amen."
Dolly waited a moment, then turned and put her arms round her aunt's
neck and kissed her. "Thank you!"--she said earnestly; and then lay
down and arranged herself to sleep.
Mrs. Eberstein went downstairs and astonished her husband by a burst of
hysterical weeping. He made anxious enquiries; and at last received an
account of the last half-hour.
"But, oh, Edward, what do you think?" she concluded. "Did you ever hear
anything like that in your life? Do you think it can be genuine?"
"Genuine what?" demanded her husband.
"Why, I mean, can it be true religious conversion? This child knows
next to nothing; just that Jesus died out of love to her, to save
her,--nothing more."
"And she has given her love back. Very logical and reasonable; and
ought not to be so uncommon."
"But it is uncommon, Edward. At least, people generally make a longer
business of it."
"In which they do not show their wisdom."
"No; but they do it. Edward, can it be that this child is so suddenly a
Christian? Will it stand?"
"Only time can show that. But Harry, all the cases,--almost all the
cases reported in the New Testament are cases of sudden yielding. Just
look at it. John and Andrew took but a couple of hours or so to make up
their minds. Nathanael did not apparently take more than two minutes
after he saw Christ. Lydia became a Christian at her first hearing the
good news; the eunuch made up his mind as quick. Why should not little
Dolly? The trouble is caused only by people's obstinate resistance."
"Then you think it may be true work?"
"Of course I think so. This child is not an ordinary child, there is
that to be said."
"No," said Mrs. Eberstein thoughtfully. "Is she not peculiar? She is
such
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