nage that, Miss Forshew, or I am mistaken
in them. But, dear friends, we are not going to serve Christ with that
which costs us nothing--are we?"

"Mr. Richmond," said Ailie Swan, "may temperance people drink cider?"

The laughter was universal now.

"Because," said Ailie, unabashed, "I was talking to a boy about
drinking it; and he said cider was nothing."

"I have seen _some_ cider which was more than negative in its effects,"
said Mr. Richmond. "I think you were right Ailie. Cider is only the
juice of apples, to be sure; but it gets so unlike itself once in a
while, that it is quite safe to have nothing to do with it."

"Mr. Richmond," said another girl, "what are you to do if people are
rude?"

"The Bible says, 'A soft answer turneth away wrath,' Mary."

"But suppose they will not listen to you?"

"Be patient. People did not always listen to the Master, you remember."

"But would you try again?"

"If I had the least chance. We must not be afraid of 'taking the wind
on our face,' as an old writer says. I would try again; and I would
pray more for them. Did you try that, Mary?"

"No, sir."

"Don't ever hope to do anything without prayer. Indeed, we must look to
God to do all. _We_ are nothing. If anything is to be accomplished for
the service of Christ by our hands, it must be by God's grace working
through us and with us; no other way. The power is His, always. So
whatever you do, pray, and hope in God, not in yourself."

"Mr. Richmond," said Frances Barth, "I do not understand about
'carrying the message.' What does it mean?"

"You know what the message is? We are commanded to preach the gospel to
every creature."

"But how can we do it?--people who are not ministers?"

"It is not necessary to get up into a pulpit to preach the gospel."

"No, sir; but--any way, how is one to 'carry the message'?"

"First, I would say, be sure that you have a message to carry."

"I thought you just said, Mr. Richmond, that the gospel is the
message?" said Mrs. Trembleton.

"It is the material of the message; but you know it must be very
differently presented to different people."

"I know; but how can you tell?"

"As I said, be sure that you have a message to carry. Let your heart be
full of some thought, or some truth, which you long to tell to another
person, or long that another person should know. Then ask the Lord to
give you the right word for that person; and ask Him to let His power
go along with i