wn into her eyes, "My heart is sad for you, my
darling, because, while another year is rapidly drawing to a close, I
have yet no reason to hope that you have sought a refuge within the fold
of the good Shepherd who gives to his sheep eternal life; the dear
Saviour who has been all these years inviting you to come to him and be
saved."

"Mamma, I am very young yet," murmured Rosie, hanging her head and
blushing.

"Old enough to have become a disciple of Jesus years ago," her mother
said in sorrowful tones. "O my darling, give him the best years of your
life; the whole of your life, whether it be long or short. Is he not
worthy of it?"

"Yes, mamma; surely there can be only one answer to that and I do mean
to--to try to turn over a new leaf with the coming of the new year. But,
mamma, I know of a number of good Christians who didn't begin to be such
till they were many years older than I am. There is grandpa for one."

"Yes, my child," sighed her mother, "but he has always deeply regretted
having so long delayed beginning the Christian course--entering the
service of the dear Master whom now he loves better than wife or child
or any created being. There are many reasons, my darling, why delay is
both dangerous and unwise as well as basely ungrateful."

"You allude to the uncertainty of life, mamma?"

"Yes, and of the continuance of health and reason. How many have been
suddenly overtaken by fatal illness that at once robbed them of the
power to think, so that if preparation for the solemn realities of
another world had not been already made, the opportunity for so doing
was forever lost!

"There is also danger that God's Spirit may cease to strive with you,
and without His help you can not come to Christ.

"Nor do we know how soon Jesus may come again in the clouds of heaven.
He himself has told us that he will come as a thief in the night; that
is when he is not expected.

"But, Rosie, my dear child, even if you could know certainly that delay
will not cost you the loss of your soul, it will bring you other loss
great and irreparable."

"What, mamma?" Rosie asked with a look of mingled surprise and alarm. "I
can not think what you mean."

"While it is a precious truth that all who finally repent and accept of
Christ as their only Saviour, will inherit eternal life--a life of
holiness and unspeakable happiness at God's right hand," answered her
mother, "yet there will be a difference in the portions of those