he was a God-fearing man, and I believe he is in heaven. Your mother,
too, is a Christian woman, and she, when she leaves this world, will
join him there. Now lad, I have to ask you what is your hope? There is
but one way to go there, remember that. Have you sought that way?"

Archy hung down his head. "I know I was very wicked to leave my mother
as I did," he answered, "and I could not help thinking the other day,
when the iceberg was about to come down upon us, where I should go to."

"Ah, lad, it's a great thing to see your sin, but God wants you to do
more than that. You must acknowledge it to Him and seek His way for
blotting it out. Do you know that way, laddie, which only a God of
infinite love and mercy could have devised for saving weak fallen man
from the consequences of sin? Have you sought the Saviour? Sorrow will
not wash away sin. The blood of the Saviour, which He shed when He
suffered instead of man on Calvary, can alone do it. Only those who
seek Him and trust in Him can benefit by that blood. Have you earnestly
sought him, laddie? I am sure if you do seek Him, desiring to turn away
from your sins, that you will find Him."

Archy could only repeat, "I am very sorry I ran away from mother and hid
myself aboard the ship, and I thought when we were so near being
destroyed the other day, what would become of me."

Archy exactly described his state, and the captain knew he spoke truly.
There are too many like him, who only think of their sins at the
approach of danger.

"Ah, laddie! I should be thankful if you could honestly tell me that
you mourn for your sins, because you have grievously offended our loving
Father in heaven, and that you have sought forgiveness from Him, through
the all-cleansing blood of His dear Son, shed for you on Calvary," said
Captain Irvine. "Do you ever pray?"

"Not since I came aboard here," answered Archy.

"And I am afraid not for some time before, either," observed the
captain. "For if you had prayed that God's Holy Spirit would guide and
direct you, and keep you out of temptation, you would not have ran away
from home as you did. Now, laddie, what I want you to understand is,
that you are weak and helpless in yourself, that you can neither walk
aright nor do any good thing by yourself; but that if you seek the aid
of the Holy Spirit you will walk aright, you will be able to withstand
temptation, and to do God's will. If you do not pray and seek His ai