r more than the mother whose warm caress she could still remember.
It was an idea that might seem beyond the grasp of a poor untaught
child, were it not that He who reveals Himself to babes and sucklings
can speak to the heart He has made in ways beyond our power to trace.
The idea in Nelly's mind of that wonderful love which she so sorely
needed, was more enlightened than many a philosopher's conception of
divinity, and the dark eyes filled with tears as a half-formed prayer
awoke from her heart to the loving Jesus, who, Miss Preston had told
her, would hear and answer her.

And who could doubt that He did hear and answer the desolate,
uncared-for child, scarcely knowing as yet what "good" meant, since
her knowledge had been only of evil! Her conscience, however, was not
dead, though neglected; she knew at least what "wrong" was, and felt
she must leave off doing it if the Saviour was to be her friend. But
how should she be able to leave off her bad, idle ways, and become a
good, industrious girl, such as her new mother said most of the little
girls in Ashleigh were? Then she remembered the words which Miss
Preston had made her repeat, "Looking unto Jesus," and "I lay my sins
on Jesus," and that Miss Preston had told her she must ask Jesus to
take away her sins and make her good. But she thought the right place
for speaking to Jesus must be in the church, as most of the people she
had known in the city used to go to church "to confess," and she
supposed that must have something to do with it.

Just then she saw the Fords passing at a little distance on their way
to church, and it occurred to her that she would go too; and perhaps
Jesus would hear her there, and show her how she was to be made good.
So she started up, and was speedily on the other side of the ravine,
almost overtaking the Fords before they reached the village. The
service was beginning when she crept stealthily into one of the
farthest back seats, half afraid lest she was doing wrong in thus
trespassing where she had no right. Then, crouched in a corner, with
her face bent forward and her elf-locks half covering her eyes, she
listened with intense earnestness, trying to take in all she could of
what was so new, yet already not unfamiliar to her, and half disposed
to think that the kindly-looking gentleman who stood there and spoke
in such solemn tones might be Jesus Himself.

Let not the more favoured ones, on whom from their cradles the blessed
ligh