member of the household, down
to the servants, who occupied the lower end of the apartment, bearing a
share in the exercises; as also Lester, Elsie, and Evelyn from Fairview,
and representatives from the other three families belonging to the
connection, and the Keith cousins, who had arrived at Ion a few days
before.

The portion of Scripture under consideration was the interview of
Nicodemus with the Master when he came to Him by night (St. John iii.),
the subject, of course, the necessity of the new birth, God's appointed
way of salvation, and the exceeding greatness of His love in giving His
only-begotten Son to die "that whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life."

Each one able to read had an open Bible, and even Gracie and little
Walter listened with understanding and interest.

She whom the one called mamma, the other Grandma Elsie, had talked with
them that morning on the same subject, and tenderly urged upon them--as
often before--the duty of coming to Christ, telling them of His love to
little children, and that they were not too young to give themselves to
Him; and Mr. Dinsmore addressed a few closing words to them in the same
strain.

They fell into Gracie's heart as seed sown in good ground. When the
reading had come to an end and she felt herself unobserved, she slipped
quietly away to her mamma's dressing-room, where she was not likely to be
disturbed, and sat down to think more profoundly and seriously than ever
before in her short life.

She went over "the old, old story," and tears stole down her cheeks as
she whispered to herself, "And it was for me He died that dreadful death;
for me just as truly as if it hadn't been for anybody else; and yet I've
lived all this long while without loving Him, or trying to do right for
the sake of pleasing Him.

"And how often I've been invited to come! Papa has told me about it over
and over again; mamma too, and Grandma Elsie; and I haven't minded what
they said at all. Oh, how patient and kind Jesus has been to wait so long
for me to come! And He is still waiting and inviting me to come; just as
kindly and lovingly as if it was the very first time, and I hadn't been
turning away from Him.

"He is right here, looking at me, and listening for what I will say in
answer to His call. Oh, I won't keep Him waiting any longer, lest He
should go away and never invite me again; and because I do love Him for
dying for me, and for being