s the way to
heaven. The Bible tells us about our sins, and about the Lord Jesus
Christ, who came to seek and to save us. And it also tells us how we may
become holy, by the help of the Holy Spirit.

But I was going to tell you about the book of texts. Little Arthur had
one of these books, and he used to learn the text for every day, and
repeat it to his mamma before he began school. Arthur did not go to
school to any one but his mamma. She taught him his lesson each day, and
heard him say it.

One day, the text was very short indeed. It was only four words. It was,
"Thou GOD seest me." When Arthur had said it to his mamma, she began to
talk to him; and Arthur stood quietly at the work-table, and looked in
her face.

[Illustration]

She said to him, "My little boy, when you are left in the room alone,
you may think that no one can see you; but God can see you at all times.
When you think you are quite alone, God is near you. When you wake up in
the dark night, God is with you. He loves you, and is your best Friend.
You have other friends who are good and kind, but God is better to you
than all. Then try to please him by doing what is right. When you are
alone, and a bad wish comes into your heart, think of this text, 'Thou
GOD seest me,' and put away the bad wish from your heart."

Soon after this, Arthur's mamma told him that he might put on his cap
and gloves, and go with her to call at the house of a friend who was
ill. So they had a nice walk; and when they got to the house, Arthur was
shown into a large room, where he was told to sit down and wait, while
his mamma went up-stairs to see her friend. The little boy was left
alone in the room; and at first he sat quite still, and only looked at
the pretty things that were lying on the table just before him. But
after a while, he got up from the stool, and began to walk softly about
the room. There were many pretty things that he liked to look at. There
were some birds under a large glass, and Arthur had never in all his
life seen any birds so gay and bright in colour. But he saw they were
not alive, for not one of them moved when he put his finger upon the
glass. He was very sorry to think that the birds were not alive.

But the thing that Arthur liked best of all, better even than the
birds, was a very small china dog which he found on a low table in one
corner of the room. It was a white dog, with a curly tail and long ears;
and it sat up on its hind legs, jus