theatre--they yielded
and went "just once." Then, "only once more,"--and then presently
would go every night, to see everything!

When Miriam was six years old, some acquaintances over-persuaded her
father to let them take her to see Cinderella,--Cinderella and some
part of Der Freischutz; and one who was there remembers well how hard
the little hands grasped the edge of the box, and how impossible it was
to win the young eyes round, even by a vision of sugarplums. To the
end of her life, I fancy, she will see now and then a picture out of
that fairyland. Next day Miriam entreated earnestly to have the
pleasure over again; strengthening her plea with this remarkable
promise, that if she might go once more, she would never do anything
wrong again as long as she lived! Her father paced up and down the
room with a grave smile upon his lips, the little suppliant following
with eager feet, ever renewing her request, and he answering little;
for the matter was beyond her ken. But he was a Christian who kept off
the Debatable land; and where his foot might not enter, he would not
send his child. Had he not himself dedicated her to be the Lord's?
She never went again. Never to the theatre; never again to any such
place, until long afterwards; and with that going he had nothing to do.

Miriam had grown up, had become a Christian and a happy one; and as yet
no "flatterer" had beguiled her off upon the "Enchanted Ground." But
at last the temptation came, in a very specious way.

There was a new Prima Donna at the opera house that winter; a young,
pretty woman, working hard (it was said) to support her mother; and
Miriam, going daily to see dear friends at the same hotel, often heard
the singing and practising that went on in the Prima Donna's rooms.
And Miriam was very fond of music, and had been able to hear very
little that was really good; and now in a moment one thing took
possession of her; she _must_ go to the opera!--Tickets too costly, and
no one to take her, made the thing look impossible on the one side; and
on the other--there was her Christian name and promise. Of course it
was wrong for Christians to go!--she knew that. Yet for the time,
nothing seemed tangible or real but this; go she _must_! And so from
week to week this fever of desire grew and increased, fed from time to
time by those snatches of song that floated through the great hall of
the hotel.

At last one day her friends said (knowing nothi