words, when
they were in trouble or anxiety.

Charlie told them of his father's illness, of his own selfishness, his
repentance, his self-reproach, and his anxiety to do something to help
at home.

"My dear boy," said Mrs. Greenwell, "I am so glad you have come to me;
but I trust you have already laid all this before your great Friend and
Father in heaven."

"Oh yes, ma'am," answered Charlie; "but I feel so ashamed of having so
often to ask God to forgive me; I feel almost afraid that He will be
tired of me, and refuse to listen."

"We might be afraid of that," said Mrs. Greenwell, "if we asked
forgiveness in our own unworthy names--if the Saviour had never died for
us. But as you know, He came into the world to save sinners. He gave
Himself for our sins. 'He was wounded for our transgressions: He was
bruised for our iniquities, and with His stripes we are healed.' 'The
blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.' He has said,
'Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you;'
and if we doubt His word we are lost. If we repent, and are sincerely
sorry for our sin, and ask God to forgive us, for Jesus Christ's sake,
He will do so, no matter how often we go to Him. It is Satan who tries
to put hard thoughts of God into our hearts. And now, in your trouble,
Charlie, you do not know how the Saviour loves you and sympathizes with
you. He knows what it is to suffer. He is waiting at the door of your
heart, longing to come in and help and comfort you. He says, 'Behold, I
stand at the door and knock;' do not refuse Him entrance, Charlie."

Tears stood in Charlie's eyes when Mrs. Greenwell finished speaking,
tears of thankfulness for such a Saviour, and of gratitude to Mrs.
Greenwell.

When they began to talk of what Charlie could do to help at home, and
earn some money, Harry asked him what he would like to do best.

"I should best like to be amongst engines, and machines, and those
things," said Charlie. "Father meant me to be an engineer--a working
engineer, if all had gone on well; he meant to apprentice me. But, of
course, that is all over now," he said, with a sigh; "it would be so
long before I could earn anything like good wages."

"Yes, indeed," said Mrs. Greenwell, turning over all sorts of plans in
her mind. "You see," she went on, "errand boys get so little, and
tradesmen will not give wages to inexperienced boys for shop work, when
they can get apprentices. Haven't you thought of an