me to acknowledge it; if I had not I should
have lost his confidence, and the prize would never have been mine, he
said: as it was, no other boy stood as high as I did! Isn't it
splendid?"

"I am very, very glad," repeated Hatty. "Is it not better always to try
to do right, Marcus!" she added softly.

Marcus opened his mouth as if to speak, then turned silently away.

That evening Mrs. Lee sat in the library, in the twilight, with Marcus
and Hatty. She too had heard about the prize, and had rejoiced with her
son, with a silent prayer in her heart that he might see the wisdom of
the Better Path, and be led always to do right by the happy results
which had followed the step that had cost him such an effort.

After the subject of the prize had been discussed, a feeling of
quietness stole over the little group; perhaps all had their own serious
thoughts at that twilight hour.

"Come, Hatty," said Mrs. Lee, pleasantly, "can you not recite a hymn for
us?"

Mrs. Lee almost feared that Marcus would walk away at this proposal, as
he had often done before, on similar occasions; but he sat down at his
mother's side, and listened, while Hatty repeated, in a voice of deep
feeling, the hymn,--"Ashamed of Jesus."

"Mother," said Hatty, earnestly, when she had done speaking, "Do you
think anybody in a Christian country was ever _ashamed of Jesus?_"

"There are few in a christian country, my dear, who would be willing to
be called infidels, or heathen," said Mrs. Lee, soberly; "and I doubt
if there are any young people who have heard of Jesus, who would not
shrink from the thought. Though this is quite true, there are many who
are ashamed of Jesus--many children, I fear!"

"O Mother! what do you mean?" said Hatty, earnestly.

"I mean," said Mrs. Lee, "there are many who are ashamed to have it
known that they wish to serve him. They would rather their best actions
should be attributed to any cause, than a desire to do His will. They
hide their best feelings, and struggle to show indifference when holy
things are named, in a way which proves them at heart to be _ashamed_ of
Jesus. Alas, poor foolish children! what will be their lot when he is
ashamed of them, in the presence of his Father in Heaven!"

Marcus had laid his head on his mother's hand, as he sat beside her, and
now she felt the hot tears trickle over it.

Hatty was questioning in heart whether she could be so situated as to be
_ashamed of Jesus_, when Marcus sudd