parent,
and use this Bible as he did in the pulpit, as a minister of the
gospel? The locket contains the likeness of your father and myself,
taken a short time after our marriage. I commit you with many
prayers, to the care of your Heavenly Father, for I feel that the
hand of death is upon me, and that a few brief days will close my
earthly existence. My last prayer will be that my boy may so live
on earth, as to meet his mother in Heaven. My strength fails me. I
can write no more.

"From your loving, but dying mother,

"Charlotte Harwood."

CHAPTER VIII.

The reader who has got thus far in the narrative of the early life of
Earnest Harwood, will doubtless learn, with pleasure, that the letter
written by his mother, proved, under the blessing of God, the means of
his salvation. The earnest persuasion of that letter, induced him to
form a firm resolve, that he _would_ amend his conduct, and cease from
his evil ways. He was, at the first, fearful that he had lost the love
of his foster parents, by his ungrateful conduct. He one day expressed
this fear to them, and together they assured him, that although he had
certainly caused them much grief and anxiety, their love for him had
remained unchanged. They took this opportunity, when his feelings were
thus softened, to urge him to be firm in his resolution of amendment.
They also, for the first time, spoke of the fearful sorrow he had caused
them by being brought to his home in a state of intoxication; and
besought him never again to allow himself to be persuaded to taste of
the intoxicating cup. Mrs. Humphrey pressed a motherly kiss upon his
fine brow, and said,--

"My dear boy I hope that you will not again disappoint our fond hopes,
and that you will yet do credit to the fine abilities with which our
Heavenly Father has so liberally endowed you."

From this time there was a marked and decided change in the character of
Earnest. Many feared that the change would not be permanent, but Mrs.
Humphrey was very hopeful.

"I feel an assurance," said she "that the many prayers which have been
offered to heaven on his behalf, are about to be answered."

It was even so. And they who feared a relapse into his former evil ways
were happily disappointed. He again punctually attended school, and
applied himself diligently to his neglected studies; and his teachers
were surprised, as well by the astonishing progress he made, as b