his tears, and nodded his head, and
for some moments there was silence between them. If the truth must be
told, Doctor Dunn felt himself keenly rebuked by his little son's words.
Amid the multitude of his responsibilities, the responsibility for his
sons' best friend he had hardly realised.

"I am glad that you spoke of it, Rob; I am glad that you spoke of it.
Something will be done. It is not, after all, in our hands. Still, we
must stand ready to help. Good-night, my boy. And remember, it is always
good to hurry back to our best Friend, if ever we get away from Him."

The boy put his arms around his father's neck and kissed him good-night;
then, kissing him again, he whispered: "Thank you, Daddy."

And from the relief in his tone the father recognised that upon him the
lad had laid all the burden of his solicitude for his friend.

Later in the evening, when his elder son came home, the father called
him in, and frankly gave him the substance of the conversation of the
earlier part of the evening.

Jack laughed somewhat uneasily. "Oh, Rob is an awfully religious little
beggar; painfully so, I think, sometimes--you know what I mean, Sir," he
added, noticing the look on his father's face.

"I am not sure that I do, Jack," said his father, "but I want to tell
you, that as far as I am concerned, I felt distinctly rebuked at the
little chap's anxiety for his friend in a matter of such vital import.
His is a truly religious little soul, as you say, but I wonder if his
type is not more nearly like the normal than is ours. Certainly, if
reality, simplicity, sincerity are the qualities of true religious
feeling--and these, I believe, are the qualities emphasised by the
Master Himself--then it may indeed be that the boy's type is nearer the
ideal than ours."

At this point Mrs. Dunn entered the room.

"Anything private?" she enquired with a bright smile at her husband.

"Not at all! Come in!" said Doctor Dunn, and he proceeded to repeat the
conversation with his younger son, and his own recent comment thereupon.

"I am convinced," he added, "that there is a profundity of meaning in
those words, 'Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little
child, he shall not enter therein,' that we have not yet fathomed. I
suspect Wordsworth is not far astray when he suggests that with the
passing years we grow away from the simplicity of our faith and the
clearness of our vision. There is no doubt that to Rob, Jesus is