I do not seem able to do things that I wish and ought."

"There may be two reasons for that," replied his father. "The first, that
you are not sufficiently in earnest in your petitions; and next, that you
imagine that your prayers are to do all, without any exertion on your
part--that the mere fact of having asked the help of the Almighty will
insure you a supernatural ease and delight in performing these duties,
forgetting that, while we are in this world we have to fight, to run
steadily forward, not to sit still and expect all to be smooth for us.
We must show diligence unto the end--we must watch as well as pray.
You remember the parable of the withered hand?"

"Yes, father."

"And you remember that our Lord commanded the man to stretch forth his
hand. He might have pleaded that it was powerless; but no, the Lord had
given him power at the moment he desired him to exert it; and just so to
every Christian, God is a God of all grace, and will give to each of us
the peculiar grace we need; but we must not lock it up and imagine it
to be efficacious without exertion on our part."

Louis was silent for some minutes. At length he turned his face up to
his father, and said--

"What would you advise me to do?"

"What do you think yourself would be best?" said his father. "Think
always _after_ earnest prayer for divine guidance, what seems right
to do, what the Bible says, and how it will be to the glory of your
Saviour; then, when you have made up your mind as to the rectitude
of any plan of action, let your movements be prompt and decided,
and do not leave the silly heart any room to suggest its excuses and
modifications. Your judgment may sometimes err, but it is better for
the judgment than the conscience to be in fault. Be assured that if
you thus acknowledge God in all your ways, He will direct your paths."

Louis paused another moment, and said--

"Will you take that book, father, and not let me have it any more to-day,
as it has interfered so much with my study; and I will try to be more
industrious. I will finish my Prometheus and Euclid, and the projection
of my map, and then, perhaps, I shall be ready for the reading."

Mr. Mortimer shook his head as he held up his watch before his
son's eyes--

"Too late, Louis. The time is lost, and something must be missed to-day."

"Then, papa, I will do my Greek, and go to the reading, and then,
instead of amusing myself after lunch, I will do the other things--