sure that the great Spirit to whom the Indian
looks up as God would be displeased with such blasphemy."

"Undoubtedly He is," said the count; "but had you inquired further, you
would have been told that the figure on the cross and the child in the
woman's arms and the one in the cradle represented the same person, the
Saviour of mankind, who is now in heaven, at the right hand of God."

"Then, how can He be in heaven and on earth at the same time?" asked the
Indian. "And if He is in heaven, surely men of sense should lift up
their hearts to Him there, and not bow before figures which can have no
resemblance to him; for I observed that even the infants differed from
each other. And who, tell me, does the figures of the woman represent?"

"She was one especially honoured among women, but who the Saviour
expressly showed He did not desire should be worshipped," answered the
count. "She was chosen to be the earthly mother of the Son of God, who
so loved the world, that He desired to become man, that He might be
punished instead of all men; for all, being by nature sinful, deserve
punishment, and God, who is all just and all merciful, decreed that all
who believe that Jesus, His Son, was punished for our sins, should have
those sins washed away, and be received into favour again by Him. Thus,
Jesus came into the world as an infant, grew up to manhood, and, after
setting an example to mankind by the obedient, pure, holy life He led,
He allowed Himself to be put to the most cruel of deaths on the cross,
such as the vilest of malefactors were alone considered deserving of.
To prove that He was God, by His own will and power He rose again and
ascended into heaven, there to be the Advocate and Mediator of those He
had redeemed. Through Him alone the prayers of those who believe in Him
can be offered and be received acceptably by God."

The young chief listened attentively to what the count said. "This is
very wonderful, very wonderful," he observed, after being for some time
lost in meditation. "I would wish to hear more about the matter; yet it
strikes me as strange that God should allow His name to be profaned, and
these senseless images to be worshipped instead of Himself."

"You are right, my friend," said the count. "God is a Spirit, and must
be worshipped in spirit and in truth. He is also long-suffering and
kind, and therefore He does not punish men as they deserve, that they
may have an opportunity of turning