CONVERSATIONS 
 
 ON 
 
 IP XL A IT 
 
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 By the &ev. W. HARRIS, LL.D. 
 
 SEVENTH EDITION 
 
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CONVERSATION I. 
 
 Why we must pray to God. 
 
 MOTHER AND DAUGHTER. 
 
 Mother. My dear Mary, come here, I 
 want to talk with you now we are alone. 
 
 Daughter. Yes, mother, I love to talk 
 with you ; what shall we talk about ? 
 
 M. Kiss me, my dear, and I will tell 
 you. 
 
 D. There, mother, I give you two 
 kisses. Now tell me. 
 
4 
 
 M. Why, my child, now you are grow- 
 ing a bigger girl, and know what I mean 
 when I talk with you, I wish you to learn 
 to pray to God. 
 
 Z>. To pray, mother ? what, is that as 
 my father does when we kneel down ? 
 
 M. Yes. When we kneel down, your 
 father prays. I wish you to do so when 
 you are alone. 
 
 D. What is it to pray, mother ? 
 
 M. To pray, my dear, is to ask God for 
 good things. 
 
 D. O, I always wish to have good 
 things. I often ask you for good things, 
 you know. When I come home from 
 school, and am hungry, do not I ask you 
 for something to eat ? 
 
 M. Yes, my dear ; and I give you such 
 good things as- I can, when you ask me. 
 Now I wish you to ask God for good 
 things. 
 
 D. Cannot I ask you, mother ? You 
 always used to give them to me, if you 
 thought it was right. 
 
 M. Yes ; but there are some good 
 things that I cannot give you. When 
 you are sick, I cannot take away your 
 pain. And though I wish you to be al- 
 ways good, I cannot make you so. 
 
5 
 
 D. I should like to be always good, 
 and love you, and talk as we do now. 
 And I should like to be always well. I 
 do not like my head to ache. 
 
 M. Then you must ask God to keep 
 you well, and make you always good. 
 
 D. God ! mother, who is God ? 
 
 M. God, is he that made the sun and 
 moon to give us light, and the fields and 
 trees to give us food. And he made 
 you. 
 
 D. Did he make me? And did he make 
 you, and my father, and my brothers and 
 sisters. 
 
 M. Yes, my dear. And he takes care 
 of us, by night, when we are asleep ; and 
 by day, when we go about. And he keeps 
 us alive and well. 
 
 D. But, mother, I never see God, nor 
 hear him speak. 
 
 M. True, my dear, there are many 
 things that you do not see and hear, and 
 yet you could not do without them. So 
 you do not see and hear God, but he 
 always takes care of us, and gives us 
 all the good things that we have. That 
 is the reason why I wish you to pray to 
 him. 
 
6 
 
 t>. But why should I pray to God? 
 cannot I pray to you ? 
 
 M. You should ask me for what I can 
 give you. But, you know, I told you I 
 could not always make you good, nor 
 keep you always well. None can do that 
 but God. 
 
 D. And will God keep me always well, 
 if I ask him. 
 
 M. I am not sure of that : he will if it 
 be right. But, if you pray to him, he 
 will make you good, and love you, and 
 make good people love you. 
 
 D. Then, I will pray to him now; 
 shall I, mother ? 
 
 M. Yes, my dear; come, then, kneel 
 down as your father does, and pray. 
 
 D. But, mother, I do not know what 
 to say. 
 
 M. Why, what do you wish God to do 
 for you ? 
 
 D. To keep me well, and make me 
 good. 
 
 M. Now, then, I will tell you. You 
 must say as I say : 
 
 Lord— thou hast made— all things ; 
 —and thou hast made me— I pray thee 
 
7 
 
 ■ — to take care— of me, — to keep me from 
 harm, — to make me — a good child ; — 
 that I may love — what is good, — and 
 always hate — what is wrong ; — and that 
 I may serve thee — as long as I live, — for 
 Jesus Christ's sake. — Amen. 
 
 _D. Is that all, mother ? I do love to 
 pray. 
 
 M. I hope you will, my dear child ; but 
 now you must try to keep out of harm, 
 and to be good. 
 
 D. But, mother, I shall forget ; will 
 you tell me again ? 
 
 M. Yes, my dear ; and when you grow 
 older, you must pray to God out of your 
 own heart. 
 
CONVERSATION II. 
 
 God will mind tis if we pray to him. 
 
 MOTHER AND DAUGHTER. 
 
 D. ^ Do you know, mother, I have been 
 thinking about something. 
 
 M. Very likely, my child j what did 
 you think about ? 
 
 D. I wish you would guess ; — something 
 good ; — what I love to talk with you about. 
 
 AL I suppose yHi mean about your 
 prayer. 
 
9 
 
 D. Q, how soon you find it out ! What 
 a deal you do know, mother ! 
 
 M. Why, my dear Mary, I am older 
 than you, and have learned more ; or else I 
 should not be able to teach you good things. 
 
 D. I wish you would tell me, how you 
 know so much about something. 
 
 M. What do you mean ? I will tell you, 
 if I can, and if it be right. 
 
 D. Why, about God. I dare say it is 
 so, because you say so ; but I cannot find 
 out, how you know that God made all 
 things, and made me. 
 
 M. I shall be very glad to tell you this. 
 Do you know what book this is ? 
 
 D. O, yes, mother ; it is the Bible. 
 
 M. You are right; and the Bible is 
 the word of God : it tells us what God 
 has said, and what he has done. 
 
 D. But God did not make that book ? 
 
 M. Not as you mean : God put into the 
 minds of good men what to write, and 
 others take it from what they wrote. 
 Now what I know about God, and his 
 making you, is from the Bible. 
 
 D. What a nice book that must be. 
 I shall be glad when I am big enough to 
 read in it. And does the Bible tell about 
 God taking care of every body? 
 
 a 2 
 
10 
 
 . M. Yes, my dear — of all men, and 
 women, and children in the tvorld, and 
 of every thing. 
 
 D. Then, mother, what a great deal 
 God must have to do ? 
 
 M. Yes, my child, more than you or I 
 can think. 
 
 D. Then, do you think he will mind 
 what such a little girl as I want ? 
 
 M. O, yes, to be sure he will: He 
 must always think of you, and take care 
 of you : else you could not be alive. 
 
 D. Well, but will he mind what I say, 
 when I pray to him ? 
 
 M. Yes, indeed he will r he has told 
 
 us in the Bible, that we ought to pray to 
 
 him ; and he would not tell us to do so, 
 
 if he did not mind. He says too, in the 
 
 Bible j "Ask, and it shall be given ; " and 
 
 so it will, if what we ask be good for us. 
 
 But, mother, I am only a little 
 child ! ■ ' 
 
 M. True, but God loves little children : 
 he has said, " I love them that love 
 and they that seek me early shall find 
 me."-— To seek God, means to pray to 
 him. 
 
 D. O, to seek God is to pray to him ? 
 I shall mind and think of that, 
 
II 
 
 M. That is one way of seeking God. 
 Besides, he is our heavenly Father; and 
 the Bible says, " Like as a father pitieth 
 his children, so the Lord pitieth them 
 that fear him." Though you are a little 
 child, your father and I do not refuse you 
 good things, when you ask. 
 
 JD. No, mother — only if you are busy — 
 
 M. But God is never too busy; be- 
 cause he can do every thing, and he 
 knows every thing. 
 
 D. I wish I knew, if he ever did mind 
 what children prayed to him for ? 
 
 M. Well, I can tell you he has done 
 so. The Bible tells us about Josiah, 
 that while he was yet young, he began to 
 seek after God ; and so God blessed him, 
 and made him good j and it tells us of 
 some others. Some day, I will lend you 
 a book about children that prayed, and 
 how good God was to them. 
 
 1). O, that must be a nice book. I 
 shall be so glad. It is very good of the 
 great God to mind little children. 
 
 M. Yes, he is very good to us indeed. 
 
 D„ And may I pray to him always ? Is 
 he never too busy ? 
 
 M. You may pray to him at any time 
 when it is in your heart. 
 
12 
 
 D. Then I will pray to him now, only 
 you must tell me what to say. And, 
 mother, I wish you would put in my 
 prayer, that I love him, because he minds 
 little children, when they pray. 
 
 M, Very well, I will :■ 
 
 O Lord — thou hast made — all things; — 
 and thou hast made me,— -and dost keep 
 me alive. Thou hast told us to pray. — - 
 I love thee,— because thou dost mind, — 
 when children pray to thee. Do thou— 
 take care of me— Keep me from harm, 
 Make me a good child,— that I may love 
 what is good,— and hate what is wrong 5 
 iind that I may serve — and please thee,— 
 £s long as I live,— for Jesus Christ's sake. 
 —Amen. 
 
13 
 
 CONVERSATION III. 
 
 Why we say, « For Jems Christ's sake," 
 
 when we pray. 
 
 MOTHER AND DAUGHTER. 
 
 M, Mary, can you almost say your 
 prayer by yourself? 
 
 D. Yes, mother : I am not quite sure 
 that I say it right, but I think I do, 
 
 M. You are a good child, to try to get 
 it into your mind j but do you know what 
 all of it means ? 
 
 Do Yes, I think I do ; I am almost sure. 
 
14 
 
 . M. I fear you have not minded what 
 one part of it means. 
 
 Do Why, mother : why do you think 
 
 so ? 
 
 M. Because, my dear, when you come 
 near the end, you say it too fast, and 
 seem not to think what you are saying. 
 
 D. That is, because I know it, and 
 have it in my head. 
 
 M. Tell me then, child, why, at the 
 end of your prayer, you say, " For Jesus 
 Christ's sake ? " 
 
 D. O, indeed I did not think of that. 
 No, mother, I do not know what that 
 means. 
 
 M. Do you know who Jesus Christ is ? 
 
 D. No, I cannot tell that. I wish you 
 would tell me. 
 
 M. When you can read the Bible, you 
 may read a great deal about him. 
 
 I). O, I wish I could now ; I wish you 
 would tell me what the Bible says ? 
 
 M. I can tell you only a very little 
 now. The Bible tells us, that Jesus 
 Christ is the Son of God, and that he 
 came into this world, and was a little 
 child, and grew up very good, and was 
 very kind to every body ; and taught them 
 to love and serve God ; and yet people 
 
15 
 
 did not love him, but tried often to kill 
 him ; and at last they did kill him. 
 
 D. O, mother, mother, what wicked 
 people they must be ! 
 
 M. So they were, my dear : else they 
 would have loved him, and minded what 
 he told them. 
 
 D. Did not you say he was the Son of 
 God ? Then why did not God take care 
 of him, and keep the wicked people 
 from him ? 
 
 M. I am afraid I cannot make it plain 
 to you. When you grow older, you will 
 be able to know more about it. 
 
 Z). I wish I was older : I should like 
 to know. Cannot you tell me something, 
 only a little about it ? Indeed, I do think, 
 mother, I can know what it means, 
 
 M. I do not think you can, yet; but if 
 you will mind, I will make it as plain as 
 I can. 
 
 D, I will mind, mother; indeed I will. 
 
 M. Well, then, people were very wicked, 
 and God knew they would be so, more 
 and more ; and then, he knew he must 
 punish them; because it would not be 
 right for them to go on being wicked, 
 and for God not to mind it. Do you 
 know what I mean ? 
 
D. O, yes, mother ! When I have been 
 naughty, you have said you must punish 
 me, and must shew me you were angry 
 at what is wrong, and that it was a bad 
 thing to be naughty. 
 
 M. But, my dear, if God punishes 
 wicked people as much as they deserve, 
 they will never be happy any more. He 
 must be always angry with them, and 
 they must suffer great pain, for ever and 
 ever. Do you mind me, and know what 
 I mean ? 
 
 D. Yes, mother, because people are 
 so very wicked, God must be always 
 angry with them, and then they must be 
 always in pain. 
 
 M. Well, my dear ; but God is so good, 
 that he did not wish to make them always 
 unhappy, though they deserved it. 
 
 D. That was very good and kind in the 
 great God. 
 
 M. And so, because he did not wish 
 to punish people as they deserved, he 
 took this way — that if his Son, Jesus 
 Christ, would bear a great deal of pain, 
 and would let wicked people put him to 
 death, why, then he would forgive such 
 people as were sorry they had done wrong, 
 and wished to be good, 
 
17 
 
 D. Pray mother, tell me this that is 
 come into my head. If God wished not 
 to punish wicked people, could he not 
 forgive them? and why should he let 
 them put Jesus Christ to death ? 
 
 M. You know, my dear, if we do not 
 punish people that do wrong, we do not 
 show that we think they do wrong. And 
 that would not be right. We should 
 shew we hate what is wicked. 
 
 D. Yes, mother. 
 
 M. So, God meant to shew how he 
 hated what is wicked, when Jesus Christ 
 suffered so much pain, and was killed. 
 
 J). But Jesus Christ was not wicked? 
 ^ M. No, my dear; but it was something 
 like this : Can you think of a little girl 
 being veiy naughty indeed ? 
 
 I). Yes, mother. 
 
 M. So naughty, that if she was punished 
 as much as she deserved it would kill her. 
 D. Yes, mother. 
 
 M. But suppose her father did not 
 wish to kill her, and yet wished to shew 
 how very angry he was forced to be. 
 
 D. Yes, mother. 
 
 M. And, if she had a brother, a great 
 deal stronger than she, who was able to 
 bear the pain which she deserved. 
 
18 
 
 2). Ye$, mother. 
 
 M. And, if he wished to bear it, that 
 she might not suffer it. 
 D. Yes, mother. 
 
 M. And her father was willing he 
 should, if only she would be sorry, and 
 love her brother very much. 
 
 D. Yes, mother. 
 
 M. Why, then, you know, she might 
 see how her father hated her being 
 naughty, and yet she might not die as 
 she deserved. . So it was, that God let 
 Jesus Christ suffer pain, that if the peo- 
 ple would be sorry for what they had done, 
 and would love him, they might be safe. 
 
 D. But, did Jesus Christ like it ? 
 
 M. My dear, he could not like the 
 pain : but he pitied people so much, and 
 wished so much to save them, that he was 
 willing to bear it for them. 
 
 B. O, that was very kind, indeed? 
 And so, mother, Jesus Christ is dead? 
 I am so sorry. 
 
 M. No, my dear child : he was dead, 
 but he came to life again, and went up to 
 heaven. He is very happy now, and he 
 saves all those who are sorry for their 
 sins, and pray that he may make them 
 good. 
 
19 
 
 D. I do not think that I quite know 
 what it all means. Perhaps I shall, when 
 I am older, and read in the Bible. I am 
 glad that I am not wicked; and that 
 Jesus Christ had not to bear so much 
 
 pain for me. 
 
 M. What, my child ! Did you not say 
 just now, that sometimes you had been 
 naughty, and that I had been forced to 
 
 punish you ? 
 
 D. But I mean, mother, that I am not 
 wicked, to make God obliged to punish 
 me ; and so Jesus Christ had not to suf- 
 fer so much pain for me. 
 
 M. You do not think right.— When 
 you are naughty, you not only displease 
 me, but God too. He sees every bad 
 thing you do, and he hears every wrong 
 word you say, and he knows every tiding 
 that comes into your mind. 
 
 D. O mother, I did not think of that I 
 Is God angry as well as you, when I am 
 naughty? I will not be naughty any 
 more, for I love you ; and I love God ; he 
 is so good to me. > 
 
 M. Yes, my dear child, if Jesus Christ 
 had not suffered so much, God must have 
 punished you ; and then you must have 
 been in great pain for ever. But now, if 
 
20 
 
 you pray to him to forgive you, and make 
 you good, because Jesus Christ suffered 
 so much, he will mind what you pray for. 
 
 D. I am sorry I have been naughty. 
 I wish God would forgive me. I wish 
 Jesus Christ would make me good and 
 happy. 
 
 M. Shall I put that in your prayer? 
 D. O, I wish you would, mother. 
 M. I will then; now mind and think 
 of what you say : 
 
 O Lord, — thou hast made all things 
 and thou hast made me, — and dost keep 
 me alive. Thou hast told us to pray. I 
 love thee,— because thou dost mind when 
 children pray to thee. Do thou take care 
 of me. Keep me from harm. Make me 
 a ggod child ; that I may love what is 
 good, — and hate what is wrong;— and 
 that I may serve and please thee, — as 
 long as I live. I fear I have often been 
 wicked, — and deserve thine anger. But 
 do thou pity me,— and forgive me, and 
 save me,— because Jesus Christ— suffered 
 and died, Amen e 
 
21 
 
 CONVERSATION IV. 
 
 We may pray for one another. 
 
 MOTHER AND DAUGHTER. 
 
 M. Softly, softly, my dear Mary. Come 
 in, and shut the door very gently. 
 
 D. Why, mother, are you not well ? 
 
 M. Yes, but your dear little brother is 
 very poorly. 
 
 D. O, I am sorry for that. What is 
 the matter with him ? 
 
22 
 
 M. He has had a great deal of pain ; 
 but he is a little better now, and is gone 
 to sleep. Look at him, how pale he is. 
 
 D. So he is, poor, dear, little brother! 
 I am so sorry. Will he soon be well ? 
 
 M. I hope he will ; but that must be 
 as it pleases God. 
 
 D. Why did God let him be bad? was 
 he naughty, and so God was forced to be 
 angry with him ? 
 
 M. He is too young, my dear, to know 
 what it is to be naughty ; but had there 
 not been sin in the world, there would be 
 no pain. 
 
 D. But God can make him well, mother ? 
 
 M. Yes. He can if he pleases. 
 
 /)„ Then my little brother must pray 
 to God, to make him well. 
 
 M. He cannot do that, for he does not 
 know what it means. 
 
 D. Poor little dear ! what must he do 
 then ? 
 
 M. He can do nothing ; but cannot 
 you do something for him ? 
 
 D. O, yes, I will tell him my pretty 
 prayer. 
 
 M. He cannot learn it ; and he can- 
 not tell what it means ; so if he could 
 say it, that would not be prayer. 
 
23 
 
 t). What then, mother, can I do ? I 
 should be glad if God would make him well. 
 
 M. Can you not pray to God for him ? 
 
 D. What does that mean, mother ? 
 
 M. I mean, when you pray, can you 
 not ask God to make him well ? 
 
 D. Yes, mother, I can, if you put it in 
 my prayer. 
 
 M. I will, if you wish me to do it. 
 
 D. I am quite sure, I wish God would 
 make him well. But — 
 
 M. But — what, my Mary ? 
 
 D. But may I pray to God to be kind 
 to my brother, too ? 
 
 M. I suppose, my dear, you mean to 
 ask me, if God will mind when you pray 
 for other people, as well as when you 
 pray for yourself? 
 
 JD. Yes, mother, that is it ; that is what 
 I mean. 
 
 31. Then, I can tell you. God is so 
 kind as to let us pray for others, when we 
 wish him to do them good. 
 
 D. Does the Bible say so ? 
 
 M. Yes, it tells us of a good man, 
 who had a son, and he wished his son to 
 live : so he prayed to God, and God 
 minded his prayer, and blessed his soil. 
 
24 
 
 I). But that is very good indeed of 
 
 God; 
 
 M. Besides, the Bible tells us we 
 ought to pray for one another. 
 
 D. When they do not know how to 
 pray for themselves, like my poor little 
 brother ? 
 
 M. Yes, my dear, and for other people 
 too: good people always pray for one 
 another. 
 
 D. Then, mother, do yon pray for 
 other people ? and does my father ? 
 
 M. To be sure we do \ and if you 
 mind, when your father prays, you will 
 hear him pray for you. 
 
 D. Then God does not want me to 
 pray to him ? 
 
 M. Yes, he does : your father and I 
 know what tve wish God to do for you j 
 but you must ask God for what you wish 
 him to do for you. 
 
 D. O, then, w r e must pray for God to 
 be kind to us, and to other people too ? 
 
 M. That is the way ; now you know 
 how it is. 
 
 D. Then I will pray for my little bro- 
 ther. I do wish God would make him 
 well, indeed I do. 
 
25 
 
 M. And is that all you wish for -your 
 brother ? 
 
 D. Why, I wish — let me think about 
 it — O, now I know — I wish he may be 
 good and love God, and know about Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 M. Then, suppose I put it in your 
 prayer, that you wish God to bless him. 
 For God to bless him means, — to give him 
 every good thing. And when you grow 
 bigger, and know more, you can put it in 
 other words. 
 
 D. O yes, mother, that will do ; I shall 
 be glad to grow bigger, and know more. 
 
 M. Do you not wish God to bless some- 
 body else ? 
 
 D. I will tell yo\i. May I ask God to 
 bless you? and my father? and my bro- 
 thers and sisters ? 
 
 M. Yes. 
 
 jD. Then I am quite sure I do wish he 
 would bless you. Will you put all in my 
 
 prayer ? 
 
 M. As you wish, I will. Now you had 
 better say your prayer, and go to bed. 
 
 O Lord, thou hast made all things ; and 
 thou hast made me, and dost keep me 
 alive. Thou hast told us to pray. I love 
 
26 
 
 thee, because thou dost mind when little 
 children pray to thee. Do thou take care 
 of me ; keep me from harm. Make me 
 a good child; that I may love what is 
 good, and hate what is evil ; and that I 
 may serve and please thee, as long as I 
 live. 
 
 I fear I have often been wicked, and 
 deserve thine anger, — but do thou pity 
 me, and forgive me, and save me, — be- 
 cause Jesus Christ suffered and died. 
 
 Bless my father and my mother, — and 
 my brothers and sisters, — and all my 
 friends. I pray for these and all other 
 goodthings,for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. 
 
 M. Now kiss me, my dear. — Good 
 night. 
 
 D. Good night, mother. I wish my 
 little brother may be well to-morrow.— 
 O, I forgot — you know I said, " Amen." 
 I wish you would tell me about that. 
 
 M. I am glad you ask me what you do 
 not know. — Just now, I told you your 
 brother was ill j and you said, " I wish 
 God would make him well, — indeed I do." 
 
 D. Yes, mother, and so I do. 
 
 M. What do you mean, when you say, 
 " Indeed I do?" 
 
27 
 
 D. I mean, mother, that / am quite 
 sure I do wish God would make him well. 
 
 M. So, when you have prayed to God 
 tor what you wish him to do, you say— 
 Amen. J 
 
 D. Does that mean I am quite sure I 
 wjsh God to give me what I pray for? 
 
 , M. Yes : you know it now. —Good 
 night. 
 
 D. Good night, mother— I know it 
 now Amen means, I am quite sure I 
 wish God to give me such good things. 
 
28 
 
 CONVERSATION V. 
 
 We must try as well as pray. 
 
 MOTHER AND DAUGHTER. 
 
 M. My dear child, what is the mat- 
 ter with you? you seem frightened, and 
 ashamed ; and your eyes are red, as if you 
 had been crying. 
 
 D. O, mother/my head aches very bad. 
 
 M. I am sorry for that, my dear. Do 
 you know what makes it so ? Did your 
 head-ache make you cry ? or did crying 
 make your head-ache ? 
 
 D. I believe — I am afraid — I think, 
 indeed, crying makes my head so bad. 
 
29 
 
 s 
 
 M. Well ; but my dear girl, why did 
 you cry? what could make you cry? 
 
 D. Indeed, mother, I think it was, be- 
 cause my governess found fault with me, 
 and said I was naughty, and a good deal 
 more, mother. 
 
 M. O, Mary, I am very sorry for that : 
 I am sure she would not find fault with 
 you without a cause. What made your 
 governess angry with you ? 
 
 D. Only, mother, — only, because I did 
 not say my book, — and — and — 
 
 M. And — what ? 
 
 D. And, mother, tore it a little bit — 
 I mean a few leaves. I was only pricking 
 the pictures with a pin. 
 
 M. Then, Mary, I see how it was. 
 You were idle and played with your book, 
 when you should have been getting your 
 lesson ; — and then you could not say it, — 
 and your governess was angry because you 
 could not say your lesson, and had spoiled 
 your pretty book ; — and that made you 
 cry,— and crying made your head-ache. 
 Was not that the case ? 
 
 D. Yes, mother. 
 
 M . Then, I think you were very naughty; 
 you deserved to be punished. Your gover- 
 ness was in the right to be angry with 
 
so 
 
 you. I think I must be angry with you 
 too. . 
 
 D. O no, pray, mother, do not : indeed, 
 indeed, I am very sorry 3 I will not be 
 naughty any more. 
 
 M. Do not say I will not ; but 1 hope 
 I shall not. How, Mary, can you think 
 that I will teach you to pray if you are so 
 naughty ? 
 
 D. But, you know, mother, I did pray 
 to God, before I went to school. 
 
 M. I do not know that. I know you 
 said a prayer; but you cannot pray, if you 
 do not wish God to do what you ask. 
 
 D. Indeed, mother, I did pray, and I 
 did wish too. 
 
 M. Well, what did you wish God to do ? 
 
 D. To keep me well ; and yet my head 
 is very bad. 
 
 M. That is, because you have been cry- 
 ing. And you must not expect God to 
 keep you well, if you do wrong. 
 
 j). But, mother, I did pray, and wish 
 to be good. And yet I was not good : I 
 could not say my book, and I spoiled it. 
 
 31. That was a very sad thing. And 
 did you try to be good ? 
 
 D. No, mother; I prayed to God to 
 make me good. 
 
31 
 
 M. But, child, you could not think God 
 would make you good, if you did not try as 
 well as pray. If you really wish to be good, 
 and to do good, you will try as well as pray. 
 
 D. Indeed, indeed, mother, I do wish 
 I had been good, and said my book. I 
 do wish to be good now. 
 
 M. I hope you do. But then I must 
 tell you again, you must try. When you 
 were a baby, I used to teach you to walk, 
 as I teach your little brother. I held you 
 up, and guided you, — but if you had not 
 put out your feet, and tried to step, you 
 never would have been able to walk. So 
 you must pray to God to help you, and 
 then you must try to be good too, or else 
 you will be naughty after all. 
 
 D. O, mother, — I know it now — I have 
 found it all out: I must ask God to help me, 
 and then I must try to do as well as I can. 
 
 M. Yes, my dear, that is the way. 
 
 D. So, if I want to be safe, I must 
 pray to God to keep me, and then try to 
 keep out of harm ? 
 
 M. Yes. 
 
 X). And when I have to learn my book, 
 or some other good thing, I must pray to 
 God to help me, and then try all I can ;~ 
 and so it will be done. 
 
 3505£pO(p 
 
32 
 
 M. You are quite right, that is the way. 
 
 B. What a good mother you are. I 
 do love vou. . I wish you would let me — 
 May I, mother ? 
 
 M. May you do what, my child ? 
 May I kiss you ? 
 
 M. Yes, now I hope you are sorry that 
 you, have done wrong, and will not do so 
 any more. 
 
 D. Then you are not angry with me now? 
 
 M. No, not now. 
 
 D. Then, — there is once, because you 
 are not angry with me j --and twice, be- 
 cause you make me know such good things. 
 
 Printed by J. Rider, Little Britain* London.