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“ Greenwell said, "I believe, Charlie, it is the only thing for you. It will be a great trial to you, I know, to give up all your dreams about engines and machines, and being a clever man, and getting rich, and having instead to go down into a dark, dreary coal-pit day after day, to a life of hard toil; but it appears, as far as we can see, to be God's will and your duty. You remember those words of our Saviour,—'If any will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.' We have all a cross of some kind to bear, and this is your cross, Charlie ”

“ Greenwell reminded Harry that was not the way to help Charlie. "I know he will feel it hard at first if he goes; but still I am sure he is a brave boy and will not shrink from it, if he feels it to be his duty. You would not have him idling about at home, thinking only of his own comfort, and picking and choosing his work, when his father, who has done so much for him, is suffering from a lingering illness, and wanting so many little comforts that cannot be bought without money?" ”

“ Carlton says that if you like to work as a putter six hours a day you may help the engineer, and learn all you can, the other six, and he will give you the same wages as you earn now."
Charlie threw himself into a chair, and sat quite still for a few moments. "Isn't it wonderful, mother?" he said at last—"isn't it wonderful? When I went down the pit there seemed no chance of my ever doing anything else all my life. The other seemed impossible; and yet how God has brought it all about! I shall be an engineer after all, and I have good wages too to begin with. ”

“ Well, then, you will understand me when I tell you that in the heart of every one there is the seed of selfishness, which, as it grows, shows itself in a different form in each person. In some it shows itself as pride; in others as envy, greediness, jealousy, covetousness, procrastination, indolence, and so on. Every sin, if we trace it, we shall find that it springs from the seed selfishness—from love of self. It is love of self that makes us forget to feel for others—careless, disobliging ”

“ The scruples of Charlie's conscience were silenced. Conscience is a dangerous thing to play with, and it should be the prayer of every youth that God would strengthen him to keep his conscience tender; never mind if it be difficult sometimes to maintain a good conscience: in the end, as years go on, you will be thankful to find that it preserves from many a snare, and gives a pleasure, and gains the confidence of those around you. ”

“ Charlie [Pg 78] waited for an answer, but none came. His father was far away from him—he was at rest; he was in that home where sin and sorrow cannot come.
It is useless attempting to describe Charlie's misery, it was so great. His father, who had so loved and trusted him, had at last died, with his hope in him crushed, his confidence in him broken. His father had died, listening to his confession of sin and deception, and without being able to judge whether his repentance was sincere. The confession came too late for his forgiveness or counsel. ”

“ Brownlee was a kind-hearted man, and took an interest in Charlie. He promised to see about his work for him, and call on Monday morning at ten o'clock. Charlie kept it quite a secret from his father and mother until Saturday night, then, putting on some of his oldest clothes that he had routed out ready for Monday, and taking his father's lamp in his hand, that he used in the mine, he walked into the room where they were, made a bow, twisted himself round in front of them, and with a cheery face and merry tone said, "Do I look like work, father? shall I do?" ”

“ He generally brought his dinner now to eat beside Charlie. The first time the Bible was brought out, when they had finished, which required a little courage at first, Bob got up and sauntered away; the second time he sat still and whistled popular song tunes in a subdued tone, while Charlie read to himself; the third time he sat quietly; the fourth day the Bible was brought out he shuffled about uneasily, and at last said, "You may as well read out if you must read; it's dull sitting here without anybody to speak to." ”

“ Greenwell finished speaking, tears of thankfulness for such a Saviour, and of gratitude to Mrs. Greenwell.
When they began to talk of what Charlie could do to help at home, and earn some money, Harry asked him what he would like to do best.
"I should best like to be amongst engines, and machines, and those things," said Charlie. "Father meant me to be an engineer—a working engineer, if all had gone on well; he meant to apprentice me. But, of course, that is all over now," he said, with a sigh; "it would be so long before I could earn anything like good wages." ”

“ His mother had often read to him out of the Bible, and spoken to him of the Saviour.
Mrs. Heedman went on: "You must remember, Charlie, that you are now one of God's very dear children. We are all His children, but He has especial love and care for those whom He has been obliged to leave without any earthly parents. God promises in His own holy book, the Bible, that He will be 'a Father to the fatherless;' that He will relieve the fatherless; that He will help the fatherless; and that if the fatherless cry unto Him, He will surely hear their cry. ”

“ He was bruised for our iniquities, and with His stripes we are healed.' 'The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.' He has said, 'Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you;' and if we doubt His word we are lost. If we repent, and are sincerely sorry for our sin, and ask God to forgive us, for Jesus Christ's sake, He will do so, no matter how often we go to Him. It is Satan who tries to put hard thoughts of God into our hearts. And now, in your trouble, Charlie, you do not know how the Saviour loves you and sympathizes with you. He knows what it is to suffer. ”

“ Remember it is a hard and dreary life to a young ambitious spirit; think it over again."
"I have thought of it, father, ever since the doctor came to see you on Tuesday; it is quite settled. Mrs. Greenwell and Master Harry both seem to think it is my duty. They say I can serve God the same, and I shall be just as dear to Him as if I was ever such a rich engineer; and no honest work is a disgrace."
"That is true," his father began; he was going to say something else, but Charlie seemed anxious to finish his say. ”

“ That is very well said, Charlie; but we must take care not to be satisfied with just knowing all this. We must have 'deeds, not words.' I hope to-day has been a lesson to you that good resolutions, made in your own strength, are of no use. If the failure of to-day has not humbled you, and shown you your own weakness, God's lesson has been thrown away upon you. Let me see you make a fresh beginning; turn a new leaf over, and set to work in earnest to overcome this darling fault of yours, in the strength of the Lord—not in your own. It will not be all plain walking along a smooth road ”

“ It was farthest from the mines, and was sheltered from the coal dust by its less fortunate neighbours. The houses looked cleaner and brighter altogether, and the little gardens flourished better.
John Heedman's garden was the pride of his heart, and the admiration and envy of the rest of "the Row." It certainly did look very gay and pretty. There were bright China-asters, sweet- [Pg 15] scented stocks, French marigolds, rose bushes laden with blossoms, little clusters of candytuft, Virginia-stock, mignonette, and many other flowers, contrasting well in colour, and grouped in such good taste. ”

“ We may often be deceived in ourselves, and think that we are going on well, but God cannot be deceived. He sees us as we really are, not as we appear to ourselves and to others. He is training each one of us, and He saw in Charlie's case that a fiery trial was needed to burn out of him that besetting sin that had been so long indulged. ”

“ That night, as John Heedman and his wife sat at tea, they determined to adopt Charlie, and make him as their own.
"I think," said John Heedman, "we ought to accept this child as a sacred charge from God, sent to us to be taken care of and trained for Him. Our duty seems plain enough; it is true we shall not be able to save so much, but perhaps there was a danger of our getting too fond of our bit of money; and God has seen this and sent the child, that, through it we may lend the money to Him. We [Pg 17] shall have our treasure in heaven, instead of laying it up on earth." ”

“ I want you to be a brave boy, and not let your mother see you going about grieving and looking sad, and adding to her sorrow, but do all you can to help and comfort her. If you love me, you will try to do this." Charlie promised to try, and after a few more words of comfort and encouragement John Heedman persuaded him to go to bed. ”

“ Procrastination, or the habit of "putting off," is one of Satan's great temptations. Many a boy may be tempted to give way to it who would shrink from telling an untruth, or committing any flagrant sin; but Satan knows well enough how soon and how surely it will lead them into sin.
Unfortunately, Charlie had no idea how this habit was creeping upon him; he always contrived to find some excuse for putting off that satisfied himself if it did not satisfy others ”

“ Greenwell's errand was to ask if Charlie could be spared to attend a Bible class at her house twice a week. As well as instruction in the Bible and catechism, she intended to read instructive books to them on different subjects: natural history, travels in foreign lands, English history, the lives of good and noble men who had risen from the [Pg 38] working classes, and on many other subjects that would be interesting and give them a taste for reading. ”

“ As the coal is hewn away the roof is supported by props of wood. In some places it was so low that Brownlee had to walk stooping. Of course Charlie did not find all this out at first, for they only had the light given by their lamps to guide them and relieve the intense darkness. ”

“ Just as gold is purified by being passed through a fiery furnace, so our hearts need to be purified sometimes by great sorrows, by fiery trials; and so it was that Charlie had to suffer a most bitter, a most sad and humiliating fall. [Pg 73]
Eleven months had passed since John Heedman first called in the doctor; he had lingered so long, but now the end was very near. He would not hear of Charlie staying away from his work, although Mr. Carlton had kindly offered to let him have a few days at home. ”

“ It seems most unaccountable that any one should willingly refuse all this happiness; and yet how many boys and girls there are who never pause to think what choice they have made, and which master they are serving. ”

“ He sought the Lord early, and found him, and He escaped the terrible anguish and suffering that attends repentance after a long life of careless sin.
All through life he had the love of the Saviour to help and cheer him on his way; in temptation he had God to look to for strength; in sorrow he had the Saviour to turn to for sympathy and help. Each night he asked forgiveness for the sins of the day, and each morning he sought a blessing and pre [Pg 19] servation, and went forth with a light heart, praising God, and full of thankfulness to Him for His mercy. ”

“ Mrs. Heedman often said in answer to her neighbours' remarks "that she must spend a deal of money over her house."—"It costs me nothing but a little thought and extra work. The poorest of us may indulge in order and cleanliness indeed, when you come to think of it, dirt and disorder cost the most, because your furniture gets soiled, and knocked about, and destroyed."
After Mrs. Heedman left Charlie, she began to prepare her husband's tea in the next room ”

“ It's all settled and done. I am going down the pit on Monday, with Hudson Brownlee, and I shall have six shillings to bring home on Saturday night; think of that, mother, and I shall soon get twice as much. Father shall want for nothing."
Tears of love and pleasure stood in John Heed [Pg 52] man's eyes, for he knew what it must have cost Charlie to make up his mind to it. "You know how happy it makes your mother and myself to hear you speak so bravely and gratefully," he said; "but are you quite sure, Charlie, that you have counted the cost? ”

“ Many ships had been obliged to pass by the harbour, unable to get in, and the pilots had found very little to do.
"That looks well," he thought, brightening up, as he saw a busy little steam-tug puffing along with a ship in tow; he knew a pilot would soon be wanted to bring it safely into the docks. He had not stood many minutes, trying to make out the ship, when he heard his name called, and turning round, he saw a boy running towards him. [Pg 4]
"Here's the Refuge at last, Morley Scott," said the boy; "they want you on board directly, because they are coming in to-night." ”