"You see," said Julia, raising her head, "mine was a very short story. It took me a long time to write it, but you have read it all through in a minute!"
"It was a very nice little story, jewel—a very nice story!" cried the children, to not one of whom was it new.
"I think that we may draw a most valuable lesson from it," said Mr. Presgrave.
"Yes, to do what ought to be done at once, without stopping to hesitate or to doubt," observed Percy.
"True!" cried Louis. "For if Lucas had delayed but one minute, he would probably have been blown to pieces the next."
"Can any of you mention to me examples from Scripture of the danger of delay and hesitation?"
After a little pause, Percy replied, "I remember the example of Felix, the Roman governor, who trembled when St. Paul spoke to him of the judgment to come, but put off his repentance to a convenient season, and died, I fear, in his sins."
"And Lot's wife," said Willy, "who paused to look behind her, and was changed into a pillar of salt!"
"Was it not wrong in Eve to stop to listen to the serpent?" added little Julia, in an inquiring tone.
"You have all mentioned striking examples, my children. I believe that one of the most fatal errors of man is that of putting off till to-morrow the duty of to-day. I was much impressed by what I read in this valuable little book," he continued, laying his hand on a small work on the table entitled "COME TO JESUS." "I cannot refrain from giving you a short extract, as it bears upon the subject upon which we are conversing."