When Leila was alone with her papa that evening, she immediately recurred to what had taken place during the ride.
“Papa,” she said, “I must have frightened you very much.”
“You did, indeed, my love; I was extremely alarmed. You were not aware of what the fatal consequences might have been, and very rash indeed to urge on Selim as you did.”
“Yes, and you will be more sorry, papa, when I tell you why—it was what you call the foot of pride—it entered into me, papa, and I did it all on purpose—yes, I whipped Selim on, that I might show off before Charles, and that he might admire my riding, and say how well I kept my seat: once I heard him say, that Selina kept her seat so well, and I wished him so much to say the same of me; you did not know this, papa?”
“Yes, my love, I was aware of your motive, and you may therefore suppose what my feelings must have been, when I thought my child’s life might fall a sacrifice to her vanity and love of admiration.”
“My life, papa?”
“Yes, my dear Leila, you might not be aware of all the risk you ran, but it was God’s goodness alone that saved you; for you braved the danger, and it was great.”
“O papa, how wrong I have been, and God might have punished me—He might even have taken my life, and He did not; yet He saw into my heart, and knew how vain and foolish I was—how can He love me, how can He forgive me?”
“My Leila, God cannot love the sin, yet has He compassion on the sinner. Do you remember what St. John says—‘So God loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, to the end that all that believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life!’ and in the fourth chapter, he says, ‘Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’ Yes, my child, it is the righteousness of One who has never sinned, that is this propitiation, which has been procured for us. In our own strength we cannot walk; it is clad in the righteousness of our Saviour Jesus Christ alone, that we can stand in the presence of a pure and holy God; and we are also told, that ‘We have not an High Priest, which cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities; but was, in all points, tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ You may meet with those who will tell you that vanity and pride are but trifling faults, mere human weaknesses; but do not listen to them—think often to what in your own case they might have led; and, above all, try to keep ever in your mind the example of Him whom you love and serve; think of His deep humility, His meekness, His lowliness of heart; for our blessed Saviour not only died for us, but He lived for us—He left the glory of His Father’s kingdom, to take our nature upon Him; that we might learn of Him; He has compassion on our weaknesses, for He knew them all, and it is His example that should ever dwell in our minds, as His sacrifice should ever dwell in our inmost hearts.”
“But, papa, I know this—I know that our Saviour Jesus Christ was humble and meek, and I know He can see into my heart, and yet I have been foolish and vain—it is so difficult—and then I am but a little child, how can I follow so great an example?”