"I should like to know more about Him, and about His Son who came to save us. Mother, where's the big Bible with the pictures, that you used to read us the story of Joseph and his brethren out of? Won't all about God be in the Bible? Do, mother, put down your work and read me a bit, just a story, out of the Bible."
Very glad to exchange talking for reading, Mrs. Egerton put away her work, and went down-stairs for the big Bible.
"What shall I road, Clarice? Joseph and his brothers, is it to be?"
"Not to-day. I want to read about God's Son. Begin at the beginning, please."
So Elise began at the first chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel. The child listened eagerly, and her questions and remarks prevented any inattention on the part of the reader. Among all Mr. Egerton's books there were none that a child would be likely to care for, and the elder children had never wished for any, so that reading was an amusement for Clarice of which no one had thought until now. She was a clever child, and her life of inactivity forced her to be a thoughtful one; and now she drunk in the words of the "sweet story of old" as if she heard it for the first time—which, indeed, was the case—for she had only learned a few of the leading facts as a lesson, and that long ago.
"'Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.' Why, mother, that must mean that He will make them good."
"I suppose so, dear."
"His people. Who are His people, though? Am I one of them?"
A question which Mrs. Egerton could not answer; so she said,—
"Let me read on, Clarice; the others will be coming in soon."