And here the widow's tears choked her voice, and she put her arms about her boy's neck, and they cried together for a few minutes again.
But at last Bob said, "Mother, I'll never do it again, I promise you. Ask God to forgive me, and—and—"
"Let us kneel down together and ask Him to forgive you for the past, and to help you keep the promise you have just made to me. Without His help you will fall again, even though you do go to Sunday-school. Don't forget that, Bob, it must be in God that you trust, not your school or your teacher. Now let us ask God for this," and together they kneeled down, and the widow poured out her trouble before God, but did not forget to thank Him that her boy had been stopped in his downward course.
And then she prayed that if there were any among his companions who had been led away by his bad example, they, too, might be brought back to the path of right, even though the way back should be painful to tread.
The widow did not know why she was led to pray thus, and certainly did not know how greatly poor, foolish Tom Flowers needed her prayers just then. But she did know how one boy's example influences another, and she thought it might be possible that Bob had thus helped to lead another boy astray, by his bad example at least.
When they rose from their knees, Bob said, "I think I should like you to tell teacher all about it, mother. He ought to know before I go back to school, but I shouldn't like to tell him."
"Very well, you go round to the school presently, he will be there to-night, and ask him to come in and see me."
Bob hardly liked to go upon this errand, but his mother said he must, and so after tea he went, looking very sheepish as he went into the school, where so many of his old companions were gathered now.
"Well, Bob, have you come back to us again?" said his teacher, when he saw him.
"I'm coming, sir, but I'd like you to see mother first, if you wouldn't mind coming in to speak to her as you go home."