"Come, then, darling," answered the old lady, and standing at her knee with Aunt Patty's hand resting on her curls, Bessie repeated, slowly and correctly, this beautiful hymn:—
"Listen, oh, listen, our Father all holy!
Humble and sorrowful, owning my sin,
Hear me confess, in my penitence lowly,
How in my weakness temptation came in.
"Pity me now, for, my Father, no sorrow
Ever can be like the pain that I know;
When I remember that all through to-morrow,
Missing the light of thy love, I may go.
"For thy forgiveness, the gift I am seeking,
Nothing, oh, nothing, I offer to thee!
Thou to my sinful and sad spirit speaking,
Giving forgiveness, giv'st all things to me.
"Keep me, my Father, oh, keep me from falling!
I had not sinned, had I felt thou wert nigh;
Speak, when the voice of the tempter is calling
So that temptation before thee may fly.
"Thoughts of my sin much more humble shall make me,
For thy forgiveness I'll love thee the more;
So keep me humble until thou shall take me
Where sin and sorrow forever are o'er."[A]
"'I had not sinned, had I felt thou wert nigh,'" she said again, after she was through with the last line. "I wish we could always remember our Father is nigh; don't you, Aunt Patty? We know it, but sometimes we forget it a little, and then the naughtiness comes, and so we grieve him. But is not that a sweet hymn to say when we are sorry for our sin, and want him to help and forgive us again? I felt it was yesterday when I had been angry and spoken so naughty to you."
"Oh, child, child!" was all the answer Mrs. Lawrence gave. Her heart had been softened before, now it was quite melted, and putting her arm about Bessie, she drew her to her and kissed her on both cheeks; while Maggie stood by wondering as she heard the tremor of Aunt Patty's voice and saw something very like a tear in her eye.