"You are a Christian, Therese, are you not—not only a Christian in name—everybody in this country is that—but you love your Saviour and desire to serve him?"
"Yes, I do," said Therese, in a low tone, but without any indecision. "I wish I loved him a great deal more than I do, though."
"Well, my lammie, does not that give you an object in life? And ought you to feel wholly alone when you have such precious promises:
"'When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.'
"'If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.'
"'Who hath the Father and the Son
May be left, but not alone.'
"And since he permits you to work for him, what greater object do you want than that of promoting God's glory and honour, and the spread of his kingdom among men?"
"It seems too good to be true—too great and glorious for one like me," said Therese, in a low voice; "it seems like presumption."
"Never think that, Therese, never think that all the promises, yea, all the power and goodness and riches and love of your Heavenly Father, are not as much for you as for anybody else in the world. Live for him, and give yourself to him, and he will give himself to you. You may, I dare to say you will, have many and sore battles to fight with loneliness and discouragement and temptations, for you are not one of those over whom the troubles of this world pass the easiest. But always remember that He is on your side, and that you are fighting for him. Pray for and try to cultivate a sense of his love and his constant presence—believe me, it is a thing to be cultivated; make a daily renewal of your consecration to him, and make every sorrow and every temptation, yea, and every sin and failing, drive you nearer to and not away from him. Now, I have tired you out with this long screed of talk, and the doctor will be scolding in his conceited fashion.
"He is a real Campbell, yon lad—not that I have anything against the Campbells; they were good friends to our folk langsyne."
"You have not tired me one bit," said Therese; "you have done me a great deal of good. Thank you ever so much."