“Oh yes, I must do so myself; I must tell the Lord all my trouble; my heart’ll be lighter, when I’ve told it all to him.”
She stopped, and put the book aside, resting her head on her hands. She was startled by hearing her father say,—
“It’s very good. Read on, Betty, my lass.”
“Oh, fayther, I didn’t think you could hear me! What shall I read?”
“Read about some poor sinner like me, that got his sins pardoned by Jesus Christ.”
“I can’t justly say where it is, fayther; but I know there’s one place where it tells of a sinful man as had his sins pardoned by Jesus Christ, even when he hung upon the cross. I know well it was when the Lord were a-dying. Ah, here it is;” and she read,—
“‘And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering, rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.’”
“Do you think, Betty,” asked Johnson very earnestly, “I should go to be with Jesus, if I were to die now? Oh, if this pain’s so bad, what must hell-fire be?”
“Fayther,” replied his daughter quietly, “the Lord’s spared you for summat. I prayed him to spare you, and he’ll not cast you off now as he’s heard my prayer. If you take him at his word, he’ll not tell you as you’re mistaken—he’ll not say he hasn’t pardon in his heart for you.”