The Love of God. 145

“I dare fay he is,” faid Theodore mechani-
cally. _“ Good night, little boy. What ufed they
to call you?”’

“¢ Reuben.” °

“ Good night, little Reuben.” And he was
taken away.

You have another Father who never dies, and
who loves you always ! founded like an echo through
the room, ‘Theodore arofe and looked around,
but there was no one there. He refumed his
feat, and wondered how he had got involved in
teaching the beggar boy religion. He lamented
his awkwardnefs and unfitnefs for the tafk ; but
ftill he thought he had done right. As to his laft
affertion, how elfe could he make the child com-
prehend God at all ? Befides, how cruel it would
be to infe&t him with his own miferable convic-
tions. ‘They would come time enough, perhaps !

Such was the current of his thoughts. The
next morning he told the old houfekeeper of the
boy’s ignorance and his difficulty with him, and
engaged her to help him in his tafk, which fhe
readily undertook.

It is not my intention to defcribe the many en-
deavours Theodore made to imprefs the firft great
truths of Chriftianity upon Reuben’s mind; but
I can affure you he felt all the better for them
himfelf. How it was that he never fent the little
boy to the workhoufe you can guefs. For the
firit few days he kept him to fee (as he faid), if
the woman would come back for him. Then he

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