8 fred the Apprentice.

mother lay on her deathbed. Her last hour
had nearly come. A clergyman was beside her,
speaking words of consolation from God’s holy
book, and praying with her. Her own mind
was at peace; but she had told the good pastor
of her anxiety about her boys, and he had re-
minded her of God’s promises, and told her to
trust in Him who is the ‘Father of the fatherless.’

The widow’s two sons were kneeling beside
her. Frederick appeared overcome with grief;
Francis, the elder of them, wept also, but his
tears were occasioned by the passing feelings
of the moment; and, even amidst this affliction,
it was easy to perceive a certain amount of
indifference and want of feeling.

After the clergyman had gone, the dying
woman tried to sit up in bed, and made signs
to her two children to listen to her with atten-
tion; and then, stretching out her feeble arms,
she took a hand of each of her sons, and gently
drew them close to her.

‘Iam going home, my darlings,’ said she, ‘to
the heavenly home of which I have often spoken
to you. I am going to be with my Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ, in whom I trust. For me
it is better to depart and to be with Christ ; yet,