“What kind of stories do you like best?”

“Not sad ones.  Don’t let anybody die.”

“This story is about a boy.  He was like other boys, he was bright and quick and eager to get on in the world.  He loved his mother and his brother and sister, and he worked for them on the farm at home.  And then he came to the city and did so well that all his friends were proud of him; everybody liked him and admired him.  He was large and fine looking and a gentleman.  People thought he was rich, for he soon had a handsome house and drove fine horses.  He had a lovely wife, but she died and left him all alone.  He always went to church and gave money to the church; but he never said that he was a Christian.  I think he trusted in himself, people trusted him so much that he began to trust himself.  They let him have their money to take care of; they were sure he would take good care of it and give it safe back, and he was sure, too.  And he did take good care of it, and they were satisfied.  He was generous and kind and loving.  But he was so sure that he was strong that he did not ask God to keep him strong, and God let him become weaker and weaker, until temptation became too great for him and he took this money and spent it for himself; this money that belonged to other people.  And some belonged to widows who had no husbands to take care of them, and to children who had no fathers, and to people who had worked hard to save money for their children and to take care of themselves in their old age; but he took it and spent it trying to make more money for himself, and instead of making more money always he lost their money that he took away from them.  He meant to give their money back, he did not mean to steal from any one, but he took what was not his own and lost it and the people had to suffer, for he had no money to pay them with.”

“That is sad,” said Prue.

“Yes, it was very sad, for he had done a dreadful thing and sinned against God.  Do you think he ought to be punished?”

“Yes, if he took poor people’s money and little children’s money and could not give it back.”

“So people thought, and he was punished:  he was sent to prison.”

“To prison!  Oh, that was dreadful.”

“And he had to stay there for years and work hard, with other wicked men.”

“Wasn’t he sorry?”

“He was very sorry.  It almost killed him.  He would gladly have worked to give the money back but he could not earn so much.  He saw how foolish and wicked he had been to think himself so strong and trustworthy and good when he was so weak.  And when he saw how wicked he was he fell down before God and asked God to forgive him.  His life was spoiled, he could not be happy in this world; but, as God forgave him, he could begin again and be honest and trustworthy, and be happy in Heaven because he was a great sinner and Christ had died for him.”

“Did his sins hurt Christ?” Prue asked.