murderer, or guilty of any other great crime, I could see the
propriety of your using such language with regard to yourself; but
for a refined, intelligent, amiable young lady, excuse me for
saying it, dear Rose, but such language seems to me simply
absurd."

"Man looketh upon the outward appearance, but the Lord pondereth
the heart," said Rose, gently. "No, dear Adelaide, you are
mistaken; for I can truly say 'mine iniquities have gone over my
head as a cloud, and my transgressions as a thick cloud.' Every
duty has been stained with sin, every motive impure, every thought
unholy. From my earliest existence, God has required the undivided
love of my whole heart, soul, strength, and mind; and so far from
yielding it, I live at enmity with Him, and rebellion against His
government, until within the last two years. For seventeen years
He has showered blessings upon me, giving me life, health,
strength, friends, and all that was necessary for happiness; and
for fifteen of those years I returned Him nothing but ingratitude
and rebellion. For fifteen years I rejected His offers of pardon
and reconciliation, turned my back upon the Saviour of sinners,
and resisted all the strivings of God's Holy Spirit, and will you
say that I am not a great sinner?" Her voice quivered, and her
eyes were full of tears.

"Dear Rose," said Adelaide, putting her arm around her friend and
kissing her cheek affectionately, "don't think of these things;
religion is too gloomy for one so young as you."

"Gloomy, dear Adelaide!" replied Rose, returning the embrace; "I
never knew what true happiness was until I found Jesus. My sins