"I know, Miss Eunice; and I thought it would be all taken away. The minister in the city told us that Jesus is 'the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.' I thought if I came to him he would take mine away." "So he has, so he will. Try to understand me. When he hung upon the cross he bore the penalty due to the sins of the whole world, and of course to yours. In that sense he has already taken them away. But in another sense, that of your daily life, your _character_, he will take the evil of that away just as fast as you will let him." "Let him? How do you mean? I am sure I want to be good." "Yes, in a lump, altogether, you want to be good, very good; but without any trouble or self-denial. You didn't want to keep from saying those spiteful things about Tessa and Katie a little while ago, or he would have helped you do it. You didn't want the jealous, envious feelings taken out of your heart _just then_, or he would have taken them." "How, Miss Eunice?" "_Whatsoever_ you ask in prayer, believing, ye _shall_ receive," said she. "But do you mean I ought to have kneeled down to pray then, just that moment, before all the girls?" "It is not necessary always to kneel down when we pray; though it is best to do so when we can. There are often times when our work would suffer, or when we are so surrounded by others that it would be impossible. But a few earnest words spoken in the silence of our own hearts will always bring our strong, loving Saviour to our help; and we may, _every time_, no matter what our temptations are, be 'more than conquerors through him who hath loved us.'" "Every time? Oh, Miss Eunice!" "Yes, every time. You know we constantly ask the Lord 'to keep us each day _without_ sin.' How can we utter such a prayer in faith if we don't believe that it can be granted?" "Yes; but temptations are so sudden, and take you just where you're the weakest." "I know. And therefore we should be fully armed beforehand. Bertie, did you read your Bible and pray this morning?" "No!" said the girl, flushing. "I always mean to; but it's so dark in the mornings now, and mill-time comes so soon. It's just as much as I can do to get there in time, any way." "Yet you find time for your breakfast?" "I couldn't live without eating." "Nor can you live spiritually without feeding daily upon Christ, through the study of his Word and prayer. I would sooner go without my breakfast than without my early communion with him. Bertie, there are 'no gains without pains.' If you are really desirous, as I believe you are, to overcome your own evil habits and tendencies, and grow to be like Christ, you _must_ begin every day with prayer for his help; you must watch yourself and your surroundings, and in the moment of temptation you must turn instantly to him who says that he is 'a very present help in trouble,' and who has promised to 'supply all our need according to his riches in glory.'"