Of course the simplicity of this rule was, in Pitcairn as elsewhere, unrecognised by ignorance, or rendered hazy and involved by stupidity. Adams had his own difficulties in combating the effects of evil in the hearts of his children, for, as we have said before, they were by no means perfect, though unusually good. For instance, one day one of those boys who was passing into the hobbledehoy stage of life, came with a perplexed air, and said-- "Didn't you tell us in school yesterday, father, that if we were good Jesus would save us?" "No, Jack Mills, I told you just the reverse. I told you that if Jesus saved you you would be good." "Then why doesn't He save me and make me good?" asked Jack, anxious to cast the blame of his indecision about his salvation off his own shoulders. "Because you refuse to be saved," said Adams, pointedly. Jack Mills felt and looked somewhat hurt at this. He was one of the steadiest boys at the school, always learned his tasks well, and was generally pretty well behaved; but there was in him an ugly, half-hidden root of selfishness, which he did not himself perceive. "Do you remember going to the shore yesterday?" asked Adams, replying to the look,--for the boy did not speak. "Yes, father." "And you remember that two little boys had just got into a canoe, and were pushing off to enjoy themselves, when you ran down, turned them out, and took the canoe to yourself?" Jack did not reply; but his flushed face told that he had not forgotten the incident. "That's right, dear boy," continued Adam, "Your blood tells the truth for you, and your tongue don't contradict it. So long's you keep the unruly member straight you'll get along. Well, now, Jack, that was a sin of unkindness, and a sort of robbery, too, for the canoe belonged to the boys while they had possession. Did you want to be saved from that sin, my boy?" Jack was still silent. He knew that he had not wished to be saved at the time, because, if he had, he would have at once returned to the shore and restored the canoe, with an apology for having taken it by force. "But I was sorry afterwards, father," pleaded the boy. "I know you were, Jack, and your guilty conscience longed for forgiveness. But Jesus did not come to this world to forgive us. He came to save us--to save this people from their sins; _His_ people,--_forgiven_ people, my boy,--from their sins. If you had looked to Jesus, He would have sent His Spirit into you, and brought His Word to your mind, `Be ye kind one to another,' or, `Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them:' or in some way or other He would have turned you back and saved you from sin, but you did not look to Jesus; in short, you refused to be saved just then, and thought to make up for it by being sorry afterwards. Isn't that the way of it, Jack?" "Yes, father," said Jack, with downcast but no longer hurt looks, for Adams's tone and manner were very kind.