"What a heartless wretch!" exclaimed Eddy. "He never did any one thing to please the Friend who had paid his debt at such vast cost, and who had cared for him from childhood. He loved the company of those who were enemies to his Benefactor; he did not, indeed, like them, speak openly against him—" "I should think not," interrupted the indignant Eddy, "it was hateful enough to forget him." "Nay, but I have not told you all. You have heard how freely and lovingly the Friend had bestowed many goods on the youth: he had, however, as he had a perfect right to do, reserved a portion for himself. Even this portion he was laying up to increase the future wealth of his adopted son; but, he forbade the youth, in the mean time, to do what he pleased with this portion." "No one could complain of that," observed Eddy. "But the youth did complain," said his aunt, "and he did not content himself with murmurs, he resolved to spend all as he pleased. Against right, conscience, and gratitude, he wasted on idle follies what his generous Friend had reserved. Eddy, what say you now to this youth?" "Say?" repeated her nephew, "I say that he is the most ungrateful, despicable, good for nothing being in the world. Is he living still?" "Living—yes, and not far hence," replied Mrs. Burns, with a glance of meaning; "is not my photograph like?" "What on earth do you mean?" exclaimed the astonished Eddy, opening his eyes wide, and fixing them on his aunt. "Is not the likeness that of every soul that forgets and neglects the greatest of Benefactors—the best and kindest of Friends? Oh, Eddy what hath God done for us, can we number up a thousandth part of the benefits received from His love? Think of the heavy debt of sin, that sin which, unpardoned, is death! Did not the Lord of glory leave the throne of heaven to live in poverty and want, and then endure the scourge and the cross, that our heavy debt might be paid? Was not that the proof of most wonderful love? And think how, from our feeble infancy, God has watched over, cared for, and blessed us. For the sight of our eyes, the strength of our limbs, for the faculties of memory and reason, we have to thank our great Benefactor. For the home in which we dwell, the food which we eat, the friends whom we love—we must thank him. For all that we have in this world, and for all that we hope for in the next, we must bless and praise our Redeemer."