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When Jessy came to school, she knew almost nothing. Her whole life, excepting the time she had spent in learning to read, had been passed in playing near her mother's door with other idle children, or in watching the stand in her mother's absence, or, perhaps, going an errand, or in some such way. Mrs. Allan lived in a low house with an earthen floor, and was very dirty and disorderly, so that Jessy did not even know what it was to be clean and neat in her person -- as for her soul; she thought no more about it, than if she had been without one. Jessy was, however, good tempered and cheerful; though, on first coming to school, very inattentive. After she had attended a few days, and got at her ease, she became a great favourite with the other girls, for she was very obliging, and so lively and playful, that they never could be out of humour, or quarrel with any thing she said or did. The mistress, though often obliged to reprove Jessy, yet could not help loving her, because, instead of looking sulky or stupid when she was found fault with, she seemed vexed, and immediately tried anxiously to do better, though her idle habits and thoughtlessness would soon lead her into faults again. The ladies, also, who visited the school, observed with approbation how anxious she was to have her lessons ready to repeat; and that, when they spoke to her, she listened to all they said as if she really wished to understand it. On the Sabbath evenings, Mrs. Allan allowed Jessy to attend school pretty regularly, as she had nothing for her to do at home, and the master spoke so kindly, that Jessy loved to go, and really wished to please him. When the master observed this, he encouraged her, and sometimes addressed what he said particularly to her.

One Sabbath evening, after having spoken to the children on the duty of prayer, the master said, 'I hope, children, you all know what it is to come to God by prayer, and to make your requests to him in the name of Christ.'

Jessy was standing near the master, and he said to her, 'Jessy, I trust you are one of those children who have chosen God to be the guide of your youth, and that you come to him as to a father, to ask forgiveness for your sins in his name, who bore their punishment for you. I trust you have given your heart to Christ, and have received him to be your Saviour, and your Lord?'

The master looked at Jessy, and she immediately answered, 'Yes,' though she had scarcely ever thought of prayer, and did not even know what was meant by taking Christ for her Saviour. And this showed the real state of Jessy's heart. She wished to please her master, and the ladies, and her schoolmistress, because she loved their notice and kindness; but she did not fear God's displeasure, or value his love and kindness, but dared to stand, as she did, in his presence, and tell a lie, and that lie, too, about what God only could know. This proved that she really knew nothing about God, nor believed what the master had told her of his character; for, if she had, she would have trembled at the thought of such an awfully wilful provocation of his holy displeasure.

The master did not see Jessy's heart as God did, but believed what she had said, and spoke very kindly to her.

'My dear child,' said he, 'if you have indeed given your heart to your Redeemer while so young, there are many promises in Scripture addressed to you, and you may, and ought to believe them, as firmly as if Christ himself had spoken them to you from heaven. He says to you, 'I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me.'

When the master was about to conclude for the evening, he said, 'Now, my dear young friends, we are going to separate till next Sabbath; are there any of you who mean to live another week without coming to that Saviour, who invites you so tenderly to come to him? He offers you salvation. -- He offers you his love. -- He offers to guide you as a shepherd; nay, even to carry you as lambs in his bosom. He is present at this moment in this place, though you see him not. He assures you in his word, that he is writing to be gracious to any of you, or all of you, if you will only come to him. Will you refuse? I hope none of your hearts are so cold and wicked as to do so; and now we shall pray to him to receive, and bless, and guide us. Those who choose to come to Jesus, may join me in their hearts while I pray; -- those who refuse, may think of other things, perhaps of the day of judgment, when he who now calls upon them to come and be his own dear lambs, will be their Judge, and will ask them why they refused his call, and will tell them that they must abide by their own choice; and since they refused him, they must depart from his presence for ever, and take up their abode for eternity in that awful place where the 'worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.' And now, children, choose. The master paused for an instant, and Jessy said within herself, 'I choose to come to Jesus now; and when the master began to pray, she prayed with him in her heart. He said, 'O! Lord, thou art now present with us. Thou seest and knowest all our hearts. Some of us desire to come to thee; but we are so ignorant, we scarcely know how. We desire to know thee more. We give ourselves to thee. We believe thy promise, that thou wilt receive all who come to thee, -- that thou wilt love us, and save us, and give us new hearts, and lead us by thy Spirit in the right way, as a shepherd guides his sheep; and that, while we are so ignorant, and unable to take a step in the right way, thou wilt support and carry us through every difficulty, as a shepherd carries the little weak lambs in his bosom.'