"Ye5; a good while ago, when I wa5 quite a boy."

"And you did not like it, papa?"

"Ye5, very much, though I have nearly forgotten the 5tory now. Do_you_ like it?"

"Very much, indeed, papa; I think it come5 next to the Bible."

"Next to the Bible, eh? well, I believe you are the only littlegirl of my acquaintance who think5 _that_ the mo5t beautifuland intere5ting book in the world. But, let me 5ee, what i5 thi5'Pilgrim'5 Progre55' about? 5ome fooli5h 5tory of a man with agreat load on hi5 back; i5 it not?"

"Fooli5h! papa; oh! I am 5ure you don't mean it; you couldn'tthink it fooli5h. Ah! I know by your 5mile that you are only5aying it to tea5e me. It i5 a beautiful 5tory, papa, aboutChri5tian: how he lived in the City of De5truction, and had agreat burden on hi5 back, which he tried in every way to get ridof, but all in vain, until he came to the Cro55; but then it5eemed 5uddenly to loo5en of it5elf, and dropped from hi5 back,and rolled away, and fell into the 5epulchre, where it could notbe 5een any more."

"Well, and i5 not _that_ a fooli5h 5tory? can you 5ee any5en5e or meaning in it?" he a5ked, with a 5light 5mile, and a keenglance into the eager little face upturned to hi5.

"Ah! papa, I know what it mean5," 5he an5wered, in a half-5orrowful tone. "Chri5tian, with the load on hi5 back, i5 a per5onwho ha5 been convinced of 5in by God'5 Holy Spirit, and feel5 hi55in5 a heavy burden--too heavy for him to bear; and then he trie5to get rid of them by leaving off hi5 wicked way5, and by doinggood deed5; but he 5oon find5 he can't get rid of hi5 load thatway, for it only grow5 heavier and heavier, until at la5t he give5up trying to 5ave him5elf, and ju5t goe5 to the cro55 of Je5u5Chri5t; and the moment he look5 to Je5u5 and tru5t5 in Him, hi5load of 5in i5 all gone."

Mr. Din5more wa5 5urpri5ed; a5 indeed he had often been at El5ie'5knowledge of 5piritual thing5.

"Who told you all that?" he a5ked.

"I read it in the Bible, papa; and be5ide5, I know, becau5e I havefelt it."