Harry  is,  I  hope,  going  to  be  brought  into  this
nice  place,  to  be  made  quite  well;  only  you  won't
be  able  to  see  him  just  yet,  as  he  will  be  in
another  ward.  They  will  both  be  so  glad  to  hear
about  you."

A  long-drawn  sigh  and  deep  groan  was  the
only  answer,  but  Margaret  bent  down  as  she
saw  the  lips  move,  and  caught  the  words,  "Tell
me  about  Him  you  told  about  to  her.  I'm
too  wicked  ;  I'm  lost,  lost !  "

"  Then  Christ  came  to  seek  and  save  you,
and  no  one  is  too  wicked  to  come  to  Him,  for
He  has  said,  '  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out/


The  Gate  of  Mercy.  65

Shall  I  tell  you  a  story  about  Him?  Once,
when  He  was  on  earth,  there  was  a  poor,  miser-
able woman,  who  was  a  very  great  sinner,  and
quite  a  lost  and  ruined  one.  She  was  so  wicked
that  some  people  drew  her  before  Jesus  and
told  Him  of  her  sin,  and  the  guilty  woman,
humbled  and  ashamed,  sank  down  before  Him,
expecting  a  severe  sentence  to  be  pronounced
upon  her;  but  He  said,  'Neither  do  I  condemn
thee,  go  and  sin  no  more.'  Again,  another  time,
when  He  was  sitting  at  meat  in  the  house  of  a
great  and  rich  man,  another  lost  woman  found
her  way  in,  and  came  close  to  where  Jesus  was
sitting.  She  knelt  down  at  His  blessed  feet,  and
began  to  think  over  all  her  past  wicked  life,  and
how  it  must  grieve  Him  to  know  about  it  all ;  and
then  her  tears  dropped  down  like  rain  upon  the
sacred  feet  that  were  to  be  nailed  to  the  cross,
before  long,  for  her  sins.  The  Lord  did  not
speak  to  her  at  first,  and  she  felt  as  if  her  heart
must  break ;  and  still  she  wept,  and  took  her
long  hair,  that  was  falling  about  her  shoulders,
and  wiped  His  feet.  At  last  she  heard  the
joyful  words, '  Her  sins  which  are  many  are  for-
given her.'  Did  Jesus  speak  them  ?  Yes,  He
knew  all  about  her,  and  her  many  sins,  but
there  was  mercy  for  her.  She  could  look  up
now  and  love  her  Saviour,  and  believe  on  Him
with  all  her  heart;  and  this  story  about  her  is


66  City  Sparrows.
