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help me in future; then I am happy again. But I think that is wrong, and try to make myself mourn over it still; but I cannot! He has forgiven me, and why should I not be happy? Does not the Bible tell us to rejoice always, and in everything give thanks?" As I looked at the beaming, intelligent face of the dear disciple, I gave thanks to God for such an evidence of the teaching of the Spirit. But I wished to test her a little more, and said, "Well, if you are so sure that He forgives you every time you ask, perhaps you don't mind it so much when you do wrong?" She looked up almost reproachfully. "Why, Varzhoohi! It makes me more watchful, more careful, because of His love! How can I grieve His heart?"

Why should the children of a King
Go mourning all their days?"

I said to myself. Was not this the "rest of faith," the true "higher life" of the Christian? "I thank Thee, Father, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes!'

I told Aroosiag that natural temperament had something to do with the type of a Christian's character, in this respect: Some had naturally more to contend with than others; but that God, who looks at the heart, and knows all that is hidden from the eye of man, will judge every one accordingly. That she should not feel herself better than others, nor judge them uncharitably; but be thankful for the sunshine around her pathway, and be watchful over her heart. That if she had a tender conscience, alive to the least approaches of sin, she need not fear, while journeying onward and upward, if her mouth was filled with songs of rejoicing and praise all the day long!

I inquired concerning her conversion, and she told me more of her early married life; how tenderly her husband cared for and trained her when she was but a child; adding,

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'Truly, I knew nothing of girlhood, for I was not quite eleven years of age when I was married. I looked up to my husband as a father, and when he had taught me to read the Testament, my prejudices against the truth gave way. I united with the church after the birth of my third child, when I was sixteen or seventeen years of age. But though enlightened, I was not spiritually minded till two years after. I attended all the meetings, and went on in a cold way; I had not tasted the preciousness of Christ. But after that, I began to wake up; I saw that I was a sinner, and was much distressed for a long time. But one day, while reading the hymn, ‘I saw One hanging on a tree,' Christ was revealed to me as my Savior!

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"O, Varzhoohi! I can never forget that verse,—

"A second look He gave, that said,

I freely all forgive ;

This blood is for thy ransom paid,

I die that thou may'st live.'

What joy filled my heart! New life sprang up in my soul; and since then, I AM HIS, AND HE IS MINE; and I have gone on my way rejoicing!" I inquired into her daily life, and she said, "When I awake in the morning, my thoughts go up to God in gratitude; the rays of the sun cause me to pray for the warming Sun of righteousness; when I wash and dress, that I may be cleansed and clothed by His blood and Spirit; when I sweep and clean the house, that my heart may be purified. When I am at my work, I am almost always in communion with Him "-(ejaculatory prayer).

She spoke of her greatest trial being the training of her children. But I had noticed her sweet and tender ways with them, and toward her aged mother, and saw how she obeyed the Scripture injunction, "And the wife see that she reverence her husband."

It was a happy, affectionate, Christian family; the four older children had given their hearts to Jesus, and were very gentle and loving in their ways with the younger ones. For the first time I had heard the endearing diminutives, "maierēg koierēg "little mother, little sister, etc. And at an early hour every morning, I heard her voice singing the songs of Zion over her household work, " making melody in (her) heart to the Lord." "Happy, happy woman!" I said to myself. "In her tongue is the law of kindness; her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." Aroosiag's neighbors bore abundant testimony to her consistent Christian walk, and I was satisfied that she was truly honest and sincere in thus opening her inner life for my scrutiny. Would to God that so rare an experience might be multiplied in this and every land! Turning to the Word of grace, I read a few passages in confirmation of the full assurance of faith: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness: And the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love: These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full: Ask and receive that your joy may be full. If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." We were so absorbed in the delightful

employment, as not to be aware of the lapse of time, till B. Kavork tapped at the door, and told us it was time for the meeting. He had closed his shop an hour before sundown, and the two sons had come home with him, in order to attend the preparatory lecture.

Aroosiag said a few words about her daughter's prospects, and then we joined the little company of believers in the chapel. It was an interesting service. The subject, Halfawakened sinners, and sleepy saints; from the words, "To will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not." Afterwards we went to see the silk factory. There were fifty girls of various ages winding silk from cocoons; lamps of olive oil were lighted, and the scene was a lively one. The factory was established by Prussians, but had passed into the hands of Catholic Armenians. Each girl received twenty piastres-about eighty cents -weekly. I told the bright girl who was overseer, how happy I should be to see them all learning to read, but she made no response. When we came home, I went to my room to rest a little before dinner; but the grandmother stole softly in and said, Now talk to me; you have not said much to me!" So I roused myself, and at her request, told her more about my mother; translated a portion of her last letter, and explained the sacrifice she had made in giving me up; that nothing but the "love of Christ constraining could have enabled her to do it.

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COMMUNION.

On the afternoon of Gerage-the Lord's day-we assembled to celebrate the Lord's Supper, and I never enjoyed the solemn ordinance more than on that occasion. I was in

a strange land, surrounded by people of another race, speaking another tongue, and yet I felt at home with them; for,

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we who sometime were afar off," had been "made nigh by the blood of Christ ;" and were no more strangers, and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." Blessed union and communion, in which "there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all !"

"One family we dwell in Him,
One church above, beneath."

It was a sweet foretaste of the feast which the family of the redeemed will enjoy, when gathered "out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation,” at the “Marriage-Supper of the Lamb."

That evening, B. Kavork read the 34th Psalm at prayers, and commented on the words, "O taste and see that the Lord is good." He alluded to the fact that many of their neighbors did not appreciate the things so dear to them, and said, “You may tell a man that a certain fruit is delicious, and praise it as much as you like, but he will conceive no idea of its peculiar flavor until he has tasted it for himself. So the world knows not what we mean when we speak of God's peculiar love as manifested to us individually, or of the richness of His promises. They have not tasted for themselves." I quoted,—

"The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know."

And "Unto you which believe, Christ is precious." That led to a few words about faith; we turned to the 5th chapter of

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