Tip and Kitty were there again; and again, with Tip, the struggle had to be gone through; his coward spirit whispered to him that the boys would only make fun of him if he said a word, and it would do more harm than good.

His conscience answered, "Whosoever will deny Me on earth, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven." The solemn words conquered, and again Tip knelt down and prayed.
"My!" said Mr.Minturn, talking with his wife after they reached home; "when I thought of the bringing up which that boy has had,--no bringing up about it, he has just _come_ up, the easiest way he could,--but when I heard him pray to-night, and then thought of our boy, who has been prayed for and watched over every day since he was born, I declare I felt as though I would give all I'm worth to have Howard stand where Tip Lewis does now." Howard heard this, as he waited in the sitting-room for his father and mother; heard it in great amazement, and at first it made him indignant.
The idea of comparing _him_ with Tip Lewis! Then it made him sorrowful: his father's tones were _so_ sad; after all that had been done for him, it _was_ hard that he should disappoint his parents.
He listened to his father's prayer that night very closely, and its earnestness brought the tears to his eyes.

Altogether, Howard went to school the next morning with a somewhat sober face, and took no part whatever in the boys' fun over the meeting.
Mr.Burrows' heart had been warmed by the voice of prayer from one of his scholars, and he began to pray and long for others of them to work also; and the great God, who knows the beginning and the end, led his first words of anxiety to Howard Minturn.

They stood at the desk, teacher and scholar, Howard bending over his slate.
"Can't you get it ?" Mr.Burrows asked.
"No, sir." "Howard, are you working with all your thoughts to-day ?" "No, sir." And a bright flush mounted to his forehead.
"What is it, Howard ?" "I don't know, sir; not much of anything, I guess." "Are you not quite satisfied with yourself to-day ?" "Satisfied! I--why--I don't know what you mean, sir; I have tried to do the best I could, I believe." "Do you really think so, Howard ?" "Yes, sir." "Did you think so last evening, in the prayer-meeting?
Can a boy, who is as well taught as you have been, feel that he is doing as well as he can, when he knows that he is every day cheating God ?" Howard's face fairly burned.
"I don't understand you, sir." "Don't you ?" and Mr.Burrows' voice was very kind.

"I wish that God's own Spirit might help you to understand it.