about five o'clock
I do not remember the rest of the sermon , but just at the end there was a beautiful piece about the happiness of finding the great barrier gone : -- Just as when a little child , conscious of some wrong action , feels ashamed to meet the eyes of its loving parents , and is conscious of a separation that casts a dark shadow over all the usual home happiness , at last , with repenting heart and quivering voice , whispers in the loving ears of father or mother the secret trouble that lies heavily upon the sin-burdened conscience , and in the tender embrace of forgiveness finds pardon and peace : so with the sinner who has found peace at the foot of the cross ; the barrier of separation is no more ; the way into the holiest is made manifest by the blood of the Atonement ; and the promise is written in letters of gold , '' _ If ye abide in me , and my words abide in you , ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you . _ '' Before I left the church , and took my solitary walk home through the wood , I had made up my mind to confess all to my parents at the very earliest opportunity ; and with this determination there was already a sense of relief . But the opportunity did not occur so soon as I had expected ; for I found a solitary dinner awaiting me , and the whole of that long afternoon , except for the servants , who brought a message once or twice from the sick-room to the effect that my parents dared not leave even for a minute , I was quite alone , either sitting on the hearth-rug by the fire , or standing at the door listening for any footstep on the passage up-stairs , or even the opening or shutting of doors . At last , at about five o'clock , I heard my father coming softly down-stairs , and sprang to meet him . `` Papa , papa , tell me , is Aleck better ? '' `` I fear not , my child , '' answered my father gently . `` I think , Willie , that God is going to take him to Himself .