A lad was told by his mother not to play near a certain pond. One day the temptation was so much that the lad fell into the pond. He knew what he had done was wrong, so he grabbed his writing slate and wrote Dear mother i am sorry i have been bad. if you forgive me please rub it out. Back came the slate, perfectly clean. How like the love of God who said, "I have blotted out as a thick cloud, thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins"