H^HHHHHi 
 
 /i
 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 X
 
 CITY SPARROWS.
 
 "PLEASE, FOR A HALFPENNY."
 
 LONDON : 
 THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAP. PACK 
 
 I. THE SKY GARRET 5 
 
 II. THE BATTLE OF LIFE 19 
 
 III. A SERMON ABOUT SPARROWS 29 
 
 IV. TROUBLED WATERS 42 
 
 V. THE GATE OF MERCY 55 
 
 VI. PATIENCE 76 
 
 vii. "NOT A WRECK" 89 
 
 718726
 
 Contents. 
 
 VIII. A BIRD WITHOUT A NEST 
 
 PAGE 
 104 
 
 IX. CHRISTMAS CHEER 
 
 116 
 
 X. HATHERLEIGH 
 
 127 
 
 XI. COUSIN LILIAN 
 
 141 
 
 XII. WELCOME HOME 
 
 156 
 
 XIII. MAY DAYS 
 
 1 68 
 
 XIV. WHAT THE BIRDS WOULD TELL US ... 178
 
 CITY 
 
 AND WHO FED THEM, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE SKY-GARRET. 
 
 " PLEASE, half an 
 ounce of tea, two 
 farthing dips, and a 
 halfpenny herring." 
 
 Such was the im- 
 portant order given in 
 a child's shrill treble. 
 The little speaker find- 
 ing the shop filled to 
 overflowing, and that 
 she was not likely to be 
 attended to for some 
 time, rested herself 
 against a dirty fish 
 barrel, and commenced 
 survey of the interior in general. 
 
 2
 
 6 City Sparrows. 
 
 The stock of articles exposed for sale first 
 occupied her attention. Tempting they seemed 
 to hungry eyes, and the incongruous medley 
 did not appear strange to her. Candles and 
 cheese, bacon, onions, and stale eggs; butter, 
 fish, bread, fat skimmings and treacle ; thimbles, 
 nuts and whitening ; tobacco, tea, pipes, and 
 snuff ; soap and potatoes ; a row of green glass 
 bottles, containing various kinds of unwholesome 
 looking sweeties ; a box of dirty tumbled arti- 
 ficial flowers, and a dish full of round dabs of 
 half-baked flower and water, sprinkled with 
 black dots, and dignified by the name of cur- 
 rant buns. 
 
 These were the principal articles that caught 
 the child's eye. The remainder of the stores 
 are too various to be mentioned, for much in 
 a little was evidently the motto of the small 
 general corner shop. 
 
 Zetta's keen black eyes eagerly watched the 
 mistress of the shop, a stout, good-tempered 
 looking slattern of a woman, in a dirty nonde- 
 script coloured gown and black cap ; who, pos- 
 sessing only one pair of hands, found it hard 
 work to attend to so many customers at once, 
 especially as several little half-clothed children 
 were sprawling about the floor in the filth and 
 confusion. 
 
 Sin, care, and want were stamped on the
 
 The Sky-Garret. 7 
 
 features of too many of the squalid-looking 
 buyers, among whom stood a woman, pale, 
 haggard, and wretched, with almost the frenzy 
 of despair in her deep-set eyes, as she cjutched 
 a bundle of rags to her breast to stifle the 
 infant's weary wailing, and flung down some 
 coppers with an angry toss. A man stood near, 
 scowling sullenly, a picture of abject poverty 
 and wickedness as he staggered forward, elbow- 
 ing his way towards the counter. Others there 
 were who came and went, too numerous to 
 describe, young and old, differing in some de- 
 gree from one another, but all poor and wretched- 
 looking enough to make one's heart ache to 
 think of the various histories and homes which 
 must attach to each. 
 
 Little Zetta's feet grew blue and cold, as she 
 crossed and uncrossed them, waiting for her 
 turn to come. The small, pinched face did 
 not seem as if it belonged to a child of nine 
 years old, but the tiny figure betokened a 
 growth checked long ago. 
 
 There was no fresh up-springing of joyous 
 life about her, no charm of childhood lying 
 around the fragile form; but hers is by no 
 means an uncommon, case. Such a sight is to 
 be met \vith every day, in a walk through any 
 of our crowded cities, and thousands of child- 
 ren live thus, uncared for and unloved, knowing
 
 8 City Sparrows. 
 
 little of this world, except that it is a place to 
 toil and suffer in, and with neither knowledge 
 nor care of the world to come. 
 
 Her turn to be served came at last, and 
 gathering up her three small packets, she left 
 the shop. It was a dreary afternoon of mist 
 and rain, and through the fog the tall blackened 
 buildings were barely distinguishable. */ 
 
 The street ran parallel with one of the prin- 
 cipal thoroughfare's, so that the narrow back 
 windows of great shops looked into it on one 
 side ; the other consisted chiefly of low, miserable 
 tenements, but the street was too narrow to 
 admit of any pavement, so that the rain washed 
 the mud into the ground-floors of each dwelling, 
 thereby greatly adding to the misery and squalor. 
 
 Zetta's scanty rags were a poor defence 
 against wind and rain, and she had a hard 
 fight to creep along by the houses, her bare feet 
 squashing through the heaps of mud that had 
 been scraped up from the middle of the road. 
 
 Suddenly she disappears up a dark archway, 
 which leads into a back slum, or wynd, as they 
 are called in Scotland, so narrow that you can 
 touch the houses on either side as you walk, 
 and having a filthy stream of water always 
 running down one side in a narrow stone groove. 
 Court B it was called, and there dwelt the 
 wretchedest of the wretched in that great town.
 
 2ETTA IN THE CHANDLER'S SHOP.
 
 The Sky -Garret. 9 
 
 The bad smell that pervaded the air in this 
 quarter seemed as if it must be the breath of 
 fever and pestilence. In vain the cleansing 
 rain ran 'down the steep roofs ; it was stemmed 
 at every turn by accumulations of refuse, which 
 it never succeeded in quite washing away. But 
 Zetta heeded nothing of all this, she did not 
 think about the evil odours, for she had breathed 
 them from her infancy, and as water was scarce 
 in Court B, none of the children living there 
 knew really what it was to be clean. 
 
 Zetta had clothed herself in the same rags 
 every morning for months. She had had a better 
 frock once, and tidy pinafores, but they had all 
 been swallowed up long ago in that terrible 
 vortex, the pawn-shop, and were now past re- 
 deeming. She could not help wishing for them 
 now, as the pitiless rain penetrated through her 
 threadbare garments, and a piercing wind found 
 its way through numerous rents, flapping the 
 tatters to and fro as she walked. 
 
 The end of the court is reached at last, and 
 she mounts a flight of uneven stone steps, 
 having a rusty iron bar by way of a balustrade. 
 A dirty, broken door creaks on its hinges, and 
 the child ascending a set of very rickety, worm- 
 eaten stairs, passes the two small rooms on the 
 first landing each of which contains a family 
 and finally reaches a garret in the roof, by means
 
 io City Sparrows. 
 
 of a rough ladder, such as is often seen in hen- 
 houses for the fowls to go up and down to their 
 roosting perches. A narrow skylight, almost 
 totally darkened by its broken panes being 
 
 stuffed with old rags and paper, formed the 
 only inlet for air and light in this loathsome 
 den. 
 
 The little girl looked up with a face of anxiety
 
 The Sky -Garret. n 
 
 and disappointment to find that her last barri- 
 cade against the storm had failed, and large 
 raindrops were falling with a steady drip upon 
 the wretched bed of straw she had sought to 
 shield. On it lay the emaciated form of a boy. 
 Fever burned on his sunken cheeks, and lighted 
 up his grey eye with an unnatural fire, as if 
 to mock the poor shivering limbs which the 
 skeleton fingers in vain tried to envelope more 
 closely in a heap of tattered rags that served 
 as bed-clothes. /' 
 
 "Zetta," he gd/sped, " I thought you would 
 never come back no more. I'm parched with 
 thirst and most dead with cold. Look at 
 mother ! Oh ! I wish I was dead, I wish I was 
 dead." 
 
 It was with no surprise the child's eyes 
 rested on the prostrate form of her mother, 
 sunk in the lowest depths of helpless drunken- 
 ness. Her face was red and bloated, and her 
 lips uttered imbecile babblings, a terrible sight 
 for the eyes of childhood to rest on ; but Harry 
 and Zetta had grown so accustomed to it, that 
 though it filled them with a dark, despairing 
 dread, it was nothing new. 
 
 " Give me something to drink," murmured 
 the poor boy; " be quick, or I must die." 
 
 "What can I give you ?" said Zetta, her 
 dark eyes filling with tears. " There's no fire,
 
 is City Sparrows. 
 
 and never a stick or bit of coal to make one 
 with to boil the kettle; and mother '11 beat 
 me ever so if I give you the tea from the 
 shop. I'll take the can and get some water 
 from the court. Don't cry : I'll be as quick as 
 I can." 
 
 And before he could answer she was clamber- 
 ing down the ladder, and soon returned, having 
 filled the leaky can with rain-water, which 
 rushed plentifully down an open spout at the 
 bottom of the steps. 
 
 The boy drank eagerly, and Zetta exchanged 
 her dripping rags for an old coarse sack, grimy 
 with soot and dirt, which had been cut open at 
 the bottom and sides, to leave places for her 
 head and arms to go through, and being large, 
 it formed an ample covering. 
 
 This done, she crept in beside the boy and eat 
 her hard crust, vainly endeavouring to persuade 
 him to share it with her : his burning lips re- 
 fused it. 
 
 Both faces turned instinctively towards the 
 skylight, but the dreary white mist was 
 still blotting out everything. I say everything, 
 but that only means a stack of red chimneys, 
 some tiled roofs, and a strip of sky, little 
 enough on the finest days, and therefore doubly 
 missed by the weary upturned eyes. But 
 while the two watched the rain ceased ; and as
 
 The Sky-Garret. 13 
 
 the mist began to lift and roll away, they could 
 discern the shapes of heavy masses of cloud, 
 which looked dark enough for thunder. 
 
 " Climb up, Zetta, and pull the stuffing out 
 of one of the panes, that I may get some air." 
 
 She did so, and a smoky, damp breath de- 
 scended through the aperture. 
 
 " Are they coming, Zetta ? " 
 
 "Yes; look!" and as she spoke a gentle 
 fluttering of wings was heard, and five or six 
 sparrows hovered to and fro, eagerly pecking at 
 the few stale crumbs she had thrown out. 
 
 The sparrows, begrimed with soot, and their 
 feathers all wet and draggled, looked forlorn and 
 miserable ; yet I doubt if a sunny-plumed bird 
 in golden cage was ever watched and tended 
 with half the delight with which the boy re- 
 garded his pets. 
 
 The live-long day they were his only solace. 
 He lay hour after hour, looking up at the sloping 
 roofs, the chimneys, and the sky ; and he never 
 relinquished the hope that some day one of the 
 birds would come fluttering in to take the food 
 from his hand. 
 
 " Are they all gone, Zetta ? " he said, as an 
 ungrateful little visitor, having secured the last 
 remaining crumb, retired to a neighbouring roof 
 to peck and squabble over it with the others. 
 
 " Oh ! I wish I could go too."
 
 14 City Sparrows. 
 
 Zetta. turned quickly round from her exalted 
 perch on the rickety chair, to look at her bro- 
 ther, when alas, one of the feeble, worm-eaten 
 legs gave way, and she fell heavily to the ground. 
 She was up again in a minute, rubbing her 
 bruised elbow, but the fall had aroused her 
 mother, who, with an oath, started to her feet, 
 and inflicted blow after blow on the unhappy 
 child. At sight of Harry's terrified, imploring 
 face, she desisted, and giving Zetta. a final shove 
 to the other end of the garret, she staggered 
 out at the doorway, and the children listened 
 till the muttered curses grew fainter, and they 
 knew she had passed out into the street. 
 
 The boy drew the sobbing Zetta. close to him, 
 and laid his wasted hand on her matted hair. 
 " I wish we could die together, Zetta ; it won't 
 be long for me, but what will become of you ? 
 I can just mind when father died ; you were a 
 little baby then, and we lived in the beautiful 
 country, among green fields and flowers. You 
 don't know anything about that, for we came 
 away from it all when you were only a year old. 
 I can mind some of it to tell you about. Father 
 and the cottage, and the gentlefolk up in the 
 big house among the trees, but I'm tired to- 
 night, Zetta, so tired, I can't tell you any more 
 now." And the weary head sank down on the 
 bundle of rags and straw that the poor little
 
 The Sky-Garret. 15 
 
 sister had with womanly instinct propped up 
 for him. 
 
 She kept quite quiet until her brother slept, 
 then crept softly out, closed the door, and once 
 more found her way to the street. 
 
 It was a winter afternoon, and although 
 scarcely half-past four, it was dark. The lamp- 
 lighter had gone his rounds, and each small gas 
 flame was doing its best to light up the hard, 
 wet, dreary-looking pavement. 
 
 Zetta passed on into the wider streets, and 
 her poor little aching heart warmed at the sight 
 of the shops ablaze with light, setting forth the 
 various goods displayed in the most tempting 
 manner. She stopped before a large baker's 
 and confectioner's shop, and contemplated what 
 to her seemed an inexhaustible store. 
 
 " I must steal one of those little loaves for 
 Harry, or he will die," thought the child. 
 Taking advantage of the entrance into the shop 
 of several people at once, she stood just inside, 
 where only a low, light wire defence divided 
 her from the coveted cakes. It was so easy to 
 do it without detection, and yet her heart smote 
 her, and something whispered it was wrong. 
 She thought of the great unknown Being, called 
 God, whom Harry had told her his father had 
 taught him to speak to, though why or how 
 was merely a recollection of long ago, and he
 
 1 6 City Sparrows. 
 
 could only yearn over the indistinct remem- 
 brance, and try in vain to recall it. 
 
 My readers will wonder how this could be, so 
 I must take them back for a little to his sunny 
 infancy. His father, Samuel Warren, was the 
 respectable and trustworthy head gardener on 
 the estate of a gentleman in Fernshire. He 
 had been brought up under the master's own 
 eye, having gradually risen to his post, and 
 after some years of steady service, he married 
 one of the maids of the house, and settle.4 in 
 the picturesque entrance-lodge. Xx^ 
 
 All went well for a time, but by oegrees the 
 poor man's eyes were opened to find that he 
 was deceived in the one he loved so truly. His 
 cottage, once so neat, was deserted and untidy; 
 the babe grew wan and sickly; and when at 
 the close of the day he sought his home, he 
 found the demon of intemperance there before 
 him, and his wife cross and excited. This state 
 of things gradually forced him to take up his 
 burden of life and bear it alone, and few under- 
 stood the gloom that characterised his outward 
 mien. 
 
 Little Harry soon learned to toddle up the 
 broad gravel paths of the kitchen garden, where 
 he would stand and watch his father pruning 
 the fruit trees, or digging and planting, and 
 pretend to help him, by putting weeds and sticks
 
 Tlic Sky-Garret. 17 
 
 into his wheelbarrow; and when the day's work 
 was done, the father would take his little one 
 on his shoulder to carry him home, and as the 
 evening light glowed in the sky, would tell 
 him about the God in heaven who loved little 
 children ; and these infant lessons left a last- 
 ing impress on the child's mind. 
 
 One day he was seated on the edge of the 
 grass-plot, watching his father wield the bright 
 scythe, which cut off grass and daisies all alike, 
 when the little Lady Lilian from the Hall, then 
 just nine years old,, came running up with a 
 piece of cake in one hand and some bright 
 poppies in the other, and kneeling down beside 
 Harry, made him understand, [in spite of his 
 shyness, that she had brought it all for him. 
 
 This little incident was not much for memory 
 to dwell on, and yet in after years, when pain 
 and poverty held the poor boy in iron chains, 
 he would close his weary eyes, and let that pic- 
 ture come before him again, of the little blue- 
 eyed girl with her white frock and straw hat. 
 
 It all seemed to belong to a far away dream, 
 for besides these hazy recollections, nothing had 
 been told him, and of his father's short illness 
 and somewhat sudden death he could remember 
 little or nothing. People whispered that the 
 poor man had died broken-hearted, and in debt 
 from his wife's misconduct, but he complained
 
 1 8 City Sparrows. 
 
 to no one. What passed through his mind that 
 last evening, when too weak to utter any words, 
 and laying his brown hand on little Harry's 
 head, he drew a long, weary sigh, and closed 
 his eyes in death, was between him and his 
 God. 
 
 His kind master provided a decent funeral, 
 and would have put his widow into the way of 
 earning a respectable livelihood, but this benevo- 
 lent scheme was suddenly cut short by the news 
 one morning that all the doors and windows at 
 the lodge were closed, and on entering the house 
 it was found empty, without a trace of its former 
 occupants. 
 
 The woman, with her baby-girl and Harry, 
 had made her way to the nearest railway-station, 
 and taken the train to one of our large towns, 
 where they were soon hidden in the vortex of 
 humanity. 
 
 Here she had begun life afresh as a char- 
 woman, but she gradually sank lower and lower, 
 moving from one squalid room to another, until 
 the point where my story comoiences in the sky- 
 garret of a back slum.
 
 y 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE BATTLE OF LIFE. 
 
 HUNGRY and forlorn stood poor Zetta, hesitating 
 between right and wrong, as the busy shop- 
 women swiftly supplied the wants of each im- 
 patient customer. 
 
 " You have forgotten your change, ma'am," 
 said one of the attendants, and a young girl 
 hearing this, stepped back to take up some 
 coppers in their neat little envelope, and paused 
 at the door to open her reticule and drop them in. 
 
 " Please for a halfpenny," moaned Zetta, 
 raising her eyes beseechingly to the pale face 
 that was passing her. Instead of the usual 
 rough repulse, the child felt two coppers laid in 
 her palm, with the words, " Where do you live, 
 you poor little one ? " 
 
 " No. 16, Court B, turning off the corner of 
 Harrington Street, under the archway. Harry 
 and me lives there in the top room, and Harry's 
 very ill and hungry."
 
 20 City Sparrows. 
 
 Though fearing it might be only one of the 
 many made-up stories so ready on the lips of 
 city tramps of all ages, the young lady drew a 
 note-book from her pocket, and taking down the 
 address, bade the child run home, and hurried 
 on her way. 
 
 The lady's name would never head a grand 
 subscription list. The rusty black dress and 
 plain bonnet betokened small means, yet never 
 had a donation come from a more generous or 
 self-denying heart. This was the end of a long 
 and toilsome day of teaching, for she was the 
 eldest daughter of a poor curate, obliged early 
 to seek her own support, yet she could forget 
 herself, and turn aside to pity and relieve the 
 outcast. 
 
 " Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of 
 the least of these My brethren, ye have done it 
 unto Me," is the record of such deeds in heaven; 
 though the world with its resounding trumpets 
 proclaims and praises them not. 
 
 Margaret Millar did not stay to watch the 
 expression of gratitude and speechless joy on 
 Zetta's face. She must hurry home, being later 
 than usual : the sick little sister would be looking 
 out for her, and the boys must be taught their 
 Latin after tea; and one after another a hundred 
 things came into her mind to be seen to, until 
 at last she reaches the middle of a long street,
 
 Tlie Battle of Life. 21 
 
 and with a latch-key passes in, and the door of 
 the modest parlour opens to welcome her. 
 
 " Well, papa dear, tired out as usual, I see- 
 I wish you had some one to help you. Oh, 
 hush ! Bertie dear, don't play horses any more 
 to-night ; come up-stairs with me, and carry this 
 sponge cake to Nelly;" and thus admonished, 
 a bright-eyed little fellow of four years old came 
 running to do her quiet bidding. " Lotta, 
 dear, make the tea, I hear Ted and Harry coming 
 in. I will run up and send Alice down," and fol- 
 lowed by Bertie, Margaret toiled with a tired 
 tread up the steep staircase. 
 
 Her heart ached as she heard, through a half- 
 open door at the top, sounds of fretful sobbing, 
 and on entering, found Alice, her next sister in 
 age, vainly endeavouring to soothe the suffer- 
 ing little Nelly of seven years old, who was lying 
 in bed. 
 
 The room was barely furnished, with a 
 nothing-to-match air about it; the hangings to 
 the two beds looked scanty and faded, and a 
 dismal wind was making its moan down the 
 chimney over a dull coke fire, which could not 
 be coaxed into giving out even the flicker of a 
 blaze. 
 
 " What is the matter, my pet ? Why, Alice, 
 you are all in darkness ; light the gas, and let 
 me see my little Nell. Why, she is not crying. 
 3
 
 23 City Sparrows. 
 
 sursly. Is the pain very bad, darling? Where 
 does it hurt ? There, lean your head against 
 me, and look here, see what Bertie has brought 
 up for Nelly, such a nice sponge cake, just come 
 from the shop: try and eat one little bit ; " and 
 Margaret gently smoothed back the tossed hair 
 from the pale forehead, and looked lovingly 
 down into eyes unnaturally large and bright. 
 
 " I want papa," sobbed Nelly, as she took 
 the cake from Bertie's chubby hand, who looked 
 longingly at it for a minute, and then let Alice 
 lead him down-stairs. (l/^ 
 
 " He will come very soon to his little girl, 
 but Nelly must try and remember poor papa 
 has been out working so hard all day, seeing 
 such a number of poor sick people, and walking 
 a long, long way. And oh ! what do you think, 
 Nelly, as I was coming out of the baker's shop, 
 I met such a poor little girl, scarcely older than 
 you, and she looked so wretched and miserable, 
 with only an old sack to cover her, and such a 
 hungry look in her eyes. She told me she had 
 a poor sick brother, whom I shall ask papa to 
 go and see, and I daresay he has no nice bed 
 like this to sleep in, and nobody to take care of 
 him. Aren't you very sorry for him, Nelly ? " 
 
 ''Yes," said Nelly, for the time forgetting 
 her own pain and weakness in the interest of 
 the story; and Margaret went on lengthening
 
 The Battle of Life. 23 
 
 out her tale until the sponge cake was eaten, 
 and Alice returned and set her at liberty to go 
 down to her tea. 
 
 But as she went her thoughts flew swiftly 
 back to this time last year, when her dying 
 mother had said, " Take care of my little Nell, 
 she is so fragile and delicate." And now 
 Margaret's heart stood still with a sudden 
 dread lest the shadow of death should again 
 darken their dwelling ; and though she knew 
 well that the silent angel's wing is tipped with 
 golden light to the Christian, the words would 
 come into her mind 
 
 Earth from earth can scarce unclasp its fingers, 
 Our love to Thee makes not this love less strong. 
 
 "Papa dear," she said, entering the sitting- 
 room, and finding him alone, " do you think 
 you will be going in the direction of Harring- 
 ton Street some day soon ? " 
 
 " I can go, my dear, if there is any object in 
 doing so, though it is not often my way lies in 
 that quarter, my work being chiefly at the op- 
 posite side of the town : but who lives there ? " 
 
 " That is what I want you to find out, papa, 
 or rather will you try and prove the truth of a 
 statement made to me to-day by a poor little 
 forlorn girl, who told me her brother was lying 
 very sick in the topmost story of a house in a
 
 24 City Sparrows. 
 
 nest of courts which lie closely packed in that 
 corner of the town. No. 16, Court B, is the 
 address I took down. They seem to be living 
 by themselves, and there was something about 
 the child's earnest look that makes me thjnfe- 
 it cannot be altogether a made-up story." Q > 
 
 " I will not forget it," said Mr. Millar, 
 " though it may be a few days before I am able 
 to go there, as I am terribly pressed with work 
 just now ; there is so much sickness about this 
 winter, more than I ever remember. How is 
 our poor little Nell to-night ? " 
 
 " Much weaker, I'm afraid, papa, and in such 
 constant pain. I am sure we ought to have 
 further advice for her, though it seams im- 
 possible to afford it. May I speak to Dr. Bel- 
 field ; he is so kind, and I am getting to know 
 them all much better, and his children seem to 
 like my teaching." 
 
 A look of trouble and distress clouded 
 Mr. Millar's anxious brow as a painful train of 
 thought ran through his mind. What more 
 could be done upon his very small income, 
 and with seven dear children to support ? The 
 flush of wounded pride overspread his face at 
 the idea of being obliged to throw himself on 
 charity, when he had hitherto struggled bravely 
 on unaided. It seemed very hard, for when 
 he married it was supposed that some day he
 
 The Battle of Life. 25 
 
 would be a rich man ; but his father having 
 since lost nearly the whole of his wealth 
 through certain bank and speculation failures, 
 this prospect for his only son was at an end. 
 
 " I cannot bear asking favours of people," he 
 said, in an irritated tone, and Margaret's eyes 
 followed him sadly as he rose and paced the 
 room. 
 
 " For Nelly's sake, and in fulfilment of 
 mother's sacred trust, we must do it," she said, 
 firmly ; but in such a gentle tone, that drawing 
 her within his arm and kissing her, he said, 
 " You have your mother's sweet patience and 
 trusting hope, my Margaret ; do as you think 
 best about it, and we will talk of it again to- 
 morrow. I must go up to our darling now, as 
 she will be looking out for me." And Margaret 
 was left alone to wrestle for a higher strength 
 than her own, which would enable her to go 
 forward and fear not. 
 
 Meantime Zetta, having watched her new 
 friend until the next turning hid her from view, 
 looked again and again at the money, opening 
 and shutting her hand, as if not quite sure it 
 was indeed in her own possession. 
 
 Now she felt she had a right to go bravely 
 and honestly into the shop, and take her choice 
 of the templing goods, but several minutes 
 elapsed before she was able to decide how to
 
 26 City Sparrows. 
 
 spend her newly-acquired fortune. "A sponge 
 cake for Harry, and a penny loaf for myself," 
 was the verdict at last, and she went in. The 
 shop-women looked wonderingly at the bare- 
 footed child in her grimy rags, and one of them, 
 filled with a sudden pity, added a stale tart to 
 the purchase, saying, as the two coppers chinked 
 into the till, " I can't think how or where such 
 children live; they're dragged up, not brought 
 up, that's certain." 
 
 Zetta felt she was clasping a mighty feast 
 to her bosom, and with an overjoyed " Thank 
 you, ma'am," left the shop. 
 
 Swiftly her sore, cold feet ran along the pave- 
 ments. The thought of going home to Harry 
 made her heedless of anything else that was 
 passing around her, and the hard, unkind world 
 was suddenly transformed into a paradise by 
 the glow reflected from her happy thoughts. 
 
 On crossing the road in front of the great 
 hospital surrounded by its high iron railings, 
 she noticed an unusual crowd near the gates, 
 and joining herself to it, she heard a man say: 
 "The woman was dead drunk, and an omnibus 
 knocked her down, and the wheels ran right 
 over her body. I don't know how many bones 
 are broken; she can't speak a word, and they 
 are carrying her in." 
 
 Zetta could not get nearer for the press of
 
 The Battle of Life. 27 
 
 people, but as she watched, she saw the helpless 
 form raised on a stretcher and carried within 
 the gates. 
 
 A vague sort of recognition flitted through 
 the child's mind; but no, it couldn't be her 
 mother, she thought ; and no one knowing, or 
 troubling themselves to answer her questions 
 as to who it was, she hurried on with a sobered 
 heart, to tell Harry about it ; yet, if the truth 
 was known, almost hoping her mother might 
 not return that night to trouble them. 
 
 On entering the garret, she was surprised to 
 see Harry awake, and with a smile on his face 
 pointing /Co a tiny bit of fire flickering in the 
 grate, ff 
 
 " The woman in the room below brought up 
 her baby after you was gone out, for me to mind 
 while she went on an errand, and when she 
 came back she brought up some sticks and a 
 bit or two of coal. She told me the people 
 where she goes to work gave her a coal ticket ; 
 perhaps they'd give us one, if they knew. She 
 is the only one who ever comes nigh us here, 
 though many's the errand I've run for folks in 
 the court before I was ill." Here he stopped 
 suddenly short in his speech, his eyes fixed on 
 the stores Zetta produced from the paper bag. 
 
 " You didn't steal that, Zetta ? " and a look 
 of terror overspread his pallid features, as a
 
 2o City Sparrows. 
 
 picture rose before his mind of a policeman and 
 the jail. 
 
 " No, Harry, no ; though I wanted to at first, 
 because I knew you were hungry; but I minded 
 what you said about God who looks at us, and 
 a kind lady spoke to me, and gave me two 
 coppers; she was dressed in black, and her face 
 was so pale. I'll go down the street every day 
 to look for her, for no one was ever so kind 
 before. You haven't seen nothing of mother, 
 have you ? " 
 
 " No," said Harry. 
 
 " Because there's been an accident; some one 
 run over, and I fancy 'twas mother, though the 
 boys shoved me about so I couldn't get near to 
 see; and if it is, she's in the hospital, and if she 
 don't come back to-morrow, we can take the 
 fish and tea, because perhaps she'll die, and 
 we'll never see her no more." 
 
 The brother and sister looked at each other, 
 neither daring to utter the hope that, for a time 
 at least, they might be left in peace; for of late 
 their nightly terror had been this woman's return 
 home. Yet Harry shivered to think of her pro- 
 bable fate as Zetta crept into bed beside him. 
 
 The two lumps of coal in the rusty grate 
 soon died out, a fierce wind shook the skylight, 
 loud talking and tramping of feet were heard 
 below, but Harry and Zetta slept.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 A SERMON ABOUT SPARROWS. 
 
 IT was Sunday morning, and a white frost 
 glittered on every window-pane. The sun rose 
 amid a bank of heavy purple clouds, variegated 
 by rosy rifts, and many an eye in the great city 
 looked up to gaze at his flaming orange and 
 crimson-barred disc. A golden shaft of sun- 
 light shot down upon Harry's bed of straw and 
 rags, lighting up every corner in the dark attic, 
 and like an angel from heaven bringing a thrill 
 of comfort and gladness to the wan suflerer 
 lying there. 
 
 It seemed to lift his spirit beyond the dreary 
 prison-house, and as he gazed on the bit of sky 
 let in between roofs and chimneys, the sweet 
 sound of church bells fell upon his ear, whisper- 
 ing in a mysterious way to his unlettered, un- 
 taught soul, of a peace "not as the world 
 eiveth."
 
 30 City Sparrows. 
 
 Change by change the chimes rang on, 
 awakening as if by magic all the early associa- 
 tions of his childhood, and again he was stand- 
 ing holding his father's hand at the lych gate 
 of the village church, watching the people 
 going in one by one through the ivied porch. 
 But as he strove to follow this vision of the 
 past, all the want and misery of his present 
 life came up before him like a mist, to blot out 
 the fair picture, and the poor boy turned his 
 face away from the sunbeam, while hot tears 
 wetted his cheek. 
 
 He wept, but Zetta saw it not, for after 
 hastily dressing herself in her rags, she went 
 down to the room below, to beg a drop of hot 
 water, to wet the tea she had brought from the 
 shop the day before. 
 
 Mrs. Smith's door was open, and entering, 
 she could hardly distinguish anything for the 
 clouds of smoke and steam that rilled the 
 room. It was Sunday, but the charwoman 
 cared not for that, merely regarding it as a 
 leisure day to waste for herself and her chil- 
 dren, saying that churches were only made for 
 gentlefolks to show off their fine clothes in. 
 Yet in her rough, ignorant heart, there ran a 
 vein of pity for those poorer than herself, and 
 she therefore willingly gave Zetta the water 
 she had come to beg.
 
 A Sermon about Sparrows. 31 
 
 " Harry," said Zetta, after the remains of 
 their scanty meal had been cleared away, "I'll 
 just step down towards the hospital, and see 
 if I can hear tell anything of mother." 
 
 And after making her brother as comfortable 
 as she could, the little girl went softly out. 
 The poor boy watched the door close after 
 her, and then his eyes wandered to what was 
 always the centre of attraction, the broken sky- 
 light, and he noticed that the stuffing was out 
 of more than one pane. He listened for the 
 chirping and fluttering. Yes, there it was, and 
 he could see brown wings flitting to and fro. 
 
 " I wonder if Zetta put the crumbs out," and 
 the wonder was still on his face, when, oh, 
 joy ! could it be true ? through the aperture in 
 flew a sparrow ! Poor little thing, how it darted 
 hither and thither, beating its wings first 
 against one wall and then another ; fluttering 
 up to the rafters and down to the ground, 
 battling in vain to regain its liberty, and at last 
 falling exhausted and panting in a corner out 
 of sight. 
 
 Harry held his breath with anxiety, and tak- 
 ing a piece of bread that Zetta. had left near 
 him, he let fall some crumbs on the floor, and a 
 few on the ragged coverlid. /F} 
 
 Presently there was a slight movement, and 
 Harry, as still as a mouse, saw with intense
 
 33 City Sparrows. 
 
 delight the perky little sparrow come hopping 
 across towards the crumbs, pecking at the out- 
 lying ones, with its tiny brown head on one side; 
 then another fly round the attic, and down it 
 came fluttering upon the bed, and finding more 
 crumbs, went on pecking without fear; when a 
 slight movement of Harry's hand startled it, 
 and suddenly it darted upwards towards the 
 skylight, and flew out. 
 
 " He can fly away, but I must bide here," 
 was poor Harry's quiet comment to himself; 
 and then he began to long tor Zetta's return, 
 that he might tell about his feathered guest; 
 but he had to wait some time, for it was a long 
 way to the hospital. 
 
 On her road there, Zetta had met the stream 
 of people, all in their gay Sunday attire, going to 
 their various places of worship. There was one 
 very large church, with steps leading up to it, 
 and Zetta thought she would like to take just 
 one peep inside, to see what it was like, so she 
 slipped in just as the service was about to 
 commence. She heard the organ pealing, and 
 thought how grand the great painted window 
 at the end looked, but felt terribly frightened at 
 her boldness, for never had she ventured into a 
 place of worship of any kind before. 
 
 While hoping she might remain unnoticed, 
 a pompous pew-opener, catching sight of her,
 
 A Sermon about Sparrows. 33 
 
 marched towards the door, and taking her by 
 the shoulders, put her roughly out, saying, 
 " There's no room for the like of you in here; 
 be off ! " 
 
 Zetta was used to the world's cold scorn, and 
 it seemed quite a natural thing to be rebuffed 
 and cast out; so raising a timid glance towards 
 the man, she went her way, while he turned 
 with an obsequious bow to some grand 
 carriage folk in " goodly apparel " who were 
 just entering, and conducted them to their 
 crimson-cushioned seat at the top of the long 
 aisle. 
 
 It was not more encouraging nearer the 
 hospital. Its iron gates were closed, and she 
 dared not try to open them, for a policeman 
 was walking up and down, eyeing her sus- 
 piciously ; so after gazing for a few minutes at 
 the massive pile of buildings, she retraced her 
 steps home, and found Harry waiting to tell 
 his story of the sparrows' visit. 
 
 The day wore on, and still their mother came 
 not, and though relieved by her absence, the 
 two children could not help a restless anxiety 
 for the future gnawing at their hearts, in spite 
 of all their efforts to cheer one another. 
 
 " I'll look in the old stocking that mother 
 keeps at the bottom of the broken box, Harry, 
 and see if there's any money left." So Zetta
 
 34 City Sparrows. 
 
 dived among a collection of rags, and found 
 the stocking, and in it some coppers and a 
 sixpence. 
 
 " Ought \ve to take it, Zetta, I wonder ? And 
 yet we can't starve. Mother won't come back 
 now." 
 
 " I'll go out and look once more," said Zetta. 
 And though it was now quite dark, and the bells 
 had begun to chime for evening service, the 
 child again found her way into the street. 
 
 She hardly cared in what direction her feet 
 led her, for there was no fear of losing her way, 
 as she had been accustomed to run wild in the 
 streets ever since she could remember. Paying 
 no heed to where she was going, and wholly 
 occupied by her own thoughts, she took turn 
 after turn, until she reached a crowded and 
 densely populated district, quite at the opposite 
 end of the town. 
 
 Here she was attracted by a large, square, 
 rough sort of building, with a light swinging 
 over the entrance, which was crowded with 
 people as ragged and wretched-looking as 
 herself. 
 
 She watched, and saw them entering the 
 doorway, so thought perhaps she might go too, 
 when a kind-looking gentleman stepped in 
 among them, saying: "Now, my friends, lose 
 no time in taking your places, for our evening
 
 A Sermon about Sparrows. 35 
 
 service will begin very soon, and every one is 
 welcome. Remember, there is room for all;" 
 and he passed into the building. 
 
 A few there were who, jeering and scoffing, 
 turned away, but the greater part entered, and 
 Zetta, following an old blind man and a woman 
 with a baby, soon found herself seated in a 
 large, well-lighted room, and presently the 
 service commenced. 
 
 Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched, 
 Weak and wounded, sick and sore ; 
 Jesus ready stands to save you, 
 Full of pity, love, and power; 
 
 He is able, 
 He is willing ; doubt no more 
 
 was the first verse of the hymn given out by 
 Mr. Millar, and sung with heart and soul by 
 his congregation. Zetta wondered what it all 
 meant. She watched the people; stood when 
 they stood, and knelt when they prayed; and 
 when she heard the name of God, she con- 
 nected it in her mind. with the One of whom 
 Harry had spoken, /ft 
 
 But the sermon was one which the most 
 ignorant might understand, the minister choos- 
 ing for his text, Matthew x. 29, 30, 31: "Are 
 not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and 
 one of them shall not fall on the ground 
 without your Father. But the very hairs of
 
 36 City Sparrows. 
 
 your head are all numbered. Fear ye not 
 therefore, ye are of more value than many 
 sparrows." 
 
 " Dear friends," he began; "there are few 
 things in God's creation that you consider more 
 worthless than a poor little sparrow: you see 
 them every day flitting about here and there on 
 the roofs and walls, and in the streets of our 
 town, but I doubt if any of you think of the 
 lesson they can teach us. Our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 when He was on earth, used to speak to the 
 people about things they were accustomed to 
 see every day, to make them understand what 
 His lessons meant. 
 
 " He would take His hearers out where the 
 grass grew fresh and green, and there He would 
 point to the flowers that grew at His feet, and 
 the birds that flew around Him, and explain the 
 lessons they are intended to teach us. 
 
 11 For this reason I am going to give you His 
 words about the sparrows, that when you see 
 them flying close to you every day, they may 
 remind you of the God who careth for them 
 and you. 
 
 "Jesus then begins by teaching us there is 
 nothing too small or mean for His notice. 
 
 " ' Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, 
 and one of them shall not fall on the ground 
 without your Father.'
 
 A Sermon about Sparrows. 37 
 
 " ' The eyes of the Lord are in every place, 
 beholding the evil and the good.' 
 
 "There is nothing hid from the great God 
 and Father of us all, for in Him everything 
 that is created lives and moves. 
 
 " The little sparrow flies forth day by day to 
 find its food, and the Lord provides for it ; and 
 when it falls to fhe ground and dies, He knows 
 all about it. And if He takes all this loving 
 care for a tiny bird, what do you think He must 
 be to His own children who cry to Him ? 
 
 " This then is His message : ' Fear not, ye 
 are of more value than many sparrows.^ 
 
 " Now what we mean by the value of a thing, 
 is the price set upon it. You all know about 
 that when you go to buy food and clothing and 
 other necessaries of life ; and that brings me 
 to speak of the value of your immortal souls. 
 Ah ! you can none of you imagine how 
 valuable a soul is in God's sight, until you 
 know the price that has been paid for it by the 
 Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 "You long for this world's gold and silver, and 
 think if it was poured into your hands it would 
 buy an) ? thing ; but there is one thing that it 
 could not redeem, and that is your never-dying 
 soul. 
 
 "No wonder then that our Lord Jesus said, 
 ' Ye are of more value than many sparrows.' 
 
 4
 
 38 City Sparrows. 
 
 " But many of you do not know God as a 
 loving Father; perhaps some have never even 
 heard of Him as such at all ; and your lives are 
 hard, and wretched, and miserable, and sinful, 
 with no hope beyond. 
 
 " Now, my dear friends, we all of us like to 
 be loved and cared for ; a kind word or thought 
 will bring a tear to the eye when all else 
 fails. Let me tell you then about this loving 
 Father and Heavenly Friend, who wishes you 
 to know and look up to Him, and believe in 
 Him. 
 
 " He made this world we live in, and every- 
 thing we see. 
 
 " Once it was quite beautiful and holy, for 
 sin was not here to make it sad ; and the man 
 and woman that God first made and put into it 
 were happy, because they walked with God all 
 day long. But when the devil entered and 
 tempted them to sin, they were afraid of God, 
 and He drove them from His presence, and 
 from that time man became lost and ruined. 
 
 " But God, whose name is Love, has made a 
 way of escape for the chief of sinners, and offers 
 to them eternal life, instead of the everlasting 
 death they deserve. 
 
 " Many hundreds of years ago He sent His 
 only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who lived with 
 Him in glory above the sky, down to our earth,
 
 A Sermon about Sparrows. 39 
 
 to be born a little helpless baby in a stable at 
 Bethlehem, so to take our humanity upon Him. 
 And when He grew to be a man, He went about 
 doing good, healing the sick and raising the 
 dead ; and at the last He was crucified and 
 nailed to a cross of wood by wicked hands ; and 
 He died and was buried, and rose again from 
 the grave, and went back to live with His 
 Father in heaven. 
 
 " You may read the beautiful story for your- 
 selves, if you will, but what I want you to think 
 about now is, why did He do all this ? It was 
 to save your souls, that part of you that can 
 never die, though your bodies will crumble to 
 dust. And now He asks you all to come to 
 Him, and cry for His Holy Spirit to touch your 
 hearts and show you that you are lost sinners, 
 and teach you that the Lord Jesus Christ came 
 to seek and to save that which was lost. 
 
 " Oh ! come to Him and ask Him to wash 
 away your sins in His precious blood, and make 
 you without spot in His sight. He will hear 
 you ; He is listening and waiting for you now, 
 and holding out the fair white robe of His 
 righteousness to clothe you in. Oh ! do not 
 delay ; cry to Him to-night ; say, ' God be 
 merciful to me a sinner.' ' Wash me, and I 
 shall be whiter than snow.' 
 
 "Ah, how changed will your life here be
 
 40 City Sparrows. 
 
 when you begin to look up and cry to God as 
 your Father. He will bless you ; He will feed 
 you, for He has said, ' They that seek the 
 Lord shall not want any good thing.' You will 
 have His strength to help you to bear all the 
 trials of this life; and when you lie down to die, 
 your precious soul will be carried away from 
 this earth to the presence of Christ, there to 
 dwell for ever in heaven with God and His 
 angels. Is not this worth thinking about ? Oh ! 
 come to the Saviour ; come to Him now. 
 
 "You need not bring fine words with you : the 
 poorest and most ragged little child who kneels 
 and whispers, ' Lord Jesus, save me,' shall be 
 heard. Oh ! come and take this Heavenly 
 Friend, who will never fail or forsake you. 
 * Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou 
 shalt be saved.' There is room for every one 
 that will come. Perhaps you think it is only for 
 the rich and great, but there will be no difference 
 in the kingdom of heaven. 
 
 " The Son of God has a welcome for all, and 
 it is this : ' Come unto Me, all ye that labour 
 and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'" 
 
 A prayer for God's blessing was offered, 
 another hymn sung, and the people began to 
 move slowly out. 
 
 No one noticed our poor little Zetta, down 
 whose pale thin cheeks the tears had been
 
 A Sermon about Sparrows. 41 
 
 slowly rolling. Her heart was full, for a new 
 light was bursting on her soul. 
 
 She heeded not the loneliness, or the cold 
 slippery streets: on she sped swiftly home, and 
 was up the rough ladder in a twinkling, and by 
 Harry's side. 
 
 " Oh, Harry ! " she sobbed, " I've heard all 
 about your God. The gentleman began to speak 
 about the sparrows, as if he knew all about 
 ours ; and he says God minds them, and He'll 
 be our Father, too, and if we love Him, He 
 won't let us be hungry any more, for He'll take 
 care of us." And Zetta sat on the bed, and in 
 broken sentences told Harry all she could 
 remember of the simple sermon. 
 
 " We'll pray to Him to-night, Zetta; " and the 
 sick boy, folding his wasted hands together, 
 while Zetta knelt beside him, they both cried 
 earnestly : " Lord, save us ; we are very poor, 
 and hungry, and sick. Lord Jesus, wash away 
 our sins in Thy blood, and take care of us. 
 Amen." 
 
 And the prayer went up before the throne of 
 God, and the Lord heard and recorded it in His 
 book of remembrance. 
 
 A
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 TROUBLED WATERS. 
 
 " PAPA has come home early from his morning 
 round to-day," said Lizzie Belfield, pausing in 
 her German lesson to look out of the window 
 at a handsome brougham and pair just drawing 
 up to the door. " Miss Millar, didn't you say 
 you wanted to speak to him : shall I go and 
 ask him ?" 
 
 " I should be very glad, dear," said Margaret, 
 the colour mounting to her cheeks and crimson- 
 ing her forehead. " If it would not hinder him, 
 will you ask him if I may come into his con- 
 sulting room for a few minutes ; I will not 
 detain him longer." 
 
 " Oh, I'm sure he won't mind," said Lizzie, 
 rising hastily; "there is no one so good and 
 kind as papa in the whole world; I shall just 
 catch him if I go now." 
 
 Margaret watched the door close after her
 
 Troubled Waters. 43 
 
 pupil with a sinking heart. She had been 
 making up her mind the whole morning to 
 what she was about to do, and had prayed 
 earnestly for strength to do it, nerving herself 
 to the task ; yet now, when the moment drew 
 near, she longed that it might be put off to 
 another day. 
 
 " For mother's sake and darling little Nell's," 
 she thought to herself; and Edith and Amy 
 looked up from their slates to see tears stand- 
 ing in their teacher's eyes, as Lizzie returned 
 with the message. 
 
 " Papa says, will you go into his room, and 
 he will be with you almost directly ; he is just 
 speaking to mamma. Oh ! I forgot, you don't 
 know where it is. I will show you." 
 
 And leading the way across the hall, they 
 soon came to a pretty room at the back, look- 
 ing out on a small garden, with turf and flower- 
 beds, having an ivy-grown wall bounding it on 
 either side, and a belt of shrubs and trees 
 screening the iron railings that shut it off from 
 the road. 
 
 Here Margaret sat down by the 'window to 
 wait, and as is often the case in such times of 
 mental agitation, her eye seemed to take in the 
 most trivial things before her. 
 
 The sparrows were quite as .busy in the 
 doctor's garden as on Harry's attic-roof, for
 
 44 City Sparrows. 
 
 here also a provident hand had been scattering 
 crumbs on the sill and gravel path ; and there 
 was a trembling among the ivy-leaves as flocks 
 of them flew to and fro from the wall to the 
 grass, doing battle with a bright-eyed robin 
 redbreast that had managed to secure a large 
 piece of crust to himself. 
 
 "They sow not, neither do they reap nor 
 gather into barns, yet your Heavenly Father 
 feedeth them." " Casting all your care upon 
 Him, for He careth for you." " O thou of little 
 faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ?" were the 
 words suggested to her heart, lifting it beyond 
 her trouble into the presence of the great 
 Burden-Bearer, there to lay down her load at 
 His feet. 
 
 The door opened, and Dr. Belfield came in. 
 "Well, Miss Millar," he said, cheerily, extending 
 his hand and giving hers a hearty shake, " I 
 hear you wish to have a private interview with 
 me. Are my young people getting beyond your 
 control, and requiring a paternal lecture; or 
 what is it ? " 
 
 " No, Dr. Belfield, it is nothing about them, 
 but I am in great trouble myself, and you have 
 been so kind to me hitherto, that I venture to 
 ask you to help me now. It is about Nelly," 
 and Margaret strove to speak calmly, though 
 her quivering lip showed it was a great effort.
 
 Troubled Waters. 45 
 
 " Nelly ! who is Nelly ? Ah ! one of your 
 little sisters. I recollect you have sisters, but 
 a doctor must be excused for not remembering 
 names." /J/* 
 
 " Shells very, very ill," continued Margaret ; 
 " so ill that I'm afraid we shall lose her, and 
 we are too poor to pay for medical advice for 
 her ; yet something must be done, for she has 
 not seen a doctor since mamma died, and that 
 is nearly a year now." 
 
 Dr. Belfield looked pityingly at the young 
 slight girl standing before him. It was no new 
 request to him, for he numbered many among 
 his patients from whom he had not the heart 
 to ask a fee. 
 
 " Why did you not tell me about her before ?'* 
 he said, kindly. " Certainly I will come to see 
 the child, and try to find out what is the 
 matter with her. To-day is unfortunately rather 
 a full one, but I have a patient to visit in your 
 direction this afternoon, so can look in on Nelly 
 at the same time, and take you home in the 
 carriage." " 
 
 " Oh ! thank you so very much, you are kind 
 indeed," said Margaret, with a grateful look ; 
 and the burden seemed losing some of its 
 weight as she went back to her pupils and sat 
 down with them to the school-room dinner, a 
 fervent thanksgiving rising from her heart.
 
 46 City Sparrows. 
 
 " Your house is in Beauvoir Street, is it not ?" 
 said the doctor, as late in the afternoon he 
 handed Margaret into his brougham, and stood 
 giving orders to the coachman. " I will drive 
 there straight ; " and he jumped in and closed 
 the door. 
 
 Margaret had no thoughts to give to enjoy- 
 ing the luxury of a warm and comfortable 
 carriage; she had reached her home in ima- 
 gination long before the horses stopped, and 
 pictured to herself what Nelly would say to a 
 stranger being brought into her room. 
 
 " Is papa at home ? " was her first question 
 on crossing the threshold ; and the servant re- 
 plying in the negative, Margaret led the way 
 upstairs, followed by Dr. Belfield. 
 
 She went softly in at the half-open door, 
 and found Nelly lying quiet, with Alice working 
 beside her. The child heard the step in an 
 instant, and stretched out her arms. 
 
 Margaret, kneeling down beside her, said, 
 " You have heard me talk about Lizzi'e, and 
 Edith, and Amy, darling : well, their dear, kind 
 papa has come to see Nelly, and make her 
 well." 
 
 Dr. Belfield advanced towards the bed, while 
 Nelly hid her face in Margaret's dress. But 
 the doctor possessed an irresistible charm for 
 children, and in a very few minutes he was
 
 Troubled Waters. 47 
 
 examining his patient, though she could hardly 
 bear to be touched by any one. 
 
 " I must speak to you alone for a minute," 
 he said, when the visit was over. " Good-bye, 
 Nelly : we shall meet again another day." 
 
 Margaret led the way to her father's study, 
 where, closing the door, the kind-hearted doctor 
 took both her hands in his and said, tenderly, 
 " My poor girl, I am very sorry to tell you 
 your little sister is in a sad and precarious 
 condition, and needing at least six weeks of 
 surgical care and treatment, and good nursing 
 night and day." 
 
 After entering somewhat into particulars 
 as to the complicated nature of the disease 
 under which the child was suffering, he added, 
 " An operation may be necessary, but we will 
 do our utmost, under God's blessing, to save 
 her ; yet I must warn you it is a very doubtful 
 case. Now I know well she cannot have the 
 strict attention and surgical care here that 
 are absolutely necessary to give her a chance of 
 life. You are not strong enough to nurse her 
 yourself, and your circumstances render it im- 
 possible to provide for adequate outside help in 
 that way ; so I am going to propose a plan to 
 which I hope you will persuade your father to 
 consent. I want you to allow her to go into 
 the hospital: I can get her admitted there at
 
 48 City Sparrows. 
 
 once, and there she will have every care and 
 attention, and the means may be blessed to her 
 recovery. I know it will be a great trial to your 
 father, because we shall be obliged to give her 
 a bed in an ordinary female ward, as there are 
 no private rooms for patients in our hospital. 
 But she is so young, that it will not matter for 
 herself, and the nurse who will be with her 
 is such a favourite with old and young, that 
 you need not fear for Nelly. But I will come 
 again to-morrow, and bring a friend of mine, who 
 is a very clever surgeon, to confirm my opinion, 
 and meantime you can talk it over with your 
 father, and get his answer." 
 
 " Thank you very much, Dr. Belfield : but 
 how can we let our little Nell go in there 
 among strangers ? She has never been away 
 from any of us in her life, and she would be so 
 frightened. May I go with her, and help to 
 nurse her ? " 
 
 " No, my dear young lady, that would be 
 against the rules; and it will be better for your- 
 self that you should not. But I will get you 
 admitted to see her sometimes during the day, 
 though there will be a difficulty about that, as 
 there is so much jealousy. I must hurry away 
 now, but let me beg you to persuade your 
 father to consent, though I know it will be hard 
 for him to do so. Good-bye for the present. I
 
 Troubled Waters. 49 
 
 will tell my girls they shall have holidays until 
 next week." 
 
 Margaret heard the hall door shut, and then 
 sank down into her father's arm-chair, sobbing, 
 " Oh ! we cannot do it; my poor little Nell ! " 
 
 Mr. Millar found her there when he returned, 
 and she told him as calmly as she could what 
 had passed. 
 
 " God's will be done, Margaret," he said. 
 " He will humble us to prove us, and we must 
 lay our pride at His feet in cheerful submission. 
 I did not think it would have come to this," 
 he murmured. " My poor little pet lamb ; but it 
 is best so ; yes, it is best; " and he bowed his 
 head in silent prayer. 
 
 That was a very quiet evening in the curate's 
 home, for the news about Nelly soon spread 
 among the brothers and sisters, and seemed to 
 wrap them in a hush of sadness. Even little 
 Bertie contented himself with climbing on his 
 papa's knee and remaining quiet, every now 
 and then stroking the tired hand that clasped 
 him, until one of his sisters carried him off half 
 asleep to his bed. 
 
 " Margaret," said her father, as he was 
 bidding her good-night, " I have walked farther 
 than usual to-day, in order to find out the poor 
 children you tol$~me about who are living in 
 Court B."
 
 50 City Sparrows. 
 
 " Oh, papa ! how good of you : and did you 
 succeed ? " 
 
 " Yes ; it was all quite true that the child told 
 you. I was some time tracing them out, and 
 seldom in the whole course of my life have I 
 seen a human abode more miserable. I found 
 my way up the narrow, stifling court, reeking 
 with bad smells, and mounting some tumble- 
 down stone steps, entered a door. At the top 
 of two flights of narrow worm-eaten stairs, I 
 saw a woman standing with a baby in her arms; 
 and on making inquiry of her whether she knew 
 anything of a sick boy called Harry, who was 
 supposed to live here, she pointed up a rough 
 ladder, which I had not at first observed, telling 
 me I should find him and his sister, if I would 
 go up. I was not prepared for such a case of 
 utter destitution and squalor : rags and straw 
 and bits of broken wood seemed to form ths 
 only furniture of the room, and a few panes in 
 the roof for a window ; and the boy and girl 
 were a match for it all. He is very ill, poor 
 fellow, and they are both literally starving. 
 Their history is a most touching one, for their 
 parents seem to have seen better days ; but they 
 have evidently been worse than orphans for 
 some time, as their father died when Harry was 
 only six years old, and their mother has ever 
 since then been a confirmed drunkard and
 
 Troubled Waters. 51 
 
 notoriously bad character. The little girl tells 
 me they have seen or heard nothing of her 
 since Saturday night, when she believes she 
 was run over, and taken to the hospital. We 
 must try and make inquiries for them, and 
 there will be little difficulty in getting the poor 
 boy an order to be admitted as an in-patient ; 
 but we must do what we can meantime for 
 them. Harry and Zetta Warren are their 
 names, and the girl recognised me directly as 
 the preacher she had heard the night before in 
 the Mission-room, beyond the North Bridge. 
 The idea of her finding her way all down 
 there ! I read and prayed with the poor boy, 
 whom I found lamentably ignorant, though 
 wonderfully intelligent, and longing to hear the 
 good news of the Gospel. I wondered the 
 Scripture-reader hadn't found them out, but 
 Harry tells me his mother would never allow 
 any one to come inside their door. His only 
 amusement the live-long day seems to be trying 
 to attract the sparrows that congregate about 
 his skylight. Poor fellow ! I thought of my 
 last night's sermon, and I am sure that both 
 he and his sister are two of God's sparrows, 
 for whom we must endeavour to scatter a few 
 crumbs of help and comfort. I gave the child 
 a shilling, and told her to buy what she could 
 with it, and said she might come here on
 
 52 City Sparrows. 
 
 Wednesday evening, for a little broth and rice- 
 pudding ; and I thought perhaps you might find 
 a couple of old shirts for the poor boVj^and 
 something for the ragged Zetta, also.'VZr 
 
 " I will do my best, papa. Thank' you so 
 much for going." 
 
 " Poor papa," she thought to herself, as she 
 went upstairs. " He is for ever giving away 
 out of his own poverty, and he does not under- 
 stand it is not easy to find worn-out clothes 
 to give away in our house. I must beg some 
 among the few friends we have." 
 
 There was not much sleep for Margaret that 
 night, for poor Nelly moaned, and needed her 
 attention every few minutes, in spite of the 
 soothing medicine Dr. Belfield had prescribed. 
 The child seemed to find no position so easy 
 as lying in her sister's arms, and Margaret 
 would not resign her night-watch to any one 
 else. 
 
 " My darling little Nell," she whispered. 
 " You love the Lord Jesus, don't you ? " 
 
 " Yes," said the child, fixing her large 
 sleepless eyes upon her. 
 
 " And if He were to come and stand before 
 you now, asking you to do something for His 
 sake, would you do it ? " 
 
 " Yes, Margaret." 
 
 "Well, good, kind Dr. Belfield wants to
 
 Troubled Waters. 53 
 
 make our little girl quite well, but dear papa 
 hasn't enough money to give Nelly all the 
 medicines and nursing she ought to have, and 
 it makes him cry to think that he can't. But, 
 Nelly, do you remember the great big house 
 with all those windows in it, where I told you 
 once that sick people were taken to be made 
 well ? " 
 
 Nelly nodded assent. 
 
 " It is such a nice place," continued Mar- 
 garet; " and they take such care, and are so 
 kind to sick children, and keep them till they 
 are quite well. So Dr. Belfield wants us to 
 send our little girl there : will she go ? " 
 
 "You'll come, too?" 
 
 " No, dearie, I can't do that, because it is not 
 allowed ; but for papa's sake Nelly will try not 
 to mind, and be a good, brave, little patient 
 girl, won't she ? " 
 
 There was silence for a minute, and then 
 Xelly turned her face to the pillow, sobbing 
 bitterly, as if a great wave of grief was over- 
 whelming her. 
 
 Margaret's heart smote her, and she had 
 begun to think what other sacrifice could be 
 made to save her darling, when she saw her 
 clasp her hands together and whisper, " Lord 
 Jesus, help me to be good and patient." 
 
 Then a calm settled down on the sweet little 
 5
 
 54 City Sparrows. 
 
 face, and she said, " Where I am going, Maggie, 
 God will help me to be quite good, and bring 
 me back to you again." 
 
 Margaret could only bend down and kiss her, 
 as her own heart went up in silent prayer to 
 the Great Healer. 
 
 Our times are in Thy hand, 
 
 Jesus the Crucified ! 
 The hand our many sins have pierced 
 
 Is now our Guard and Guide. 
 
 " So He giveth His beloved sleep," thought 
 Margaret, as in the early morning she saw her 
 darling was resting quietly, and turned to seek 
 her own pillow.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE GATE OF MERCY. 
 
 IT is midnight in St. Mary's ward, and the 
 gas has been lowered to a subdued light, as the 
 nurses move noiselessly up and down the long 
 room, watching by and ministering to the suf- 
 ferers, some of whom have fallen asleep, while 
 others moan on their narrow beds, already 
 wishing for the day. 
 
 White and worn are most of the faces, but 
 the expression on each varies as much as their 
 respective ages, and childhood, youth, and ma- 
 ture age are to be found among those who thus 
 lie side by side. 
 
 The attention of the nurses is often directed 
 towards a bed near the top of the room, on 
 which lies a woman of about forty years of age, 
 apparently in great pain, judging by the groans 
 that escape her parched lips. Her pale face 
 is sadly cut and disfigured, looking all the more 
 ghastly from the bandages bound about her 
 5*
 
 56 City Sparrows. 
 
 head ; but no one could recognise in that pro- 
 strate form, the fierce, coarse woman, Suzetta 
 Warren, whose drunken brawls and shameless 
 conduct had roused a feeling of disgust, even 
 among the sunken and abject dwellers in Court 
 B. Fever and delirium ensuing on the acci- 
 dent, made her first like a raging maniac; but 
 this giving place to weakness and exhaustion, 
 her body is left feeble as an infant's, while 
 over her mind, with the returning conscious- 
 ness, hovers a vague horror of what she has 
 awakened to, as her eyes rest with a fixed stare 
 on the faces of those around her. 
 
 What is that sound which catches the racked 
 sufferer's quick ear, rousing it to listen with 
 strained attention ? 
 
 Only the gentle murmuring of a little child's 
 voice, who lies in a bed not far off, thinking no 
 one but God is listening to her in the quiet 
 night. 
 
 " O Lord Jesus, help me to bear my bad pain, 
 for it won't let me sleep, and I want to be good 
 and patient. Make me meek and holy, like Thy- 
 self. This bed is not so soft as mine at home, 
 and I don't like being here with all these 
 strange people." 
 
 Here the child began to sob softly, but check- 
 ing herself, she continued : " I want Margaret, 
 but she told me to tell You all about it, and
 
 The Gate of Mercy. 57 
 
 then I should not mind it so much. She told 
 me about poor, sick Harry, who had only rags 
 and straw to lie on up in a garret, and no 
 mother to take care of him, and his father dead. 
 Please make him better too." 
 
 Another pause, and long-drawn sigh. 
 
 " Am I going to die, dear, kind Lord Jesus, 
 because Margaret told me I was very, very ill ? 
 I would like to come to You very much, to the 
 home for little children above the bright blue 
 sky, but I don't want to go away from dear 
 papa and them all quite yet; so please make me 
 better, and let me go home again to my own 
 home. But wash away all my sins in Thine 
 own precious blood, that I may have the 
 beautiful white robe on, and make me like a 
 little candle shining in the dark. Bless all 
 the poor people who are ill in here, and don't 
 let me cry when papa and Margaret come to 
 see me, because that makes them cry too. 
 Bless them, and Alice, and Lotta, and Ted., 
 and Harry, and Bertie, and give them all the 
 crown of life, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen." 
 
 " Bless her dear little heart," said the nurse, 
 under her breath. " Never in all my born days 
 have I heard anything like that before inside 
 these walls, and a more patient little angel 
 never breathed. When the like of her talks 
 about their sins, I wonder what will become
 
 58 City Sparrows. 
 
 of those who have led a wicked life, and when 
 God Almighty lays His hand upon them, begin 
 to curse instead of praying." 
 
 Suzetta Warren heard not the unguarded 
 thrust, and it was a mercy she did not, for the 
 sweet spell under which her spirit seemed 
 suddenly chained into submission would have 
 been rudely broken, and in its place would have 
 risen up hard, revengeful, defiant thoughts, to 
 close her heart against the Saviour of the lost, 
 and dry up the tears that were now flowing from 
 eyes that had never wept in penitence before. 
 
 "Harry! Harry!" she sobbed to herself. 
 "And he's got no mother to take care of him 
 that's me; and his father dead. Who said it? 
 Oh, I've killed them both." 
 
 And then a dying bed which she had watched 
 beside eight years ago stood out in relief from 
 the darkness, and she saw those glazed eyes 
 raised towards her, and heard the voice of warn- 
 ing and entreaty to turn unto the Lord; ard 
 now it was too late ! too late ! 
 
 No ; for like a light gleaming out from the 
 gathering gloom around her, shone out that 
 simple sentence, " Wash away all my sins in 
 Thine own blood." 
 
 Again she listened and longed for the voice, 
 but the Good Shepherd had soothed the weary 
 little sufferer to sleep upon His loving breast,
 
 The Gate of Mercy. 59 
 
 and the wretched woman could only groan in 
 her pain and anguish of mind until morning 
 dawned. 
 
 " Weaker," said Dr. Belfield, feeling her 
 pulse, as he, with the other doctors, passed 
 through the ward on their early morning round, 
 " My poor woman, are you able to tell us some- 
 thing about yourself, to-day? Have you any 
 friends, or where do you belong ? for we should 
 like to let them know." 
 
 " No one cares for me, no more than I were 
 a beast," was the dogged response. " Oh, 
 Harry ! Harry ! I've killed him, and now I'm 
 going to die myself." 
 
 " But who is Harry ? Is he your boy ? Tell 
 me, and I will try to find him out." 
 
 " No, no, no," was the moaning cry in answer; 
 but the wail had reached Nelly's ears, and she 
 beckoned the doctor to her side. 
 
 " Margaret will tell you all about him ; papa 
 has been to see him, and they didn't know where 
 their mother was. I'm sure that is the same 
 Harry. Is his poor mother very ill ?" 
 
 " Yes, my child, I'm afraid so." V/f 
 
 "Then I will ask Margaret to speak to her 
 to-day, when she comes to see me ; she will make 
 her quite happy. She is coming, isn't she ? " 
 
 " Yes, for a little while, but I cannot let her 
 do so very often, as you must be kept quiet,
 
 60 City Sparrows. 
 
 because we want to make you well quickly, 
 and I'm sure you will be good and patient, my 
 dear little girl." 
 
 A disappointed look preceded the patient 
 smile of resignation that gradually overspread 
 her small face, and the doctor never guessed 
 how a little aching heart was battling to be 
 brave as he said good-bye. 
 
 It seemed a long time to wait, but Margaret 
 came at last, rather late in the afternoon, and 
 eagerly her eyes sought the one face she was 
 hungering for among the many sick ones lying 
 there. 
 
 Swiftly she glided past the other sufferers, 
 and sat down beside Nelly, who had a bright 
 smile of welcome for her, though she was en- 
 during more pain than usual. 
 
 " I may only stay a little while with you, my 
 darling," said Margaret, kissing her, " because 
 the doctors won't allow more; but tell me, are 
 you happy and comfortable here, and is every 
 one kind to my little Nell ?" 
 
 "O yes, Margaret, so kind; but the nights 
 are the longest. I lay awake such a long, long 
 time last night, but our Lord Jesus helped me 
 to bear the pain, because I asked Him ; and then 
 I knew you were all thinking about me at home, 
 and that makes it quite different. And, Mar- 
 garet," she whispered, " I want you to go and
 
 The Gate of Mercy. 61 
 
 speak to a woman lying over there, in that bed. 
 She is Harry's mother; I'm quite sure it's the 
 same, for I heard Dr. Belfield talking to her, 
 and she is so very unhappy. I saw her crying: 
 do tell her about Harry." 
 
 Margaret looked in the direction her sister 
 had indicated, and in her mind a set of broken 
 links seemed to join together. " How curious 
 if it is so," was her response ; and then taking 
 up Nelly's little Bible, she read a few verses 
 to her from the 23rd Psalm. " ' The Lord is, 
 my shepherd ; I shall not want. He maketh 
 me to lie down in green pastures : He leadeth 
 me beside the still waters. He restoreth my 
 soul : He leadeth me in the paths of righteous- 
 ness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk 
 through the valley of the shadow of death, I 
 will fear no evil : for Thou art with me ; Thy 
 rod and Thy staff they comfort me.' Try and 
 say two of the verses out of the last new hymn 
 you learned, darling." 
 
 So Nelly repeated, softly : 
 
 " I've found a Friend, oh ! such a Friend, 
 
 He loved me ere I knew Him, 
 He drew me with the cords of love, 
 
 And thus He bound me to Him. 
 And round rny heart still closely twine, 
 
 Those ties which nought can sever, 
 For I am His. and He is mine, 
 
 For ever and for ever. SA
 
 62 City Sparrows. 
 
 " I've found a Friend, oh ! such a Friend, 
 
 He bled, He died to save me, 
 And not alone the gift of life, 
 
 But His own self He gave me. 
 Nought that I have my own I call, 
 
 I hold it for the Giver ; 
 My heart, my strength, my life, my all 
 
 Are His, and His for ever." 
 
 Then Margaret added : 
 
 "We would see Jesus, for the shadows lengthen 
 
 Across this little landscape of our life ; 
 We would see Jesus, our weak faith to strengthen 
 For the last weariness the final strife. 
 
 *'We would see Jesus, the Great Rock foundation, 
 Whereon our feet were set by sovereign grace; 
 Nor life, nor death, with all their agitation, 
 Can thence remove us if we see His face. 
 
 " We need not mind how soon the journey 
 ends, darling, need we, if our Saviour is leading 
 us all the way? He will carry us over the 
 rough places, and the more afraid we feel, the 
 closer we must nestle within His arms. Do 
 you remember, Nelly, that beautiful walk \ve 
 took when we stayed in the country, the summer 
 before dear mother died ? We climbed up those 
 hills which the sun used to tinge, making them 
 look sometimes as if they were dressed in pink 
 and brown and green velvet. I remember you 
 and I were standing on one hill, and we saw 
 papa and the boys on another, but the sun was
 
 The Gate of Mercy. 63 
 
 so bright we could scarcely look at them. They 
 called to us to come, but the dark shady valley, 
 with the water running through it, was between 
 us, so papa said, ' Wait, and I will come and 
 show you the way.' He came and took you up 
 in his arms, and we went first down and then 
 up the steep places, until we reached the 
 spot where the others were all standing in 
 golden sunshine above. I have never forgotten 
 that, Nelly, because it seemed to me a little 
 picture-lesson for us to learn from, that if we 
 have Christ for our Saviour and Guide, He will 
 lead and carry us through shade and sunshine, 
 from darkness to light. So those who have 
 given their hearts to Him need fear nothing, 
 not even the dark valley which must be passed 
 before we can reach the golden city, where 
 * there will be no more night.' You would not 
 be afraid, my darling, if He carried you through 
 the valley of shadows, and across death's river? " 
 
 "No, Margaret, not if I felt He had really got 
 me in His arms ; because when papa carried 
 me across the water, where there were only 
 stones to step on, I knew he would not let me 
 fall in, because he held me tight." 
 
 " Well, darling, your Shepherd, the Lord 
 Jesus, will hold you quite as safely if you trust 
 yourself to His arms; for He loves you, and calls 
 you one of His little lambs."
 
 64 City Sparrows. 
 
 Not a shadow dimmed the upturned face that 
 was listening to every word, and Margaret 
 envied the utter confidence and peace abiding 
 there. She rose to leave, and on turning round, 
 noticed Suzetta Warren, who had fixed her 
 black eyes upon her with an earnest, troubled 
 gaze. She moved forward to speak, an atten- 
 dant saying at the same time, " She's a poor 
 creature no one seems to know anything of. 
 We only moved her in yesterday from the 
 accident-ward, as we were so full , in there, 
 but she won't tell us anything." /vJ 
 
 Margaret sat down beside the bed, and said, 
 gently, " Harry is quite safe, and Zetta too; 
 papa went to see them, and we will take care 
 of them both until you are able to come home. 
 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. 
 
 told, that all wretched, ruined ones like her 
 may have a door of escape to flee to. Our Lord 
 Jesus says He is the door into the sheepfold, 
 and though you cannot see Him, He is quite as 
 willing to receive you, with your sins, as that 
 poor woman who lived when He was on earth; 
 and when once the sins are washed away, they 
 are blotted out for ever. No reproaches from 
 our Heavenly Master. ' He giveth liberally 
 and upbraideth not.' " 
 
 The poor woman listened until Margaret 
 ceased, then looking up, with despair written 
 on her countenance, and making a desperate 
 effort to speak, she gasped, " I'm too bad for that. 
 I turned my back on God years and years ago, 
 when I was young, and swore at my poor hus- 
 band afore he died, when he spoke of them things 
 to me. No, Miss, I've lived for the devil, and 
 now he'll take me to hell, and it won't be long 
 afore I'm there. If I could die as the dogs do, I 
 wouldn't be afraid, but my husband told me too 
 much about the wicked and the saved to believe 
 that. Ay, it's no new tale you've been telling 
 me, Miss; I read my Bible once." 
 
 Exhaustion prevented her from adding more, 
 and Margaret could only lift up her heart in 
 secret prayer to the God of all grace, who is 
 able to save to the uttermost, even at the 
 eleventh hour, all who come to Him. Then she
 
 The Gate of Mercy. 67 
 
 whispered, " I will pray for you, but try and say 
 these words for yourself, ' Lord Jesus, have 
 mercy on me, and wash away my sins in Thy 
 precious blood.' " 
 
 Nelly had heard part of the conversation, and 
 when Margaret kissed her before leaving, said, 
 " I will pray too, Margaret ; God will make her 
 good, I am sure, if we ask Him. Give my love 
 to all the others, and tell them I think about 
 them a great deal, and please take care of my 
 pussy." 
 
 Margaret went home with an undefined dread 
 at her heart, which was full of anxious question- 
 ings. Had she done right in consenting to the 
 utter isolation from home of her darling little 
 sister, who, perhaps, might be passing away from 
 them for ever? Could no other sacrifice have 
 been made? And calmly she retraced each ne- 
 cessary expenditure which had dipped heavily 
 into the tiny income ; that change into the pure 
 country air which was tried as a last resource for 
 the frail, sinking mother, whom no human aid 
 could save ; and then the heavy doctor's bill, 
 which had to be paid by instalments, in spite of 
 all the earning and struggling to augment the 
 slender funds. 
 
 Oh ! why did our Father in Heaven permit 
 this ? when in His hand are the silver and 
 the gold, and He has promised to withhold no
 
 68 City Sparrows. 
 
 good thing from them that walk uprightly. Oh, 
 doubting heart ! Yes, it is quite true, in spite 
 of all that sneering cynics may say, " No good 
 thing." But are we, the perishing clay, to dictate 
 to the Heavenly Potter what our good things 
 are to be ? and would they be good if we chose 
 them ? " Is not the life more than meat, and 
 the body than raiment ? Behold the fowls 
 of the air, they sow not, neither do they reap 
 nor gather into barns, yet your Heavenly Father 
 feedeth them. Consider the lilies of the field, 
 they toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say 
 unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not 
 arrayed like one of these." 
 
 All this passed through Margaret's mind, and 
 yet the shadow did not lift. " Hath God for- 
 gotten to be gracious?" was the cry of her 
 tried soul. " My prayers return unto my own 
 bosom, and the light is far from me." 
 
 Blame her not, ye who read these pages. She 
 had a human heart like yours, and she was 
 struggling for superhuman strength, to lift her 
 beyond a trial which threatened to make ship- 
 wreck of her faith. It is easy to say, " If I had 
 been in her place I would have done this and 
 that." Yes, you may put on other people's 
 spectacles, but that will not make you see with 
 their eyes, and the experiment generally ends 
 giving in a distorted view of things after all.
 
 The Gate of Mercy. 69 
 
 Margaret had been able to soothe and comfort 
 her little sister, and to direct an unhappy wan- 
 derer towards the fold; but now in the bitterness 
 of her own soul she could not raise her eyes tc 
 the cross, and only saw its dark shadow resting 
 across her path. The vision of her faith was 
 dimmed, and the snowy dove of peace and hope 
 that broods above it was obscured. She yearned 
 for a word of comfort and encouragement from 
 human lips ; for a burden borne with a sinking 
 heart is felt to be twice as heavy when there is 
 no one to whisper, " Be of good cheer." */ 
 
 She reached her home, and instinctively turned 
 towards her father's study. It was empty ; but 
 his books and papers were lying about, as if he 
 had been recently there. Margaret took up an 
 open volume that was lying near her, and her 
 eye caught the words, " The explanation of a 
 cross in our daily life has been beautifully illus- 
 trated by a certain writer. ' It is as though 
 there were two pieces of wood lying before us, 
 the long piece representing God's will, the short 
 piece our will. Lay these side by side and there 
 is no cross ; but put the short piece athwart the 
 long, and there is a cross directly.' " 
 
 Margaret read the words over and over again, 
 
 and said to herself, "The cross in our lives, 
 
 then, comes when our will runs across God's 
 
 will. Lord, blend my will with Thine." But 
 
 6
 
 70 City Sparrows. 
 
 still the rebellious feeling was in her heart, and 
 she turned away to go upstairs to the now de- 
 serted bedroom. There was no sweet little face 
 now to greet her entrance with a smile, no need 
 for any more loving ministrations ; others were 
 taking her place beside Nelly, and she was no 
 longer wanted. She felt alone, terribly alone. 
 
 "Oh, mother, mother!" she cried, in the 
 anguish of the struggle, " if you were only here, 
 to tell me what to do, it would not be so hard ;" 
 and scene after scene passed swiftly through 
 her memory, of quiet, happy evenings, in the 
 peaceful sick chamber, long ago, when the 
 gentle voice, now hushed in death, had given 
 counsel and comfort so wisely and tenderly. 
 
 " Why did God take her from us ?" burst 
 involuntarily from her lips, and turning with a 
 sick heart, she locked the door and sank down 
 on her knees beside the bed. 
 
 She wrestled and cried, " Not my will, but 
 Thine, be done ;" but body and mind were alike 
 wearied out, and she fell fast asleep. She 
 dreamt she was wandering over a bare and 
 rugged plain, with Nelly in her arms. She 
 thought the child was dying, and there was no 
 one to speak to or help her. On, on she went, 
 until she came to the brink of a river which ran 
 into a gloomy cavern, and wearied and ex- 
 hausted she sank down with her burden.
 
 The Gate of Mercy. 71 
 
 Then One seemed to approach, saying, " It is 
 I, be not afraid! fear not, only believe. Give 
 Me the child ; thou mayest not follow, but there 
 is light beyond." 
 
 Margaret cried to follow, but the boat into 
 which they had entered shot swiftly out of sight, 
 and she went weeping on her way. 
 
 After walking some distance she again raised 
 her eyes, and saw the river flowing calmly past 
 her, with the sunshine pouring down upon it in 
 a brilliant flood, lighting up its ripples with 
 russet-brown and gold. And there was the 
 boat again : it had passed the gloomy cavern 
 and the shadows, into daylight once more. 
 
 Nelly was in her arms again, and she was 
 shedding tears of joy over her lost treasure, 
 when the dream vanished, and she was recalled 
 to the present, with all its cares and sorrows, 
 by a sharp knocking at the door. 
 
 " Sorry to disturb you, mum," said Hester, 
 the maid-of-all-work, when Margaret opened the 
 door, "but the other young ladies isn't come in 
 yet ; and there's the raggedest, disgracefullest 
 little creature as ever I set these here eyes 
 upon, down in the kitchen. She says your papa 
 told her to come, so I thought I'd best step up 
 and tell you ; but it's my belief she's nothing 
 but a young Irish tramp, brought up to beg and 
 steal from honest folk. I've bolted her into the 
 6*
 
 72 City Sparrows. 
 
 scullery whiles I came up to you, for I daren't 
 trust such a ragamuffin inside my kitchen ; and 
 such an outlandish, heathenish name, too, 
 Zitta, or Zatta, I don't know, I'm sure ; some- 
 thing like that, as well as I could understand 
 the child." 
 
 " It is all right, Hester," said Margaret, 
 smiling at the honest woman's talk. " I will 
 tell you her history when she is gone, and I'm 
 sure your kind heart will be sorry for her. I will 
 be down immediately. You can give her a piece 
 of bread and butter ; and is the broth ready I 
 asked you to prepare for a sick boy ?" 
 
 " Yes, Miss," said Hester, impatient to return 
 to her domain below-stairs ; cogitating whether 
 there was anything " the brat could lay her 
 hands upon," among the pots and kettles. 
 
 Margaret lighted the gas, and went to a box 
 that stood in one corner of the room, and kneel- 
 ing down before it, proceeded to examine the 
 contents. After turning out several things, she 
 came upon a little frock of Nelly's, so old, that 
 it had been patched and darned to such an 
 extent, that one could hardly tell what the 
 original fabric must have looked like. Mar- 
 garet's tears fell fast upon the faded little 
 garment, which she remembered Nelly running 
 about in, joyous and happy, in the bright, beau- 
 tiful country, sporting like a butterfly among
 
 The Gate of Mercy. 73 
 
 grass and flowers; the little old frock that she 
 might tear and dirty as much as she pleased, 
 because it was so old; and now, would she ever 
 need any of her frocks again? Perhaps not. 
 " It will please the darling," she thought, "if I 
 tell her I have given it to poor little Zetta, and 
 as she is not much taller than Nelly, and so 
 thin, I think it may fit her." An old pair of 
 stockings of Lotta's, and two patched and 
 darned shirts were also taken out, and with 
 these things in her hand she met Mr. Millar on 
 her way downstairs..^ 
 
 " I have just come in, Margaret, from visiting 
 that good old lady, Mrs. Page, the invalid I 
 was telling you about, who gives away so much. 
 She wants me to bring my daughters to see her, 
 and she has kindly given me several hospital 
 orders, and a five-pound note to distribute 
 among the poor I visit, as she is unable to find 
 out the cases herself; so poor Harry shall be 
 the first to benefit by her munificence. I called 
 to see him again on my way home, and Mrs. 
 Smith, the woman who lives in the room below, 
 has promised to take him in a cab to the hos- 
 pital. I gave her two shillings and sixpence to 
 .pay for it and her trouble, and she says she will 
 give an eye to the girl until we see what is to 
 be done with her. It is a sad case, and we must 
 do our best for them."
 
 74 City Sparrows. 
 
 11 It is more like an incident from a story-book, 
 papa, than a fact from real life," answered Mar- 
 garet ; " for strangely enough to-day, when I 
 went to see Nelly, I discovered their mother in 
 the same ward. Her recovery is hopeless, I fear, 
 but I pray she may linger long enough to find the 
 rest her weary, sin-stained soul is seeking. Now 
 she is removed from the influence of strong drink 
 her better feelings seem asserting themselves, 
 for she is not like one who never heard of God; 
 and it is the remembrance of grace slighted 
 long ago that seems her chief barrier against 
 believing on Christ now." 
 
 " How strangely things come about, link after 
 link, in this life of ours," said her father. " I 
 will try and speak a word to her when next 
 I go to see Nelly. But, Margaret, my girl, you 
 have been crying: if my stay and comforter 
 loses heart, what am I to do ? " 
 
 " Oh, papa, I have been murmuring in 
 my foolishness," faltered Margaret; "grieving 
 over the trying things that are laid on us to 
 bear, for all seems growing darker and darker." 
 
 " ' All things work together for good to those 
 who love God,' " said Mr. Millar, laying his 
 hand on her shoulder. 
 
 "Yes, papa, but I forgot that: at least, it 
 is so hard to remember it when the trouble 
 comes upon us. Mine is such a faithless heart:,.
 
 The Gate of Mercy. 75 
 
 for even now, in spite of my unbelief, I can see 
 good coming out of our present evil; because, if 
 Nelly had not gone into the hospital, that poor 
 woman might not have heard the words that 
 have now awakened her soul." 
 
 " ' He led them forth by a right way, that they 
 might go unto a city of habitation,' " said her 
 father. " My child, it must be the right way, 
 however hard and steep and rugged it may ap- 
 pear. Some day we shall look back from the 
 heights of glory, and reviewing all these several 
 leadings, thank our Father who guided us 
 with His eye through the mazes of our wilder- 
 ness journey ; and meantime may we be taught 
 to say, in a teachable, childlike spirit 
 
 "O Lord my God, do Thou Thy holy will, 
 
 I will be still; 
 I will not stir lest I forsake Thine arm, 
 
 And break the charm 
 Which lulls me clinging to my Father's breast 
 
 In perfect rest. 
 
 " ' O Father, not My will but Thine be done ; ' 
 
 So spake the Son. 
 Be this our charm, mellowing earth's ruder noise 
 
 Of griefs and joys, 
 That we may cling for ever to Thy breast 
 
 In perfect rest."
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 PATIENCE. 
 
 " OH, Harry, look what the kind lady's given 
 me !" cried Zetta, joyfully uncovering the tin can 
 containing the broth, and spreading out Nelly's 
 little frock as carefully as if it had been made 
 of silk or velvet. " We'll never be hungry no 
 more now, Harry, and the lady says she's going 
 to make me tidy to go to school; and she says 
 they'll tell me there all about the God in heaven 
 that you love; and some day, when I'm big, I'll 
 be able to earn money far myself, and we shall 
 all be happy once more ; perhaps as happy as 
 you was when you lived with father in the 
 beautiful house with the garden that you tell 
 about to me." 
 
 The sparkle in Zetta's eyes was most infec- 
 tious, and awoke a smile on the boy's sad face, 
 as hestruggled to sit up and share in his sister's 
 enthusiasm, which inspired him with a sudden 
 desire to get up and work also; but the glad-
 
 Patience. 77 
 
 ness died out when he looked at his poor thin 
 hands, which certainly contradicted any such 
 idea. " Have you heard anything of poor 
 mother?" said he, checking the murmur that 
 rose to his lips. 
 
 " Yes, Harry, I've heard all about her. The 
 kind Miss told me it was her as was in the 
 hospital; but the people there was taking such 
 care of her, and the lady saw her and spoke to 
 her; and she cried about you and me, Harry." 
 , " Poor mother," said Harry, " she was kind 
 to me sometimes, long ago ; but it's the drink, 
 Zetta, that makes her bad, for she never knows 
 what she's saying or doing after it. Did they 
 tell you I was to go into the hospital ? " 
 
 "No; Miss didn't say nothing about that. 
 Will they make you quite well in there? " 
 
 " I hope so, Zetta. The gentleman's been here 
 again, and spoke to Mrs. Smith, and she's been 
 washing up my old rags, and trying to make me 
 a bit tidy to go in. She will be pleased to see 
 those shirts; the lady is kind, sure enough, and 
 the gentleman too; he made me so happy to-day, 
 Zetta, for he read out of his Bible to me about 
 our Father in heaven, who takes care of all His 
 children, arid he taught me to pray to the Lord 
 Jesus, and said we must both try to love Him, 
 because He's loved us so much, and died for us. 
 The gentleman is going to give me a Bible of
 
 78 City Sparrows. 
 
 my own some day, when I can read ; but I told 
 him I only knew the letters, and that all the bits 
 of printing I ever got to look at was the pieces 
 of newspaper the things come wrapped in from 
 the shop." 
 
 But Zetta did not heed the latter part of the 
 sentence, for the thought of separation had 
 suddenly presented itself in all its blankness ; 
 and dropping the things from her hand, she 
 sank down beside him, crying, " Oh, don't go 
 away from me, Harry." 
 
 A perplexed look of pain crossed the boy's 
 face as he drew her closer to him, saying, " I 
 told the gentleman at first I couldn't go, because 
 of leaving you, but he said you should be took 
 good care of till I was well again; so keep up 
 heart, Zetta, and think how nice it'll be when 
 I am strong and well, and able to run about 
 again." 
 
 " But, Harry, Mrs. Smith will serve me bad 
 when you are gone: she thumps the children 
 ever so, if they don't mind her." 
 
 " No, Zetta, she won't, if I ask her not to. 
 She's a bit cross sometimes, I know, but she 
 don't mean it, and she'll be glad to have the 
 children minded while she's out to work; and 
 Mr. Millar says you can come and see me in 
 the hospital. He says we must trust it all in 
 our Father's hands, Zetta, like the sparrows
 
 Patience. 79 
 
 that fly about the skylight : they never know in 
 the morning how much food He is going to give 
 them, so they fly about and trust, and God feeds 
 them. I sha'n't have no sparrows in the hos- 
 pital, Zetta, they won't come to the windows, 
 there like they do here ; but when you see them 
 it'll mind you of what I've been saying. I 
 prayed sometimes that I might die, Zetta, and 
 fly away, like I've watched the sparrows, up 
 towards the blue sky; but if God makes me 
 well and strong, I'll work hard for you and 
 mother, and it'll be all right then." ^Q 
 
 The sick boy's eyes sparkled with energy as 
 he spoke, but wearied out with the effort of 
 talking, he fell back faint, turning so deadly 
 white, that poor Zetta. for a few minutes, 
 thought he was gone, as she chafed the thin 
 cold hands, while her tears fell fast. Presently 
 he opened his eyes and smiled sweetly, then 
 gradually fell into a quiet sleep. 
 
 The last night that Harry was ever to spend 
 in that dreary sky-garret came to an end with 
 the next day's bright dawning; but he did not 
 know he was saying good-bye for ever to the 
 skylight and its surroundings. He was so ex- 
 tremely weak, that Mrs. Smith and Zetta. were a 
 long time getting on his clothes ; and when at last 
 he was wrapped in the woman's ragged shawl 
 and carried downstairs, his strength was com-
 
 80 City Sparrows. 
 
 pletely spent, and he could ill bear the move- 
 ment of the cab that took him to the hospital. 
 
 But when, after it all, he was undressed and 
 laid in the clean, and to him, luxurious little 
 bed, he could close his eyes in calm content and 
 murmur, " Thank you ; you are very kind." 
 Zetta felt loth to leave him, but Mrs. Smith 
 ^caught hold of her hand and hurried her away. 
 
 As they passed down the entrance steps she 
 caught sight of her young lady and Mr. Millar, 
 who stood engaged in earnest conversation with 
 Dr. Belfield. Zetta longed for a word or look, 
 -but Margaret did not turn her head, and Mrs. 
 'Smith was in a hurry to go to her day's work, 
 and send Zetta home to mind the children, so 
 ;they passed on. 
 
 We will, however, join the group by the 
 -doctor's carriage, and hear the end of their con- 
 versation. Margaret's face is anxious and 
 troubled, as she scans earnestly the expression 
 of his features. 
 
 "But you do not think there is no hope?" 
 she said, in a trembling voice. 
 
 "My dear Miss Millar," said Dr. Belfield, 
 "I never say such a thing while there is life; 
 but it is a much graver case than I at first 
 imagined. The operation I hinted at will take 
 place to-morrow, and after that it will all depend 
 on whether the child has strength to rally from
 
 Patience. 81 
 
 it. Absolute quiet is her only chance, and that 
 is why I feel it my sad duty to deny you the 
 satisfaction of going to see her. I will not dis- 
 guise the truth from you and your father : the 
 treatment we are about to pursue may fail, 
 and if it does, there is, I fear, but little hope ; 
 but on the chance of its success I must ask you 
 to be brave and patient, and Content to leave 
 her with implicit confidence in our hands, 
 praying for God's blessing upon our endeavours. 
 She will be under chloroform, poor little thing, 
 so will know nothing about it at the time, and 
 in a week we may allow you to see her, but not 
 before. It seems hard, but doctors must be 
 stern sometimes in their path of duty." And 
 giving a sympathetic shake of the hand to 
 father and daughter, Dr. Belfield stepped into 
 his carriage and drove off. 
 
 Neither Mr. Millar nor Margaret spoke for 
 a few moments, but walked towards home in 
 silence, each occupied with such thoughts as 
 Dr. Belfield's last words had given rise to. At 
 length Mr. Millar said, in a tone which betrayed 
 the depth of his suffering : 
 
 " Oh, let not this shake our faith in God. It 
 is hard now to believe we have done right in 
 letting our little lamb be taken from us among 
 strangers; but what else could we do ? for our 
 case is known to so few, and I could not ask for
 
 8s City Sparrows. 
 
 money among my parishioners to pay a heavy 
 doctor's bill. True, Dr. Belfield implied most 
 generously that his services would have been 
 rendered gratuitously at our house ; but he 
 almost requested it as a favour that we should 
 send her to the hospital, on account of the un- 
 remitting care and attention she would get 
 there, which are so indispensable in her case." 
 
 " Papa," said Margaret, with tears in her 
 eyes, "perhaps it will teach us to trust without 
 seeing.'^ 
 
 " Ah, my child, that is a lesson which cannot 
 be learned in the sunshine : the shadow of night 
 must enfold us before we can see the star of 
 promise that shines for those who walk in dark- 
 ness and have no light, and who stay themselves 
 upon their God. The disciples feared as they 
 entered into the cloud ; but they soon found the 
 darkness was but the shadow of His wings, to 
 enable them to see His glory. We are entering 
 the cloud now, dear Margaret ; but the silver 
 lining is in it, I am well assured, and the shadow 
 of a great rock in a weary land is ' God our 
 refuge and our strength, a very present help in 
 time of trouble.' We must rest in the shadow 
 as the traveller does when the sun beats down 
 hot and fiercely on his head, and the way is long 
 and weary." 
 
 The home was reached at last, and both
 
 Patience. 83 
 
 father and daughter sought silently and apart 
 the unseen Presence which would upbear them 
 through much tribulation. 
 
 " Margaret," said her father, when they met 
 again, " I have just had a note from Mrs. Page, 
 asking if I will send up a book I promised to 
 lend her. I have too much work to attend to, so 
 will you go with it yourself, and ask to see her, 
 for she wants to know you personally ; and I 
 should be very glad for you to have such a friend, 
 as she is one who lives very near heaven, and 
 knows well how to ' comfort those who are in 
 any trouble, by the comfort wherewith she her- 
 self is comforted of God.' Alice and Lotta are 
 going this afternoon to read to the old people in 
 the almshouses, and Bertie will be very happy 
 with Hester." 
 
 Margaret gladly consented, feeling anything 
 would be a relief that helped to speed the weary 
 hours of suspense. So taking the book from her 
 father's hand, she set forth on her errand. 
 
 She lingered awhile before ringing the bell, 
 feeling shy at the thought of meeting an entire 
 stranger, and more especially now when her 
 heart was so engrossed with its sadness. Her 
 fears were, however, immediately set at rest 
 on entering the large, pretty sitting-room, where 
 Mrs. Page was lying on a sofa, drawn into a 
 sunny bow- window; for the benign countenance
 
 84 City Sparrows. 
 
 and beaming smile that greeted her entrance 
 would have reassured the most timid. 
 
 " Good-day, my dear, glad to see you," began 
 the old lady. " Ah, I should have known you 
 were your father's daughter, by your likeness to 
 him. Sit down, my love, you look so tired." 
 
 " Papa was sorry," replied Margaret, " not 
 to come himself, but he is so busy to-day, that 
 he asked me to bring the book you wanted." 
 
 "Very kind of you, my dear. I am not sorry, 
 as it happens, that he was not able to come 
 himself, because I wanted to know you, having 
 heard much to interest me about you from 
 him. Come nearer, dear, for it is an effort to 
 speak loud. How pale you look, my child, and 
 you have been crying, I can see. Yes, I know 
 all about your trouble ; your father told me of 
 it in his last visit, and I scolded him for not 
 speaking to me about it before, because I am 
 sure, " she added, with the modest hesitation 
 that seems intuitive to a person of really refined 
 feelings when about to speak of money affairs 
 to one in poverty, " I would willingly have 
 lightened the burden for your father, if he 
 would kindly have allowed me the privilege of 
 helping him; but he is so reserved on every 
 subject concerning himself, that I should have 
 been afraid of offending him. But if I could do 
 anything for him or his, it would be only a small
 
 MARGARET'S NEW FRIEND.
 
 Patience. 85 
 
 return for all the comfort he has afforded me in 
 his ministerial visits. I have been prevented, 
 through illness, from attending the outward 
 means of grace for many years, and it is only 
 those similarly situated who can understand 
 how an invalid hungers for some one to dip 
 the pitcher into the well-spring of the water of 
 life, and present it clear and fresh to gladden 
 the thirsty soul. I wish every secluded Christian 
 had such a minister to visit them in their re- 
 tirement as your father." fa 
 
 Margaret listened, the gfad blush of pleasure 
 mantling her cheek at hearing her revered and 
 beloved father thus spoken of. Then she looked 
 up trustingly in her new friend's face, and said, 
 "Yes; I don't know how I should have borne 
 this trouble, if papa had not been at hand to 
 show me where to look for strength. Oh, Mrs. 
 Page, if you could only see our darling little 
 Nell, you would know how hard it is for us 
 to bear ! She is so lovely, and so like mother, 
 that I have often thought they would soon be 
 together again, and we never could bear to lose 
 our little child. It would break papa's heart, 
 and mine too," she added, as the tears she 
 could no longer restrain filled her eyes. 
 
 Mrs. Page looked tenderly at her for a 
 moment, then taking the young hand in hers, 
 said, softly, " Our Father knoweth best, but it 
 7
 
 86 City Sparrows. 
 
 is sometimes very hard and difficult to trust 
 His leadings. I know from past experience it 
 is the waiting time that wears the heart away. 
 We long to anticipate our Father's dealings, to 
 hasten the answer to our prayers, or to have 
 them answered in our own way. David said, ' I 
 waited patiently.'' We fret, and chafe, and grieve, 
 and think, because we are waiting, we are bear- 
 ing our trial in God's way. But patiently, how 
 much deeper that goes ; that is the lying low 
 and still at our Saviour's feet, listening for the 
 word that shall raise us up again. ' Tribulation 
 worketh patience, and patience experience. 
 ' Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him/ 
 * The trying of your faith worketh patience.'' " 
 
 " It was darling mother's favourite word, I 
 think," said Margaret ; " she was always pray- 
 ing for patience. There are some beautiful lines- 
 she used often to repeat : I know them by 
 
 heart. 
 
 ' Not in a dull and sullen calm, 
 But as a breath of heavenly balm, 
 Bidding my weary heart submit 
 To bear whatever God sees fit. 
 Sweet patience, come ! 
 Tell me my Father hath not shed 
 One grief too many on my head ; 
 Tell me His love remembers still 
 His children suffering at His will.'" 
 
 " Thank you, my dear," said Mrs. Page. 
 *' What precious words to associate with her
 
 Patience. 87 
 
 memory, and they must come, to you now like 
 a whisper of comfort from the heavenly shore, 
 to strengthen you for patient endurance in your 
 present trial. I once had a terrible waiting 
 time, dear; pleading through many weary days 
 and nights for the life of my precious, only boy. 
 My prayer was answered, but not in the way 
 I expected; yet, after all was over, I could fold 
 the little hands together for the long sleep, and 
 say in my grief, ' I asked life of Thee and Thou 
 gavest it him, even a long life for ever and 
 ever.' " 
 
 Margaret looked up reverently into the 
 placid face which had gathered its sweetness 
 and calm in much tribulation, and as she gazed, 
 some of the peace written there passed into her 
 own soul. She longed to ask more about the 
 little child who had been withdrawn so early 
 within the golden gates, but the trembling hand 
 of the invalid made her ponder in silence the 
 lesson she had just learned; and seeing that 
 Mrs. Page looked quite exhausted, she presently 
 rose to go. 
 
 The old lady took both her hands in hers, 
 and drawing her towards her for a kiss, said, 
 " Good-bye, dear. I shall think so much about 
 you to-morrow, and join my prayers to yours 
 for little Nell. I shall long to hear of brighter 
 tidings. Remember, the darker the night, the
 
 88 City Sparrows. 
 
 nearer the dawn, dear; be of good courage, and 
 fear not." 
 
 Ar d courage entered into Margaret's soul 
 with that "wine of consolation," and she turned 
 her steps towards home with a glad, high hope 
 beating at her heart. 
 
 " How happy Margaret looks to-night," was 
 Lotta's comment to Alice, "and yet she told 
 me there was no message from the hospital." 
 
 " No, dear," said Alice, softly; " but there are 
 messages sent from heaven sometimes. God 
 can whisper hope and comfort when all around 
 seems failing. She has been to see Mrs. Page, 
 this afternoon, and it has done her good." 
 
 "I wish we could help her more," said Lotta, 
 taking up another pair of socks to darn from 
 the basket that stood between the sisters. "She 
 seems to have everything upon her, and she is 
 going back to her teaching on Monday." 
 
 " I am glad of it," replied Alice, " and papa 
 thinks it is best, for everything here reminds 
 her of our trouble. I cannot bear to go up- 
 stairs now, and see our darling's empty bed, 
 that Margaret and I have watched beside in 
 turn for so many weeks; and perhaps it will 
 always be empty, Lotta." 
 
 There was silence in the room after that, and 
 tears fell faster than fingers could work. 
 
 ft
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 "NOT A WRECK." 
 
 MONDAY morning had come round again, and 
 the schoolroom at Dr. Belfield's looked expect- 
 ant with slates and open books, all neatly ar- 
 ranged for the pleasant routine of daily work. 
 Three sunny heads were clustered together 
 against the window, as if on the look out for 
 some one. 
 
 " Oh, I hope she will come," said little Amy. 
 " I am tired of holidays, and it is much nicer 
 than play to do lessons with her." 
 
 " Yes," said Edie, " isn't she nice and kind ? 
 And she never gives us those great double- 
 punishment lessons Miss Smithers used to. I 
 never cared a bit for them, though," added the 
 young rebel, with a mischievous twinkle in her 
 blue eyes; "she nearly always forgot to hear 
 them. Did papa say he thought Miss Millar 
 would come, Lizzie ?"
 
 go City Sparrows. 
 
 " He said he had asked her, because," added 
 Lizzie, lowering her voice to a whisper, " he 
 thinks when she is at home by herself she frets 
 about Nelly. You know he won't let her go 
 and see her yet ; and didn't she look as if she 
 had been awake all night, the afternoon she 
 called here to ask if Nelly was better?" 
 
 " Yes ; but how glad she was when papa told 
 her the doctors all thought she would get well 
 now," said Edie. " Mamma says, some day 
 when she is going to visit at the hospital, she 
 will take me to see Nelly. Won't it be funny 
 to go there and see a little lady among all the 
 poor people ?" said the child, clapping her 
 hands. 
 
 " Hush, don't laugh about it, Edie," said the 
 elder sister. " I heard papa and mamma say 
 they are very, very poor too, and that is why 
 she is there. I am so sorry." 
 
 " So am I," chimed in the other two voices. 
 Then followed a shout in chorus from all three 
 " There she is, and the clock is only now 
 striking nine. Let me run and open the door," 
 said little Amy. 
 
 Margaret kissed the bright young faces, and 
 in the midst of their eager questionings, Dr. 
 Belfield appeared. 
 
 " Good-morning, Miss Millar," he said, 
 cheerily. " I am now off to the hospital, and
 
 " Not a Wreck." 91 
 
 hope to bring you a good report by-and-by. I 
 saw Nelly late yesterday afternoon, and she was 
 doing well, though of course very weak, poor 
 little thing. But no fear now, I hope ; she will 
 pull through yet, by God's mercy." And before 
 Margaret's heart could frame an answer, he was 
 gone. 
 
 The children, with intuitive good feeling, 
 seeing she was quite overcome, turned away, 
 and busied themselves with their books until 
 she had somewhat recovered. Then loving little 
 Amy drew near, and climbing into her lap, and 
 putting her arms round her, said, " Please don't 
 cry any more ; we won't give you any trouble 
 this morning," and she looked round, as if ap- 
 pealing for a confirmation of the excellent 
 resolve from the other two. They were all as 
 good as their word ; and as the morning hours 
 fled happily away, Margaret felt her anxiety 
 and trouble grow lighter. Dr. Belfield was 
 right when he begged her to return to her pupils, 
 for they made her forget herself and her sore 
 trouble. <tf/~ 
 
 It was not like a day at the end of November, 
 for the sun had cleared away the heavy fog, and 
 shone clear and warm into every dwelling, as 
 Margaret and her pupils turned out for their 
 walk before dinner. 
 
 There was always a great deal to be talked
 
 ga City Sparrows. 
 
 over in these walks, for the Belfield children 
 made her the confidant of all their plans and 
 schemes, and to-day they were listening with 
 eager faces to the story of Harry and Zetta. 
 
 Margaret had scarcely finished her tale, when 
 turning the corner of a street rather suddenly, 
 who should she see but Zetta herself, seated on 
 a doorstep, clothed in Nelly's old frock, with 
 Mrs. Smith's baby in her arms, who was 
 crowing merrily in the sunshine. 
 
 Zetta perceived her friend at once, and rising, 
 made a shy curtsey, glancing furtively as she 
 did so at the three well-dressed children beside 
 her. 
 
 " Well, Zetta," said Margaret, smiling, " how 
 is it you are so far from home ?" 
 
 " If you please, Miss, the other children's 
 gone to school, so I've come up here because 
 it's nearer Harry, Miss ; " and the child glanced 
 towards the gates and railings at the end of 
 the square, inside which the hospital stood. 
 "Harry said I should come and see him, but 
 nobody's taken me, and they wouldn't let me 
 in if I asked, so I like just to come and think 
 about him here. Mrs. Smith called one day, 
 and they said he was better." 
 
 " I have not forgotten you," said Margaret. 
 " Some day you shall go with me, and see him 
 and your mother too, but we must wait patiently
 
 "Not a Wreck." 93 
 
 a little longer;" and Margaret thought how 
 difficult it was to live that word, as she turned 
 away to resume her walk. 
 
 Little Amy stepped back hastily towards 
 Zetta, unperceived by the others. 
 
 " Here is a penny for you, Zetta: get a bun 
 with it, you look so hungry." And before Zetta 
 had time to thank her, the ministering child 
 was gone. 
 
 That penny had been brought out to replace 
 a broken toy in Amy's doll's house, but the 
 sacrifice was freely and silently made. 
 
 " Oh, Miss Millar," said Lizzie, " how thin 
 and pale she looks, and no jacket to keep her 
 warm. I saw her shiver. I know what I'll do. 
 Mamma has got such quantities of grey list 
 upstairs, and Cousin Lily showed us how to 
 make such nice petticoats and capes with it, 
 when she was here last winter. Oh, you don't 
 know Cousin Lil, Miss Millar; but you will soon, 
 though, because she and Uncle George are- 
 coming again in February. Oh, you will like 
 her so much, she is such a darling cousin ; and 
 all the poor people where she lives are so fond 
 of her, for she is always doing something for 
 them. She lives in a beautiful place down in 
 the country ; such a great park, with avenues 
 and trees and lovely flower gardens. It is 
 called Hatherleigh Hall."
 
 94 City Sparrows. 
 
 "Yes," chimed in Edie, "and we go there to 
 stay sometimes : we are going again this sum- 
 mer, and I shall ride upon Diamond, the Shet- 
 land pony, and play with the dogs, and feed the 
 chickens, and do all sorts of nice things." 
 
 " If you could go too, how nice that would 
 be," said Amy's gentle voice, while her small 
 hand stole lovingly within Margaret's. 
 
 " Yes, that would be best of all," said 
 Lizzie; "and I'm sure Cousin Lilian would 
 ask uncle to let you come with us. I wonder 
 what room she would have, Edie ; perhaps the 
 pretty pink one, looking out on the grove." 
 
 " Oh, but the one at the end, where the 
 lower is, and where the ivy climbs up and 
 peeps in, is much prettier," said Edie. 
 
 Margaret smiled at the children's earnest- 
 ness, and wished herself their age again, to be 
 able to enjoy the keen delight which comes 
 so freshly to children, in laying happy schemes 
 for the future without any reference to the 
 possibility of their non-fulfilment. She must 
 be content with one day at a time of her 
 present life, and dared not trust herself to look 
 beyond. 
 
 That afternoon willing fingers plied dili- 
 gently during the hour allotted for work, for 
 mamma's stores were invaded, and they had 
 yielded some yards of unbleached calico for
 
 "Not a Wreck." 95 
 
 under garments, some new lilac print and a 
 remnant of black serge for new frocks, and an 
 inexhaustible store of list for petticoat and 
 cloak. Margaret cut out and helped with the 
 work, and the needles flew swiftly, striving to 
 keep up with the eager haste of those three 
 little loving hearts, full of childlike impatience 
 to see the completion of their labours. ) 
 
 " May Zetta come and show herself to us 
 when she has got on all these nice warm 
 things ? " said Lizzie. 
 
 " Oh, certainly," answered Margaret, " and 
 then she will be able to go to my father's 
 school; and I have ordered a good strong pair 
 of boots for her with some of the money a lady 
 gave us to lay out for them, and there will be 
 enough to pay for the schooling besides, out of 
 it, for a long time." 
 
 This pleasant conversation was suddenly 
 interrupted by the entrance of Dr. Belfield, 
 who stood with a smile on his face, regarding 
 the unwonted industry which had at first made 
 his little girls unaware of his presence. 
 
 " Miss Millar," he said, gently, " can you be 
 ready in five minutes? for I am now going to 
 the hospital, and you may come with me on 
 the chance of being allowed to see Nelly. But, 
 mind, I cannot promise you shall see her ; it 
 will depend on the nurse's report."
 
 96 City Sparrows. 
 
 Margaret needed no second bidding, and her 
 heart beat fast as she hastily put on her things, 
 and the five minutes even seemed long ere she 
 found herself in the carriage and on her way 
 towards .the great building which held so dear 
 a treasure. 
 
 " Wait here," said the doctor, opening the 
 door into a private room, " and I will come 
 back." 
 
 He returned almost directly, and on his face 
 Margaret read permission to come, before he 
 spoke. 
 
 " Come as softly as you can," he said. 
 " Thanks to her being asleep, you may have 
 one peep at her, but it must not be more." 
 
 The two walked silently up through the long 
 ward until they reached the top of the room. 
 Two nurses stood by Nelly's bed, and they moved 
 aside at a motion from the doctor. 
 
 Margaret went closer, and half bent over to 
 look. Oh ! what a little pale and wasted face 
 was lying there ; a tiny face that told of sleep- 
 less nights of weary pain and fever, though the 
 expression on the mouth now was that of per- 
 fect repose. 
 
 But where was the wealth of sunny curls 
 that had clustered round her darling's head ? 
 All gone ! cut closely off, and it was partly that 
 which made the face look so pale and wan.
 
 "Not a Wreck." 97 
 
 Margaret gave one long, loving look, and her 
 heart yearned for a kiss, though she knew she 
 might not venture. 
 
 One of the nurses stepped forward and gently 
 placed a packet in her hands, while the doctor 
 made a warning sign that it was time to with- 
 draw, so she turned and followed him out. 
 
 " Good-bye, and thank you very much," said 
 Margaret, as they stood together in the corridor. 
 " She looks terribly wasted." 
 
 " Yes, indeed she is, but we cannot expect 
 otherwise. We scarcely hoped for her life at one 
 time, so we must give thanks that the fragile 
 thread has held on so long. Tell your father 
 there is a decided change for the better, and I 
 hope in a day or two you may be allowed to 
 speak to her." 
 
 " How is the poor woman, Suzetta Warren?" 
 asked Margaret, suddenly recollecting that she 
 had been too preoccupied to look for her face 
 among the many in the long ward. 
 
 " I don't think she can live much longer," 
 said the doctor. " She has been often heard to 
 ask for you ; you shall speak to her next time. 
 Good-bye ; my work here is not finished yet." / 
 
 Margaret turned her steps towards home, but 
 her impatient heart could not wait until she 
 had reached it to open the precious packet, for 
 she had guessed its contents when it was put
 
 98 City Sparrows. 
 
 into her hands. Again and again she pressed 
 the shining curls to her -lips. "It might have 
 been all that was left to us," she thought. 
 " Oh, my prayers have been answered. Father, 
 I thank Thee ! I will never doubt again." And 
 her happy face told its own tale ere a question 
 was asked by the loving ones that clustered 
 round her as she entered her own door. 
 
 But we must return to Harry, whom we left 
 lying in his new quarters at the hospital. 
 The perfect order and quiet around him were 
 such a contrast to his noisy attic and its squalid 
 surroundings, that the mere sense of rest and 
 utter repose brought healing with it; and he 
 would lie still for hours without seeming to 
 notice anything, though his thoughts were ever 
 wandering back to the little sister in her loneli- 
 ness, and also to the poor dying mother, who, 
 he knew, was lying under the same roof with 
 him. He longed to ask questions concerning 
 her of the doctors and nurses as they passed his 
 bed, but he was afraid ; and his calm, pale face, 
 as it lay on the pillow, revealed nothing of the 
 struggle going on within. 
 
 But there was One beside Harry, who pre- 
 vented his ever feeling forsaken ; the One he 
 had been seeking after since he was a little 
 child, with an indistinct and undefined longing. 
 He had found his Lord, and accepted Him as
 
 "Not a T|-raA-." 99, 
 
 his Saviour, never for an instant doubting His 
 love or His power to. save. He knew he was a 
 sinner, but his simple faith took the burden at 
 once to the feet of Jesus, and left it there. And 
 now he felt he had a heavenly Friend to speak 
 to in those days and nights of heart-loneliness. 
 If only he could have known that through the 
 widely opened gate of mercy his erring mother 
 had also entered in, how thankful and doubly 
 happy it would have made him ; but there was. 
 no one to carry the message, or to tell him that 
 she was drawing near the better land, and leav- 
 ing him and Zetta orphans in the wide world. 
 
 " If Zetta. comes to see me, she'll see mother 
 too, and I can pray for them both now," was 
 the boy's silent comment. " Oh, I wish she 
 would come !" and again and again, on the days, 
 on which the friends of the patients were 
 allowed to visit them, he would look towards, 
 the door, but no familiar face appeared. It was- 
 hard to bear sometimes, to be the only one in 
 the ward whom no one came to see. But at 
 last a day arrived when a young lady entered, 
 leading Zetta by the hand. The child's sharp 
 eyes caught sight of her brother at once, and 
 she was soon at his bedside, kissing him, and 
 holding his thin hand tightly, as if she feared 
 she might be taken away before there was time 
 to say all she wanted.
 
 ioo City Sparrows. 
 
 " Harry, dear, the kind lady who gave me the 
 frock and all the nice things, and been so kind 
 to us, has brought me in to see you and mother, 
 and I'm coming again very soon. Are you 
 getting well, Harry? and when are you coming 
 out?" 
 
 "Soon, very soon, Zetta, we'll hope. I'm 
 almost well already ; everybody's so kind to me 
 in here, and Dr. Belfield gives me such nice 
 medicine." 
 
 " Harry, I've seen mother," said Zetta, in an 
 eager whisper. 
 
 "And is she better?" asked the boy, anxiously, 
 as he watched the tears gather in Zetta's eyes. 
 
 " No, she's never going to get better. But 
 she told me to tell you not to cry for her, 
 because she's going to heaven to live with Jesus, 
 and she's so happy. She does not look like 
 mother at all now, for her face is quite white, 
 and she can't hardly speak." 
 
 Margaret, seeing the poor boy was quite over- 
 come, and fearing the excitement for him, drew 
 near, and spoke a few words of tender sympathy 
 and encouragement. 
 
 " Don't fret for her, my boy," she added, 
 laying her hand on his. " You would not wish 
 her to live on in this world a helpless cripple. 
 She will be so much happier where she is going, 
 and what a comfort to think she is ready to go.
 
 " Not a Wreck." 101 
 
 Give me a message to take back to her, while I 
 leave Zetta with you for a few minutes longer." 
 
 " Tell her," said the boy, sobbing, " we will 
 both of us love God and Jesus Christ, and come 
 to her some day, and He will take care of us. 
 Will they let me see her again, Miss?" 
 
 Margaret knew that it was impossible, so her 
 only answer was, " I will tell her, and she will be 
 so glad ;" and the brother and sister were left 
 together. Margaret retraced her steps to the 
 ward they had first entered, and a nurse met 
 her, saying, " I am sorry, Miss, the little girl is 
 still asleep. But it cannot be long now before 
 she wakes, if you can wait a little longer." 
 
 So Margaret stepped softly to the bed in 
 which Suzetta Warren was lying, which now 
 had a screen drawn round it, and sat down 
 beside her. The dying woman smiled, and 
 opened her eyes. 
 
 " Have you seen him, Miss ?" she asked, 
 faintly. 
 
 " Yes, and I told him how happy you were.'* 
 
 "Ah, I am happy," she murmured. " I lie 
 here and think of the woman you told me about, 
 crying at her dear Lord's feet. She was lost, 
 and so was I, but He has saved us both. Say 
 His words again, Miss." 
 
 " 'Her sins, which are many, are forgiven,"' 
 said Margaret, softly. ** 
 
 7
 
 102 City Sparrows. 
 
 " Yes, yes, many, many,'" echoed the sufferer ; 
 " black as pitch, and reaching as high as heaven, 
 but the blood of Jesus has washed them away. 
 Tell my children to follow Him, and lead an 
 honest and respectable life here. You'll see to 
 them, Miss, for they'll be all alone in the 
 world." 
 
 " Yes, indeed I will," said Margaret. " The 
 Lord will provide for the orphans." 
 
 The weary sufferer closed her eyes, as if there 
 was now nothing further to desire, while she 
 held Margaret's hand in her dying clasp, mur- 
 muring, " Thank you, thank you, Miss." 
 
 At a signal from the nurse Margaret rose and 
 stole softly away, and in trembling expectation 
 stood beside Nelly once more. The child 
 stirred, opened her eyes, and held out her arms. 
 Margaret stooped down to kiss the sweet little 
 mouth, and Nelly said, " I am much better, 
 Maggie, dear. And you and papa will soon 
 come and take me home, won't you ? I think 
 I have been asleep almost ever since I saw you." 
 
 Margaret felt determined she would not cry, 
 though a lump was rising in her throat ; so com- 
 manding herself, she said, bravely, " Yes, my 
 iarling, you are a great deal better; but Nelly 
 must be patient for a little longer. Papa is 
 coming to see her to-morrow, and won't that 
 be nice ? "
 
 "Xot a Wreck" 103 
 
 " Yes, so nice; and tell him I am not so tired 
 as I used to be." But even as Margaret held 
 the tiny hand, the eyelids drooped heavily, the 
 ringers relaxed their hold, and sleep prevented 
 the excitement of good-bye. 
 
 The next day, on returning with her father to 
 see Nelly, Margaret noticed Suzetta Warren's 
 bed was empty, and the screen removed. 
 
 " She died in her sleep, as calmly as an 
 infant, about three o'clock this morning," said 
 the nurse; " and it's a happy release from her 
 terrible sufferings." 
 
 Margaret's heart echoed the nurse's last 
 words, but she could not help reflecting, that 
 although through God's infinite mercy a soul 
 can be saved at the eleventh hour, and every 
 sin washed away in the Saviour's blood, still 
 the awful and solemn fact remains of a life 
 spent without God or any service for Him. It 
 should act as a warning beacon-light to all who 
 delay their repentance to a dying hour, for to 
 how few at such a time is granted either the 
 wish or ability "to flee for refuge to the hope 
 set before us." fo
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A BIRD WITHOUT A NEST. 
 
 " WHAT do you think, Miss Millar ? " cried her 
 pupils, in chorus, one morning, as Margaret 
 made her appearance among them. " Papa and 
 mamma say there are to be two Christmas trees 
 in the hospital, one for the men and one for the 
 women, in the convalescent wards; and we are 
 going to make things for them, and be there 
 when they are given away." 
 
 " Mamma is making such lovely things up- 
 stairs," cried Edie, " and lots of people have 
 promised to work. Won't it be fun ? " 
 
 " And dear Cousin Lilian," added Amy, 
 " says she will send up a whole boxful, and 
 she wishes she could come with them herself, 
 but Uncle George won't bring her until Feb- 
 ruary." 
 
 " And, oh ! " said Lizzie, " we were nearly 
 forgetting the best part of all. Sir Henry Hoare
 
 A Bird without a Nest. 105 
 
 has promised papa to give the trees, and we are 
 all to walk out there the first fine frosty day, 
 to choose them in the plantation, and then the 
 gardener will have them cut and sent down in 
 time. Mamma says you and your sisters must 
 come with us when we go there, and your 
 brothers too, if they like, as it will be holiday 
 time." 
 
 "That will be delightful," said Margaret; 
 " and it makes me so happy to think of the 
 poor sick people having such a treat. ' I wish 
 our little Nell could see it, but she is not to be 
 allowed to leave her bed for some time." 
 
 " Oh, but I am going to make something on 
 purpose for her," said Amy, " to prevent her 
 being disappointed. Mamma says she is such 
 a dear little thing; she saw her yesterday when 
 she went to the hospital, to read to the people, 
 and sat and talked to her, and in the evening 
 she told us all about her." 
 
 " Your mamma is very, very kind," said 
 Margaret. " I thought perhaps Nelly might 
 be allowed to come home for Christmas, but 
 the doctors say it would be too great a risk to 
 move her during the cold damp weather; so we 
 must have patience, but it seems such a long 
 time ago since she went away. But now, dears, 
 where are your lessons, we must not do too 
 much talking." /
 
 106 City Sparrows. 
 
 " Yes, Miss Millar, in a minute; but we want 
 to show you Zetta's things." 
 
 " What ! are they finished ? " 
 
 " Yes, every one of them. Nurse has been so 
 kind in helping with the petticoats and frocks, 
 and mamma stitched on the black bind to the 
 grey list cape last night. Doesn't it look warm 
 and lovely ? I almost wish I was going to wear 
 it." 
 
 " They do, indeed, look nice," said Mar- 
 garet, examining each neatly-finished garment. 
 " Would you like me to take them to her? " 
 
 " Oh, yes please," said the children. 
 
 "Well, I hope to go there to-day, after I 
 leave you, as I have not seen the child since 
 her mother's death, and cannot think what has 
 become of her. She must go to school now, 
 for I am sorry to say she can neither read nor 
 write." 
 
 " We do so want to see her and know all 
 about her," said the children, as they took 
 leave of Margaret that afternoon. 
 
 " I will bring her with me, if I can," answered 
 Margaret, waving a last adieu to the three who 
 had followed her to the door. 
 
 It was dark and cheerless, and a drizzle of 
 rain betokened a wet night. Margaret felt 
 strongly inclined to abandon her intention and 
 go straight home, but the dying words she had
 
 A Bird without a Nest. 107 
 
 so lately heard rang in her ears, " You'll see to 
 them, Miss, for they'll be all alone in the 
 world;" so keeping to her first resolution, she 
 hurried bravely on. 
 
 It was a long way, and the wind blew so 
 strongly against her, that it was with difficulty 
 she kept up her umbrella. However, a steady 
 pace at length brought her to the turning under 
 the archway leading to Court B, and in another 
 minute she was in the midst of the stifling smells 
 and squalor of that wretched neighbourhood. 
 
 On climbing the stairs she inquired for Mrs. 
 Smith, but could get no information from the 
 dirty children playing on the floor, so she pro- 
 ceeded to ascend the rough ladder that led to 
 the attic. 
 
 The rickety door at the top was nearly 
 closed, and there was a wailing sound, as of a 
 child sobbing and crying bitterly, within. 
 
 Margaret pushed open the door, and what 
 a sight met her eyes ! 
 
 The attic was completely bare and empty, 
 even the old box, chair, and stool were gone, 
 and also what had served poor Harry for a bed. 
 .The wind howled in the chimney with a noise 
 which prevented the child, whose back was 
 towards the door, from hearing Margaret enter, 
 while the rain poured in from the skylight in a 
 stream through the broken panes. /
 
 io8 City Sparrows. 
 
 " Zetta ! Zetta ! my poor little one. What 
 is the matter? Come and tell me ! " 
 
 Her ear caught the sound, she started to 
 her feet, and then sank down again before 
 Margaret. 
 
 " Please Miss," she sobbed, " I haven't seen 
 Mrs. Smith all day, she's been out to work; 
 but she sent me on an errand far out the other 
 side of the town this morning, and whilst I was 
 gone the landlord came and took all our things, 
 to pay the rent mother owed him; and he's 
 just been up again to tell me another family's 
 coming in to-morrow, and he says I must be 
 off." 
 
 " But why didn't you come and tell me the 
 rent was owing?" said Margaret. 
 
 " Because, Miss, Mrs. Smith said I wasn't 
 to go bothering the lady any more, but she'd 
 try and get me a place. She was going to-day 
 to ask about it at the shop where we get our 
 things, down by the corner of the street. But 
 I'm sure, Miss, I helps all I can, minding the 
 baby and running errands, and I've kept myself 
 in food with the money you gave me. What 
 ever '11 Harry say when he hears about it all ? 
 The landlord said he hadn't heard mother was 
 dead, till to-day." 
 
 "Where does he live? I will go and speak 
 to him."
 
 : 
 
 A Bird without a Nest. 109 
 
 " At the foot of the court, Miss. I'll show 
 ou, please." 
 
 As they went, Margaret's heart smote her for 
 having allowed so many days to pass without 
 coming to see after the child, but an unusual 
 press of work had put it out of her head. 
 
 " There he is, ma'am," said Zetta, pointing 
 with her finger. 
 
 Margaret could see nothing for the darkness, 
 but presently she discerned the figure of a 
 man standing in a doorway, and a light from 
 within showed he was smoking a pipe, and 
 scowling sullenly from under his bushy eye- 
 brows. 
 
 He was evidently half tipsy, for Margaret 
 could make nothing of his speeches, save a 
 rough sentence here and there, such as, " I'd 
 have the beggars put to jail, if I could ; they 
 sha'n't bide in my house no longer." 
 
 Margaret's remonstrances were of no avail, 
 and seeing the man was likely to be abusive 
 and impertinent, she bade the child come away. 
 
 But what was to be done now ? She could not 
 expect Mrs. Smith to give her a home without 
 paying for it, and even if she paid the woman, 
 Margaret shrank from leaving Zetta exposed to 
 the influence of such sinful surroundings. Still 
 she hesitated about taking the forlorn little 
 outcast into her own house, for there were
 
 no City Sparrows. 
 
 many things to be considered before deciding 
 on such a stefl; yet there seemed no other course 
 open. (y 
 
 " I will take her back with me for to-night, at 
 any rate," she thought, "and perhaps Hester 
 will be able to suggest something." So bidding 
 the child dry her eyes and follow her, she made 
 her Way through the court, only stopping to 
 leave a message with a woman as she passed, 
 to tell Mrs. Smith that she had taken Zetta, 
 and that she would not be back that night. 
 
 " Here I am, Hester, home at last," said 
 Margaret, descending the area steps that led 
 into the kitchen. "I want your help and 
 advice terribly, for I am at my wits' end to know 
 what to do. You are a dear, kind soul, I know,, 
 so I have ventured to bring back the little girl 
 you were so kind to the other day. She is a 
 bird without a nest now, Hester, houseless and 
 homeless, and I could not leave her there to 
 starve." 
 
 " Deary me, no," said the kind-hearted 
 servant, warming at the sight of the small, 
 pinched face, as Zetta stood in the doorway, 
 hesitating to advance farther till invited. "A 
 Christian must be always ready with the cup 
 of cold water for Christ's little ones ; but," she 
 added, with the naive drollery so natural to 
 her, " a good pitcher full would be more like
 
 A Bird -without a Nest. in 
 
 the thing now, to wash off some of that 
 dirt." 
 
 But Hester was not prepared to accede at 
 once to the idea of Zetta becoming an inmate, 
 and listened with consternation while Margaret 
 unfolded the plan of keeping her until she could 
 hear of a place for her. 
 
 " And that won't be for some time then," 
 said Hester; "for what place, I should like to 
 know, is an ignorant child like that fit for?" 
 
 " But she can clean the knives, and the boots 
 and shoes," said Margaret, pleadingly; "and 
 she will be at school part of the day, and you 
 will kindly teach her a little of service between 
 whiles, perhaps. You know her poor mother 
 died in the hospital the other day, and we must 
 rescue the orphan from what may be a life of 
 sin and wretchedness." 
 
 The honest servant looked gloomy, and did 
 not speak for a minute or two, pity and pru- 
 dence struggling together in her heart. Then 
 turning to Margaret, she said, " Well, Miss, 
 I never can deny that somehow you are always 
 in the right. But the Lord knows there are 
 enough mouths to feed here, without bringing 
 another hungry one in ; but as it comes in the 
 way of duty, I'll not be the one to hinder it. 
 She shall sleep with me, and welcome, for there's 
 no place else. And I'll make her useful, and
 
 ii2 City Sparrows. 
 
 put her in the way of earning her living ; and if 
 I say I'll do my best by the child, you may be 
 sure I will." 
 
 " I know you will," said Margaret, gratefully; 
 for she knew if she could only win over Hester 
 to her side, every one else in the house would be 
 agreeable to the arrangement. " Look at this 
 bundle of nice clothes that has been given to 
 me for her." 
 
 " Why, Miss, they are good, sure enough. 
 What a warm frock !" 
 
 " Yes, my little pupils made them all for her. 
 And now I shall leave her in your hands, and I 
 shall not know her to-morrow, you will have 
 made her so fresh and tidy. I will not show 
 her to papa till then." 
 
 " Well, well, we shall see," said Hester, with 
 a patronizing air, as she held open the door 
 that led upstairs, for Margaret to pass through. 
 " Good, wholesome soap and water are two of 
 God's great gifts, and we must use them," she 
 added, tucking up her sleeves, and longing with 
 her whole heart to try their effect immediately 
 upon Zetta, who little knew the scrubbing that 
 \vas in store for her. 
 
 And Hester did indeed feel proud of the result 
 of her charitable labours, when the next morn- 
 ing she watched Zetta following Margaret to be 
 shown to her kind little benefactors before going
 
 A Bird without a Nest. 113 
 
 to school. Margaret had added a neat black 
 straw hat to the equipment, and no one could 
 have recognised in Zetta the beggar child of a 
 few weeks ago. And how Harry's eyes gleamed 
 with delight the next time Margaret brought 
 her to see him. He could do nothing but look 
 at her, and kept stroking the soft, warm list on 
 her cape, as she stood beside him. He had 
 grown so rapidly better, that it was no longer 
 necessary for him to keep his bed, and Zetta 
 always saw him now in the long, comfortable 
 room where the patients sat who were able to 
 be up through the day. Here there were several 
 stuffed easy chairs for the specially weak ones, 
 given by Mrs. Page; and on the table were 
 books, and cheerful pictures and illuminated 
 texts on the walls. //^ 
 
 " I am learning to be a servant, Harry," and 
 with a beaming face the child told him of the 
 happy home she was now in. 
 
 " How good of the lady," said her brother. 
 " I won't fret any more about your being left 
 alone." 
 
 But he looked grave and sorrowful at the 
 thought of never returning to the attic again. 
 Do you wonder at his regret ? It was a strange 
 one, but that broken skylight, with the flut- 
 tering birds, possessed for him an attraction we 
 cannot understand. " My poor birds," he said ;
 
 U4 City Sparrows. 
 
 11 no one will ever give them crumbs, now 
 I am gone, and they'll be looking for them, 
 that's the worst of it. But some day. Zetta., 
 when I've worked hard, and got a little cottage 
 for you and me to live in together, we'll have 
 birds all round us. It must be a thatched one, 
 like the one we lived in when father was alive, 
 and then they'll build their nests, and be so 
 happy." 
 
 " Yes, and I am learning to read, Harry," 
 said Zetta. " I go every day to school." 
 
 " And so am I, Zetta. There's a kind young 
 man here, who's been ill for a long time, and he 
 learns me all he can. Dr. Belfield is so kind, 
 too, and says he will not let me go out of the 
 hospital for a long time yet, not till I am much 
 stronger." 
 
 Those were happy times for Harry and Zetta 
 in that pleasant room, though they only met for 
 a few minutes once a week. 
 
 And what of little Nell ? 
 
 As the days rolled by, the danger that had 
 threatened her life gradually disappeared, and 
 though she was not allowed to sit up at all at 
 present, her doll and a book could be enjoyed, 
 and those around her would hear her singing 
 softly to herself some sweet hymn, and never a 
 murmur escaped her lips. She always strove to 
 appear as bright and cheerful as possible when
 
 A Bird without a Nest. 115 
 
 Mr. Millar or Margaret came to see her, and she 
 was an object of such general interest in the 
 ward, that the patients in it listened for her 
 voice the first thing in the morning, and con- 
 stant inquiries were made by them concerning 
 her. 
 
 And Christmas drew on apace, and none 
 looked for the joyous season more eagerly than 
 the dwellers in the hospital, to whom so very 
 little variety ever occurred to break the dull 
 monotony of their daily life. > 
 
 \J
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 CHRISTMAS CHEER. 
 
 WHO does not enjoy a walk on a crisp, frosty 
 winter morning ! with a blue sky overhead, and 
 pure, still, clear air to drink in all around. 
 See ! the white rime on the trees has trans- 
 formed the country into a fairy scene; the bare 
 branches look like white coral, and the ever- 
 greens like plumes of feathers as they tremble 
 in the sunshine. The ice-pools by the wayside 
 glitter brightly, and the boughs above wave 
 their delicate tracery, while every now and then 
 some tiny bird, in its flight from tree to tree, 
 " shakes a shower of crystal to the ground." 
 
 It was on such a morning as this, a few days 
 before Christmas, that a merry group of boys 
 and girls joyfully left the town for a ramble 
 along the country road leading to Sir Henry 
 Hoare's beautiful estate, about two miles distant. 
 Some had hoops, and others baskets for wood-
 
 Christmas Cheer. 117 
 
 land treasures, that might perchance be found 
 even on this wintry day, and Margaret and 
 Alice Millar found it quite impossible to keep 
 their merry flock in anything like order. Either 
 the holiday time, or the freshness and brightness 
 of the morning, or both, made them all perfectly 
 wild with delight, as they chased each other 
 along the road. 
 
 A gardener met them at one of the entrance 
 lodges, his red face smiling at the sight of the 
 merry children, as he accosted Margaret, and 
 touched his hat respectfully. " Good-morning, 
 Miss, it's a rare fine Christmas we've got this 
 year, and it's a merry one I wish you all, and 
 many of them," he added, as they all wished 
 him the same in return, and he led the way 
 towards the plantation fcem which the trees 
 were to be selected. /If 
 
 It was a difficult matter to choose a couple 
 of trees from such a number. Some were too 
 short and some too tall, and others unevenly 
 grown for want of space; but the young people 
 did not object to a delay in their choice, for it 
 was so delightful to step briskly through the 
 plantation, hearing the crisp crush of the frosted 
 dead leaves under foot, and seeing " all the 
 silver gossamers twinkle into green and gold;" 
 while the sun shone bright and warm above 
 them, telling of the glad spring which would 
 9
 
 n8 City Sparrows. 
 
 come in good time, to wake up the sleeping 
 flowers, and clothe bare boughs in summer 
 beauty. 
 
 " Oh, look ! there is a dear robin hopping 
 quite close to us," said Lotta. 
 
 " Yes," answered Alice, " and how cheerful 
 and merry he looks, puffing out his pretty 
 orange breast, and twinkling his black bead 
 eyes, as if there were no more biting frosts or 
 wintry winds to come and rob him of food and 
 shelter." 
 
 " I suppose he does not think about to- 
 morrow, at all," said Amy, taking Margaret's 
 hand. "He is thanking God for giving him such 
 a sunny to-day, isn't he ? " 
 
 Before Margaret could answer, a far-off shout 
 from the boys set the others flying after them 
 through the many diverging paths in the wood, 
 and she was left alone for a few minutes, to- 
 muse on the child's simple comment, fraught 
 with such deep philosophy, too deep for the 
 little one herself to understand, until she had 
 learned more of life's lesson. Presently they all 
 came hurrying back to hunt for her, and it was 
 quite clear, from their eagerness, tha^srsme dis- 
 covery had been made. /T/''^ 
 
 " Oh, come, quick ! " cried Marry. " There's 
 the jolliest pond for skating on you ever saw in 
 your life, and the gardener says it isn't more;
 
 A MERRY TIME IN THE FIR WOOD.
 
 Christmas Cheer. ng 
 
 than three feet deep, so it's quite safe;" and 
 as he spoke, the lovely little pond came into 
 view, surrounded by dark Scotch firs, which 
 gave the prettiest effect to its margin. 
 
 This was the greatest fun possible for the 
 children : they slid and danced across from one 
 side to the other, and had many a tumble, 
 which only added to their merriment, until at 
 last Margaret called out, "Come, it is time to 
 be going, and we have not chosen the trees 
 yet. Come ! come ! we must not stay another 
 instant;" and she led the way back into the 
 path they had left, where they wandered on 
 till they emerged upon a glade where the trees 
 had been cleared sufficiently to leave broad 
 open spaces of soft green turf, and here the firs 
 had abundance of air and space to grow shapely 
 and beautiful. But it was soon decided that 
 any of these would be too large for the purpose, 
 so returning to the plantation, two moderate- 
 sized ones were chosen, which the gardener 
 promised should be sent to the hospital on the 
 day appointed. <r I 
 
 When the wanderers were collected, and 
 began to turn their steps townwards, they pre- 
 sented the appearance of a walking wood, for 
 each one was heavily laden with boughs of 
 scarlet-berried holly, evergreens of all kinds, 
 and long trails of ivy, wherewith to decorate
 
 I2O City Sparrows. 
 
 their homes for the festive season ; and the day 
 was not long enough to recount and discuss the 
 wonders and delights of that happy morning 
 ramble. 
 
 The few days that intervened before Christmas 
 were now busily occupied by Mrs. Belfield and 
 her staff of helpers in finishing the preparations 
 for the Christmas trees, and they had the 
 pleasure and satisfaction of seeing everything 
 completed on the morning of Christmas-eve ; 
 when, in spite of heavy snow-storms, the minis- 
 tering ones found their way to the hospital, to 
 preside at the festivities, bringing plenty of good- 
 will with them, to gladden those whom they had 
 come to cheer. 
 
 On their arrival, all the patients who were 
 able assembled with them in the chapel, in 
 the centre of the building, where the chaplain 
 held a short service, in which each heart was 
 directed upwards to the great Giver of all good, 
 and to His greatest, His unspeakable gift of His 
 own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose birth 
 would be celebrated far and wide throughout 
 the land on the following day. 
 
 "Think, my dear friends," he said, at the 
 close of his discourse, " as you lie on your beds 
 this night, some of you perhaps in pain, and 
 others wakeful through weakness, think, as you 
 watch for the Christmas dawning, of the quiet
 
 Christmas Cheer. 121 
 
 night, eighteen hundred years ago, when shep. 
 herds sat watching their flocks, while the stars 
 shone calmly in the blue sky above them. A 
 white-robed angel was sent to these watchers, 
 to bring them glad tidings of great joy. And 
 when they heard the message their hearts were 
 no longer afraid, and they could look up and 
 listen to that wondrous song of angels, ' Glory 
 to God in the highest, and on earth peace, 
 good-will towards men.' 
 
 ' Wake, O earth ! wake everything, 
 Wake, and hear the joy I bring; 
 Wake, and joy, for all this night, 
 Heaven and every twinkling light, 
 
 All amazing, 
 
 Still stand gazing ; 
 Angels, powers, and all that be, 
 Wake, and joy this Sun to see.' 
 
 " Oh, that all the worn and weary ones who 
 toss on restless beds would look up as those 
 shepherds did, and let the glad tidings enter 
 their hearts, and lead them in haste to seek the 
 Shepherd King and His fold. How precious 
 the thought, in the midst of pain and suffering, 
 to know that ' the everlasting arms are under- 
 neath,' that the Shepherd is carrying the sick 
 ones Himself, and strengthening them on their 
 beds of languishing ; and that at last He will 
 take them to dwell with Him in the land where 
 there shall be no more pain for ever and ever.
 
 122 City Sparrows. 
 
 May He be with you now in your gladness of 
 to-day, and be your everlasting portion in this 
 life, and in that which is to come." 
 
 The simple service over, the men and women 
 separated, and were conducted to the rooms in 
 which stood the Christmas trees, and very re- 
 luctantly did Harry and Zetta part; but she 
 whispered, "Nevermind, Harry; Miss Millar 
 will bring me in to see you there soon," and 
 the happy smile on his little sister's face quite 
 satisfied him. 
 
 The Christmas trees fully repaid all the 
 trouble that had been bestowed on them, and 
 murmurs of admiration were heard on all sides as 
 the patients walked round them to inspect their 
 beauty. The flags, oranges, and smaller articles 
 of work hanging upon the branches presented 
 a very gay effect, while the larger and more 
 useful presents were disposed upon and round 
 the large tubs in which the trees were planted, 
 and the walls were tastefully decorated with 
 evergreens surrounding blessed texts that told 
 of a Saviour's birth. 
 
 For the women, there were flannel petticoats 
 and warm bed-jackets, night-dresses, knitted 
 stockings, gay woollen shawls, carpet slippers, 
 pocket-handkerchiefs; cases of American cloth 
 and brown-holland filled with needles, thread, 
 tapes, and buttons ; bags of all sizes, with pockets
 
 Christmas Cheer. 123 
 
 inside ; and pinafores, dolls, and other toys for 
 the sick children. 
 
 For the men, there were flannel vests, shirts, 
 knitted socks, list waistcoats, carpet slippers, 
 pocket-handkerchiefs, and writing-cases made 
 of American cloth, each containing some letter- 
 paper, a packet of envelopes, pen, and pencil. 
 Added to all these, there was a new large-print 
 Bible for every man and woman in the hospital 
 who could read, the crowning and best gift of 
 all. 
 
 The radiant looks of happiness and satisfac- 
 tion with which each new possession was re- 
 garded, can hardly be imagined, as one and 
 another compared their treasures. It was a 
 pleasure to see the thought and care of some, 
 who asked to be allowed to help carry the 
 things to those who were unable to leave their 
 beds. Indeed, all had reason to remember, 
 for many a long day in after life, the com- 
 fort and cheer which that year's Christmas 
 brought them, and none more so than Harry 
 and Zetta, who had been rescued by their 
 heaven-sent friends from a future of wretched- 
 ness and misery. 
 
 Let us watch Edith and Amy carrying their 
 gifts to little Nell, who is to be the happy pos- 
 sessor of a treasure she has often longed for a 
 baby doll, with clothes to take off and on. It
 
 124 City Sparrows. 
 
 belonged to Amy's play-room family, and it was 
 not without a struggle she had selected this 
 one. But Mrs. Belfield, being a wise mother, did 
 not like her children to give away to others that 
 which had cost them no sacrifice : therefore, when 
 Amy had requested her to buy a doll for her to 
 dress and give her, she had answered, " No, my 
 child, that would not be a gift from you at all : 
 go to your play-room, and try if you cannot 
 spare her one from there, I think you can, if 
 you put yourself in Nelly's place for a minute." 
 
 So this was Amy's choice, and what pleasure 
 she took in having the clothes made neat and 
 fresh, and finally tying the bit of new blue 
 ribbon round dolly's waist, and wondering how 
 Nelly would look when she saw it. 
 
 Edith too had been busy, lining a pretty 
 little work-basket with pink silk, and inside it 
 shone a tiny silver thimble and scissors, also a 
 wee pink needlebook to match, and some reels 
 of cotton. 
 
 And now the two children stand each with 
 her present beside Nelly's bed, looking ten- 
 derly and timidly at the pale little face, whose 
 whiteness makes the large, lovely eyes seem 
 more darkly fringed than usual, as she raises 
 them with an inquiring look, and shy, sweet 
 smile. "I have brought you a dear baby to 
 nurse," said Amy, laying the doll gently in
 
 Christmas Cheer. 125 
 
 her arms, " and you will be able to talk to her 
 and love her." 
 
 " And I have brought you something, too," 
 said Edith, placing the pretty basket within her 
 reach; "and when papa allows you to sit up, 
 you will be able to work." 
 
 Nelly did not answer for a minute. Her eyes 
 were wandering from the doll to the basket, and 
 then towards her kind little friends, as if ques- 
 tioning what could be the meaning of it all ; so- 
 that poor Amy, who expected her to go into ant 
 ecstasy of admiration, felt disappointed. But 
 not for long. Presently Nelly clasped her hands 
 over her treasures, saying, in a joyous under- 
 tone, " Did you bring them for my very own,, 
 to keep always ?" the flush of surprise and 
 pleasure revealing the depth of her enjoyment, 
 as she went on murmuring her glad thanks. 
 And how happy were Edith and Amy to feel 
 they had been the means of bringing some 
 Christmas sunshine into this little life so shaded 
 by suffering. /I 
 
 " Well, darling," said Margaret, who had 
 been watching the scene unperceived from the 
 other end of the ward, " my little Nell is having 
 a happy Christmas, after all." And the glad, 
 bright smile with which Nelly looked up assent- 
 ingly, came back to her heart the following; 
 morning as she stood at her window, watching
 
 126 City Sparrows. 
 
 the fair white robes of snow sparkling in sunny 
 radiance in which the earth was decked for 
 Christmas. And that freshly fallen snow spoke 
 silently to Margaret of the sacred lessons it 
 would teach. Earth could not don a fitter 
 robe in commemoration of the blessed Birth- 
 day, for in its heavenly purity it told of the 
 sinless, spotless One, who shed His blood to 
 make the sins, once scarlet, white as snow. It 
 spake of the fair wedding garment adorning 
 the Bride of Christ, in which she stands chaste 
 and beautiful as a lily among thorns ; and on its 
 unbroken, shining surface, the sunbeams were 
 writing in characters of gold, "Blessed are the 
 pure in heart, for they shall see God."
 
 HATHERLEIGH. 
 
 THE rooks are busy holding a conference among 
 the tree-tops surrounding the old manor-house, 
 but whether it is concerning the nests that are 
 being built, or a speculation as to where the 
 next foraging party shall alight, the ceaseless 
 cawing does not explain. The gloss on their 
 wings shines as polished silver as they fan their 
 sleek, sable plumage in the clear air; and 
 perhaps the sunshine puzzles them a little, for 
 it is a rare chance to find such a bit of bright- 
 ness in bleak February. Fleecy clouds sail 
 calmly on in the intense blue ; sheep and cows 
 browse contentedly in the broad green meadows, 
 as if it were summer ; and every branch and 
 twig is reflected on the scarcely moving sur- 
 face of the lake. 
 
 The old house looks happy in the sunshine, 
 with the lights and shadows flickering upon it,
 
 128 City Sparrows. 
 
 and a wealth of ivy endowing it with beauty, 
 creeping, climbing, clasping it everywhere ; 
 while in front, bordering the broad terrace walk, 
 beds of aconites and snowdrops make a gaily 
 striped tapestry of white and gold. There is 
 just enough westerly breeze floating in at the 
 breakfast-room window to flutter the leaves of 
 a newspaper an elderly gentleman is intent on; 
 but he is hale and sturdy, and does not mind 
 the woodland whisper in his ear, no_ its 
 gambols among his silvering hair, f^^ 
 
 He is equipped for riding, and on the table 
 lies a dainty little hat and feathers, a lady's 
 whip, and pair of white gloves. 
 
 Squire Leslie glances at this collection every 
 now and then, as if impatiently expecting their 
 owner ; and at last, hearing the trampling of 
 horses on the gravel outside, he lays down his 
 paper, to look out. 
 
 " Where can Lilian be ? The horses here, 
 and she is not ready ! Here, Romp. Hie off 
 with you ! Go seek your mistress ! Good 
 dog!" 
 
 Romp, a curly brown retriever, lying full 
 length on the rug before the fire, needs no 
 second bidding, and is up in an instant, flying 
 with a joyous bark through the door his 
 master holds open. 
 
 A minute more, and then a running of feet
 
 Hatherleigh. 129 
 
 and sound of merry girlish laughter announce 
 that the dog has succeeded in his search. 
 
 "Well, papa dear, are you ready?" said 
 Lilian, with a saucy smile on her lips. 
 
 " Ready! I should think so. Why, I've been 
 waiting here this half-hour, and nearly read 
 my paper through. Come, put on your hat, and 
 let us be off; we shall lose all the best of the 
 day if we don't start now." 
 
 " Yes, you dear old impatient papa, in one 
 instant," said Lilian, snatching up her hat from 
 the table, and standing before the looking-glass 
 to arrange it. 
 
 The finishing touches are rapidly put to my 
 lady's toilet, and she stands gathering up the 
 folds of her habit, and looking so lovely in her 
 morning bloom, that her father forgets the end 
 of his lecture while regarding the graceful little 
 fairy, who is more precious to him than all the 
 world besides. 
 
 " I was feeding my pet fowls, you know, 
 papa," she began, by way of apology, "and 
 seeing to many things besides ; among others, 
 ordering my birthday dinner," added the young 
 housekeeper, with a dignified air, as putting her 
 foot within her father's hand she sprang lightly 
 into the saddle. 
 
 Flugelmann and Maradon pawed the ground 
 impatiently, and tossed their pretty heads as
 
 130 City Sparrows. 
 
 the pair proceeded slowly down the broad 
 avenue. 
 
 "Well, Lilian, where do you wish to ride 
 to-day?" 
 
 "Oh, such a long way, papa, for it makes 
 me quite wild to get out on a day like this. We 
 will go across the common, and over the bit ol 
 moorland where the ruin stands, and then round 
 by Holly Hurst Mill, and home past those 
 cottages of yours, where old Mike Saunders 
 and Peggy Bilson used to live." 
 
 " That is a round-about route, my dear : it 
 would be better to canter home through the 
 park." 
 
 " Oh, no, papa, please ; because I want 
 especially to stop and look at those cottages, 
 for I must ask you something about them. I 
 am seventeen to-day, you know, and you pro- 
 mised to give me anything I liked to ask." 
 
 "I must have been wandering in my head, I 
 think, to say such a thing. What is my im- 
 perious princess going to request then ? Be 
 merciful, I pray." 
 
 " Well, papa," said Lilian, blushing, " I've 
 been thinking about it for weeks and weeks, 
 and this morning something in Uncle Belfield's 
 letter has quite decided me. He wants a place 
 to send some of his poor hospital patients to, 
 for change of air, when they are getting better;
 
 Hatlierleigh. 131 
 
 and I think if you would let me make a begin- 
 ning, I should be so happy to do it here, and 
 some day perhaps there could be a real, large 
 one built." 
 
 " Make a beginning ! a real, large one built ! 
 a real, large what ? It is quite clear at any rate 
 you don't make beginnings in your explanations, 
 you silly child." 
 
 "Now, papa dear, do wait a minute, and I'll 
 tell you all about it. I forgot you could not 
 guess all in a hurry what I wanted, but you 
 said I might choose : so may I have those two 
 cottages for my very own ? " 
 
 " What ! are you going to live there ? Is not 
 the Hall large enough, or is it to be a case of 
 love in a cottage, eh ? " 
 
 " Now, papa, you are not to make fun of our 
 plan, but listen, please, to my explanation. It is 
 for a cottage hospital; and the other day, when 
 I was at the rectory, Mrs. Sandford was telling 
 me how much one was needed here for the 
 village, and she said she would h&-4elighted to 
 help in any way she could." /I/ 
 
 A look of amused and puzzled inquiry came 
 over the squire's face, as Lilian poured all this 
 out before him; but not finding it in his heart 
 to deny his darling's slightest wish, he answered: 
 " You are always taking some new whim or 
 fancy into your head, child, and I suppose it
 
 132 City Sparrows, 
 
 won't make much difference about the cottages, 
 as it will be all yours some day; but I cannot 
 have you going among a lot of sick people, 
 catching their infectious diseases. Mind, I bar- 
 gain for that ; no infectious diseases. As for 
 the cottages, if you like to call them your own, 
 and do what you please with them, you are 
 welcome; but it is a wild goose chase, my dear 
 a wild goose chase ! " 
 
 "Oh, papa darling, how kind of you! I am 
 delighted. Remember, I must have the title 
 deeds and an endowment. What fun ! And I 
 will get Uncle Belfield to- talk to you about it, 
 and you will think it all right and reasonable 
 then, and see that it is not a mad girl's passing 
 fancy. We are to go there next week, you 
 know; Thursday they are expecting us, as you 
 see by the letter." 
 
 " H'm," said the squire, "why can't John 
 leave us in peace down here in the country. I 
 don't want to be gallivanting up among town- 
 folks, at my age : let him come here." 
 
 " Now, papa dear, you promised to take me, 
 so you must. You know you would not let me 
 go alone," she added, with a sly glance. "And 
 remember it is quite fixed and settled, and- you 
 are only pretending to alter now, just to teaze 
 me. Here's a delightful piece of turf: let us 
 have a scamper."
 
 Haihcrleigh. 133 
 
 A shake of the reins was enough ; off went the 
 horses, with the wind in their manes. Away ! 
 away ! until the exercise had dyed Lilian's cheek 
 a deep carmine. " Gently, gently, Maradon," 
 said she, patting the graceful creature's neck, 
 as they began to descend a hill, and "the dark 
 round of the dripping wheel" came into view. 
 
 "Afar there flows a river, 
 
 Beside my childhood's home, 
 A mill-wheel there for ever 
 Resounds in shining foam;" 
 
 " sang Lilian, musing with delight on the sunny 
 spring scene before her. ^y 
 
 The miller's wife heara the horses' footfalls 
 coming nearer, and hastened out, looking fresh 
 and neat, to drop a curtsey of recognition 
 to her landlord and his beautiful daughter; 
 smiling as she answered the squire's cheery 
 "good-day," as they rode past, followed by a 
 long look from under her shading hand. 
 
 " Here we are, papa, at the cottages : they 
 look rather dreary now, with nobody living in 
 them, and no flowers in front. But see what a 
 nice short cut there is to them from the Hall, 
 down through the meadows; they are just in 
 the right situation for what I want." 
 
 " Do you wish to inspect them, then ? Here, 
 James, just ride back and ask for the keys at 
 the mill, for your mistress." 
 10
 
 134 C*ty Sparrows. 
 
 The groom rode quickly, and returned with 
 them as Lilian and her father, having dis- 
 mounted, entered the rustic gate that led into 
 the small garden. 
 
 " I think it will do capitally," said Lilian, 
 going through the rooms in triumph. " See, 
 papa, what a lovely view there is from the win- 
 dows, through that opening in the trees ; and so 
 close to this pretty wood, too, where the invalids 
 could go and sit, and get flowers without being 
 tired. But you must please have some work- 
 men in at once, and throw down the partition, 
 because I want it made into one house; and 
 then I will choose some pretty papers for the 
 walls, and when the ceilings are whitewashed, 
 it will be charming, and look quite different." 
 
 " Your uncle will tell you to have nothing 
 but whitewash, I am quite sure : it is much 
 healthier." 
 
 " Ah ! well, I can hang some pictures, to take 
 away the bare look. You will see what a beau- 
 tiful place it will make before long. I never 
 had a birthday present I liked so much, dear 
 papa. How pleased Uncle Belfield will be ; I 
 shall not tell him about it until I see him." 
 
 And all the way home the delighted girl ran 
 on about her newly-acquired property, finding 
 a ready listener in her fond old father, who 
 cherished her as the apple of his eye.
 
 Hathcrkigh. 135 
 
 As they were passing through the gates by 
 the pretty entrance lodge, the squire turned to 
 Lilian and said: "Ah! the place has never 
 been kept in such order as it was in Warren's 
 time ; he was a man of a thousand, thoroughly 
 honest and respectable. I'd have given a great 
 deal to have kept him. Poor fellow ! cut off in 
 the prime of his life, too; and that good-for- 
 nothing, ungrateful jade of his, going off as she 
 did. It was too bad, too bad. I wonder where 
 she took herself off to ? I don't care a straw 
 for her, but there were two poor innocent 
 children, whom I would have saved if I had had 
 the chance ; but it is eight years ago now, and 
 they are either dead, or made as bad as their 
 mother by this time." / f 
 
 " I remember them zdl quite well, papa, for 
 I used often to see little Harry with his father, 
 when I played in the garden. He was such a 
 quiet, shy child, and hardly ever would speak 
 to me when I talked to him. We may hear 
 something of them some day ; who knows ! " 
 
 " Not a bit of it," said the squire. " Depend 
 upon it that woman has gone to the bad, for 
 she feared neither God nor man, and there 
 never was a greater vixen than she for temper. 
 Poor Warren was a fool to be taken in by a 
 pretty face and fair words ; but he is gone now, 
 poor fellow, and it is useless to wish him back, 
 10*
 
 136 City Sparrows. 
 
 But If ever his son should turn up, I would do 
 something for him, for his father's sake." 
 
 " Perhaps he will, dear papa," said Lilian, 
 dismounting, and patting her horse. 
 
 But the squire only shook his head, and from 
 that minute forgot the subject. 
 
 And so did Lilian for the present, her mind 
 being too full of the happy scheme of benevo- 
 lence which it would now be her greatest 
 pleasure to carry out. And that night, when 
 she sought her room, and sat down at the 
 window, from which she could look across to the 
 village churchyard, where the trees and grasses 
 were waving in the moonlight over her mother's 
 grave, she remembered how that gentle one 
 used to go among the cottagers as an angel of 
 mercy, to cheer and comfort them in their need ; 
 and how, as she held the hand of her little 
 Lilian in loving clasp as they walked together, 
 she would try and awaken the same interest in 
 her young heart, teaching her to dedicate first 
 herself, andifidn all that she had to the service 
 of God. (/ 
 
 Recalling all this, Lilian knelt down and 
 prayed for a faith like hers, and a heaven-sent 
 blessing on the work she was about to under- 
 take, for had she not already received an 
 answer to her prayers in the birthday gift ? 
 She had been early taught to believe in the
 
 Hatlicrleigh. 137 
 
 reality of prayer, that it was not a sacrificial 
 duty to an unknown Presence, but living com- 
 munion with a Father who at all times heareth 
 the cry of His children. 
 
 Youth, beauty, and riches are a dangerous 
 dowry to some, for on this account the world 
 will court with its snares ; but Lilian had 
 learned the secret to counteract its poison. 
 The healing tree had been cast into the bitter 
 waters of earth, thereby turning them into a 
 pure, sweet fountain, welling up unto everlasting 
 life. 
 
 " He giveth us richly all things to enjoy," 
 made her rejoice in the bounty that overflowed 
 her path ; but " in the world," not " of it," was 
 the guarding chain to keep her from the evil. 
 
 Happy those who. like Lilian, have early 
 sought and found their portion beyond this 
 world, for the same peace and confidence shall 
 be theirs. 
 
 Rising from her knees, she took her mother's 
 oft-used Bible, marked and underlined from 
 beginning to end at passages that had been 
 pondered over in secret and carefully weighed 
 by God's standard, " comparing spiritual things 
 with spiritual." Her eye caught the words, 
 " How hardly shall they that have riches enter 
 into the kingdom of God." The passage was 
 duly marked, and a sign and number written
 
 138 City Sparrows. 
 
 minutely on the margin, caused her to refer to 
 a book in manuscript that always lay beside 
 the Bible. It bore on its cover the words, " My 
 mother's commentary," and contained the re- 
 cord and result of her daily study of the 
 Scriptures ; that is to say, when any verse 
 particularly struck Mrs. Leslie, she had written 
 her thoughts concerning it, and by this means, 
 though the mother had passed away from earth, 
 her early counsels to her child yet remained, 
 and " she, being dead, yet spake." Lilian al- 
 ways felt she had her mother near her when 
 she studied this book, and though her tears often 
 fell fast upon the page, because of the voiceless 
 silence that came instead of the nightly kiss, 
 the words of consolation never failed to calm 
 and comfort her, as a talk with her mother 
 used to in former days. This is what sh^fSund 
 in the precious legacy to-night : //' 
 
 " How hardly shall they that have riches 
 enter into the kingdom of God. Yes, it is 
 hard for those who grasp them as their own, 
 and grudge in the giving, trying to squeeze 
 through the narrow gate with their bags 
 of wealth ; but money held in trust by 
 faithful stewards, who recognise the voice of 
 God saying, ' The silver and the gold are 
 Mine,' undergoes a process in the heavenly 
 treasury which changes it from filthy lucre into
 
 Hatlicrleigh. 139 
 
 altar-gold ; the donor experiencing the truth of 
 the words, ' It is more blessed to give than to 
 receive.' The flowers and leaves give back their 
 precious gift of dew to the sun and clouds, and 
 in return comes the refreshing shower, restoring 
 sevenfold into their bosoms. The lake, whose 
 waters are for ever flowing out in ceaseless 
 bounty into the river beyond, is none the 
 shallower, for the fresh springs from the hills 
 joyfully fill it according to its need,, and the 
 more it gives, the more it receives. ' Freely ye 
 have received, freely give.' Not he is poor that 
 hath little, but he that desireth much." And 
 then followed the cruaint verses of Christopher 
 Harvey : 
 
 " Some in the world are poor, but rich in faith, 
 
 Their outward poverty 
 
 A plentiful supply 
 Of inward comforts and contentments hath ; 
 
 And their estate is blest 
 
 In this above the rest. 
 
 It was Thy choice, whilst Thou on earth didst stay, 
 And hadst not whereupon Thy head to lay. 
 
 " Some rich in the world are spiritually poor, 
 
 And destitute of grace, 
 
 Who may perchance have place 
 In the Church upon earth ; but heaven's door 
 
 Too narrow is to admit 
 
 Such camels in at it, 
 
 Till they sell all they have, that field to buy, 
 Wherein the true treasure doth hidden lie."
 
 140 City Sparrows. 
 
 Midnight approached as Lilian read and drew 
 forth one by one those " dear recollections 
 dressed in her heart like flowers within a book." 
 All was so still, and 
 her thoughts were 
 so intent, that pre- 
 sently she was 
 startled by hear- 
 ing the sweet old 
 out 
 ivied 
 
 tower. She thought they were singing a psalm 
 in the night, as their clear cadences rose and 
 fell upon the breeze. Perhaps they were. 
 
 to
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 COUSIN LILIAN. 
 
 " I'M sure I hear the carriage now, 'Lizzie. 
 Listen ! " 
 
 "Another false alarm, Amy! Look, it is 
 only an old cart rumbling along ; besides, 
 according to the clock, the train is barely due 
 yet, and it never arrives quite punctually." 
 
 " I tell you what," said Edith, jumping up 
 and throwing down the book she had been 
 vainly attempting to read. " Let us go up to 
 the top staircase window ; we can see right 
 across into the station-yard from there, and 
 watch them start." 
 
 This was pronounced a good idea by the 
 other sisters, and a sudden rush up the wide 
 staircase was the result. 
 
 " I like looking through the side panes of 
 this window best," said Edie, " because of the 
 coloured glass. Oh ! how funny everything
 
 142 City Sparrows. 
 
 seems ; trees, sky, and people, all a flaming 
 red." 
 
 " I should not like them ever to look like 
 that in reality," said Amy. " One could fancy 
 they were all going to be burnt up in a blazing 
 fire." 
 
 " But it is warm and comfortable after my 
 picture," said Lizzie. "Just peep through this 
 blue pane. Oh, dear ! how shivering and 
 cold and dreary everything is." 
 
 " Ah ! but there is always sunshine in the 
 yellow one next to it," cried Edie. " How 
 warm and delicious and bright ! it is like a 
 golden fairy-land. I shall always look through 
 this one when it is a cold and dismal day." 
 
 " Why, that will be like the old man papa 
 was telling us of the other day," said Lizzie, 
 "who being too poor to buy butter, put on a 
 pair of yellow spectacles, and ate dripping with 
 his bread quite happily after that." 
 
 " What a silly old man ! " cried Edie. " Be- 
 cause it could not have been so nice, in spite 
 of his making believe it was butter." 
 
 " Don't blame the poor old man, Edie," 
 said Mrs. Belfield, joining the group ; " he is 
 not the only one who uses coloured spectacles 
 in this world. I think we all carry about a 
 pair of each colour in our pockets, and our 
 happiness is according to which we put on."
 
 Cousin Lilian. 143 
 
 "Oh, mamma! how can that be?" cried 
 the three voices. / 
 
 " Have neither of my little girls ever got up 
 in the morning, feeling cross and gloomy, or, 
 as nurse calls it, getting out of bed the wrong 
 side ? Nothing right all day, dull lessons, dull 
 play, dull weather, dull Everything. It was 
 only the other day I heard a little girl saying 
 she was quite sure no one loved her, for every- 
 body was unkind. We will not mention any 
 names," she added, as Edie drew closer, to hide 
 her blushing face within her mother's arm ; 
 " but surely, whoever it was, must have put on 
 a very dark pair of spectacles. For how dif- 
 ferent it was the next day," she continued. 
 " Lessons perfect, happy play, and such merry 
 laughter, in spite of the rain pouring down out- 
 side. That was because the sunny spectacles 
 were taken from their hiding-place, and looked 
 through. 
 
 " Try to remember this little lesson, my 
 darlings, not only now, but in after life, and 
 let it also teach you to look at things from 
 all sides, and keep from being short-sighted 
 and prejudiced ; for it does not follow that 
 because you see things through one particular 
 colour, every one else must do the same. That 
 is a mistake, I am sorry to say, a great many 
 good people fall into; but you are too young
 
 144 City Sparrows. 
 
 now to understand the full meaning of all this. 
 Some day you will think more about it, I hope. 
 There are the horses coming through the station 
 gates." 
 
 " Yes," said Lizzie, " I see them ; and the 
 luggage is on the top of the carriage, so our 
 people must have arrived, and in five minutes 
 they will be here. Come, Edie ; come, Amy! 
 We must be ready to welcome them at the hall 
 door." And away flew the happy children, and 
 thought no more of the coloured glasses for 
 that day at least. 
 
 The horses did their best quickly to lessen 
 the distance from the station, and presently the 
 well-known pause in their trot was heard as 
 the carriage stopped, and the children ran down 
 the steps to welcome Uncle George and Cousin 
 Lilian, while Dr. Belfield assisted them to 
 alight. .*/~ 
 
 Many "and hearty were the salutations and 
 .greetings that followed, and Lilian had enough 
 to do to respond to all the kisses and questions 
 lavished upon her by her young cousins, with 
 whom, as we already know, she was a special 
 favourite. 
 
 "Who could help loving Lilian?" thought 
 Mrs. Belfield, as she once more welcomed the 
 child of her dead sister, and noticed that the 
 Jikeness to the one so dearly loved and mourned
 
 Cousin Lilian. 145 
 
 for had grown stronger, and was developing in 
 beauty and sweetness as the years rolled on. 
 
 And when Lilian felt the motherly clasp 
 around her, a strange pain ached at her heart, 
 and an echo seemed calling from a voice now 
 still. But no one guessed that sorrowful yearn- 
 ing, as, with a silent effort, she put by these 
 feelings, and rose into her own bright self again, 
 with winning smiles and ways, adding at once 
 to the life and joy of the whole party. 
 
 The following morning there was an early 
 knock at Dr. Belfield's study door, and in an- 
 swer to his "Come in, "a voice replied, "Oh, 
 uncle, I thought I should find you up early. If 
 it will not be interrupting you, I want to have 
 a quiet talk about our scheme of the cottage 
 hospital." 
 
 " But you don't mean to tell me there is any 
 chance of such a thing, my little witch." 
 
 " Yes, uncle, indeed there is; and I was deter- 
 mined not to tell you about it until we came, 
 though it was very hard to keep such good news 
 secret." 
 
 " Let us hear it with all speed then now. 
 How is it to happen ? Do you possess a fairy 
 wand, to cause such a place to spring up in one 
 night ? " 
 
 " I am not quite so clever as that," said 
 Lilian, laughing. " You must listen patiently,
 
 146 City Sparrows. 
 
 uncle, because it is not fun, but grave, sober 
 earnest, I am going to talk about." 
 
 "All attention then, most noble princess," 
 said the doctor, putting down his pen, and 
 pushing away the books that were lying before 
 him. 
 
 "Well, I told papa what you wanted, and as 
 he had said I might choose a birthday present, 
 I asked him to give me two large cottages that 
 stand together, to do what I liked with." 
 
 " You bold little beggar. And what did he 
 say ? " 
 
 " Why, he couldn't understand it at all at 
 first, and thought I was talking nonsense ; but 
 when I introduced your name he soon consented, 
 only he bargains for no infectious diseases." 
 
 " He shall have his bargain then, for there 
 are many other cases without those, which I 
 should be thankful to place on your list for the 
 convalescent ward. I conclude, as you will have 
 the benefit of two cottages, one side will be for 
 convalescents, and the other for cases of illness 
 from the village." 
 
 " That will be an excellent plan," said Lilian ; 
 " and then we can call it a cottage hospital and 
 convalescent home." 
 
 "Just so," answered the doctor; "and I 
 hope it may be the beginning of a larger house, 
 when we have more funds to add to it. Who is
 
 Cousin Lilian. 147 
 
 to be your secretary, to manage money matters 
 and all such things ? " 
 
 " Mr. and Mrs. Sandford have kindly con- 
 sented to take all that trouble off my hands, and 
 the two doctors will give their services gratui- 
 tously every day ; so I shall only have to go there 
 when I like, to overlook the matron a little, and 
 talk kindly to the poor patients." 
 
 "That will be a pleasant work for you, and 
 will not take you away from your father too 
 much. I should like you to go with me to-day 
 to the hospital, and see some patients I am 
 anxious to send off to the country as soon as the 
 warm weather sets in. I will not take you with 
 me on my first round, because I should be too 
 much occupied to attend to you ; but can you 
 come this afternoon ? " 
 
 " I should like it extremely, uncle dear, and 
 will be ready at any time you like." 
 
 " Very well then, it shall be an engagement 
 for three o'clock. But how very kind of George. 
 I did not much hope for success : only I believe 
 if that coaxing little daughter of his asked him to 
 cut off one of his fingers to please her, he would 
 do it. When will the cottage be ready, think 
 you ?" 
 
 " Not before April, I am afraid, because there 
 is a great deal more to be done than I thought 
 at first would be necessary ; but the workmen
 
 148 City Sparrows. 
 
 are to go in at once, so there will be no time 
 lost." 
 
 " Ah ! well, that will be a nice time of the 
 year for the invalids to get their first peep of the 
 country, and it will be warm enough for them to 
 sit out of doors and enjoy the fresh air. It may 
 be the saving of some of the poor creatures who 
 cannot possibly have pure air in their homes in 
 this densely-populated town. You must put 
 down my name for a 10 donation. There is 
 the bell for prayers and breakfast," said he, 
 cutting short her thanks. " We must break up 
 this little tete-a-tete. God bless you, my child, 
 in your work," said he, leading the way to the 
 dining-room. x7 x "~\ 
 
 The sun shone brilliantly that afternoon as 
 Lilian and her uncle entered the iron gates 
 and went into the hospital. 
 
 " Come this way," he said ; "we will visit the 
 ward to the right first. I want to show you a 
 special protege of mine." 
 
 Lilian thought she had never seen a brighter 
 or tidier room ; the beds arranged on either side 
 looked so neat and comfortable, each covered 
 with a scarlet blanket ; there was a good fire 
 burning at the farther end, near which two or 
 three of the invalid women were sitting ; the 
 sun was streaming in through the long, high
 
 Cousin Lilian. 149 
 
 windows, lighting up the pictures and texts on 
 the walls, and giving golden smiles to gladden 
 the weary hearts of the sufferers. 
 
 Nelly was sitting up in bed in a half reclining 
 posture, busy with the contents of her work- 
 basket, while beside her lay her doll and a book. 
 From the interested expression on the faces of 
 those lying near her, she was evidently telling 
 them something, for they were smiling and 
 watching her ; and so absorbed was she in her 
 occupation, that Dr. Belfield and his niece 
 approached her unobserved. 
 
 " Who is that lovely little girl at the top of 
 the room?" whispered Lilian. " What a darling 
 child!" 
 
 "The very one I brought you to see: we 
 will go over and talk to her. She is the daughter 
 of a good, earnest curate, whom I advised, be- 
 cause of the special case, to avail himself of the 
 aid offered by our hospital. The eldest, a girl of 
 nineteen, teaches our children. You would have 
 met her, only they have holidays for a week, in 
 honour of your coming." 
 
 Nelly heard the well-known voice, and turned 
 her head to look, as the doctor, advancing 
 towards her, said, " I have brought somebody to 
 see you who is so fond of little girls : she will 
 talk to you for awhile, for there is still some 
 work for me to do here. It is a good thing I
 
 150 City Sparrows. 
 
 brought you to-day, Lilian, for if the sun shines 
 as brightly to-morrow, little Nell is going home 
 to be with her brothers and sisters again. She has 
 been away from them for more than ten weeks." 
 
 " Oh ! what a long time," said Lilian, sitting 
 down beside the bed, and taking the small white 
 hand in hers. ''How glad you will be to go home, 
 darling." ~^ 
 
 " Oh, yes, so glad," said the child, with a timid 
 look at the stranger, whose sweet face was win- 
 ning its way to the little heart. 
 
 Lilian possessed the special art of making 
 children at home with her at once ; and before 
 many minutes had elapsed, Nelly was telling 
 her all abcut home and its interests, as if she 
 had known her all her life. 
 
 " I will come and see you again, in your own 
 home," said Lilian, kissing her, as the doctor 
 appeared, to call her away. 
 
 " Good-bye, my child," said he. " You won't 
 hurt to-morrow, I think, well wrapped up, and 
 in a close carriage. We must call you Snow- 
 drop, for this is just the time of the year those 
 little flowers begin to peep out and show them- 
 selves to the world." 
 
 " She is as fair and fragile as a snowdrop," 
 said Lilian, in a low tone, as she followed her 
 uncle to the door. " How I long to transplant 
 her to my pretty cottage hospital."
 
 Cousin Lilian. 151 
 
 " Oh, do not doubt that you will find plenty 
 of cases when the house is ready, and I have 
 my eye on a respectable and capable widow, 
 who would make a first-rate matron, and take 
 entire charge. There is a poor girl," he said, 
 pausing at the door, and looking towards one of 
 the beds, " who has been ill for six months; and 
 when she leaves this, will have to return to a 
 stifling room in a back court, occupied by the 
 whole family. She has actually never seen a 
 bit of real country in her life, having been lame 
 from a baby." 
 
 "Poor girl," said Lilian, pityingly. "What 
 hollow cheeks and large eyes she has."/^" 
 
 " And there is another who I should like also 
 to send : a young widow, whose husband was 
 killed on the line about two months ago. The 
 accident happened just at the time she was re- 
 joicing as a happy mother, in the birth of their 
 first child, an infant of two days old. The 
 fright brought on a serious illness, and when 
 she recovered consciousness, it was to find her 
 baby dead, and herself a desolate widow, too ill 
 to earn a farthing for months to come." 
 
 Dr. Belfield gave these particulars in such a 
 low tone, that none but Lilian heard them, and 
 she left the ward, longing that her little hospital 
 were twelve times as large. 
 
 " We are coming now," said the doctor, " to 
 11*
 
 152 City Sparrows. 
 
 the convalescent male ward, where I want to 
 show you a poor boy whose case will, I think, 
 greatly interest you. His mother died in the 
 hospital before Christmas, from the effects of a 
 terrible accident, leaving two orphan children, 
 a boy and a girl, wholly unprovided for. I have 
 kept him in the hospital longer than was abso- 
 lutely necessaty, but something must be done 
 about his leaving soon, though he is not strong 
 enough for work yet. If your cottage had been 
 ready, I should have installed him as one of its 
 first inmates." 
 
 " What is his name ? " asked Lilian. 
 
 " Harry Warren," answered her uncle. "He 
 is fourteen, but hardly looks as old as that, on 
 account of the severe hardships to which he was 
 exposed before coming in here." 
 
 " Harry Warren 1 I wonder if it is the same ?" 
 continued she. " Oh, uncle ! don't you remem- 
 ber hearing about papa's favourite gardener, who 
 died eight years ago ? " 
 
 " Why, yes, of course I do: but what has this 
 boy to do with him ? " 
 
 " It is the same name, uncle dear. Let me go 
 and speak to him;" and Lilian stepped quickly 
 up to where Harry was sitting, Bible in hand, 
 learning to read. 
 
 What vision of the past came over the boys' 
 mind as he gazed at the new visitor before him?
 
 Cousin Lilian. 153 
 
 Where had he seen that gentle face before ? 
 He could not tell, but it was not a strange one 
 to him. 
 
 " Tell me," she said, looking at him with 
 kindly, beaming eyes, "was your father's name 
 Samuel? " 
 
 " Yes, ma'am." 
 
 "And where was he living when he was 
 taken ill and died?" 
 
 " In a cottage, ma'am, near a large, beautiful 
 house, where gentlefolks lived. He was the 
 gardener there, but I don't mind the name of 
 the gentleman." 
 
 " It is the same, the very same," said Lilian, 
 joyfully turning to her uncle. " How glad 
 papa will be : he was only talking about him 
 the other day. Do you remember me, my 
 boy," she said again, turning to Harry. 
 
 " No yes ma'am," said Harry, as memory 
 struggled to recal the scene that had so often 
 cheered him in his attic, of the little girl in the 
 white frock kneeling beside him. " I remem- 
 ber the little lady, who was kind to me there." 
 
 " But it is such a long time ago, that you 
 have forgotten what I was like," said Lilian, as 
 Harry began to connect her with his day-dream. 
 
 " Would you like to go back to the cottage 
 again, and get more flowers, and learn to be a 
 gardener, like your father ? "
 
 154 C*ty Sparrows. 
 
 But Harry was too weak to bear this sur- 
 prise, and tears began to well into his eyes and 
 course down his cheeks. At last he sobbed out, 
 " Yes, ma'am, please : but may Zetta come 
 too?" 
 
 "Is Zetta the little sister that was born 
 before you left the lodge? Where is she now ?" 
 
 " Miss Millar, Nelly's sister, is kindly taking 
 care of her for the present," interposed the 
 doctor. "You will hear all about them from 
 her, for it was she who first discovered them in 
 their misery, and relieved them." 
 
 " Oh ! I must go to her then, and ask for all 
 particulars. How strange it should all have 
 eome out like this. Good-bye, Harry," she said, 
 as her uncle beckoned her to come away. 
 " Make haste and get well and strong, and 
 think what a capital gardener you will be some 
 day, if you work hard, and are a good, steady 
 boy." 
 
 On returning to her uncle's house, Lilian 
 lost no time in communicating her discovery to 
 her father, whom she found pacing up and down 
 the drawing-room, impatient, as usual, for her 
 return. 
 
 "Papa dear," she began; "you remember 
 the other day, when we were riding home from 
 Holly Hurst Mill, your talking to me about poor 
 Samuel Warren, who died eight years ago?"
 
 Cousin Lilian. 155 
 
 " Yes, I recollect," said the squire. " But 
 what of that ? " 
 
 " Why, papa, you wondered what had become 
 of his son ; and I have found him in the hos- 
 pital. He has been there for some time, and he 
 and his sister are orphans, for their mother is 
 dead. I recognised the name directly." And 
 Lilian never rested until she had persuaded 
 her father into having the boy down to the 
 lodge. 
 
 " You know, papa," she pleaded, " the head 
 gardener and his wife have no children. She 
 is such a nice, kind woman, that I'm sure she 
 will like Harry to live with them, if we give 
 him enough wages to pay for his board." 
 
 " Well, have it your own way, Lilian, only 
 don't bother me about your foundlings," said 
 her father, laughing. " I believe, if you could, 
 you would transport a whole kingdom of poor to 
 Hatherleigh Hall. I foresee I shall be obliged 
 to put on the drag, if it goes on at this rate. 
 However, I shall be glad to see that boy again, 
 for his father's sake, and it is a good riddance 
 the woman is out of the way." 
 
 " Hush ! dear George," said his sister-in-law. 
 "She died repentant, and is beyond man's 
 judgment now." /2^^ \
 
 WELCOME HOME. 
 
 IT is an April morning, clear and fresh; birds 
 are twittering on the thatch, and there is a soft 
 brown nest built beneath the eaves ; the sun is 
 wrapping the earth in a golden morning mist ; 
 myriads of dewdrops gem the grass, while an 
 early breeze stirs the branches, now clothed in 
 the first freshness of their spring resurrection 
 beauty. 
 
 Harry is still asleep, but his ear catches the 
 rural sounds : the babble of the brook hard by, 
 the rustling trees, and the birds' sweet song of 
 satisfaction. He dreams he is back again in 
 the old garret, but the skylight with its stuffed 
 and broken panes is no longer there, and some- 
 how there is nothing between him and the blue 
 sky, as the sparrows fly in and out. Heaven 
 seems very near, and he thinks he hears an 
 angel-song, but as he listens for the words, he
 
 Welcome Home. 157 
 
 awakes to find the music is the chiming of the 
 village bells, telling him it is Sunday. 
 
 The attic walls vanish with the dream, and 
 he is in his own little room in the old home, the 
 very room where his father had so often laid his- 
 hand in hlessing on the head of his sleeping 
 child, praying that he might be trained to walk 
 in God's holy fear and love. The sight of the 
 familiar surroundings recalls a scene to Harry's- 
 mind he had well-nigh forgotten, how one night 
 he had wakened to see his father kneeling beside 
 him, while deep, heartrending sobs broke the 
 stillness of the night. The child was too fright- 
 ened to speak, so closed his eyes again, and did 
 not stir until his father had risen up and gone- 
 out, but that scene could never be wholly effaced 
 from his memory. 
 
 It is still early, but Harry rises, and dressing 
 himself in the neat suit of Sunday clothes the 
 squire had given him on his arrival, a few days, 
 ago, goes forth to seek the spots he had so often 
 tried to recall when living far away from them' 
 in hunger and poverty. The broad gravel path 
 in the kitchen-garden looks just the same as 
 when he had stood beside his father's wheel- 
 barrow; and there are the sunny swards where 
 he used to sit, stringing daisies on the grass, 
 and the little lady had knelt beside him. 
 
 Memory's scrap-book is turned over and over,
 
 158 City Sparrows. 
 
 and when, later in the morning, the bells ring to 
 summon the worshippers to prayer, and he enters 
 the lych-gate where he last remembered his 
 father holding his hand, and once more finds 
 himself inside the dear old church, the boy 
 hides his face in his hands, to conceal the tears 
 that will flow unbidden. 
 
 The villagers flock into their seats, the squire 
 and his daughter enter, and the service com- 
 mences. Harry joins with heart and soul in 
 all the prayers, and how real the thanksgiving 
 sounds to him when the minister, after stating 
 that " Harry Warren desires to return humble 
 and hearty thanks to Almighty God, for his 
 recovery from a long illness in St. Peter's Hos- 
 pital," begins the prayer 
 
 " Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we 
 Thine unworthy servants do give Thee most 
 humble and hearty thanks for all Thy good- 
 ness and loving-kindness to us, and to all 
 men [particularly to him who desires now to 
 offer up his praises and thanksgivings for Thy 
 late mercies vouchsafed to him] . We bless 
 Thee for our creation, preservation, and all the 
 blessings of this life ; but above all, for Thine 
 inestimable love in the redemption of the world 
 by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of 
 grace, and for the hope of glory. And we 
 beseech Thee, give us that due sense of all Thy
 
 HARRY AT HIS FATHER S GRAVE.
 
 Welcome Home. 159 
 
 mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly 
 thankful, and that \ve show forth Thy praise, 
 not only with our lips, but in our lives; by 
 giving up ourselves to Thy service, and by 
 walking before Thee in holiness and righteous- 
 ness all our days ; through Jesus Christ our 
 Lord, to whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost 
 be all honour and glory, world without end. 
 Amen." 
 
 Before leaving the churchyard, Harry crept 
 round to a sheltered spot beneath the trees, to 
 look for his father's grave. The neat grey 
 headstone erected by his master was easily 
 found, and grasses waved pleasantly upon the 
 turf-covered mound. Harry spelt out the in- 
 
 cription. 
 
 $it 3JTnn0rjj of 
 
 SAMUEL WARREN, 
 
 FOIi 30 YEARS THE VALUED AND RESPECTED SERVANT OF GEORGE LESLIE, 
 ESQUIRE, OF HATIIERLEIGH HALL, FERNSHIRE, 
 
 WHO DIED APRIL 2, i860. 
 AGED 47. 
 
 "Leave thy fatherless children; I will preserve Hum alive." 
 Jer. xlix. n. 
 
 " How good our Father in heaven has been 
 to us both," thought he, as he knelt down 
 beside the grave. " I must bring Zetta here 
 when she comes, but three weeks is a long time 
 to wait, and she can't write me a letter yet." 
 
 But Harry was so happy in his new life, and
 
 160 City Sparrows. 
 
 anxious by degrees to get into regular work in 
 the garden, that the weeks soon sped away as 
 he gained strength with their flight, and April 
 was bordering close upon May, when one bright 
 day of alternate sunshine and showers, Lilian 
 Leslie might have been seen taking the short 
 cut through the rich meadow-lands surrounding 
 the Hall, leading towards the cottage hospital, 
 which now stood awaiting in perfect order and 
 freshness the arrival of its new occupants, and 
 looking like a snug nest half hidden among its 
 embosoming trees. 
 
 Mrs. Howard, the kind-looking matron, is 
 already installed in her office, and hastens 
 through the little garden to open the gate for 
 Lilian. 
 
 "Good afternoon, Miss; I've been hoping 
 you would step down and see how comfortable 
 'tis all looking. And I've got the kettles on, so 
 the young ladies can have a cup of tea directly 
 they arrive." 
 
 " Yes ; it is all very nice indeed," said Lilian, 
 looking round pleased to find all her plans had 
 been carefully carried out ; " and, Mrs. Howard, 
 you understand I wish Miss Millar and her in- 
 valid sister to have this sitting-room and bed- 
 room entirely to themselves. I mean to keep 
 this corner of the cottage for the use of invalid 
 ladies who cannot afford to pay for change of
 
 V/elcomc Home. 161 
 
 air to the country; and since papa has had those 
 four extra rooms and large kitchen added to the 
 other side, there will be plenty of room for the 
 rest of the patients, who are not to arrive 
 until next week, so that you will be able to 
 settle in a bit first." 
 
 " Oh, yes, ma'am ; and I shall have my little 
 maid to help me in my work. I always liked 
 the look of that child when she used to come 
 and see her brother in the hospital : she was so 
 civil-spoken and modest." 
 
 " Miss Millar tells me," answered Lilian, 
 " that she is the most thoughtful, dependable 
 child imaginable, and such a capital little nurse. 
 They will miss her dreadfully when they go 
 home, but it will be best for many reasons that 
 Zetta should settle in steadily here under your 
 training, and it will be pleasant for her to live 
 close to her brother. I did not like separating 
 them entirely." 
 
 " She will be very happy here, Miss, I am 
 sure ; but won't you please step upstairs, and 
 see how cheerful the rooms look ? " 
 
 Lilian could not resist this suggestion, and 
 wished her uncle could have been with her to 
 share the pleasure she felt in seeing the clean 
 and white floors and walls, the neat little iron 
 beds with their spotless coverings, and the rest 
 of the furniture corresponding in its simpli;ity.
 
 163 City Sparrows. 
 
 While thus engaged, a sound of wheels was 
 heard, and looking out of the casement, a fly 
 was seen ascending the hill, with Zetta seated 
 beside the driver, and luggage on the top. 
 
 Lilian hastened down to welcome the travel- 
 lers, and assisted Margaret to lift the fragile 
 little Nelly from the carriage and carry her into 
 the pretty parlour, where they laid her on a 
 small but comfortable sofa to rest. 
 
 She looked pale and exhausted, but Margaret 
 said she had borne the journey much better than 
 could have been expected. 
 
 " And just see," she added, " how kind and 
 thoughtful dear Mrs. Page has been ; " and she 
 pointed to a long wheel basket-carriage, with a 
 contrivance in it to lengthen the seat and trans- 
 form it into a reclining couch, if the child was 
 too weak to bear the motion sitting up. 
 
 " It only arrived this morning, just as we were 
 starting for the station. Wasn't it kind of the 
 dear old lady ? We shall be able to take Nelly 
 about anywhere in this." 
 
 " How charming! " said Lilian. " I never saw 
 one like it before : and the pretty blue cushions 
 make it so complete. When Harry gets stronger 
 he can be your pony. It looks so tempting, 
 I should enjoy a ride in it myself." 
 
 " Well, Zetta, how do you like coming to 
 the country ? " she added, turning to the child,
 
 Welcome Home. 163 
 
 who certainly did credit to Margaret and Hester 
 by her neat appearance and fresh healthy look. 
 
 "Oh, ma'am! I never saw such a beautiful 
 place in all my life," answered Zetta, gazing 
 in admiration on the cottage and its surround- 
 ings. 
 
 " Didn't you ? " said Lilian, laughing. " Well, 
 you must make haste and have your tea, and 
 go and talk to Harry about it: he has plenty 
 to tell and to show you." 
 
 Then turning to Margaret, she added, " I am 
 sorry to say I must leave you now, for it is time 
 for me to go home and dress for dinner. I hope 
 you will be very happy, and enjoy your holidays 
 in this rustic place, and that we shall meet very 
 often here and at the Hall. I must just run in 
 and say ' good-bye ' to my little Snowdrop." 
 
 The table in the tiny sitting-room looked most 
 inviting, covered with a snowy cloth, and cups 
 and saucers, a glass dish of cream from Hather- 
 leigh dairy, and some home-baked bread. A 
 pretty vase of flowers, tastefully arranged by 
 Lilian, in the centre, gave a finishing touch to 
 the whole, and made it look home-like ; and our 
 travellers lost no time in sitting down to the 
 tempting meal after their long journey. 
 
 As soon as it was over, and they were some- 
 what rested, Margaret lifted Nelly into the 
 wheel -carriage and drew her a short distance
 
 164 City Sparrows. 
 
 beyond the cottage, where she could look 
 through the branching wood to the river and 
 hills beyond. The child's delight knew no 
 bounds, and she was continually directing 
 Margaret's attention to some newly-discovered 
 beauty. 4 
 
 " Listen, Margaret," she cried, after watch- 
 ing in silence for some minutes the ceaseless 
 flow of the water; " listen ! The river is sing- 
 ing such a pretty song to the flowers ; it is say- 
 ing, ' Hush ! hush ! go to sleep,' and the wind is 
 rocking them so gently. How I wish I could 
 run about and get some of the pretty primroses 
 in that dear little wood ; " and the sigh that fol- 
 lowed the words made Margaret step behind 
 the child to hide the foolish tears that would 
 come whenever that wistful look crossed Nelly's 
 face ; but bending over to kiss her, she answered 
 cheerfully 
 
 " Some day, I hope. But think, Nelly, how 
 long the primroses and violets have had to wait 
 before they could open their eyes and smile from 
 their green leaves. This is a bright spring time 
 for us, Nelly, and we must thank our Father in 
 heaven for it with all its blessings." 
 
 And Margaret trembled to think how nearly 
 her precious flower had been transplanted to 
 bloom in the King's own garden above. 
 
 There had been a shower while they w y ere
 
 Welcome Home. 165 
 
 in the house, and now the sun was sending 
 his beams down aslant to fetch the truant rain- 
 drops back. 
 
 " Oh ! " said Nelly, stretching out both little 
 arms towards the radiant beam of light. " Look 
 Margaret ! there is the angels' ladder ! It must 
 be like the one you were telling me about on 
 Sunday, that Jacob saw in his dream. We 
 could climb straight up into heaven, if only 
 there were steps cut in it." 
 
 " My darling, we are climbing a ladder more 
 real than that one, and it reaches up into the 
 happy land where Jesus and the angels dwell; 
 but the top of it is hidden from us, and we may 
 only see the steps one by one as the clouds roll 
 back. That means we have only one day given 
 to us at a time, but it ought to be a golden stair 
 on which to mount upwards. We do not know 
 how many more of these steps there are to 
 climb before we reach the top, but the Lord 
 Jesus is leading us, and His holy angels are 
 ascending and descending to watch over and 
 guard us from evil until we reach our rest above. 
 It is called ' the narrow way that leadeth unto 
 life.' " 
 
 Nelly caught the meaning of the words, and 
 her eyes rested with a rapt expression on the 
 sunbeams ; and Margaret, fearful of disturbing 
 that peaceful calm, watched her in silence,
 
 166 City Sparrows. 
 
 while the words were whispered to her own soul, 
 "We may rise to the life immortal through 
 Him who liveth and reigneth with Thee and 
 the Holy Ghost." And as the two sisters to- 
 gether watched the sun fast hasting to his rest, 
 a holy evening peace descended on the heart 
 of the little child in her suffering weakness, and 
 upon the brave self-sacrificing one who as a 
 guardian angel stood beside her. 
 
 Zetta has wandered off to be with Harry, 
 and he hastens across the meadows to meet her 
 as she runs towards him. 
 
 " Come,Zetta," he said, joyfully, " and I will 
 show you all the places I used to tell you about 
 when we lived in a garret." 
 
 And as he leads her to all his favourite 
 haunts, he feels as if he were the happy child 
 again of eight years ago. 
 
 " Look! " said he, pointing to the path across 
 the field to the lodge ; " that was where I first 
 learnt about God: father used to carry me home 
 that way on his shoulder when he had done his 
 work, and he would point to the sky, and tell 
 me the God who loves little children lives up 
 there." 
 
 The boy and girl stand still to listen to the 
 rush of the river as it tumbles through the 
 valley ; the birds are twittering faintly, and 
 spring scents pervade the air. Beyond the
 
 Welcome Home. 
 
 167 
 
 belt of pines stretch the great blue hills, behind 
 which the sun is sinking in red and gold. Zetta 
 slips her hand into Harry's, and draws closer 
 to him, as, awed by the grandeur of the scene, 
 a sudden silence falls upon them both. 
 
 " Those must be the golden gates, Zetta.," 
 said Harry, softly; "and father went through 
 them." 
 
 " And mother, too," whispered Zetta, as she 
 laid her head on Harry's shoulder : " they are 
 together now.'
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 MAY DAYS. 
 
 THE sunbeams dance across the latticed panes 
 of the cottage hospital, casting fantastic shadows 
 from the elm trees on the whitewashed wall of 
 the room where the sisters are lying. 
 
 Margaret has been awake some time, but 
 little Nelly, exhausted with her journey, still 
 sleeps ; and her sister, fearful of disturbing her, 
 is glad to lie quietly thinking of the rest and 
 beauty by which she is surrounded. 
 
 Pleasant country sounds fall on her ear, 
 mingling with the full, glad rush of flowing 
 water, and a blackbird is making merry on a 
 bough close by, uttering deep, sweet trills of 
 melody. " A morning song, set to the music 
 of the river," thought Margaret. It was like a 
 strange, sweet dream, to find herself there, re- 
 minding her of the chamber called Peace in the 
 House Beautiful, where Pilgrim was laid to 
 sleep. And as her eye wanders round the room,
 
 . May Days. 169 
 
 it rests on the illuminated text framed and hung 
 opposite the bed : " Peace I leave with you, My 
 peace I give unto you : not as the world giveth, 
 give I unto you. Let not your heart be trou- 
 bled, neither let it be afraid." 
 
 Nelly stirs, and in another moment soft little 
 arms are about her neck, and the child utters a 
 glad cry at sight of the blue sky and waving 
 branches. 
 
 " Good-morning, my darling. What a nice 
 sound sleep you have had." 
 
 "Yes, Maggie, and wasn't it funny? I was 
 dreaming about the pretty wood we saw last 
 evening, and there was such a lovely bird flying 
 about, with green and gold feathers. Bertie was 
 with me, and we tried to catch it, but it always 
 hopped away, singing all the time ; and then I 
 woke, and found it was the birds outside our 
 window. Hark ! what is that sound, like bells 
 tinkling?" 
 
 Margaret rose to open the lattice, securing it 
 against the wall of the cottage by a hook which 
 found its fastening among the ivy. As she did 
 so the soft west wind fanned her cheek, and the 
 sweet breath of hawthorn and other honied 
 flowers filled the room. 
 
 " Oh, look, Margaret! The roses are trying 
 lo climb right into the window. What a beau- 
 tiful cluster there is close to your hand."
 
 170 City Sparrows. 
 
 " Would you like to have one, Nelly ? Wait 
 a moment, dear ; I will carry you over, and you 
 shall gather it for yourself. See," she said, 
 holding her in her arms, " there are the cows, 
 , with Swiss bells hung from their necks. They 
 have been to the farm to be milked, and now 
 the boy is driving them back to the fresh green 
 meadows, where they will lie among buttercups 
 and daisies, under the shady trees, until the 
 evening. We will go and see them milked 
 by-and-by, and you shall take your cup to be 
 filled with frothy new milk." 
 
 " Oh, how nice ! " said the child, clasping her 
 thin white hands together. " Do please make 
 haste, Margaret, and dress me." 
 
 And the sparkle of joy that came into those 
 dear young eyes, that had so often closed in 
 tearful pain, revived fresh hope in the sister's 
 heart, kindling a flame of love and gratitude as 
 the prayer ascended far above the blue, cloud- 
 flecked sky : " O God, the strength of all them 
 that put their trust in Thee." 
 
 Breakfast over, and Margaret having just 
 finished reading aloud the morning psalm, a 
 timid knock is heard at the door, and Zetta 
 enters, in neat print gown, white apron, and 
 cap. 
 
 " If you please, ma'am, Harry's here, and 
 wants to know how soon you would like him to
 
 May Days. 171 
 
 come and draw Miss Nelly's carriage. Miss 
 Leslie told him to come." 
 
 " I don't think \ve will go far to-day," said 
 Margaret, rising and beckoning Harry to come 
 to the window and speak to her. " My little 
 sister is tired after her journey, but if you will 
 wait a few minutes we will get ready, and you 
 shall take her down to the little wood, where 
 we can sit in the shade and enjoy the fresh air. 
 Would you like that, Nelly?" 
 
 " Oh, yes, Maggie dear; do let us go now." 
 
 So Nelly's soft, white, quilted hat was soon 
 tied on, and shawls, books, and work were put 
 with her into the carriage. 
 
 " I will take pen and ink as well," said Mar- 
 garet, "and then I can write to papa. They 
 will be looking out for a letter to-morrow. And 
 please, Mrs. Howard, if Miss Leslie comes 
 down from the Hall, tell her where she will 
 find us." 
 
 " Yes, miss, surely," answered the kind ma- 
 tron, carefully arranging the cushions for the 
 sick child, and tucking in the shawl that 
 covered her. 
 
 The spot selected for the summer parlour was 
 a choice one. It was among some huge lichen- 
 covered boulders, where the trees arched greenly 
 overhead, and the mossy carpet was spangled 
 with spring flowers. It sloped down towards
 
 172 City Sparrows. 
 
 a sandy reach opening on the river, which 
 tossed its tiny wavelets over brown stones 
 guarding deep amber pools, where speckled 
 trout would hide and leap. 
 
 Harry drew the carriage carefully to a level 
 and sheltered spot, and said he would be near 
 at hand, " if little Miss would like to go 
 further." 
 
 Nelly was soon deep in one of the pretty 
 story books that Lilian's thoughtful care had 
 provided for the cottage library, and Margaret's 
 home letter rilled three sheets in no time, so 
 full was her heart to express its overflowing 
 gladness. " I wish you could see our darling's 
 bright eyes and happy face, dear papa," she 
 was writing, when the joyous bark of a dog 
 and a merry laugh made her pause and look up, 
 to see Lilian's white dress appearing in the 
 vista of green. Romp reaches the encamp- 
 ment long before his mistress, and instantly 
 commences sniffing round the strangers, as if to 
 ask, "Where do you come from?" But he is 
 a friendly fellow, and giving Nelly's fearlessly 
 outstretched hand a gentle lick, he rushes off 
 again, whisking his tail, to meet Lilian, and 
 assure her with his golden eyes that it is all 
 right. 
 
 " Be quiet, Romp ! Down with you, you rude 
 dog !" said Lilian, as her loving kiss on Nelly's
 
 May Days. 173 
 
 cheek awakens a feeling of jealousy in his 
 c nine breast. " Don't mind him, Nelly, he 
 never hurts any one. Oh ! what a charming 
 place you have chosen, Margaret. I wonder I 
 never thought of ensconcing myself here with 
 my books, when I wished a quiet retreat. You 
 must have a picnic here, and invite me to it, 
 some day." 
 
 "That would be delightful," replied Margaret. 
 " I hope yqu--will join us here whenever you 
 can." /^ 
 
 Lilian soon found what she called a " rock- 
 sofa," and seated herself near Margaret, with 
 Romp stretched full length at her feet. 
 
 " What is that book lying there, Margaret?" 
 
 " Oh, it is a volume of Hans Andersen's. I 
 translate them for Nelly's benefit when I read 
 aloud to her." 
 
 " You know German, then. Oh, I should 
 like to learn it so much : the governess I had 
 could not teach it." 
 
 " I shall be delighted to give you a lesson 
 whenever you like," said Margaret, glad to lind 
 there was anything by which she could prove 
 how grateful she was for Lilian's kindness. 
 
 "Will you, Margaret : how very kind! If you 
 are not busy, let us b^gin at once." 
 
 " Certainly, with all my heart. But see, 
 Nelly's book has dropped from her fingers, and
 
 174 City Sparrows. 
 
 she is sound asleep. I will carry her into the 
 cottage, and lay her on the bed first. I don't 
 think it would wake her, and I should be afraid 
 to let her sleep in the open air." 
 
 "Dear -little thing," said Lilian. "How 
 white and waxen she looks." 
 
 Margaret soon returned, but there was not 
 much German done that day. They drifted off 
 into long talks concerning the past, each finding 
 in the other what both had so often longed for 
 a congenial friend. 
 
 How soon is the right chord struck between 
 those whose hearts are in unison about the 
 higher life. They may be widely separated by 
 -temporal circumstances, rank, wealth, or out- 
 ward distinctions, yet it is instinctively felt that 
 they belong to the same Father, the same Elder 
 Brother " of whom the whole family in heaven 
 and earth is named;" and no friendship in this 
 world of chance and change which lacks this 
 foundation can be sealed with Christ's " for 
 ever and ever." 
 
 Long and happy were those bright May-days 
 spent in closest companionship with the youth- 
 ful mistress of Hatherleigh Hall ; and as Nelly 
 gradually grew stronger, long rambles were 
 undertaken in the beautiful lanes in the vicinity 
 of the cottage, and it was Harry's greatest 
 pleasure to draw the basket carriage, and climb
 
 May Days. 175 
 
 hedges and gates to find floral treasures for the 
 fragile little child who would not be able for 
 many a long day to gather them for herself. 
 Margaret used often to talk to him as he walked 
 beside her, seeking to train his soul for progress 
 in the Divine life, and awakening a deeper love 
 in his heart for the dear Saviour he had so long 
 sought ; and his simple faith led his teacher to 
 cast her soul more entirely on the One who has 
 promised never to leave or forsake those who 
 trust in Him. 
 
 Margaret's character deepened and developed 
 the more she saw of Lilian. It was the '' iron 
 sharpening iron " that she needed, and found in 
 this new friend. For hitherto Margaret's life 
 had been so full of responsibility, anxiety, and 
 care, that it disposed her to a morbid sensitive- 
 ness, which was gradually crushing out the joy 
 which ought to be linked with Christian faith. 
 Lilian's bright earnestness and sunny nature 
 just gave the counteracting touch that was 
 wanted, and Margaret's deep trustfulness and 
 pure truthful affection caused Lilian to lean 
 upon her as indeed a sister-friend. It was a 
 labour of love they shared together, as the 
 \vards gradually filled with patients, to assist 
 in ministering to their needs, and brighten their 
 lives by carrying the message that should uplift 
 their weary hearts towards a rest yet more
 
 176 City Sparrows. 
 
 peaceful and abiding. And how intense the joy 
 to Lilian to watch the glow of health return to 
 wan faces, and see them awaken to beauties 
 they had never even dreamt of in their close 
 and miserable dwellings ; and above all to feel 
 she had been allowed to help in forwarding 
 such a great and noble work, and be an honoured 
 instrument in God's hand for carrying out His 
 purposes of love towards those whom sickness 
 had left exhausted and forlorn. 
 
 It was a sad morning when the letter came, 
 summoning Margaret back to home duties, for 
 the month's holiday had passed all too quickly. 
 Nelly was better, but still unable to walk, and 
 Margaret's heart was sad at the thought of 
 taking her away from the country just when it 
 was doing her so much good. This was the 
 trouble which Lilian made her confess as the 
 open letter lay before her. 
 
 " But," said Lilian, " of course you will not 
 take Nelly away yet, though I quite see you 
 must go yourself. Papa says, if you will trust 
 her to our care, I may have her at the Hall 
 until she gets quite well. ., He is so fond of her, 
 Margaret ; she has quite won his heart by her 
 pretty ways. Do you know, I saw his eyes fill 
 with tears the other day as she put up her 
 mouth to kiss him for bringing her flowers. Do 
 let us have her : we will take such care of her."
 
 May Days. 177 
 
 " Oh, how kind and good you are," said 
 Margaret, though not without a pang at her 
 heart at the thought of leaving her precious 
 little treasure behind. " I cannot bear to part 
 from her, but I know she could not be in better 
 hands." 
 
 " Thank you, Margaret," cried Lilian, joy- 
 ously, and kissing her gratefully, as though 
 receiving instead of conferring the benefit. " It 
 is so good of you to trust me with the dear little 
 pet. There is Harry bringing her to meet us 
 in her basket-carriage. Let us go and tell her 
 about it." 
 
 A few tears followed the announcement of 
 Margaret's departure ; but the child was soon 
 reconciled to remaining with Lilian, whom by 
 this time she had grown so accustomed to, and 
 loved with all her heart. 
 
 So when the June roses began to blow, and 
 the clematis opened its starry blossoms, Mar- 
 garet said good-bye to Hatherleigh, her last sight 
 of Nelly being in the squire's arms, waving her 
 adieu as the train moved slowly off.
 
 WHAT THE BIRDS WOULD TELL US. 
 
 Is the story finished ? 
 
 Yes, I have little more to tell my readers. 
 
 Do they want to know if Nelly ever grew well 
 and strong again, and whether Harry and Zetta 
 are still living near each other ? 
 
 They had better put on a pair of wings and 
 fly to Hatherleigh, where the little birds will 
 tell them (if they understand their language) 
 that the rose-sprays, blushing and climbing 
 round their nests, are not brighter than the 
 bloom is now on Nelly's cheek, as she flits to 
 and fro among the flowers and grasses, a happy, 
 healthy child again. 
 
 Lilian still calls her "Little Snowdrop," 
 though she has no longer a right to the name, 
 and says she cannot possibly do without her; so 
 Hatherleigh Hall has become a second home to 
 the child, who spends many months at a time 
 there, and as she always droops in the atmo-
 
 What the Birds would tell us. 179 
 
 sphere of town, papa and Margaret are well 
 pleased to spare her. 
 
 She has no need for the invalid-carriage, 
 and it is left gratefully for the use of the 
 other patients in the cottage-hospital, to some 
 of whom it is the greatest boon. 
 
 The hospital itself has greatly increased in 
 dimensions, for subscriptions having flowed in 
 freely from the neighbourhood and county round, 
 a large wing, containing two long wards, has 
 been added, and many a sick one has had reason 
 to bless God for the . squire's bountiful birthday 
 gift to his daughter. 
 
 Alice Millar has found her vocation in minis- 
 tering to the invalids there, her heart having 
 been drawn to the work from love and gratitude 
 to her Heavenly Father, who had so mercifully 
 blessed the means, and given back their own dear 
 little Nell. She found herself among the few in 
 this world who, without neglecting the path of 
 duty, may be exempted from home cares, and free 
 to devote the energy of their youth to outside 
 work. She went through a careful training, 
 which thoroughly fitted her for the responsi- 
 bilities of lady-superintendent to Lilian's cot- 
 tage hospital. Her first visit to Hatherlcigh 
 showed her how urgently more help was 
 needed, and of course doubly required as the 
 building grew in size.
 
 i8o City Sparrows. 
 
 Bright, active Lotta proved herself quite 
 capable of becoming Margaret's assistant at 
 home in housekeeping duties and the charge 
 of her brothers; and each sister in her separate 
 sphere is seeking how she can best glorify God, 
 who Himself chooses the portion of the vineyard 
 which His children are called to occupy. 
 
 Would that there were a cottage-hospital es- 
 tablished near every country town. If others 
 would give likewise out of their abundance, how 
 many of those fainting by the way from sickness 
 and suffering would be enabled to regain their 
 health in fresh, pure country air. 
 
 Of course it is only the few who are privileged 
 by circumstances and means to carry out such 
 a great and glorious work as the building of a 
 hospital, but all may assist by trying to help 
 those who are thus engaged in this the Heavenly 
 Master's own work. 
 
 And let none think this a work of mere 
 secondary importance. The Lord who came to 
 give His life a ransom for many, never thought 
 it beneath Him to stay His steps and relieve the 
 bodily wants of those around ; and if we would 
 follow in His footprints, let us in our little 
 measure feed the hungry and relieve the sick, 
 pointing, as we do so, to the One who can meet 
 every want, and remembering His blessed words, 
 " Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
 
 What the Birds would tell us. 181 
 
 least of these my brethren, ye have done it 
 unto Me." 
 
 Whene'er ye see them weary on the way, 
 Athirst, or fainting, then remember Me; 
 
 Think then thou hearest Me, the Master, say, 
 Give Me to drink, this boon I crave of thee. 
 
 But to return to our characters. 
 
 Harry and Zetta are growing up in happiness 
 and comfort in their separate homes, learning to 
 lead good and useful lives; and when they walk 
 across the fields to meet each other of an evening 
 after their work is done, they often talk of the 
 loving care of their Heavenly Father, without 
 whom even a sparrow cannot fall to the ground. 
 
 The puny, delicate boy has shot up into a 
 stalwart youth, full of health and strength for 
 active service, and his steady conduct has made 
 him a most valuable worker on the estate. His 
 intelligence and respectful manners have won 
 for him the confidence and esteem of the old 
 Squire. 
 
 " That boy is a chip of the old block, a true 
 son of his father," he would often say to Lilian, 
 when relating some little incident in which 
 Harry had shown forethought and interest for 
 his master. " I am glad poor Warren's lad has 
 turned out so well."yx~~ 
 
 Zetta., too, has fulfilled the promise of her 
 childhood by growing into girlhood a truly 
 13
 
 1 82 City Sparrows. 
 
 Christian character. No hand is more tender 
 than hers in dressing wounds, applying ban- 
 dages, or arranging the various comforts an 
 invalid requires ; and though the matron has 
 sometimes occasion to say, when directions are 
 forgotten, " One must not expect to find old 
 heads upon young shoulders," still the general 
 opinion is that Zetta is thoughtful beyond her 
 years, and will in time make a first-rate hos- 
 pital nurse. 
 
 If the wings will carry my readers a little 
 farther, let them fly on to the town where 
 Mr. Millar and Margaret live. 
 
 They will find him still labouring on for God 
 in his over-crowded parish, but the look of 
 anxiety and care has passed fr.om his brow, for 
 good Mrs. Page, who now rests beside her 
 husband and little boy, has left a bequest of 
 "200 a year to be added to his stipend, in 
 grateful remembrance of his ministrations as 
 a pastor, which enables him to live in compara- 
 tive ease and comfort. 
 
 Margaret still continues her teaching at the 
 Belfields', for they all say they cannot spare her, 
 and she is treated by them as a dear and valued 
 friend, and always makes one of the party when 
 her pupils visit Hatherleigh.
 
 What the Birds would tell us. 183 
 
 And so disappear from our view the City 
 Sparrows the poor waifs and strays with whom 
 our story commenced and the kind friends who, 
 under the Divine Friend, cared for and suc- 
 coured them. Without Him " not a sparrow 
 falleth to the ground," and the poorest and 
 meanest of His children is of " more value than 
 many sparrows." From His throne of glory 
 He bends a pitying eye upon the sufferers of 
 earth. From that throne He sent down His 
 Son to die, as the proof and manifestation of His 
 fatherly love. To seek and save the lost, the 
 Good Shepherd gave His life, that by His death 
 they might live. And still He sends forth His 
 servants, that in the Saviour's name they may 
 clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and bring 
 to everlasting life those ready to perish, /ps 
 
 In this noble and blessed work, even the 
 youngest may take a part. He who said, " Suffer 
 the little children to come unto Me, and for- 
 bid them not, for of such is the kingdom of 
 Heaven;" said, too, " Out of the mouths of 
 babes and sucklings He ordained strength." 
 Even the little ones may share in the un- 
 speakable honour of being " workers together 
 with God." Even the poor may be enabled to 
 dispense "the unsearchable riches of Christ." 
 Even the ignorant may, by the aid of the Holy 
 Spirit, make others " wise unto salvation."
 
 184 City Sparrows. 
 
 Even the angels of Heaven can engage in no 
 higher and nobler work than that to which the 
 frail and erring children of men are invited. 
 
 If you have not gold and silver 
 
 Ever ready at command ; 
 If you cannot to the needy 
 
 Reach an ever open hand; 
 You can visit the afflicted, 
 
 O'er the erring you can weep ; 
 You can be a true disciple 
 
 Sitting at the Saviours feet. 
 
 If you cannot in the harvest 
 
 Garner up the richest sheaves, 
 Many a grain both ripe and golden 
 
 Will the careless reapers leave ; 
 Go and glean among the briers, 
 
 Growing rank against the wall, 
 For it may be that their shadow 
 
 Hides the heaviest wheat of all. 
 
 Do not then stand idly waiting 
 
 For some greater work to do ; 
 Oh, improve each passing moment, 
 
 For these moments may be few. 
 Go and toil in any vineyard, 
 
 Do not fear to do or dare ; 
 If you want a field for labour, 
 
 You can find it anywhere. 
 
 It is but very little that we can do for Him 
 who has done all for us. May each one of us 
 do that little sincerely and prayerfully, so that 
 at last, by His boundless grace, we may hear 
 Him say: "Well done, good and faithful
 
 What the Birds would tell us. 185 
 
 servants, ye have been faithful in a few things, 
 I will make you rulers over many things : enter 
 ye into the joy of your Lord." 
 
 My readers, you will, I trust, indeed put on 
 the wings of Faith and Charity, and be enrolled 
 among the number of earth's angels, for 
 
 A sacred burden is the life ye bear, 
 Look on it, lift it, bear it solemnly, 
 Stand up and walk beneath it steadfastly ; 
 Fail not for sorrow, falter not for sin, 
 But onward, upward, till the goal ye win. 
 God guard ye, and God guide ye on your way, 
 Young pilgrim warriors who set forth to-day. 
 
 The great thing is to see to it that your 
 motives are right and pure. It is not what 
 we do, but how we do it, that God regards. 
 " She hath done what she could," was our 
 Lord's benediction upon the woman who knelt 
 at His feet. There is a wise old saying, " If 
 you cannot do a kind deed, speak a kind word ; 
 if you cannot speak a kind word, think a kind 
 thought." If you lack wisdom to put your 
 kind thoughts into practice, " ask of God, who 
 giveth unto all men liberally and upbraideth 
 not." The Apostle John, in his epistle, writing 
 to " little children," says, " But ye have an 
 unction from the Holy One, and ye know all 
 things." It is this anointing of the Holy 
 Spirit which makes us strong and wise, holy
 
 i86 City Sparrows. 
 
 and happy, useful to others, and truly blessed 
 in ourselves. 
 
 God grant, then, that you may be richly en- 
 dowed with this holy anointing oil, and then, 
 for Christ's sake, your feet will often stand 
 within the homes of sadness and suffering, 
 smoothing the sick one's pillow, and ministering 
 comfort and consolation to those in need ; 
 assisting the heavy-laden to bear their burdens; 
 turning aside little feet from the thorns that 
 would prick them, and helping to lead each one 
 to their eternal home in the golden city, where 
 God shall wipe away the tears from all eyes, 
 and where there shall be no more death.
 
 PUBLICATIONS 
 
 TRACT SOCIETY. 
 
 TEXTS, PICTURES, AND BOOKS FOR HOSPITALS. 
 
 // is believed that a great deal of good may be done 
 by gifts of Texts, Books, and Pictures to Hospitals, where 
 tJie time often passes wearily. The following are recom- 
 mended as suitable for such purposes, both for the 
 grown-up People's and the Children's Hospitals. 
 
 I. 
 
 THE SAVIOUR'S CALL: 
 
 A Selection of Texts hung on a Roller, suitable for 
 Hospitals, Sick Chambers, c. 6d. 
 
 II. 
 
 THE SILENT COMFORTER. 
 
 Texts in large type, and hung on Roller. 2s. 
 in. 
 
 GREEN PASTURES. 
 
 Printed in large type, and hung on Roller. 2s. 
 
 LONDON : 56, PATERNOSTER Row, & 164, PICCADILLY.
 
 Publications of the 
 
 " We cannot too highly recommend them." Art Journal. 
 
 CHEAP COLOURED PICTURES 
 
 FOR HOSPITALS, COTTAGE WALLS, ETC. 
 
 Beautifully printed in Oil Colours, by Kronheim. 
 Size, 1 5 in. by 20 in. Price 3d. each ; in gilt frame and 
 glazed, 2s. 
 
 Welcome Home Again. 
 The Queen and the Highland Cottager. 
 The Flower Girl. 
 The Gleaner. 
 Marked for Falling. 
 In the Hayfield with Father. 
 " Don't Cry, Dear." 
 The Land of Plenty. 
 A Long Pull and a Strong Pull. 
 / Alone in the World. 
 
 Neddy and Me. 
 
 Good News from a Far Country. 
 With Cattle on the Mountains. 
 The Best Jug to Fetch Beer in. 
 Watchful Care. 
 The Fisher Girl. 
 Deer on the Mountain. 
 A Merry Christmas. 
 Daniel in the Lions' Den. 
 Elijah Fed by Ravens. 
 The Scapegoat. 
 Noah and the Dove. 
 Haman and Mordecai. 
 Moses Lifting up the Brazen Serpent. 
 
 "It is impossible to speak too highly of them." Literary 
 Churchman. 
 
 " Well printed in colours cheap indeed." Standard. 
 "As gifts, the pictures would be valued by thousands to whom 
 a really gooi picture is unknown." Public Opinion. 
 
 LONDON : 56, PATERNOSTER Row, & 164, PICCADILLY.
 
 Religious Tract Society. 
 
 ILLUMINATED SCRIPTURE TEXTS. 
 
 Series No. i. Eight Cards. 
 
 Printed in Gold and Colours, on Large Cards. Size, 
 14^ in. by 9^ in. qd. each. Mounted in Glass, or in 
 Oxford frame and glazed, 35. each. 
 
 "Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long" 
 "My Father, Thou art the Guide of my Youth." 
 " Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith." 
 " Those that seek Me early shall find Me" &c., &>c. 
 
 Series No. 2. Eight Cards. 
 
 Beautifully printed in Gold and Colours. For School- 
 room and Cottage Walls, etc. Size, n in. by 8| in. In 
 Packets containing four different Cards, 2s. each. Packets 
 A and B ready. Mounted in Glass, or in Oxford frame 
 and glazed, 2s. each. 
 
 Series No. 3. Seventy-Two Cards. 
 
 Beautifully printed in Gold and Colours. Size, 6 in. 
 by 4f in. In Six Packets of twelve Cards, all different 
 is. each. In Glass, 6d. ; or in Oxford frames and glazed, 
 is. each. 
 
 Series No. 4. Thirty-Six Cards. 
 
 Beautifully printed in Gold and Colours. Size, 4^ in. 
 by 3i in. In Three Packets of twelve Cards, all different, 
 6d. each. In Glass, or in Oxford frame, glazed, 6d. Also 
 Packet L, consisting of twenty Cards in Colours, 4d. each. 
 
 LONDON : 56, PATERNOSTER Row, & 164, PICCADILLY.
 
 Publications of the 
 
 BOOKS FOR THE AFFLICTED, 
 BEREAVED, ETC. 
 
 Baxter. Dying Thoughts. 
 
 A.D. 1688. Abridged by Dr. FAWCETT. i8mo. is. 
 
 boards ; is. 6d. half-bound. 
 
 Lord William Russell, shortly before he was executed, 
 sent to Mr. Baxter his hearty thanks for his " Dying 
 Thoughts," saying, " They have made me better acquainted 
 with the other world than I was before ; and have not a 
 little contributed to- my support and relief, and to the 
 fitting me for what I am to go through." 
 
 Baxter. Converse with God in Solitude. 
 
 A.D. 1664. 32mo. Sd. boards; is. half-bound; 2s. 6d. 
 
 morocco. 
 
 The Christian, especially if in affliction, who is desirous 
 of cultivating a deep and close acquaintance with God 
 and himself, may here find that which is calculated to aid 
 him in his momentous inquiries. 
 
 Bickersteth. Water from the Well- Spring. 
 By E. H. BICKERSTETH, M. A. Fcap. Svo. 
 
 2s. boards; 55. 6d. morocco. 
 
 A course of morning and evening meditations for every 
 Sunday in the year, intended to supply comfort and in- 
 struction to afflicted believers. 
 
 Brooks. The Mute Christian under the 
 
 Smarting Rod. 
 By Rev. THOMAS BROOKS. A.D. 1655. 32mo. 
 
 is. boards; is. 4d. half-bound. 
 
 Enforcing the doctrine " that it is the great duty and 
 concernment of gracious souls to be silent under the 
 greatest afflictions, the saddest providences, and sharpest 
 trials they meet with in this world." 
 
 LONDON : 56, PATERNOSTER Row, & 164, PICCADILLY.
 
 Religious Tract Society. 
 
 Boston. The Crook in the Lot. 
 
 By the Rev. T. BOSTON. A.D. 1753. is. boards ; 
 
 is. 6d. half-bound. 
 
 Showing that the Divine sovereignty, wisdom, and grace 
 are combined in the afflictions of men. and for their highest 
 spiritual good. 
 
 Hill. It is Well. 
 
 By JOHN HILL, 32mo. 8d. boards. 
 An exposition on 2 Kings iv. 26, by a writer of the be- 
 ginning of last century, showing the power of faith in 
 supporting the afflicted spirit. 
 
 Kennedy. Rest under the Shadow of a 
 
 Great Rock. 
 By Rev. J. KENNEDY, D.D. Fcap. 8vo. 35. boards; 
 
 35. 6d. extra boards, gilt edges. 
 
 Setting forth the consolations enjoyed by those who rest 
 under the shadow of Christ the Rock. 
 
 Our Sympathising High Priest. 
 
 By "A. L. O. E." is. boards. 
 Meditations on the daily sorrows of the Saviour. 
 
 Tayler. The Bar of Iron, and the Conclu- 
 sion of the Matter. 
 
 By Rev. C. B. TAYLER, M.A., Rector of Otley. 
 
 iSmo. is. boards. 
 
 Two popular tracts, printed in good type and illus- 
 trated, on the fearful results of unsanctified affliction. 
 
 " Who Giveth Songs in the Night." 
 
 Words of Comfort for the Sorrowing Children of 
 
 God. 2s. boards. 
 
 This work is based upon two texts : "God my Maker, 
 who giveth songs in the night ;" and, "At midnight Paul 
 and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God." 
 
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