when I last saw
a nest?" he went on, touching the eggs with loving fingers. "Hardly
since our old bird's-nesting days, eh, Lawrence! Do you remember the
missel-thrush in the apple-tree?"

"Ay, and the licking you got for splitting your Sunday jacket up the
back;" and the two "working-men" laughed at the recollection, as they
carried the prize to display to Wikkey, with a comical anxiety, almost
amounting to dread, lest it should not produce the effect they intended.
No fear of that! Wikkey's eyes dilated as he gazed into the nest, and,
after some persuasion, took one of the smooth eggs into his hand; and
from that moment he could not endure it out of his sight, but had it
placed morning and evening beside his sofa or bed, near his other
treasure, the Picture of the King, on the other side of which stood the
primrose, planted in one of Mrs. Evans' tea-cups.

As the spring advanced, Wikkey became visibly worse, and all saw that
the end could not be far off. Reginald, coming in one evening, found him
asleep in Lawrence's arms, and was startled to see how great a change
had taken place in him during the last four and twenty hours. In answer
to his inquiring look, his cousin said, speaking very low--

"Since this morning, he is much worse; but better now than he was."

Sitting down, on the opposite side of the fire, Reginald thoughtfully
contemplated the two. What a contrast! Lawrence, all health and
strength, with the warm light glancing on the thick waves of his hair,
and deepening the ruddy brown of his complexion, while the glow scarcely
served to tint the pale face lying on his breast--deadly white, save for
the two red spots on the sunken checks--or the hair hanging in loose
lank threads. For some time no one spoke, but as the boy's sleep
continued sound and unbroken, the cousins fell into talk, low and
subdued, and many things were touched on in that quiet hour, which
neither could have put into words at another time. At length Reginald
rose to go, and at the same moment, Wikkey opened his eyes and smiled,
as he saw his visitor, and tried to lift himself up.

"I'm awake now," he said; "I didn't know as you were here."

"Never mind, Wikkey, lie still," said Reginald, "you are too tired for
any reading to-night. I will tell you one verse--a beautiful one--for
you and Lawrence to talk about some day," and laying his hand on the
boy's head he repeated, in low, gentle tones--"Thine eye shall see the
King in His beau