home again."

This promise of promotion partly satisfied Dolly, and she sat still upon
Oliver's knee beside Tony's cot, where his eyes could rest with
contentment and pleasure upon them both, though the nurse would not let
them talk much. When they went away she took them through the girls'
wards in the story below; for the girls were more sumptuously lodged than
the boys. These rooms were very lofty, with windows reaching to the
cornice of the ceiling, and with grand marble chimney-pieces about the
fireplaces; for in former times, the nurse told them, this had been a
gentleman's mansion, where gay parties and assemblies had been held; but
never had there been such a party and assembly as the one now in it.

Old Oliver walked down between the rows of cots, with his little love
clinging shyly to his hand, smiling tenderly upon each poor little face
turned to look at them. Some of the children smiled back to him, and
nodded cheerfully to Dolly, lifting up their dolls for her to see, and
calling to her to listen to the pretty tunes their musical boxes were
playing. But others lay quietly upon their pillows half asleep, with
beautiful pictures hanging over their feeble heads,--pictures of Christ
carrying a lamb in his arms; and again, of Christ with a little child
upon his knee; and again, of Christ holding the hand of the young girl
who seemed dead, but whose ear heard his voice saying "Arise!" and she
came to life again in her father's and mother's house. The tears stood in
old Oliver's eyes, and his white head trembled a great deal before he had
seen all, and given one of his tender glances to each child.

"I wonder whatever the Lord 'ud have said," he exclaimed, "if there'd
been such a place as this in his days! He'd have come here very often. He
does come, I know, and walks to and fro here of nights when the little
ones are asleep, or may be awake through pain, and he blesses every one
of them. Ah, bless them! Bless the little children, and the good folks
who keep a place like this. Bless them everyone!"

He felt reluctant to go away; but his time was gone, and the nurse was
needed elsewhere. She kissed Dolly before she went, putting a biscuit in
her hand, and told Oliver the house was open every Sunday afternoon for
the friends of the children, if he chose to come again; and then they
walked home with slow, short footsteps, and all the Sunday evening they
talked together of the beautiful place they had seen, and how