urself by dwelling upon
a distressing past, which you cannot undo; but by prayer anchor your
soul in God's pardoning mercy. When all the world hoots and stones us,
God is our 'sure refuge'."

"That promise is to pure hearts and innocent hands; not to such as I
am, steeped to the lips in crime--black, black--"

"No. One said: 'The whole need not a physician; but they that are
sick.' Your soul is sick unto death; claim the pledged cure. Yonder I
have copied the hymn for to-morrow's lesson. While you sit here, commit
it to memory; and the Shepherd will hear your cry."

Glancing back from the chapel door, she saw that the miserable woman
had bowed her face in her hands, and with elbows supported on her
knees, was swaying back and forth in a storm of passionate sobs.

"O! my beautiful baby, my angel Max, pray for mother now.
Max--Max--there is no 'Sweet By and By'--for mother--"

Hurrying from the wail of anguish that no human agency could lighten,
Beryl carried the orphan across the yard, and up the stairs leading to
the corridor, whence she was allowed egress at will. She noticed
casually, signs of suppressed excitement among some of the convicts,
who were lounging in groups, enjoying the half holiday, and three or
four men stood around the under-warden who was gesticulating
vivaciously; but at her approach he lowered his voice, and she lived so
far aloof from the jars and gossip of the lower human strata, that the
suspicious indications failed to arouse any curiosity.

The southwest angle of the building was exposed fully to the force of
the afternoon sun, and the narrow cell was so hot that Beryl opened the
door leading into the corridor, in order to create a draught through
the opposite window.

The tired child was fretfully drowsy, but with the innate perversity of
toddling babyhood, resented and resisted every effort to soothe her to
sleep. Refusing to lie across the nurse's lap, the small tyrant
clambered up, wrapped her arms about her neck, and finally Beryl rose
and walked up and down, humming softly Chopin's dreamy "Berceuse";
while the baby added a crooning accompaniment that grew fainter and
intermittent until the blue eyes closed, one arm fell, and the thumb
was plunged between the soft full lips.

Warily the nurse laid her down in a cradle, which consisted of an oval
basket mounted on roughly fashioned wooden rockers, and drawing it
close to the table, Beryl straightened the white cross-barred muslin