trees and vegetables showed was the kitchen garden. He walked round, and
noticed how neatly the beds were kept, and that the walks even here were
stripped of weeds. Two boys who were working there, rather older than
himself, eyed him curiously. Arthur wondered whether they knew who he was;
but he felt inclined to be where there was no one else just then. So he
left the garden, and passing out through the iron gate, he found himself
on the high road, turning to walk down in the direction which they had
come the night before. Presently a sign-post stood before him, one hand
pointing to Stratton, and the other to Harford. Arthur followed the last
name along a green, flowery lane, where the wild roses were mantling their
green, and here and there an early bud was making its appearance. He
walked on for some distance, until the high road was hidden by a bend in
the lane, and the green trees began to arch overhead; and on each side,
the road was bordered with grass and green, velvety moss; the birds were
warbling soft songs in the branches, and from the wood hard by the sweet
cooing of the pigeons could be heard. It was a very pleasant spot, so much
so, that when Arthur threw himself down on the grass to rest, he said with
a deep sigh, "Well, it might be worse; and Aunt Daisy is certainly very
kind."

"Yes, it might be worse," he continued to himself; "and it is nice to
think of by and by, when they come back. Suppose they were dead!" He
shuddered at the thought. "I can quite fancy what mother will look like
when she sees me again. No; I don't believe I can, though. How will she
feel, and how shall I feel? I suppose very different from what I do now;
for I shall be really a man then. Oh, dear! I had better not think of that
time yet. I must try and think about all the things God gives. Father said
something like that. Father was very kind to me to-day. I did not know he
could be so kind."

Arthur did not know then much about the true, deep, persistent tenderness
of a father's love; but we know that when God spoke a word that expresses
His heart to His people, He called Himself His children's Father.

"Let me see!" continued Arthur. "Five years, and in every year three
hundred and sixty-five days. If I multiply three hundred and sixty-five by
five, I shall know how many days I have to wait, and then I could mark off
one every day; but, oh, dear! that makes a great, great many."

So he sprang up from the grass, and walked b