had lost her lamb; but she
became very fond of Francis Barr, and often walked with Fanny to see
him. He soon learned to know her, and to give her very sweet smiles in
return for all her kindness; and when he could walk by himself, he
always hastened to meet her.

"He was nearly six years younger than Evelyn, and was, therefore, not
much more than four during the summer in which she was ten.

"In the early part of that summer she used to go with Fanny most days
to the lodge, to teach little Francis his letters, and talk to him
about God; and they used to hear him say his prayers. Evelyn loved him
very much, and Harris praised her before every one for her goodness to
this poor orphan.

"It would have been strange if all this dangerous flattery, together
with the pleasure the dear child had in bestowing kindnesses, which,
after all, cost her but little, had not so worked on her mind as to
make her vain and self-satisfied.

"But her heavenly Father, who had guided her so far, was not going to
leave her uncared for now. He who had begun the work with her was not
going to leave it imperfect.

"I am now come nearly to what I may call the end of the first part of
my story, and to the end of the young, and sunny, and careless days of
the life of dear Evelyn Vaughan.

"These careless days, these days of young and comparatively thoughtless
happiness, were suddenly finished in a very sad and awful way.

"I will not enter into many particulars of that affair, because it will
give you pain. In a few words it was this: Late one evening, in the
summer, little Francis Barr was playing in the road, when a carriage,
coming along at a full gallop, the horses having taken fright and
thrown the postillion, came suddenly upon the poor child, knocked him
down, and killed him on the spot. There was no time to send the news to
the great house; and, as it happened, Evelyn and Fanny went the next
morning, before breakfast, to give the little boy his lesson. When
arrived at the lodge, they found the door open and no one within. Mrs.
Simpson had just gone into the garden to fetch more flowers to lay over
the little boy. Not seeing anyone in the kitchen, they walked into the
parlour, and there poor Evelyn saw her little loved one cold, yet
beautiful, in death, having one small hand closed upon a lily, and the
other on a rose.

"Evelyn could not mistake the aspect of death; she uttered a wild
shriek, and fell senseless to the floor. She was