y time she sang. It was so strange that he
could not account for it, and he wondered if Phil felt the same way.
Now he was tucked in his little bed at home, with the wind sobbing
around the house, and the rain beating against the window. Then, he
saw soldiers marching, and horses galloping, such as he had seen in
pictures. Once he was sure that he was lying on the grass beneath the
shade of an old tree with the bees humming around him, and the
grasshoppers playing upon their funny musical saws. He felt angry
whenever the people made a noise, and drove the pictures away. He
didn't think of the singer now, of how she was dressed, or what she
looked like, and he didn't remember even one word she had uttered. He
hardly realised that he was in the big Opera House with the crowd of
people about him.

But there was one piece, and the last, which he did remember. It was
the way the woman sang it which had such an effect. He was sure that
there were tears in her eyes. His own were misty, anyway. She said
that she always closed with it, and it was called, "My Little Lad, God
Bless Him." That appealed to Rod. So this woman, then, had a little
boy, and he wanted to hear what she had to say about him. The very
first words arrested his attention.

"There's a little lad, God bless him!
And he's all the world to me;
Guide him, Lord, through life's long journey,
Guard him, keep him safe to Thee.

REFRAIN:

"You're my only little laddie,
Golden hair, and eyes of blue;
God, who made the birds and flowers,
Chose the best when He made you.

"Streams may ripple, birds may carol,
Twinkling-stars may dance and shine,
But life's sweetest joy and rapture
Is to know that you are mine.

REFRAIN:

"You're my only little laddie, etc.

"Parted, though, by time and distance,
Hearts can never sundered be.
Love Divine, oh, still unite us,
Strong to each, and strong in Thee.

REFRAIN:

"You're my only little laddie,
Golden hair, and eyes of blue;
God, who made the birds and flowers,
Chose the best when He made you."

Rod paid little heed to the storm of applause which greeted this song,
and when it was repeated he did not follow the words as closely as
before. He was thinking about that boy, and wondering where he was.
He was sure that the woman was almost crying when she got through.
What made her feel so badly? Was her boy away from her somewhere,