may be, friend," said the young man gently, "that the Lord took her
in mercy from the evil to come. Did she die very young?"

Reuben Gregson seemed unable to reply for a while, then he said slowly,
and apparently with a great effort, "Ay, sir, very young, and she were
all the boys and girls I ever had. She were but five year old when she
died, but she died happy, poor thing. It's more nor thirty years now
since she left us."

"And she died happy, you say?" asked Horace, deeply touched. "Did she
know anything of her Saviour?"

"I believe you," replied the other earnestly, "yes. There were a good
young lady--she ain't living now--as seed her playing about by the
roadside one day, and gave her this book." Ruby drew out from his
breast-pocket a large faded leathern case, and from its inmost depths
brought out a small picture-book full of coloured Scripture prints. The
frontispiece represented our Saviour hanging on the cross, and was much
worn, as with the pressure of little fingers. "There, sir," continued
the old man, "the young lady showed her them pictures, and talked to her
about 'em, and particular about Him as was nailed to the cross. We was
staying on a common near her house for a week or more, and each day that
young lady came and had a talk to our little Bessy. And she never
forgot what the lady said to her. And so, when she were took with the
fever, some weeks arter that, when we was far-off from where the lady
lived, her last words was, `Daddy, I'm going to Jesus, 'cos he said,
"Suffer the little children to come to me."' There, sir, I've told you
now what I haven't spoken to nobody else these thirty years."

"And won't you follow your dear child to the better land?" asked Horace
kindly; "there's room in our Saviour's heart and home for you too."

"I don't know, I don't know," said the other gloomily; "these things
ain't in my line. Besides, I'm too old and too hard now; it's no use
for such as me to think about 'em."

Horace said nothing immediately, but taking out a little New Testament,
he read out, without any comment, the parables of the lost sheep and the
lost piece of silver. Then he said, "Old friend, I am so glad we have
met. Will you accept this little book from me? It will tell you better
than I can all about the loving Saviour, who has taken that dear child
to himself, and wants you and your wife to follow her."

Without saying a word Ruby clutched the Testament, thrust it into