e poor old woman luxuriating over
what was to her a delicious meal. She had said very little since their
coming in, but eyed all they did, with a gradual relaxing of the lines
of her face. Something like pleasure, something like comfort, was
stealing into her heart, and working to soften those hard lines.
Matilda waited now until the meal should be quite finished before she
brought forward anything of different interest.

"That's a new kettle," was the first remark, made while Matilda was
clearing away the remains of the supper.

"How do you like it?" said Norton.

The old woman looked at him, she had done that a great deal already,
and answered, "Who be you?"

"I'm the fellow that brought the kettle from the shop," said Norton.

"Whose kettle is it?"

"It ought to be your's--it's on your stove."

"It is your's, Mrs. Eldridge," said Matilda.

"Well, I hain't had a tea-kettle," said the old woman, meditatively,
"since--I declare, I don't know when 'twas. I hain't had a tea-kettle,
not since my old un fell down the well. I never could get it out. That
one hadn't no kiver."

"Don't let this one get down in the well," said Norton.

"I shan't go to the well no more," said Mrs. Eldridge. "When I had a
place, and a well, and a bucket, it was good times! That ain't my
kettle."

"Yes, Mrs. Eldridge, it is," said Matilda. "It is your's; and it just
fits the stove hole."

"A kettle's a good thing," said the old woman. "It looks good."

"Now would you like to have a little reading again?" Matilda inquired,
bringing out her Bible.

"Have you got anything more about the--what was it? I don' know what
'twas."

"About the shepherd? the Good Shepherd?"

"You may read a bit about that," said the old woman. "There ain't no
shepherds now, is there?"

"Plenty of 'em," said Norton.

"It don't seem as if there was no place for 'em to keep the sheep. _I_
don't see none. But he used for to be a shepherd; and he took good care
of 'em, he did."

"The Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd; and He takes good care of His
sheep," said Matilda. "He cares for them always. He cares for you, Mrs.
Eldridge."

The old woman made no answer to this; but instead, sat with so
meditative a look upon her face that Matilda, though she had her book
open to read, forbore, and waited.

"Did He send you?" said Mrs. Eldridge.

Norton glanced a quick look of amusement at Matilda, but Matilda simply
answered. "Yes."

"I didn't know as there wa