ttle soul while
he was building castles and bridges, and when people thought he was
deeply interested in his play. Fortunately Palko Lesina arrived,
and through his daily talk made it plain to his little comrade that
Someone good and beautiful lives, and that this beautiful and good
One also loved him, little forsaken Ondrejko de Gemer, whom even his
father did not love, and He wanted to live with him always, that
Ondrejko need not feel forsaken anymore. Now he had Someone to bring
his complaints to, and he could confide everything to Him, yea,
everything. How beautiful that was! Yes, verily, the Lord Jesus now
had one servant more.

Even the herdsmen sighed to Bacha, "How shall we ever get along
without Palko Lesina? Ever since the boy has been with us, it seems
that the sunrise looks more beautiful and the dew is richer on the
ground."

"He is a blessed boy," admitted Filina with a sigh. Oh, how very much
he needed this boy! Therefore when, instead of Lesina, a letter came,
he was much relieved. Lesina wrote that he would not be able to come
back till six weeks later, and asked Bacha to keep Palko with him in
the meantime, that he would be useful in every way. He didn't want to
let the boy come home alone because it was so far, and he was his only
child. When that letter came, the boys jumped for joy, and Fido helped
them, but the greatest joy after all was that of Filina himself.

In the evening of that day, while they were sitting before the hut and
Palko was blowing on the horn, suddenly Dr. H. stood before them. With
evident pleasure he noticed the strange boy. Fido wagged his bushy
tail in a friendly manner because more than once he had received a
good bacon-rind from this kind gentleman. Dunaj, stretched out by the
feet of his master, lifted his head also, but made no sound. He knew
already whom to let alone and whom not. Formerly he would have jumped
up and barked, and tested the long coat of the doctor to see if it was
made of good material or not. Today, he would rather snap at a fly
which paid with her life for daring to buzz around his nose. Well, the
dogs did not give it away and the people did not notice that they had
a listener, neither then nor even after Palko began to read in his
Book, where there was written about the great man who was the captain
of the taxgatherers, who had great riches and many friends, but did
not have peace or happiness in his heart because he did not know the
Lord Jesus. Pa