all match with all the players on one side,"
said Daddy.

"If there was nothing bad, then, nothing would be good, for you would
have nothing to compare by," added the Lady.

"Well, then," said Laddie, with the remorseless logic of childhood, "if
that is so, then the Devil is very useful; so he can't be so very bad,
after all."

"Well, I don't see that," Daddy answered. "Our Army can only show how
brave it is by fighting the German Emperor, but that does not prove that
the German Emperor is a very nice person, does it now?

"Besides," Daddy continued, improving the occasion, "you must not think
of the Devil as a person. You must think of all the mean things one
could do, and all the dirty things, and all the cruel things, and that is
really the Devil you are fighting against. You couldn't call them
useful, could you?"

The children thought over this for a little.

"Daddy," said Laddie, "have _you_ ever seen God?"

"No, my boy. But I see His works. I expect that is as near as we can
get in this world. Look at all the stars at night, and think of the
Power that made them and keeps each in its proper place."

"He couldn't keep the shooting stars in their proper place," said
Dimples.

"I expect He meant them to shoot," said Laddie.

"Suppose they all shot, what jolly nights we should have!" cried Dimples.

"Yes," said Laddie; "but after one night they would all have gone, and a
nice thing then!"

"Well, there's always the moon," remarked Dimples. "But, Daddy, is it
true that God listens to all we say?"

"I don't know about that," Daddy answered, cautiously. You never know
into what trap those quick little wits may lead you. The Lady was more
rash, or more orthodox.

"Yes, dear, He does hear all you say."

"Is He listenin' now?"

"Yes, dear."

"Well, I call it vewy rude of Him!"

Daddy smiled, and the Lady gasped.

"It isn't rude," said Laddie. "It is His duty, and He _has_ to notice
what you are doing and saying. Daddy, did you ever see a fairy?"

"No, boy."

"I saw one once."

Laddie is the very soul of truth, quite painfully truthful in details, so
that his quiet remark caused attention.

"Tell us about it, dear."

He described it with as little emotion as if it were a Persian cat.
Perhaps his perfect faith had indeed opened something to his vision.

"It was in the day nursery. There was a stool by the window. The fairy
jumped on the stool and then down, and went across the ro