old lady, would think her ungrateful. But the burden grew
heavier in her heart and she lost her appetite, and got paler and
paler. She could not get to sleep at night from longing to see the
mountains with the flowers and the sunshine, and only in her dreams
she would be happy. When she woke up in the morning, she always found
herself on her high white bed, far away from home. Burying her head in
her pillow, she would often weep a long, long time.

Mrs. Sesemann had noticed the child's unhappiness, but let a few days
pass by, hoping for a change. But the change never came, and often
Heidi's eyes were red even in the early morning. So she called the
child to her room one day and said, with great sympathy in her voice:
"Tell me, Heidi, what is the matter with you? What is making you so
sad?"

But as Heidi did not want to appear thankless, she replied sadly: "I
can't tell you."

"No? Can't you tell Clara perhaps?"

"Oh, no, I can't tell anyone," Heidi said, looking so unhappy that the
old lady's heart was filled with pity.

"I tell you something, little girl," she continued. "If you have a
sorrow that you cannot tell to anyone, you can go to Our Father in
Heaven. You can tell Him everything that troubles you, and if we ask
Him He can help us and take our suffering away. Do you understand me,
child? Don't you pray every night? Don't you thank Him for all His
gifts and ask Him to protect you from evil?"

"Oh no, I never do that," replied the child.

"Have you never prayed, Heidi? Do you know what I mean?"

"I only prayed with my first grandmother, but it is so long ago, that
I have forgotten."

"See, Heidi, I understand now why you are so unhappy. We all need
somebody to help us, and just think how wonderful it is, to be able to
go to the Lord, when something distresses us and causes us pain. We
can tell Him everything and ask Him to comfort us, when nobody else
can do it. He can give us happiness and joy."

Heidi was gladdened by these tidings, and asked: "Can we tell Him
everything, everything?"

"Yes, Heidi, everything."

The child, withdrawing her hand from the grandmama, said hurriedly,
"Can I go now?"

"Yes, of course," was the reply, and with this Heidi ran to her room.
Sitting down on a stool she folded her hands and poured out her heart
to God, imploring Him to help her and let her go home to her
grandfather.

About a week later, Mr. Candidate asked to see Mrs. Sesemann, to tell
her of something