in check by Joseph. But as
soon as Nelly saw her mistress' face she broke loose, and with almost
human cries of frantic delight and impatience, scampered forward, and
climbed into Sybil's down-stretched arms.

"The first to welcome me home, you faithful little friend! But how did
you come here, Nelly?" asked Sybil, taking the little creature on her
lap, holding its head between her open hands, and looking down into its
loving brown eyes.

But for all answer Nelly suddenly darted up and kissed her mistress on
the chin.

"Welcome home, Miss Sybil! Oh, Lord be thanked as I have lived to see
this blessed day!" blubbered Joe, coming forward, and laughing and
sobbing with delight under the full conviction that all his mistress'
sorrows were now over.

"Welcome back, Mrs. Berners, my dear child! a thousand welcomes back!"
whimpered Miss Tabby, pressing forward to meet her.

"And me too, Miss Sybil," added Dilly, rather irrelevantly.

"Now, Lord, let thy servant depart, for I have seen the desire of my
eyes," said old Abraham, reverently lifting his hat from his white head,
and slightly misquoting the Scriptures.

Sybil had by this time alighted, and was shaking hands right and left
with her attached servants.

But now a touching sight met her view--a little delicate baby boy, with
fair curling hair, clear blue eyes, and a pink and white complexion,
hiding behind Miss Tabby, clinging to her skirts, and peeping out with a
look half shy and half confiding.

"Oh, you poor child!" said Sybil, tenderly raising him in her arms and
pressing him to her bosom, while her tears fell fast upon his head.
"You poor, poor child! If I had done what they said, could I ever have
looked in your sweet eyes again?"

"Don't cry, poor lady, don't cry," said the child, lifting up his little
apron and trying to wipe her eyes.

"Ah, you poor baby! But you shall never want a mother while I live,"
continued Sybil, still weeping for pity.

"Don't cry, Cro' will be a good, _good_ boy," coaxed the child; softly
stroking her face with his little hand.

"Cro' will give you his mudic box, and all his p'ay things. Don't cry,"
begged the child, and as a last resort, he put his arms around her neck,
and added, "Cro' will love you."

"Come, my dear Sybil! come into the house," said Mr. Berners, who,
having paid and discharged the hired carriage, now turned to offer his
arm to his wife.

But Sybil covered the child in her arms with kisses, and pr