to be told till all was
ready, and then there was going to be a grand surprise. Well, you know,
I got as interested in that saving-up as though it was me that was going
the excursion!

"Now Joe, he had the young men's class in the Sunday-school (all of 'em
who weren't too high up in world to be taught by the sweep), and one day
I was looking in at a foundry as I passed, when a young man who was
standing out at the door said to me, 'Have you heard about Joe?'

"'No!' I said, rather startled, for he's a frail old man at the best,
'What about him?'

"'Oh, it's nothing wrong with himself,' he said, 'but a week ago when he
was going out in the early morning--last Saturday was wet, wasn't
it?--he found one of them poor street girls fallen down in a faint a few
yards away from his house. He called the missis, and they got her into
the kitchen and gave her a cup of tea and put her to bed, and she'll
never get up again, it seems. She was in a consumption too bad for them
to take her at the hospital, so Joe's keeping her till she wants it no
more.'

"I said good-bye to the young man and set off straight to see Joe. It
was afternoon, so he was in when I got there. He didn't say much, but we
went in to see the girl (she'd got the bed, and the missis slept on the
sofa and Joe in the armchair), a poor, breathless, young thing, very
near to death. I began to talk to her of the love of our Saviour, but
she stopped me. 'Nobody's ever loved _me_!' she said, 'nobody'll care if
I die or not. I never believed there was any kindness in the world till
I met these two.' We left her gasping there and went into the kitchen.

"'Poor lost lamb,' said Joe, 'them's sad words to hear.'

"'Sadder to feel they're true about so many others as well,' I said.
'But, Joe, be open with me,' I said, 'have you spent your savings on
this poor soul?'

"'Yes!' he said, 'all but a few shillings. She must have milk and
nourishment, you know.'

"'Yes, I know that,' I said, 'and for the present I can't help you, but
you mustn't be allowed to spend all you've saved.'

"'Nay,' he said, 'it was a bitter cross the Lord of Glory carried for my
sins. I can at least do this for one of His lost ones.'

"I knew he'd say that, or something like it, but in my own mind I'd
determined to get it back again from somewhere for him, but you'll hear
how I was prevented. I noticed that he looked a bit tired and thin as I
went out, and I said to him, 'You're not looking ver