you!--no, she _shan't_! Stay with _me_!--so you
shall, I promise you, poor little birdie! All alone in this big
world--and so am I. Please God, we'll bide together."

CHAPTER III.

THE LAW OF KINDNESS.

Little Gerty had found a friend and a protector; and it was well she
had, for neglect and suffering had well-nigh cut short her sad
existence. The morning after True took her home, she woke in a high
fever. She looked around, and found she was alone in the room; but there
was a good fire, and preparation for breakfast. For a moment or two she
was puzzled to know where she was, and what had happened to her; for the
room seemed quite strange, it now being daylight. A smile passed over
her face when she recalled the events of the previous night, and thought
of kind old True, and the new home she had found with him. She went to
the window to look out, though her head was giddy, and she could hardly
walk. The ground was covered with snow, and which dazzled Gerty's eyes,
for she suddenly found herself quite blinded--her head grew dizzy, she
staggered and fell.

Trueman came in a moment after, and was frightened at seeing Gerty
stretched upon the floor, and was not surprised that she had fainted in
trying to walk. He placed her in bed, and soon succeeded in restoring
her to consciousness; but for three weeks she never sat up, except when
True held her in his arms. True was a rough and clumsy man about most
things; but not so in the care of his little charge. He was something of
a doctor and nurse in his simple way; and, though he had never had much
to do with children, his warm heart taught him all that was necessary
for Gerty's comfort.

Gerty was patient; but would lie awake whole nights suffering from pain
and weariness through long confinement to a sick-bed, without uttering a
groan, lest she might waken True, who slept on the floor beside her,
when he could so far forget his anxiety about her as to sleep at all.
Sometimes, when in great pain, True carried her in his arms for hours;
but Gerty would try to appear relieved before she was so, and feign
sleep that he might put her to bed again and take some rest himself. Her
little heart was full of love and gratitude to her kind protector, and
she spent much time in thinking what she could do for him when she got
well. True was often obliged to leave her to attend to his work; and
during the first week she was much alone, though everything she could
possibly wan