.

Mrs. Gray was looking anxiously from the window when they entered the
avenue, and ran eagerly down to meet them.

"O, mamma!" cried Frankie; "I met a poor man. He has no legs, and can't
walk at all. He has to wheel himself about in a little carriage, to get
enough money to buy his food. It's very hard work, and so I waited to
push it for him a little while. Was it naughty, mamma? Will you please
to give him some supper?"

Mrs. Gray looked in her son's earnest, loving eyes, and all her
displeasure against him vanished. She caught him to her heart, and
kissed his cheek and lips. "Yes, my dear," she said, "you shall have the
pleasure of giving him a good supper. But are you not hungry yourself?
It is long past tea time."

"I did not think any thing about it, mamma," said Frankie, "I was so
sorry for the poor man. There, Willie has pushed his carriage up to the
back door. I wonder how he can get out."

In a few minutes the poor cripple had walked on his knees to the table,
where Jane had set him a bountiful meal. Frankie seemed to consider the
man his especial charge, and Mrs. Gray drew Willie into the entry,
where, through the door, they could see what passed.

As soon as the food was before him, the cripple began to eat; and
Frankie, who was seated opposite, so as to be ready to attend to his
wants, gazed at him in great surprise. "Why!" said he, "you didn't pray
to God."

I suppose the dear child had never before seen any one begin to eat
without first asking a blessing. Even when he and Nelly were playing
tea, one of them always shut their eyes, and solemnly asked God to bless
the food.

The man stared at him and went on eating, while Mrs. Gray smiled as she
peeped through the door, to see how serious the boy looked.

"Don't you love God?" asked Frankie.

"I dun know," said the man.

"I love him," continued the child, "and I should think you would;" then,
after waiting a moment, he asked, "Did he cut your legs off?"

"No," said the man, laughing; "the doctor did it."

"I'm glad of that," said Frankie. "You ought to love God, and pray to
him every day. Perhaps, if you did, he would let your legs grow again."

Willie almost laughed aloud; but Frankie was so eager to do the man
good, that he did not hear him.

"I am afraid you are a wicked man," he said, "if you don't pray any."

Mrs. Gray saw the cripple lay down his knife and fork, and gaze at the
child; presently he spoke, but his voice trembled a