ears catch the language of its murmurings, we should
hear:

"Men may come, and men may go,
But I go on forever."

_CHAPTER VII._

ANDREW TULLY.

"Oh! Malcolm, look at that little boy on the steps of our quarters;
who can he be? Where did he come from?" "Oh, sister, do you think he
can be the little brother we have been praying God to send us? Let's
run home and ask mother about it."

The scene of this dialogue was the parade ground of Old Fort Snelling,
in the spring of the year 1823; the two little children had just been
dismissed from the fort school house, and were going home to dinner.
The sun shone very brightly that day. The dinner drum was beating, the
soldiers, by companies, were in line before their quarters for
roll-call, and the dear old flag floated gracefully in front of
headquarters. I can see it all now, through my tear-dimmed eyes, and
recall the mingled feelings of joyful surprise and expectation with
which we, the little son and daughter of Captain Clark, hastened to
our home, our eyes all the while fixed on the little fair-haired
stranger, who stood on the porch of our father's quarters, the first
in the row of officers' quarters as you enter the Fort by the front
gate, and just beyond the steps leading down to the old Commissary's
store.

When we reached our goal, there stood the pretty blue-eyed boy,
looking about with wonder at all he saw, and smiling at us as we came
up to him, and laid our hands on him gently, to assure ourselves that
he was real. Just inside the door stood dear mother, with a bright
happy look, enjoying our surprise, and we, with one voice, exclaimed:
"Mother, who is this little boy? where did he come from? is he going
to stay with us always?" As soon as we gave her a chance to reply, she
said: "Don't you know that every night when you say your prayers, you
always say, 'please, God, give us a little brother!' How do you know
but God has heard your prayer, and sent you this little brother?" We
were very quiet now, and tried to take it all in, but before we had
succeeded to our satisfaction in fully comprehending it, our father
came from roll-call, and taking us by the hand, said: "Come to dinner
now, mother will lead little Andrew to his place and we will tell you
all about it." And this is the story we heard on that ever to be
remembered day, as we sat by our father and mother, and our hearts
went out with love to the little boy beside us:

"A few we