r thirty years of
such nursing as no one even dreamed of." It made me almost wish
to be sick myself.

'She has such a merry, tender way with her. I do not wonder
Lemuel says they don't mind rainy weather since Pauline makes
sunshine to order. And she is the busiest creature! I believe
she carries the whole of Sleepy Hollow on her heart and
shoulders. She seems to have all the destitute and afflicted
under her wing, and dispenses beef-tea and Bible promises with
the same liberal hand.

'Oh! Papa, I am so glad we were detained at Sleepy Hollow, for
at last I have found what I have been looking for--an absolutely
Christ-like life. Your own little daughter, 'MURIEL.'

Richard Everidge remained deep in thought for a long time after he had
kissed the large, girlish signature; then he drew a sheet of paper
towards him, and wrote, in his clear, bold hand:--

'MY DARLING MURIEL,--I knew your princess, as she says, in "the
long ago," and she is, as you have found her, pure gold.

'Make the most of your visit, for, next to your Bible, she is
the best teacher you could have. Your loving 'FATHER.'

The days lengthened into weeks and the Everidges were still at the Farm.

'Why should you go?' Pauline said, in her cheery, unanswerable way, when
they spoke of leaving: 'it does us good to have you, and it does you
good to be here,' and Muriel and her mother were content.

'Princess,' said the girl one day, as she watched her moving lightly
about the kitchen, 'I envy you your altitude.'

Pauline laughed merrily.

'You dear child! Every one gets up the mountain if they keep on
climbing.'

'But I have not an atom of perseverance,' sighed Muriel. 'Christianity
seems such a tremendous undertaking to me.'

'Let me give you what was to me the beginning of all Gospels: "The
kingdom of heaven is just as near us as our work is, for the gate of
heaven for each soul lies in the endeavour to do that work perfectly."

'But, princess, you are such a royal creature. It seems such a waste for
you to be buried here.'

'The King never wastes, little one. If we have the angel aim and
standard, we can consecrate the smallest acts. Don't you know that "he
who aims for perfectness in a trifle, is trying to do that trifle
holily?"'

'You dear princess! You make me think of one of Murillo's pictures in
the Louvre, which we saw when we were abroad last year. It is