e gone off
without finding out Nannie's great need, if she had not reminded him of
it as she turned to the explanation of the allegory appended to the work
in her hand. "Oh! it tells about Heaven! doesn't it?" said she, looking
at her kind friend with a sparkling eye.

"Haven't you a Bible, Nannie?" asked he, seeking vainly for one about
the room.

"No, sir," replied the child. "We haven't had one for a long time. Miss
Earl gave me one at the school, but my father took it."

Poor soul! no food for thee, while the world is teeming with the blessed
Book! Tear off the gilt clasps, and the velvet bindings, and scatter the
healing leaves that are hidden within, all about among the people. Let
not one hungry one perish for lack of Heaven's bread while there is
enough and to spare lying all about useless! "Her father took it!" What
for? to learn the way to Paradise? Ah! no--to pawn for the hot liquid
that must drown him in perdition. And the dealer in the dreadful traffic
took it--dared to snatch from his fellow man the comforting words sent
unto him by a loving God, and to substitute instead the poisonous and
damning cup! Even Satan himself must loathe him! Mr. Bond sees it
all--he knows where the Book has gone. But Nannie shall have another,
and she must promise to study it every day.

"I'll send you one, Nannie," said he, "and a little stand to keep it
on--d'ye hear?" and the kind man hurried off to get the holy volume. To
think that he had not seen to that before! It was a moment of penitence
to good Mr. Bond.

CHAPTER IX.

It was nice for Winnie to sleep so sweetly! Now Nannie could look over
the book. It was far before Robinson Crusoe! She went with Christian
every step of his journey, and experienced the same joys, and suffered
the same terrors. Oh! it was so good of Mr. Bond to lend her this book!
She sat by the cradle with one hand upon it, so that if Winnie stirred
she could hush her; and she did not see the long shadows in the room,
nor remember that the fire must be made, and the table prepared for tea,
and the water brought, before her mother came, until it was too dark to
read any longer. Then she started up and got the pail. She was almost
afraid to go to the pump, for there were some very rude boys in its
vicinity, and she had never ventured out so late before. But she must
go; she was very wrong to put it off so, and she ran as quick as she
could with a beating and timid heart.

"That's the ne