Just as they had finished their labours, and Alice had prevailed upon Maddie to put herself in a little better order, and the three young friends had seated themselves upon the step to get something from Alice’s Bible—some words of love and blessing, as Alice said, from their heavenly Father—there came a lady up the road towards them. She was walking very slowly along, with her parasol shielding her face, so that it was quite concealed from the children; but Alice knew her dress, and ran quickly to meet her, crying joyously, “It is Miss Mason, dear Lolly!”

Maddie ran into the cottage and hid behind the door, like a foolish little girl; but Lolly sat still, very glad that the good teacher was coming to speak to her, yet trembling with a sort of nervous fear; because she was a shy little girl, and so seldom saw strangers.

She wondered that Alice dared go so fearlessly up and walk along, with her hand in Miss Mason’s hand, and her face upturned towards the lady’s, while she talked as freely as if it had been herself or Maddie listening. But when Miss Mason stood by the step and stooped down to kiss her sun-burned cheek, and said sweetly, “So this is your little friend Lolly, is it, Alice?” she did not wonder any longer; for her heart leaped to meet the gentle lady, and she could not take her eyes from such a kind and loving face.

“Where’s Maddie?” asked Miss Mason, with a smile.

She could see her peeping through the crack of the door; and, understanding the case, she said carelessly,—

“I suppose she will join us by-and-by. We will sit here and read in Alice’s book until she comes, and then I want to talk to you. Alice told me you lived here, Lolly, and I want you to go to the Sunday-school. We are very happy there, are we not, Alice?”

Alice answered with a beaming face, and she and Lolly sat, one on each side of the teacher, and listened as she read to them from God’s holy Word.

She read first about the creation of this beautiful world, and the garden where Adam and Eve were placed; and, when she had made Lolly and Maddie understand all about how sin came—for Maddie, attracted by the sweet voice and pleasant manner, had crept softly from her hiding-place and curled herself upon the step behind the lady—Miss Mason turned to the New Testament and read to them a few verses about Jesus, who took upon himself our nature and suffered for our sins.

The children were much impressed by the story of the Saviour’s sufferings and death; and when the teacher told them that every naughty word and deed of theirs was like a nail in the Saviour’s feet or hands, they felt that they would never again do a wicked thing.

Then she told them how impossible it would be for them to keep from sin without God’s continual help; and she taught them how to look up to him and ask for his aid and blessing. And when she had made sure that they could say a short prayer, and had obtained a promise from them that they would go every Sunday to the Sunday-school, she kissed them all three very affectionately, and went on to search for others of her heavenly Father’s wandering children.

“When she had gone quite out of sight, and they were taking another good look at the changed rooms, that seemed so grand to them all, Lolly said thoughtfully to Alice,—

“Do you think the great King will like to come here now?”

“He is here,” said Alice reverently. “Don’t you feel it, Lolly? We never see him, you know, as we see each other; but we feel that he is near, just as you feel that your mother is in the room even when the darkness hides her from your eyes.”

Lolly repeated the little prayer softly, “O my heavenly Father, I will try to love thee. Wilt thou not come unto me, and be with me wherever I am, and help me to be thy child?” And, as she said the words, she knew that God was with her, and that from that hour there was a Presence in the house that would drive away all the gloom, and make such brightness as filled the cottage of her little friend.

It was time for Alice to go; but she lingered a little while longer to teach Maddie how to prepare the supper, so that when her mother came home weary from her labour, there might be no more hard work for her to do, but real comfort and rest.

“Now, don’t get tired of housekeeping,” said she, as she tied on her sun-bonnet to go. “I shall run over some day to see how you get on; and I’m sure it’s so much prettier to be sweet, and clean, and tidy, that you’ll love to keep the house nice.” And away she tripped to make things pleasant for her own dear, hard-working mother.

Sunny little girl! She knew how many tiresome steps her diligent hands and loving heart could save her poor widowed mother; and in everything she did there was a tender thought of the warm heart against which her infant head had lain when her little feet and hands were weak and helpless.

She was glad now that they had grown strong to aid, that she could give back some of the care and effort. Alice never dreamed of growing impatient in her mother’s service. She did not wait to be asked to help her, but watched for opportunities, and so proved a great blessing and treasure in the lowly cottage home, that would have been very dismal and sad without her sunny, buoyant little body.