and required most careful nursing. Milly begged and entreated to go in
and see him, but this was not allowed. At last permission was given by
the doctor for a very short visit, and the child stole in on tip-toe,
but insisted upon taking a large brown paper parcel in with her, the
contents of which were unknown to all except herself.

Softly she crept up to the bed and looked at her uncle's bandaged head
and worn face with the greatest awe.

He put out his hand, which she took in hers, and then she said, her
brown eyes fixed wistfully on his face,--

"I've wanted to see you, Uncle Edward, for so long. I wish you would let
me come in and help to nurse you."

Sir Edward smiled, then shook his head.

"I've been asking God to make you better so many times," she continued,
softly stroking his hand as she spoke, "and He is going to make you live
again; now isn't He? I wasn't quite sure whether you mightn't like to
die best, but I didn't want you to. Nurse says I mustn't stay a moment,
but I've brought you a present. Maxwell went to the town and got it for
me with the money Jack sent back to me. May I open it for you?"

Reading assent in his eyes, Milly eagerly removed her brown paper, and
then lifted on to the bed with difficulty a picture of the Prodigal Son,
in a plain oak frame.

"Isn't it a lovely one, Uncle Edward? There's the prodigal son--I've
learned to say it properly now--all in rags hurrying along the road, and