you to heaven." And then I stand up. I listen hard, but I don't say
anything. He says, "You haven't been altogether a good soldier, but the
Captain says He wants you. Come along." Then I get up and sit myself
between his wings, and put my arms round his neck, and he begins to go
up. I see mother, and granny, and Uncle Jake, and I wave my hand to
them, and mother throws a kiss at me and calls out, "Give my love to
father," and away we go, over our fields and across the high road, and
over Farmer Green's fields, and then we fly right to the top of that
mountain over there!'

'Do let me come, too!' said Nancy. 'I want to be on the angel's back
with you.'

'P'raps you can follow behind on another angel; I want mine all to
myself. We get up to the top of the mountain, then I stand down on
the ground.'

'And me, too!' put in Nancy.

'You mustn't keep stopping me; I can't feel it if you do. I stand
there, and I think at first I can't see nothing but a lot of little soft
clouds, one above the other, just like those over there; but the angel
says, "Put your foot on one of them, and then on the next one--they're
the steps to heaven!"'

'Oh!' gasped Nancy, following it with keen reality; 'you'll tumble!'

'I don't; it's like putting your foot in cotton wool. I go up--I have to
go quite by myself, but the angel comes behind, to see I don't fall. And
then he says, "Look up; don't you see the gates?" And then I look, and I