too; and don't you think, Miss Rose, He will bring us together
again some day?"

"I hope so indeed, darling. We must keep very close to Him, dear
Elsie; we must often commune with Him in secret; often study His
word, and try always to do His will. Ah! dear child, if we can
only have the assurance that that dear Friend is with us--that we
have His presence and His love, we shall be supremely happy,
though separated from all earthly friends. I know, dear little
one, that you have peculiar trials, and that you often feel the
want of sympathy and love; but you may always find them in Jesus.
And now we will have our reading and prayer as usual."

She took the little girl in her lap, and opening the Bible, read
aloud the fourteenth chapter of John, a part of that touching
farewell of our Saviour to His sorrowing disciples; and then they
knelt to pray. Elsie was only a listener, for her little heart was
too full to allow her to be anything more.

"My poor darling!" Rose said, again taking her in her arms, "we
will hope to meet again before very long. Who knows but your papa
may come home, and some day bring you to see me. It seems not
unlikely, as he is so fond of traveling."

Elsie looked up, smiling through her tears, "Oh! how delightful
that would be," she said. "But it seems as though my papa would
never come," she added, with a deep-drawn sigh.

"Well, darling, we can hope," Rose answered cheerfully. "And, dear
child, though we must be separated in body for a time, we can