the beautiful Sabbath school hymn! If somebody had only bent down to him,
and whispered a few words, just to set his poor wandering feet into the
narrow way, how blessed it would have been: but nobody did.

Ah, never mind! God knew, and took care of him.




CHAPTER IV.

"They that seek Me shall find Me."


Mrs. Lewis's room was in order for once; swept, and even dusted; the
cook-stove cooled off, and the green paper curtain at the window let
down, to shut out the noise and dust; it was quiet there too.

Kitty stood in the open door, her face and hands clean, hair combed, and
dress mended; stood quite still, and with a sober face, unmindful, for
once, that there were butterflies to chase and flies to kill all around
her. In the only comfortable seat in the room, a large old-fashioned
arm-chair, sat the worn, wasted frame of Kitty's father. There was a look
of hopeless sadness settled on his face. Neither Tip nor his mother were
to be seen. One or two women were moving through the house, with quiet
steps, bringing in chairs and doing little thoughtful things in and
about that wonderfully orderly room.

On the table was that which told the whole story of this unusual
stillness and preparation. It was a pine coffin, very small and plain;