'Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!'

And going on with this, he fell into a more quiet sleep than he had had
for many nights.

Alfred had worked up his mind to a point where it could not long remain;
and when he awoke in the morning, the common affairs of the day occupied
him in a way that was not hurtful to him, as the one chief thought was
ever present, only laid away for a time, and helping him when he might
have been fretful or impatient.

He was anxious for Mr. Cope, and grateful when he saw him coming early in
the day. Mr. Cope did not, however, say anything very new. He chiefly
wished to shew Alfred that he must not think all his struggle with sin
over, and that he had nothing to do but to lie still and be pardoned.
There was much more work, as he would find, when the present strong
feeling should grow a little blunt; he would have to keep his will bent
to bear what was sent by God, and to prove his repentance by curing
himself of all his bad habits of peevishness and exacting; to learn, in
fact, to take up his cross.

Alfred feebly promised to try, and it did not seem so difficult just
then. The days were becoming cooler, and he did not feel quite so ill;
and though he did not know how much this helped him, it made it much
easier to act on his good resolutions. Miss Selby came to see him, and
was quite delighted to see him looking so much less uncomfortable and
dismal.

'Why, Alfred,' said she, 'you must be much better.'

Ellen looked mournful at this, and shook her head so that Miss Jane
turned her bright face to her in alarm.

'No, Ma'am,' said Alfred. 'Dr. Blunt says I can never get over it.'

'And does that make you glad?' almost gasped Miss Jane.

'No, Ma'am,' said Alfred; 'but Mr. Cope has been talking to me, and made
it all so--'

He could not get out the words; and, besides, he saw Miss Jane's eyes
winking very fast to check the tears, and Ellen's had begun to rain down
fast.

'I didn't mean to be silly,' said little Jane, in rather a trembling
voice; 'but I'm sorry--no--I'm glad you are happy and good, Alfred.'

'Not good, Miss Jane,' cried Alfred; 'I'm such a bad boy, but there are
such good things as I never minded before--'

'Well then, I think you'll like what I've brought you,' said Jane
eagerly.

It was a little framed picture of our Blessed Lord on His Cross, all
darkness round, and the Inscription above His Head; and Miss Jane had
painted, in t