nner
to make prayers and never believe they could come true; and that she
hadn't taken any comfort, either, in what the doctor had always been
telling her, and that she had thought was awful. He had said that if
anything remarkable could happen to me, or any great shock, or even if I
had a hard blow on the head, I might come round like other boys. She had
felt sure that nothing remarkable could ever happen to me; and as to
anybody's giving me a hard knock on the head, she would not have let
that happen when she was by. She said she had prayed and worried, and
never thought of leaving it all to her heavenly Father, and now she
wasn't fit to have such a blessing. I couldn't make her glad about it;
but she'll come round, I'm sure, teacher, if you'll just go and talk to
her."

The teacher's eyes were full of tears of joy as she took Nils by the
hand and said, "You are all right, I really believe. May God bless you,
and make you a good and useful man."

The mother was not to be found. She was locked into her own room. There
she was pouring out thanksgiving from the depths of her heart now for
the first time in her life, understanding that she had indeed a loving
heavenly Father, and that even her faithlessness and ingratitude could
be forgiven.

It was a happy morning at the wayside inn.

CHAPTER V.

THE PERMANENT PUPIL.

The dear old schoolhouse had been swept away in the destructive flood
that followed but ten minutes after the escape of the little
schoolmistress with her pupils.

Intense gratitude for the happy deliverance of the children spread
through the neighbourhood. A public meeting was called, where the thanks
of the community were conveyed by a dignified and most complimentary
spokesman, to the blushing confusion of Tora and the astonishment of
Nils that he was said to have behaved so remarkably well on the
memorable occasion. Of course, the newspapers throughout the country
celebrated the praises of the little schoolmistress, and to the meeting
in her honour came her friends from far and near. "Brother Karl" and his
devoted Gunner made a point of being present, and Tora's buzzing
benefactor beamed on the occasion, as if the credit were all his own.

That there must be a new schoolhouse was a self-evident fact. It was
built as promptly as possible. The admirable building, with all its
modern aids and appurtenances, was not placed on the old site, but
crowned the summit of a green hill, where not