held her tightly.

"Katie, when you pray you must pray knowing that God has already given
you what you need, and that there is nothing that can keep you from
seeing it."

The woman wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "An' so, darlin', if I want
diamonds I must know that I have 'em, is it that, honey?"

"You dear thing!" murmured Carmen, drawing closer, and laying her soft
cheek against the leathery visage of the old woman.

"Say that again, honey--och, say it again! It's words, darlin', that's
nivir been said to old Katie!"

"Why, hasn't any one ever been kind to you?"

"Kind! Och, ivirybody's kind to me, honey! But nobody has ivir loved
me--that way. The good Lord made me a fright, honey--ain't ye noticed?
I've a face like an owl. An' they told me from th' cradle up I'd nivir
land a man. An' I didn't, honey; they all ran from me--an' so I become
a bride o' th' Church. But I ain't complainin'."

"But, Katie, the face is nothing. Why, your heart is as big--as big as
the whole world! I hadn't been with you an hour before I knew that.
And, Katie dear, I love you."

"Och, darlin'," murmured the woman, "sure th' Virgin be praised fer
sendin' ye to me, a lonely old woman!"

"It was not the Virgin, Katie, but God who brought me here," said the
girl gently, as she caressed the old Sister's cheek.

"It's all one, honey; the Virgin's th' Mother o' God."

"Why, Katie! You don't know what you are saying!"

"Troth, child, she has th' same power as God! Don't we pray to her,
an' she prays to th' good God to save us? Don't she have influence
with Him?"

"No, Katie, no. There is no person or thing that persuades God to be
good to His children. There is nothing that influences Him. He is
infinite--infinite mind, Katie, and infinite good. Oh, Katie, what
awful things are taught in this world as truth! How little we know of
the great God! And yet how much people pretend they know about Him!
But if they only knew--really _knew_, as Jesus did--why, Katie, there
wouldn't be an old person, or a sick or unhappy one in the whole
world! Katie," after a little pause, "I know. And I'm going to tell
them."

The old Sister drew the child closer. "Air these more o' yer funny
notions, darlin'?"

"I suppose they are what the world thinks funny, Katie," answered the
girl.

"An' I don't wonder! We are not taught such things, honey. But then,
th' world moves, girlie--even old Katie sees that. Only, the Church
don't move with it. An' old Ka