spoken to her alone of
all who were waiting for a portion there; and her heart made answer,
"What does it matter? It is only for a little while, and then all safe
home at last. Not one forgotten, not one left out, in that day."

Archie, too, listened intently, but not with tears. There was an
earnest look in his eyes, and a grave smile about his mouth, as though
he were hearing some glad tidings; and when the minister sat down, he
leaned over towards his sister, and whispered softly:

"I like that."

And Lilias smiled in reply.

When the service was over, and Mrs Blair and the children had passed
out into the kirk-yard, Mrs Graham, the minister's widowed daughter,
came and invited them into the manse till it should be time for the
service in the afternoon. Mrs Blair went with her; but Archie was shy,
and liked better to stay out in the pleasant kirk-yard; and Lilias
stayed with him. The place had a quiet Sabbath look about it, which
suited well the feelings of the children; and, as the resting-place of
many friends of their father, it was full of interest to them. Many of
the people who had come--from a distance stayed also, and seated
themselves, in small parties, here and there among the grave-stones; but
not a loud or discordant voice arose to break the silence that reigned
around.

The kirk itself was a quaint old building, around which many interesting
historical associations clustered. The large stones of which it was
built were dark with age; and the ivy that grew thickly over the western
wall gave it the appearance of an ancient ruin. Dark firs and yew-trees
grew around the kirk-yard, and here and there over the grave of a friend
the hand of affection had planted a weeping-willow. On a low slab
beneath one of these the brother and sister sat for a time in silence,
broken at last by Archie.

"Oh, Lily! this is a bonny quiet place. How I wish they were lying
here!"

"Yes," said Lilias, softly, "among their friends. But it makes no
difference. I never think of them as lying there."

"Oh, no! they are not there. I suppose it is all the same to them. But
yet, if I were going to die, I would like better to lie down here in
this quiet place than among the many, many graves yonder in the town.
Wouldn't you, Lily?"

"Yes; for some things I would. I should like to be where the friends I
love could often come. Look yonder how all the people are sitting
beside the graves of their own friends. T