; I's sho' she lub de Lawd, from de bery
day her ole mammy fus' tole her how He lub her. Yes, you right, Miss
Rosie; I kin tole you 'bout her, and 'twon't break de Sabbath day. Is yo'
all hyar now?" she asked, glancing inquiringly about.

"All but Gracie," said Rosie, glancing round the little circle in her
turn. "I wonder where she is. Betty," to a little negro maid standing in
the rear, "go and find Miss Gracie, and ask if she doesn't want to hear
the stories mammy is going to tell us."

"Yes, Miss Rosie, whar you s'pose Miss Gracie done gone?" drawled the
little maid, standing quite still and pulling at one of the short woolly
braids scattered here and there over her head.

"I don't know. Go and look for her," returned Rosie, somewhat
imperiously. "Now hurry," she added, "or there won't be time for all
mammy has to tell."

"Wisht I know whar Miss Gracie done gone," sighed Betty, reluctantly
obeying.

"I saw her going upstairs," said Lulu; "so it's likely you'll find her in
Mamma Vi's rooms."

At that Betty quickened her pace, and the next moment was at Violet's
dressing-room door, peeping in and asking, "You dar, Miss Gracie?"

"Yes," Grace answered, turning toward her a face so full of gladness that
Betty's eyes opened wide in astonishment, and stepping in she asked
wonderingly, "What--what de mattah, Miss Gracie? yo' look like yo' done
gone foun' a gol' mine, or jes' sumfin' mos' like dat."

"Better still, Betty: I've found the Lord Jesus; I love Him and He loves
me," Gracie said, her eyes shining, "and oh, I am so glad, so happy!"

"Whar yo' fin' Him, Miss Gracie?" queried Betty in increasing wonder and
astonishment, and glancing searchingly round the room. "Is He hyar?"

"Yes; for He is God and is everywhere."

"Oh, dat de way He hyar? Yes, I knows 'bout dat; Miss Elsie tole me lots
ob times. How yo' know He lub yo', Miss Gracie?"

"Because He says so, Betty.

"'Jesus loves me; this I know,
For the Bible tell me so.'"

"Yo's wanted down stairs, Miss Gracie," said Betty, bethinking herself of
her errand. "Ole Aunt Chloe gwine tell 'bout old times when missus bery
little and lib way off down Souf. Bettah come right 'long; kase Miss
Rosie she in pow'ful big hurry fo' Aunt Chloe begin dat story."

"Oh yes; I never get tired hearing mammy tell that; Grandma Elsie was
such a dear little girl," Grace said, making haste to obey the summons.

The others had already gathered closely about Aunt Chloe, but