asked Mrs.
White to fetch him to see him, but she said she could not trouble to go
so far.

If little Christie had not had a friend in Jesus, his little heart would
almost have broken, in the loneliness and desolation of those days of
weakness. But though his faith was sometimes feeble, and he was then
very downcast in spirit, yet at other times little Christie would talk
with Jesus, as with a dear friend, and in this way he was comforted. And
the words which the clergyman had read to his old master were ever
ringing in his ears, "Let not your heart be troubled."

Still, those weeks did seem very long and tedious. At last, he was able
to sit up in bed, but he felt faint and dizzy whenever he moved. For he
had had a very severe attack of fever, and he needed all manner of
nourishing things to bring back his strength. But there was no one to
attend to the wants of the poor motherless boy. No one, except the dear
Lord; He had not forgotten him.

It was a close, tiring afternoon. Christie was lying upon his bed,
panting with the heat, and longing for a breath of air. He was faint and
weary, and felt very cast down and dispirited. "Please, dear Lord," he
said aloud, "send some one to see me."

And even as he spoke the door opened, and the clergyman came in. It was
too much for little Christie! He held out his arms to him in joy, and
then burst into tears.

"Why, Christie," said the clergyman, "are you not glad to see me?"

"Oh," said little Christie, "I thought you were never coming, and I felt
such a long way from home! Oh, I am so glad to see you."

Then Mr. Wilton told Christie that he had been away from home, and that
another clergyman had been taking his duty. But the night before he had
preached for the first time since his return in the little mission-room,
and he had missed Christie from the front bench. He had asked the woman
who cleaned the room about him, and she had told him that Christie had
never been there since he went away. The clergyman had wondered what was
the matter, and had come as soon as he could to hear.

"And now, Christie," he said, "tell me all about these long, weary
weeks."

But Christie was so glad and so happy now, that the past seemed like a
long, troubled dream. He had waked up now, and had forgotten his sorrow
and his loneliness.

The clergyman and Christie had much pleasant talk together, and then Mr.
Wilton said,--

"Christie, I have had a letter about you, which I will read