vy burden."

The poor woman read the prayer aloud several times, and then Mrs.
Villiers took a book from her pocket and began to read. It was a little,
much-worn Testament. It had once been blue, but from constant use the
color had faded, and the gilt edges were no longer bright. It was not
the first time that same Testament had been in that old attic. For it
was the same book from which Mabel's mother had read to old Treffy
fifteen years before. How Mabel loved that book! Here and there was a
pencil-mark, which her mother had made against some favorite text, and
these texts Mabel read again and again, till they became her favorites
also. It was one of these which she read to the poor woman to-day: "The
blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin." And then
Mrs. Villiers explained how ready Jesus is to save any soul that comes
to Him, and how His blood is quite sufficient to take away sin.

The sick woman listened eagerly, and a tear came into Christie's eye as
he said: "There is no text that I love like that, Mrs. Villiers. Mr.
Wilton preached on it in the mission-room the second time I went there,
and I felt as if I could sing for joy when I heard it; I well remember
how I ran up the stairs to this attic, to tell it to my old master."

"And you've found it true, Christie?"

"Yes, ma'am, indeed I have; and Treffy found it true too."

Then Mrs. Villiers and Christie took their leave; but, as they were
going down the steep staircase, Christie said, "Have you time to call on
Mrs. White for a few minutes, ma'am? She would be so pleased to see you,
and I don't think she will live very long."

Mrs. Villiers gladly agreed to go; so Christie knocked at the door at
the bottom of the stairs. A young woman opened it, and they went in.

Mrs. White was lying on a bed in the corner of the room, and seemed to
be asleep; but presently she opened her eyes, and when she saw Christie
her face brightened, and she held out her hands in welcome. She was an
old woman now, and had given up taking lodgers several years before.

"Oh, Christie," she said, "I _am_ glad to see you; I have been counting
the hours till you came."

"Mrs. Villiers has come to see you to-day, Mrs. White."

"Oh! how good of you," said the poor woman; "Christie said you would
come some day."

"You have known Christie a long time, have you not?" said Mrs. Villiers.

"Yes," said the old woman, "he came to me first as a little ragged boy,
shiverin