"And somebody you were talking to. Who was that?" asked Maddie.

"Ah, yes, best of all! Don't you know, Maddie?" said Alice, sinking her
voice to a whisper, and gazing earnestly at her young companion. "Miss
Mason told me how He is everywhere, and sees and hears us, and that he
loves us better than our mother or father can do, and watches over us and
keeps us from all harm. If you go to the school with me you'll learn all
about it, Maddie dear. No, no; I'm never _alone_ though mother _is gone_
all the long day."

"Do you _see_ Him, Alice?" asked Maddie earnestly.

"Not as I see _you_, Maddie," returned her companion with reverence; "but
when I look up into the sky, and sometimes when I sit here by myself and
speak things that I have learned from my Bible, I seem to feel some
strange brightness all above and around me; and it's so real to me that
it's just like seeing with these eyes. Miss Mason says 'it's my soul
that sees.' Whatever it is, it's very beautiful, Maddie." And Alice
clasped her hands in a sort of ecstasy, and drew near to the window to
look up once more into the heavens, whither her eyes and her heart so
continually turned.

CHAPTER II.

The shower did not last long, and the warm sun melted the diamonds from
the grass, so that it was soon fit for the little girls to go out into
the freshness and enjoy the pleasant air.

"Don't you think this a pretty cottage?" asked Alice, as they stepped
outside and stood looking upon her home. "See the moss all over the
shingles; how velvety it is! Tabby goes up there to sleep on the soft
cushion in the sun. And here's where I put my convolvuluses, and they
climb up and run all over the window and make such a nice curtain, with
the pink and blue and white and purple mixed with the green; and they
reach up to the very chimney, Maddie, and hug it round, and then trail
down upon the roof. Oh, I think it's elegant! And here's my flower-bed,
right under the window, where mother can smell the blossoms as we sit
sewing when she has a day at home. We take real comfort here, mother and
I, Maddie." And so the little blithesome child prattled about her humble
home, while her companion looked in astonishment upon her, wondering why
it was that Alice always seemed so happy, while _she_ was so miserable.

"We'll go down by the brook-side now," said Alice. "There's my grand
palace. Such hangings! all blue and gold and crimson; and carpets that
your fe