He be _dedfully_ glad for me to be kite good?" said Hoodie,
seemingly not quite satisfied with her cousin's tone. "I wouldn't have
tried so much if He hadn't sent birdie back, but now I'm going to try
awful hard."

"But, Hoodie dear, even if God hadn't sent birdie back it would have
been right to try as hard as ever you could," said Magdalen. "That's
what I wish you could understand--even when God _doesn't_ do what we ask
Him we should try to please Him. For He loves us just the same--better
than if He did what we ask, for He knows that sometimes what we ask
wouldn't be good for us. I don't think you understand that, Hoodie dear.
You think when your mother, or Martin perhaps, doesn't do all at once
what you ask, that it is because they don't love you. You mustn't feel
that way, dear, either about your friends here, or about God, your best
friend of all."

Hoodie looked up, rather puzzled. Magdalen feared she had not understood
what she said, and almost regretted having said it. And afterwards she
wondered what had put it into her mind to try to explain to the little
girl what puzzles and bewilders far wiser people, but by the time that
"afterwards" came she no longer regretted having said what she had.

"I do think God loves me now," said Hoodie, sturdily, "'cos He's sent
birdie back, and so I'm going to try to be good. But if I was God I'd
_alvays_ do what ev'ybody asked me, and I'd _make_ it be good for them,
and then ev'ybody would be so pleased, they'd always try to be good."

"I'm afraid not, Hoodie," said Magdalen with a slight smile. "I'm afraid
if everybody always got what they want there would soon be very little
goodness left anywhere."

Hoodie at this looked more puzzled than before, but Magdalen, who had
been speaking more to herself than to the child this time, did not try
to explain any more. She bent over Hoodie and kissed her.

"Any way don't forget about trying to be good, and ask God to help you,"
she said.

The next day "Maudie's godmother" went away. She had stayed longer than
she had intended, and now her father and mother could spare her no
longer. The children were greatly distressed at her going. Maudie cried
gently, the boys more uproariously, and all three joined in reproaching
Hoodie for not crying at all. Hoodie seemed quite indifferent to their
remarks.

"Why should I cry?" she said. "It would be very silly to cry when Cousin
Magdalen is going back to her father and mother. Crying i