ew home, and show them its beauties and
share its blessings with them.

Aunt Clarissa took great pains that the two children committed to her
care should not forget the good Father in heaven who had provided such
a home for them. She led them often to the spot where Philo and Nora lay
buried, and reminded them how quickly and unexpectedly sorrow may be
changed into joy, as they had themselves experienced; then she told them
that just so quickly joy may be changed to sorrow, and that into the
brightest sunshine the shadow of death may fall; so that only those can
live happy and secure who have full trust in God, who holds all life in
his hand, and who makes both joy and sorrow work together for good to
those who love him.

[Illustration: DINO AND CORNELLI HAD UNDERTAKEN A GREAT WORK; THEY WERE
LAYING OUT MARTHA'S GARDEN]

VOLUME TWO

CHAPTER I.

THE NEW HOME.

Winter was over and gone. The early summer roses had opened again, and
raised their heads high about the villa on the Rhine. They glowed and
blossomed in all the garden-beds, and glistened in the sunshine, and
sent their sweet perfume far and near on every breeze. On the pebbly
path that led down from the splashing fountain to the lindens by the
river, Fani and Elsli scampered back and forth, drinking in the fragrant
air.

"Do you know where Mrs. Stanhope's house gets its name?" asked Fani, as
he stood by a bed of flowers, watching with delight the airy
butterflies flitting from blossom to blossom, and then floating away as
in ecstacy up into the blue air.

"Of course I do," answered Elsli; "it is called Rosemount because there
are so many rose-bushes stretching from up here way down to the
lindens."

"Well, that's true; but there's nothing melancholy about it," said Fani,
reproachfully. "What makes you look so sad, Elsli? You almost always
look sad nowadays, and it isn't right, for I'm sure there's no reason
for it. And Mrs. Stanhope notices it, too, and she doesn't like it very
well; she must think that you are horribly ungrateful, and that you
don't realize how well off we are. And yet you can't help realizing it
when you think how it used to be at home."

"Yes; I do think of it, and I realize it all perfectly, Fani; and I am
not a bit ungrateful. But you see I can't express it to Mrs. Stanhope;
I wish I could. And then, besides, Fani," she added, after a pause,
"Aunt Clarissa has often told me that when we are well off ourselves,