er own, she sat down on a low seat, and taking
the little girl on her lap, folded her in her arms, and kissed her over
and over again, saying softly, "My darling, darling child! I cannot tell
you how glad and thankful I am to have you in my arms once more. I love
you very dearly, little Elsie."

Elsie was almost too glad to speak, but presently she whispered, "Not
better than I love you, dear Miss Rose. I love you next to papa."

"And you are very happy now?"

"Very, very happy. Do you like my papa, Miss Rose?"

"Very much, dear, so far," Rose replied with simple truthfulness; "he
seems to be a very polished gentleman, and I think is extremely handsome;
but what is best of all, I can see he is a very fond father," she added,
bestowing another kiss upon the little rosy cheek.

"I am so glad!" exclaimed the little girl, her eyes sparkling with
pleasure. Then she added, in a deprecating tone, "But he doesn't spoil
me, Miss Rose; indeed he does not. I always know I must obey, and
promptly and cheerfully, too."

"No, dearest, I did not think you had been spoiled; indeed, I doubt if it
would be possible to spoil you," Rose answered in a tone of fondness.

"Ah! you don't know me, Miss Rose," said Elsie, shaking her head. "If
papa were not very firm and decided with me, I know I should be very
wilful sometimes, and he knows it, too; but he is too really kind to
indulge me in naughtiness. My dear, dear papa! Miss Rose, I love him
so much."

"I am so glad for you, my poor little one," murmured Rose, drawing the
little girl closer to her. "It seemed so sad and lonely for you, with
neither father nor mother to love you. And you were very ill last summer,
darling? and very unhappy before that? Your Aunt Adelaide wrote me all
about it, and my heart ached for my poor darling; oh, how I longed to
comfort her!"

"Yes, Miss Rose, that was a dreadful time; but papa only did what he
thought was right, and you cannot think how kind he was when I was
getting better." Elsie's eyes were full of tears.

"I know it, darling, and I pitied him, too, and often prayed for you
both," said Rose. "But tell me, dearest, was Jesus near to you in your
troubles?"

"Yes, Miss Rose, very near, and very precious; else how could I have
borne it at all? for oh, Miss Rose, I thought sometimes my heart would
break!"

"It was a bitter trial, dearest, I know; and certain I am that you must
have had much more than your own strength to enable you to be