od God who watches over
the smallest of his creatures has not forgotten little Ida. A large dog,
who lay lazily winking in the sunshine a little way off, has heard her
cry. He pricks up his ears, and comes swiftly toward her, with great
leaps--barking loudly as he jumps--in a moment he plunges into the
creek, and catches Ida by her dress just as she is about to sink for the
last time! Ida is heavy, and cannot help herself, but the dog is strong
and brave, and, swimming and tugging with all his might, he soon brings
her in safety to the shore. Then pulling her head out of the water, so
that it rested on the soft grass, he raised his head in the air, opened
his great mouth, and barked long and loudly for help. And help was near.
The master of the dog, a tall, handsome boy, came running up, "Why,
Carlo boy, what's the matter?" he said cheerily. But in a moment he saw
Ida still partly in the water, with her eyes closed, as if dead! He at
once drew her up on the bank, when she soon opened her eyes, and looked
around as if she did not know where she was. But Eugene Morris, for it
was he, said, "What! little Ida, nearly drowned. Why, how in the world
did you get in the water?" Ida was now well enough to tell her story;
and after she had finished, Eugene called her attention to the dog, at
the same time wrapping Ida in his overcoat, and leading her toward her
home. "Don't you know him?" he said, "it is your old friend Carlo; you
saved _his_ life, and now he has saved yours in return."

[Illustration: Eugene and Ida.]

How strange are the ways of God! The very dog which Ida saved from
death, two years before, had now been able to pay his debt to the
tender-hearted little girl, on the same spot! This surely is not chance,
but seems to show that good deeds are rewarded even in _this_ world.
Carlo, who was a well-bred dog, had shaken himself dry by this time, and
was rubbing his nose against Ida's dress, as if to say, "Don't you know
your old friend?"

As she was still weak, from the shock of the fall and the fright, Eugene
went home with her, and explained the thing to the alarmed Mrs. Mason,
after which he took his leave, promising to come and see her the next
day. Eugene was as good as his word; and early the next morning came
down to the widow's cottage, accompanied by a gentleman and a little
girl about four years old, whom Ida had never seen before. Carlo, of
course, was in the party, and was made much of by everybody, rece