to pray, you must have prayed
God that He would permit you to leave this island in the boat, as you
are so anxious to go away; but supposing that boat is lost, as I imagine
it will be, surely it would have been a kindness in God, who knew that
it would be lost, not to grant your prayer. Is it not so?"

"Yes, I see now, thank you; now I will go to sleep--good night."

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

I awoke the next morning quite recovered from my illness of the day
before, and was out of the cabin before Mrs Reichardt, who still
remained behind the screen which she had put up after I had gone to
sleep. It was a beautiful morning, the water was smooth, and merely
rippled with a light breeze, and the sun shone bright. I felt well and
happy. I lighted a fire to broil the fish for breakfast, as there was a
sufficiency left, and then got my fishing-lines ready to catch some
larger fish to re-inhabit my pond at the bathing-pool. Mrs Reichardt
came out of the cabin and found me playing with Nero.

"Good morning, dear mother," said I, for I felt most kindly towards her.

"Good morning, my dear boy," replied she. "Are you quite well?"

"Quite well; and I have got my lines all ready; for I have been thinking
that until the birds come, we must live on fish altogether, and we can
only take them in fine weather like this; so we must not lose such a
day."

"Certainly not. As soon as we have breakfasted, we will go down and
fish. I can fish very well, I am used to it. We must both work now;
but first go for your Bible, that we may read a little."

I did so, and after she had read a chapter, she prayed, and I knelt by
her side; then we breakfasted, and as soon as we had breakfasted, we set
off to the bathing-pool.

"Do you know if they left anything behind them, Frank?"

"Yes," replied I, "they left some oars, I believe, and a long line, and
we have the shovel and the hammer, and the boat's small sail, up at the
cabin."

"Well, we shall see very soon," replied she, as we went down the path.

When we arrived at the bathing-pool, the first thing that met my eyes
made me leap with joy. "Oh! Mother! Mother! They've left the iron
pot; I did so long for it; and as I lay awake this morning, I thought
that if I prayed for anything, it would be for the iron pot. I was
tired of dried birds, and they ate so different when they were boiled up
in the pot with potatoes."

"I am equally glad, Frank, for I do not like victuals u