here he was in bodily flesh and blood; thin,
sallow, bearded to the eyes, dressed in ragged sailor's clothes.

Grace uttered a long, soft, half laughing cry, full of the delicious
agony of sudden relief; and then slipped from the room past the
unheeding Tom, who had no eyes but for his father. Straight up to the
old man he went, took both his hands, and spoke in the old, cheerful
voice.

"Well, my dear old daddy! I'm afraid I've made you very anxious; but it
was not my fault; and I knew you would be certain I should come at last,
eh?"

"My son! my son!" murmured the old man. "You won't go away again, dear
boy? I'm getting old and forgetful; and I don't think I could bear it
again, you see."

"Never again, as long as I live, daddy."

Mark Armsworth burst out blubbering like a great boy.

"I said so! I always said so! The devil could not kill him and God
wouldn't."

"Tom," said his father presently, "you have not spoken to Grace yet. She
is my daughter now, Tom, and has been these twelve months past."

"If she is not, she will be soon," said Tom, quietly. With that he
walked straight out of the room to find Grace in the passage.

And Grace lay silent in his arms.

* * * * *

Water-Babies

Charles Kingsley wrote "The Water-Babies, a Fairy Tale for a
Land-Baby," under romantic circumstances. Reminded in 1862 of
a promise he had made that "Rose, Maurice, and Mary have got
their books, the baby must have his," Kingsley produced the
story about little Tom, which forms the first chapter in "The
Water-Babies," a fairy tale occupying a nook of its own in the
literature of fantasy for children. After running serially
through "Macmillan's Magazine," the "Water-Babies" was
published in book form in 1863, dedicated "To my youngest son,
and to all other good little boys." Mrs. Kingsley, in the life
of her husband says "that it was perhaps the last book that he
wrote with any real ease." The story, with its irresponsible
and whimsical humour, throws an altogether delightful light
upon the character of Charles Kingsley--clergyman, lecturer,
historian, and social reformer.

_I.--"I Must be Clean!"_

Once upon a time there was a little chimney-sweep, and his name was Tom.
He lived in a great town in the North Country where there were plenty of
chimneys to sweep and plenty of money for Tom to earn, and hi