, and she was
thus prepared for whatever He should send her. Her childlike faith,
and her vivid realization of heavenly things, seemed to grow stronger
as her bodily strength failed; and though she never specially referred
to death, the approach of which a child is not able to realize, her
mind was evidently full of thoughts about heaven, about its glories
and occupations, about Him who is "the resurrection and the life." She
was always asking questions about the childhood of Jesus,--questions
which Lucy often found it impossible to answer,--and was never tired
of hearing the few passages in the New Testament which referred to it.

Some instances of childish sin seemed to weigh upon her conscience;
but Lucy reminded her that the Lamb of God had washed away her sins
with His own blood, and that the moment we come to Him by faith, we
are sure of the forgiveness of past sin, as well as of deliverance
from its present power. This perfectly satisfied her, and nothing else
seemed to trouble her.

The little girl was intensely interested in the poor Italian, who was
sinking almost as fast as she was. He seldom now stirred from his
chair in the warmest corner of the room, and his cough had become
terribly harassing, especially at night. His breathing, too, was much
oppressed; and poor Nelly had often a heavy heart, as the conviction
forced itself upon her that she was about to lose the kind friend and
protector around whom her warm heart had closely entwined itself. She
tried hard to earn a little for his support and her own, by the sewing
which she occasionally got, often from people nearly as poor as
herself; but her utmost exertions in this way would not have sufficed
to keep them from starvation, had it not been for the timely aid
brought by Lucy and by Mary Eastwood, whose well-supplied purse was
always ready to furnish what was needed for their comfort. Lucy had
very little to give of her own, but Mrs. Brooke was sufficiently
interested in her account of the case to be very willing to help, for
she was not at all indisposed to benevolent actions, if she had had
the energy to discover the way. Amy, too, always insisted that a
portion of the delicacies prepared for her should be kept for "the
poor organ-grinder;" and one of her greatest pleasures was in hearing
from Lucy how the invalid liked what had been sent him, and how
gratefully he sent his thanks to the little "signorina." She asked
Lucy whether the poor man loved