,
smiling often at her faltering tongue, and telling her the same thing
over and over till she learnt it; and her father called her his little
foolish one, as he had done in the old days; and at last, when they had
kissed her and blessed her, and told her how to come home to them when
she was weary, they gave her, as the Father had permitted them, with joy
and blessing, her new name.

The little Pilgrim was tired with happiness and all the wonder and
pleasure; and as she sat there in the silence; leaning upon those who
were so dear to her, the soft air grew sweeter and sweeter about her, and
the light faded softly into a dimness of tender indulgence and privilege
for her, because she was still little and weak. And whether that heavenly
suspense of all her faculties was sleep or not she knew not, but it was
such as in all her life she had never known. When she came back to
herself, it was by the sound of many voices calling her, and many people
hastening past and beckoning to her to join them.

"Come, come," they said, "little sister: there has been great trouble in
the other life, and many have arrived suddenly and are afraid. Come,
come, and help them,--come and help them!"

And she sprang up from her soft seat, and found that she was no longer by
the riverside, or within sight of the great city, or in the arms of those
she loved, but stood on one of the flowery paths of her own border-land,
and saw her fellows hastening towards the gates where there seemed a
great crowd. And she was no longer weary, but full of life and strength;
and it seemed to her that she could take them up in her arms, those
trembling strangers, and carry them straight to the Father, so strong was
she, and light, and full of force. And above all the gladness she had
felt, and all her pleasure in what she had seen, and more happy even than
the meeting with those she loved most, was her happiness how, as she went
along as light as the breeze to receive the strangers. She was so eager
that she began to sing a song of welcome as she hastened on. "Oh,
welcome, welcome!" she cried; and as she sang she knew it was one of the
heavenly melodies which she had heard in the great city; and she hastened
on, her feet flying over the flowery ways, thinking how the great worlds
were all watching, and the angels looking on, and the whole universe
waiting till it should be proved to them that the dear Lord, the Brother
of us all, had chosen the perfect way, and