as getting old enough to say some simple prayer night and morning,
and she resolved to teach him some day soon.

So now she kissed him and bade him good-night.

"God bless my little boy," she said, as she patted his head with its
soft fair hair which hung in pretty careless curls, and was cut across
the forehead in front like one of Sir Joshua Reynolds' cherubs. "God
bless my little boy," she said, and Ted trotted off again, still with
the bright look on his face.

He let nurse put him to bed very "goodly," though bed-time never came
very welcomely to the active little man.

"Now go to sleep, Master Ted, dear," said nurse as she covered him up
and then left the room, as she was busy about some work that evening.

Ted's room was next to his mother's. Indeed, if the doors were left
open, it was quite easy to talk one to the other. This evening his
mother happened to go upstairs not long after he had been tucked into
bed. She was arranging some things in her own room, moving about quietly
not to waken him, if, as she hoped, he had fallen asleep, for falling
asleep did not come so easily to Ted as to some children. He was too
busy in his mind, he had too many things to think about and wonder about
for his brain to settle itself quietly all in a minute. And if he had a
strong wish, I think it was that going-to-bed time should never come at
all!

For a minute or two no sound reached Ted's mother.

"I do hope he is asleep," she said to herself, but just then she stopped
short to listen. Ted was speaking to himself softly, but clearly and
distinctly. What could he be saying? His mother listened with a smile
on her face, but the smile grew into a sort of sweet gravity as she
distinguished the words. Little Ted was _praying_. He had not waited
for her to teach him--his baby-spirit had found out the simple way for
itself--he was just asking God for what he wanted.

"Please, dear 'Dod," he said, "tell me why thoo won't make towslips grow
in this countly. Muzzer loves zem so."

Then came a perfect silence. Ted seemed to be holding his breath in
expectation, and somehow his mother too stood as still as could be. And
after a minute or two the little voice began again.

"Please, dear 'Dod, _please_ do tell me," and then the silence returned
as before. It did not last so long, however, this time--not more than a
minute at most had passed when a sound of faint crying broke upon Ted's
mother's hearing--the little fellow had bur