Jesus Christ our Lord
obeyed it, bore the punishment for us, and set our souls free. But in
the case of man's law, who is to bear Gascoyne's punishment and set
_him_ free?"

As poor Alice could not answer this, she cast down her tearful eyes,
sighed again, and looked more miserable than ever.

"But come, my pet," resumed Mr Mason, "you must guess again. It is
really good news--try."

"I can't," said Alice, looking up in her father's face with animation
and shaking her head; "I never could guess anything rightly."

"What would you think the best thing that could happen?" said her
father.

The child looked intently at the ground for a few seconds and pursed her
rosy little mouth, while the smallest possible frown--the result of
intellectual exertion--knitted her fair brow.

"The best thing that could happen," said she, slowly, "would be that all
the whole world should become good."

"Well done, Alice!" exclaimed her father, laughing; "you have certainly
taken the widest possible view of the subject. But you have soared a
little too high; yet you have not altogether missed the mark. What
would you say if the chiefs of the heathen village were to cast their
idols into the fire, and ask me to come over and teach them how to
become Christians?"

"Oh! have they _really_ done this?" cried Alice in eager surprise.

"Indeed they have. I have just seen and had a talk with some of their
chief men, and have promised to go over to their village to-morrow. I
came up here just to tell you this, and to say that your friend the
widow will take care of you while I am away."

"And shall we have no more wars--no more of these terrible deeds of
blood?" inquired the child, while a shudder passed through her frame at
the recollection of what she had heard and seen during her short life on
that island.

"I trust not, my lamb. I believe that God has heard our prayers, and
that the Prince of Peace will henceforth rule in this place. But I must
go and prepare for this work. Come, will you go with me?"

"Leave me here for a little, papa; I wish to think it over all alone."

Kissing her forehead, the missionary left her. When he was out of sight
the little girl sat down, and, nestling between two great roots of her
favourite tree, laid her head against the stem and shut her eyes.

But poor Alice was not left long to her solitary meditations. There was
a peculiarly attractive power about her which drew other creatures
aro