y more at all." Lili's voice was hurried, and full of
distress.

"I don't wonder that you could not feel happy, and you cannot yet. Because
of your disobedience, a poor little child is lying suffering in the next
house, perhaps without its mother to comfort it, for it is a stranger
here. Think of it there in a strange house, away from home, crying in pain
all night long."

"I will go right over there and stay with it," said Lili dolefully, and
she began to cry again. "I cannot sleep either mamma; I am so worried."
"We are always worried, my dear child, when we have done wrong. I will go
now and find out whether the child is in need of help; and you will pray
to God to give you an obedient spirit, and to turn aside the evil that
your naughtiness may have caused an innocent child to suffer."

Lili followed her mother's advice. She could pray, now that she had
confessed her fault; as she felt that she might now be forgiven. She
prayed heartily for the recovery of the wounded child, and for
forgiveness for herself.

Trine was sent over to the widow's house, to inquire whether it was really
a child that had been hit by the arrow, and whether it was badly hurt.
Mrs. Kurd told Trine the whole story, and that the doctor had said, "We
trust no serious harm is done," and that he would come again the next day.
Trine carried this report back to her mistress, and Mrs. Birkenfeld was
very much relieved; for her first fear had been that the child's eye might
have been hit, even if no mortal wound had been inflicted, and she was
thankful to find that things were no worse.

CHAPTER VII.

LONG-WISHED-FOR HAPPINESS.

The next morning, Mrs. Birkenfeld went early to the widow's house, where
she was most cordially received; for she as well as her friend Lili had
been a favorite pupil of Mrs. Kurd's husband. What pleasure the ardent
teacher had taken in these pupils, and what success he had had in teaching
them! He had never been tired of talking about it, and his wife had never
forgotten it.

Mrs. Birkenfeld was shown into the sitting-room, where Mrs. Kurd insisted
on her taking a seat, saying that she had much to tell her, for she had
not seen her before since she had had the strangers from Karlsruhe in her
house. There was a great deal to say about them and especially about the
accident of the day before. When the widow had talked herself out, Mrs.
Birkenfeld asked if she could speak to the lady, and to the little girl
wh