ight flickering through the green
boughs of a clump of palms, and falling upon the upturned face and
purplish braids with their glitter of gold coins. In the background were
a few broken columns, relic of some past grandeur, and at a little
distance a camel crouched in the sand, gazing as mournfully as the
Sphynx across the desert. The flowing Eastern dress of the child was
pushed back from one beautifully rounded arm, but the other was
concealed, as if she had tried to hide it from even the sunlight. It was
crippled and pitifully deformed.

Poor little Fatima! I knew her sensitive spirit, and I put my pencil out
of sight as I came nearer, for I saw on her face the shadow of a
restless discontent. She smiled as she bade me welcome, but it was a sad
smile, and changed to tears as she spoke.

"I am of no use," she said in Arabic. "If I were a boy, they would care
for me; but a girl! They scorn me and my disfigured arm. I can never do
any good in the world; never, never. And, oh, lady, there is a soul
within me that longs to do something for somebody! I want to accomplish
something; not to sit here day after day making figures in the sand,
only to see them drift back again into a dull level. But I shall live in
vain. What can I do with this poor crippled arm?"

It was a difficult task to soothe her; but I think, after awhile, she
felt that the great Allah had done all things well, and peace crept over
her tired little heart.

"But, dear child," I said, as I left her, "it may be that you can do
more good with your one arm than I ever can with my two. We do not know
what may happen."

And so I went home to my little cottage, taking the field path instead
of the railroad track, as I usually did. When I reached the house, and
called for my little girl-baby, who often came toddling out to meet me,
all was silent, and in answer to my inquiries the nurse said she had
just gone down the track a little way to meet me.

"Down the track! Oh, the train! the train! It's time for the train! Why
do you stand here idle? Call Hassan and Mahomet. Run, and save her!"

I rushed wildly along the embankment. How plain it all is to me now,
even to the bits of pottery gleaming in the sand, and the distant echo
of an Arab's song as it floated over the hills! I saw the white dress
of my darling far ahead, and stumbled on--how, I hardly knew. The train
was coming! I could hear it plunging on; I could see the fearful light.
Oh, if I might rea