anding without waiting for a reply, to bring the
little brown tea-pot, which on the Sabbath always found a place on Mrs.
Turner's table; for that day was hailed as a peaceful festival by these
two lonely widows, who kept God's day in sincerity and truth.

When the busy child came back, she set to work to carefully wash the
cresses, arranging them afterwards in a pretty plate of her own, and
then, placing them and the violets she had saved in front of the kind
old woman, lifted up her bright face for a kiss.

But Mrs Flanagan was unable even to say "Thank you, my bird."

Her face was buried in her blue checked apron. She muttered something
about her eyes being weak, and when after a little while she looked up,
and lovingly kissed the child, Pollie feared they must be very bad
indeed, they were so red, just as though she had been crying.

"Ah, my little one," she said in a husky voice "may God ever keep you
pure and simple in heart; yea, even as a little child!"

By this time the meat was fried, the tea made, and everything in
readiness for this wonderful banquet--at least so Pollie deemed it. How
happy they were! Mrs Flanagan had recovered her usual spirits, and
indulged in many a hearty laugh at the child's plans of what she should
now do for mother, and the widow looked on with her quiet smile, happy
in her child's happiness, glad because she was listening to her merry
prattle; and though the meal was but scanty, no dainty dishes to tempt
the appetite, yet the wisest man has said,--

"Better a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred
therewith."

CHAPTER V.

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

Well, the days passed on, and little Pollie pursued her work of selling
violets; for those sweet flowers are a long time in season, bearing
bravely the March winds and April showers, as though desirous of
gladdening the earth as long as possible. All honour, then, to these
hardy little blossoms.

So day after day found Pollie in the same spot where we first saw her,
until at last the little brown-eyed girl became well known to the
passers-by. Kind old gentlemen, fathers, or it may be grandfathers some
of them, thought of their own more fortunate children, whose lives were
so much easier, and so thinking, stopped and bought of the shy little
maiden, speaking kindly to her the while; girls on their way to the city
workrooms gladly spent a hard-earned penny for violets, and worked more
cheerfully afterward