"What a pretty name," said Miss Patch gently, "and what a beautiful
thought. You are a little bit of a sweet garden transplanted into
the midst of a dingy street to brighten us up, and bring beautiful
and fragrant things to our minds. Jessamine and may blossom," she
repeated softly; "oh, the picture it calls up, and the sweet
fragrance! I seem to see them and to smell them, even here! I am
ready now, little Jessamine May; shall we go to Charlie?"

Jessie sprang to her feet. "I think yours is such a pretty room,"
she said half timidly; and then her eye falling on a rose-bush in
Miss Patch's window, all her timidity vanished, and she sprang
towards it with a cry of mingled pleasure and pain.

"Oh, you have a rose-bush, too!" she cried eagerly. "I had one at
granp's, and I loved it so." The quivering of her lips prevented her
saying more, and the tears in her eyes made the rose-bush look all
misty and dim.

Miss Patch saw and understood, and it was a very loving hand she laid
on Jessie's shoulder. "I know, dear, I know how it feels--and you
cannot understand the why and the wherefore of it all now--but you
will some day--and in the meantime you are come to be a bit of sweet
garden in our midst, to cheer us as your rose cheered you--and we do
need some brightness here, little Jessamine May, I can assure you."
And, somehow, Jessie felt much of her overwhelming sorrow vanish at
the little old lady's words, and as she helped her down the stairs
she felt quite cheered and happy again.

Charlie's delight more than repaid Miss Patch for the pain and effort
of going down to see him, and whilst they were all looking and
admiring, and agreeing what a wonderful improvement it was, and how
much more comfortable and spacious the room looked, and in every way
desirable, Mrs. Lang returned and came up-stairs to see how her boy
had got on in her absence.

Jessie had been rather dreading this moment, for she could not help
feeling that she had been taking a great liberty, but Mrs. Lang was
too weary and anxious to make troubles of trifles, and anything that
pleased her darling was sure to please her too.

So she expressed her approval of their doings and sat down on the
foot of Charlie's bed to hear all about it, and all the advantages,
and new charms and interests of having his bed in this position.

Miss Patch sat on the ricketty chair and joined in occasionally, but
her quick sympathy was aroused by the weariness on M