"_Just as nice_, dear Maddie," replied Alice; "and if you and Lolly will go with me to the Sunday-school, she'll tell us a great many more beautiful stories, to help us on our way to our heavenly home.

"But come. It is nearly time for us to go now. Mother will be looking for me. Good-bye."

And the little girl with the sunny heart bounded into the cottage with a smile and a kiss for her mother.

CHAPTER V.

When Alice left the children, they went sauntering along the road towards home. Very slowly they walked, and not joyously and hopefully, as little children do who think of their father's house as the brightest and dearest spot in the whole world.

It was a long distance from the brown cottage of their friend; but the freshness of the evening made it delightful to be out, and they had been resting so many hours that they were not weary. Besides, the twinkling stars came out in the sky, and there was shining above them the calm, bright moon; and altogether it was so serene and lovely, that they almost wished they could be always walking in some pleasant path that should have no unpleasant thing at the end--such as they felt their home to be.

Presently they came to a bend in the road, and a few steps from the corner was a low-roofed house, a ruinous-looking place, with rags stuffed in the broken window-panes. There were green fields around it, and tall trees gracefully waving near it; but the old house spoiled the landscape by its slovenly, shabby appearance.

A dim light was burning in the room nearest the children; and as they approached, they could see their father and mother sitting at a table, eating their coa.r.s.e supper of bread and cold salt pork.

Lolly thought what a pleasant table Alice had by the brook-side, and the scent of the violets seemed even now to reach her, and the music of the waters was in her ears, and the bright, happy face of her little playmate came freshly before her, making the dingy room where her parents sat, with the gloom of the dim light and the tattered dusty furniture, still more uninviting and cheerless.

Lolly lingered outside the door, while Maddie entered. She sat down upon the step, and called to mind all that Alice had said to them that day.

She was younger than Maddie by a year or two, but her soul was older--that is, it was more thoughtful and earnest; and instead of dwelling always on the things of earth, she had a wistful longing for something higher and better, which Alice's words had begun to satisfy.

The cool breeze played upon her cheek, and the sound of the air, as it rustled the leaves, and the breath of the flower-scented meadows fell soothingly upon her senses; and as she looked up into the starry sky, with its myriads of gleaming lights, and recalled the story, she felt within herself that indeed she was a little princess as well as Alice, and that far above all the glory of the heavens her Father was awaiting her return to the heavenly palace.

"Maddie and I mustn't forget these things," said she to herself; "but must try to get ready for our better home."

So much was Lolly thinking of the things she had heard in the story, that she might have sat there in the dew all night, but that her mother called her to eat her supper and go to bed.

Maddie was already fast asleep upon a trundle-bed, that was pushed under the great bed by day, and drawn out at night; for there were only the two rooms in the house, and they had to make the most of all the s.p.a.ce.

Lolly had never felt the house so small and close as on this night; for her soul was swelling with such large free thoughts, that the four narrow walls of the bedroom seemed to press in upon her and almost to stop her breath.

She could not go to bed until she had opened the window and looked up once more into the bright sky; and as she did so, she said very earnestly, "O my Father!"

She did not know any prayers. She had never been taught to call upon G.o.d. Most that she had ever heard of the other life was through Alice's story that day; and her heart was so glad of the knowledge, that it already began to go out towards her heavenly home and her gracious Father.

As she spoke these words, there came such a happy feeling to her spirit--a feeling that she was not alone, but that she was watched over and protected; and with a sense of security and safety, such as she had never before known, she lay down beside her sister, and was soon sweetly slumbering.

CHAPTER VI.

Lolly was awakened in the morning by the fretful voice of her mother, as she went scolding about the house, trying to pick up something for breakfast; and she heard her father answering her in no pleasant mood, and kicking about the floor whatever came in his way.

It was a sad awakening for poor Lolly, and, for the minute, it put wholly out of her mind the pleasure of the previous day, and the lesson learned in the green and sunny place by the brook-side; and she was sorely tempted to cover her head with the bed-clothes, and sleep again, until her parents were off to their work, and then give herself up to idleness and play, as she had always done. But the bright happy face of Alice came before her to help her, and she was out of bed in a minute.

"Maddie, Maddie!" said she, leaning over her sister and giving her the least bit of a shake in order to arouse her; "come, get up. The sun is shining on the wall, and it is a beautiful day. I want you to go with me for Alice."

"Get away!" returned Maddie in a huff. "I haven't slept half enough!"

And, settling herself again, she dropped off into a heavier slumber; while Lolly, seeing that it would do no good to disturb her, dressed herself and went into the other room.

Her mother was baking a cake, and her father sat near, idle. Both looked surprised to see Lolly up so early.

There was a woollen-factory in the village, perhaps half a mile away, and they were off generally long before the children were up; and Maddie and Lolly usually ate such pickings as they left upon the table, and spent their days as they pleased, with little thought or care from their parents.

Lolly could not wait to get her breakfast. She cared for nothing to eat, now that her mind was intent upon some great thing, and she sped away over the dewy gra.s.s to find her new friend. She had never been in Alice's house, for they had only lived a little while in the place where they now were, and Maddie alone had found out their neighbour. Her sister would not always let her play with her, and it was only a mere chance that led her to follow Maddie the day before and get acquainted with Alice.

I did not mean to say _chance_. I would rather say a kind watchful _Providence_--which is the true and right word for a Christian to use; because everything that happens in this world is governed by G.o.d's over- ruling power for some good purpose; and Lolly was led to the spot where her sister and Alice were at play, expressly that she might learn something of her bright, eternal home.

Now that she had seen the sunny-hearted little girl once, it took her but very few minutes to find her again.

The distance seemed nothing at all; and, from the time she left her own door, she could see the cheerful face all along her way, making her walk very pleasant and not in the least lonely.

The cottage door was wide open, and the sunlight lay in golden streaks on the floor at the entrance, where Tabby had stretched herself comfortably.

Lolly could see into the little square room at the right.

The table was spread with a neat, white cloth, and Alice and her mother were eating their breakfast together. There were two white plates on the table, and white cups and saucers, and a smoking dish of porridge. All this Lolly could see as she stood hesitating near the door; but, in a minute, Alice caught a glimpse of her little, shy face, and ran to lead her in.

"You must have some of this nice breakfast," said she, giving Lolly a plateful of the porridge, and pouring some milk on it from a small white pitcher.

Lolly looked timidly at Alice's mother, to see if she might eat it; and the kind pleasant smile she received made her feel quite at home, so that she needed no further urging.

Soon after the mother went away, and left Alice to put the room in order; and, when all things were right, Alice said "she could go with Lolly as well as not that day, and they would make a pretty place of the shabby cottage; for it was just in the best spot--so wild and shady and green."

It was rather a sorrowful task at the beginning, and almost any other little girl than Alice would have been quite discouraged.

There was a great deal of rubbish in the sitting-room, and the floor and windows looked as if they had never known anything of soap and water.

Maddie sat upon the top of a half-barrel, swinging her brown, soiled feet, and playing with a black puppy, that was snapping at her toes; while the table was strewn with crumbs and dirty dishes from the morning's meal, and chips and sticks and bits of rags were upon the floor.

She looked as if she had just got out of bed. Her face was dull, and her hair showed no touch of brush or comb, and her nails were long and dirty; but she jumped from her perch with some signs of shame as she saw Alice, so neat and tidy, at the door; and she began to scramble about as if she wished to make things a little better.

"May I help you to-day, Maddie?" asked Alice. "I haven't any work at home, and I like to get things tidy. We'll make such a room of this before night!" And, without another word, she began in earnest to bring order out of strange confusion.

Lolly was a capital helper, because her heart was in the matter, and she really wanted a pleasant, cheerful home; but Maddie was content to look on, and scarcely moved a finger to help.

They packed away the wood and chips in the closet under the lowest shelf, and washed the dishes and set them up edgewise in their proper places; and they mopped the floor, and scrubbed the windows and table, and brought boughs of evergreen to hang upon the nails around the walls and make it cheerful and pretty.

Alice thought of this. She said, "Rich folks hang paintings on their walls--and these are G.o.d's pictures, the work of his almighty fingers, and so beautiful! Why not put them where we can always look at them, and in them see his love and kindness?"

Lolly thought her the most wonderful little girl in all the world, and clapped her hands for joy as she looked upon the altered room.

Then they went outside, and swept the sticks and chips from the lawn; and Maddie managed to hunt up a hammer and some old rusty nails, and to help Alice to fasten the loose boards upon the door, which improved it more than anything else could do.

It was so low from the roof to the ground that by stepping on a chair they could easily reach; and they trained a running rose-bush, that had been long neglected, and hung, trailing, over the gra.s.s, so that it nearly covered the whole side of the cottage, and would soon be like a bright green mantle over the dark walls.