He took another glance at his torn coat, saw that his shoes were muddy, and his hands all dirt, and blood, and scratches, and remembered—­worse than all—­oh! far, far worse!—­that he was there by stealth—­a naughty, wilful, disobedient boy, who dared not look upon his friends, because his conscience told him how he was degraded.  So, anxious to avoid his little play-mate, he rushed up a ladder leading to the scaffolding, to hide himself—­missed his footing in his hurry, and fell down on to the ground from a great height.

Oh! how his shrieks and groans did wound the heart of our dear Frank!  He wanted to push through the crowd, and get to him; but he was ordered back by a wise doctor, who had just arrived, and who had his patient placed upon a plank, and carried to the hospital hard by.

Mrs. Grey begged that her carriage might be used; but the doctor civilly declined, and said that “it was most important that the little fellow should be given up to him; but that his mother had been sent for, just before, and was the only person who might see him.”

Oh! how dear Frank sobbed, as the shrieks rent the air!—–­ and as they grew fainter and fainter in the distance, his Grandmama ordered the servant to lift him to the carriage, that he might be taken quickly home.

Frank snoozed up close beside his Grandmama, and sat so silent that she hoped he slept, exhausted by his tears and pity; but, lifting up his eyes, at length he said—­

“Grandma, I fear poor George is not a ‘Crystal Palace.’  Is he?”

“Not now, my dear, but he may yet be one; and if he live to come again to school, you must never tell him of this day’s disgrace; for neither boys nor men are goaded into goodness; but you must try, and pray, to win him back to Jesus, and make him love and wish to imitate that gracious Saviour, who, when himself a little boy, was said to grow in favor both with God and man (Luke ii. 52).”

“I will, indeed; indeed, I will!” said Frank, weeping afresh; and so, to turn his thoughts, his Grandmama proposed that they should call on Mrs. Scott, and ask after her health.

Frank willingly agreed, for Harry Scott had always been a favorite with him, though many years his senior.  He was a noble, generous, and condescending lad, who liked to play with little fellows, and not to teaze and banter them, as too many of them do.  Frank never was more happy than when he was allowed to have a game with Harry.  But now he had not seen him for six months, and then only once or twice, as Harry and his mother were going to the sea for change of air.

What, then, was his surprise and sorrow, to be told, that he had now been very ill five months, and that it was not at all expected that he ever would be better, until he went to dwell in the New Jerusalem—­that ’Noblest Crystal Palace’,—­“descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God:  and whose light is like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; with gates of pearl, and angels for the porters; with streets of gold, and a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”—­Rev. xxi. and xxii.