In the sheepcotes also they were once in a while in sad contemplation.  They counted the days before Lesina would come for Palko and take him away.  When Ondrejko with tears in his eyes confided this to his mother, her cheeks turned pale with fright.  It had never occurred to her that Palko would leave, and she could not even imagine those surroundings without him.  One day he accompanied her to the cottage.  She had promised him a nice song; he had come in to get it.

“Palko, do you want to go away from us?” she began suddenly, and took the boy by the hand.

“Verily, even next week my father is coming,” he said seriously.  “Then we will have about five days’ more work with the timber, and then we shall leave.”

“But you will be glad to go home; will you not?”

“Really very glad,” he confessed sincerely.  “Since I have not seen my mother for weeks, nor grandfather nor grandmother and all, nor have they seen me.  They will be glad when I come, and I more than they all, because we all will be together again.”

“And will you not be sorry for your comrades?  They will miss you sadly.”

“Yes, indeed; I will be very lonesome without them and Uncle Filina.  I love him very much, like my old pastor Malina.  I am thankful to the Lord Jesus that Uncle is healthy and will not yet die, but will tell his helpers about the Lord Jesus, and everybody else.  Only one thing worries me; it is that when I go away, I shall not find out what you, lady, will do with the Lord Jesus.  You taught us such beautiful songs; till my death I shall be thankful to you for them.  You have sung so beautifully for us, like an angel from heaven; but you do not believe what you have been singing.  I am sorry for that, and the Lord Jesus is sorry also.  Yesterday you taught us the song: 

  “Safe in the arms of Jesus,
    Safe on His gentle breast,
  There by His love o’ershadowed,
    Safely my soul shall rest.”

“It would fit you so beautifully if you would give yourself in His hands just as the shepherd carries the lost sheep.  It would be so good for you in His arms; I know that best of all.  While here among you, more than once homesickness for my mother threatened to overcome me; but when I considered that He is with me, it was well with me at once, and I was right at home.  You have met already much evil in the world and more than once you were sad, were you not?  But He would console you.  However, if you would let Him go away like the people of Nazareth, He will go on, but you would remain alone.  Ondrejko told me that you have a very good father, that your father already belongs to the Lord Jesus.  Ondrejko belongs to Him also; sometime they both will go to Him, and you will be left alone,” and Palko broke out crying.

“Do not cry,” said the lady in a peculiar voice.  “I don’t want to be like the people at Nazareth.  I would like to go on that narrow path, but I cannot find it.  I am too full of sin for God to receive me.  So long as my earthly father does not forgive me, I cannot seek the face of God.”