“Papa, shall I sleep in her bed with her to-night?” asked Lulu.

“Certainly, if she would like it.”

“Oh I should!” Grace exclaimed.  “I know our heavenly Father will take care of me, but it’s good to feel Lu’s arms round me too.”

“Then you shall,” said Lulu, giving her an affectionate pat, “your big sister likes to take care of you.”

CHAPTER XVIII.

“O Lu, tell me all about it!” exclaimed Grace when Lulu came home the next day, from her visit to Eliza.  “Are they very, very poor and needy?”

“’Liza and her children?  Well, not so very; because papa has been seeing to them for quite a while.  They had a good fire (’Liza was ironing for somebody) and pretty good clothes; but the children are growing too big for some of their things and have torn or worn holes in others.  So papa says he thinks we should make them some new ones.  I’m going to ask Grandma Elsie to buy some flannel with some of my money, and let me make a skirt for the baby.”

“I’d like to make an apron for one of the little girls,” said Grace.

“Well I suppose you can.  There are two girls and a boy besides the baby.  Just think what a lot of trouble it must be to keep them all clothed and fed!”

“And poor ’Liza will have to do it all herself while Ajax is in jail.”

“I don’t believe he was much help anyhow,” said Lulu, with a scornful little toss of her head; “she says he didn’t work half the time and was always getting drunk and beating her and the children.  I should think she’d want him kept in jail as long as he lives.”

“But maybe he’ll grow good, and be kind and helpful to her when he gets out.”

“Papa will do all he can to make him good,” said Lulu; “he’s gone now to the jail to talk to him.  Just think of his taking so much trouble for such an ungrateful wretch.”

“It’s very good in him,” responded Grace; “and it’s being like the dear Lord Jesus to take trouble to do good to ungrateful wretches.”

“Yes; so it is, and nobody can be acquainted with papa without seeing that he tries always to be like Jesus.”

The captain’s motive for visiting the jail that day was certainly most kind and Christian; a desire to reason with the two prisoners on the sin and folly of their evil courses, and persuade them to repentance and reformation.

He did not approach them in a self-righteous spirit, for the thought in his heart was, “It is only the grace of God that maketh us to differ; and with the same heredity, and like surroundings and influences I might have been even a greater criminal than they;” but he found them sullen and defiant and by no means grateful for his kindly interest in their welfare.

Still he continued his efforts, visiting them frequently while they lay in the county jail awaiting trial.

Lulu looked forward to the trial with some apprehension, dreading to be placed on the witness-stand before the judges, jurymen, lawyers, and the crowd of spectators likely to be present on the occasion.