“This is only another verification of the fact that a little child shall lead them.

“Yes, it means a rich and new blessing to me!”

“And to me, too,” softly sobbed Mrs. Gray, “fer it’s all come through her, the sweet lamb, and I’ve been a-threat’nin’ to lick her.  She was that patient when my ankle was twisted, that I’ll never fergit it, no never!  I can see now how she’d shake of fear when she’d come up to me, then run to poor old father fer a bit of comfort.  I didn’t know it then, but do now, that she was ‘most a-starvin’ fer the kind of love she didn’t git.  How she must have missed her ma!  Oh, I’ve been so awful mean!  I don’t see how God can fergive me, but I know He has.  I never knew’d before that the Saviour is fer sech as me.  Tom used to try to tell me, and I wouldn’t let him.  He wuz good, and I wuzn’t.  And dear old father!  How happy he and Tom must be tonight, but it’ll be dreadfully lonesome with them all gone.  I wish I could have Rosa back ag’in, though I’m awful glad she’s to have sech a good home.  And I made sech a fuss about a-keepin’ her till spring.  If it hadn’t been fer her, I don’t know how I’d ever got along when I couldn’t walk.  But God has fergive me now, and I feel like another woman.”

“I’ll go back with you, Mis’ Gray,” faltered Rosa, “if you want me to.”

“No, my child, you promised to stay with me,” interrupted the doctor, “but you may visit Mrs. Gray every week, and I shall see that she never wants for anything again.”

[Illustration:  Dr. Dale and Rosa.]

“Ain’t He a wonderful Saviour?” said Mrs. Gray, brightening up.  “I can’t see how ’tis, but I love them all over there on Burton street now, and I used to be that ugly they’re all afraid of me, I know.  Seems like I can hardly wait till mornin’, I’m that anxious to git back to tell them all about it.  They’re all so poor, and have sech heavy loads.  They need Him bad to help them, but they don’t know He’s promised to.  And Billy Bruce, the poor laddie, I want to tell him how sorry I am fer a-tryin’ to throw that piece of coal at him.  His ma’s drunk most of the time, and so’s his pa.  He used to come to me fer somethin’ to eat, and I wouldn’t give him a thing, but jest scold him and tell him to git out of the way, fer I didn’t feed beggars.  He ain’t never had no chance yet, and I’m jest a-goin’ to see what I can do fer him.  He’s got a good heart, and once he told me I’d never lick Rosa if he wuz only a little bigger.  He’ll run when he see me a-comin’, but I’ll put some peppermints in my pocket, and mebbe they’d help catch him.”

“Oh, Mrs. Gray,” said Esther, “I am so glad that you are going to help Billy.  I saw him the other day, and feel sure that you can bring him around all right.  I shall come over often to assist you, and I know that many will find the same dear Friend in whom you are rejoicing tonight.

“How wonderfully has the Lord’s hand been guiding since first I saw Rosa that cold December day; and the end is not yet!”