Above, in the purple skies, stood all the host of heaven, looking down with solemn benediction upon the earth, lying peaceful and loving beneath their gaze; and even Kitty-poor, lonely, heartsick Kitty-lifted her hot, tearful face toward them, and felt the holy calm descend upon her aching heart.

Falling upon her knees, she raised her arms yearningly toward heaven; and her whole soul struggled upward in the cry,—­

“Oh I wish I could, I wish I could, be good!  O God! make me good enough to die and go to where my mother is!”

A light step upon the stair, a gentle hand upon the latch, and strange Kitty, perverse even among her best impulses, started up, and stood cold and silent in the darkness.

“Kitty!” said Dora’s voice softly.

“Well.  I’m here.”

“Won’t you come down now?  Sunshine is asleep; isn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“Well, won’t you come?”

“By and by:  I’ve got to see to the beds.  Where is Mr. Brown going to sleep?”

“I thought you might give him your room, and come in here.”

“Indeed I sha’n’t!” replied Kitty in a strange voice.  “He is no company of mine; and I don’t want him even to look into my room.  I’d never sleep there again if he did once!”

“Well, then, we can make a bed for Karl on the floor, and Mr. Brown can have his bed,” said Dora quietly, seeing nothing deeper in Kitty’s refusal than a little impulse of perversity.

Kitty made no reply; and Dora, groping her way toward where she stood, put an arm about her waist, saying,—­

“Come, Kitty, come down with me.  You’re tired, I know; and it is too bad you have so much to do.  To-morrow I will stay at home and help you.  Karl can take a holiday, and show Mr. Brown over the farm.”

“What nonsense!  I don’t do any thing to hurt; and it would be pretty well for you to send Mr. Brown off with Karl, when he came here on purpose to see you.”

“Oh, no, he didn’t!  He came to see us all; and he asked where you were just now, when we came in.”

“And that was why you came to look for me; wasn’t it?” asked Kitty suspiciously.

“Not wholly.  I had been thinking of it for some minutes.”

“But couldn’t bear to leave long enough,” suggested Kitty; adding, however, “Well, I’ll come.  I suppose it is no more than polite, as long as he’s company.”

“Of course it isn’t; and you know Mr. Brown is very ceremonious,” said Dora, so archly, that Kitty paused in smoothing her hair to say,—­

“Now, if you’re going to make fun of me, Dora”—­

“Oh, I’m not!-not a bit of it.  There, now, you’re nice enough for any thing.”

In the kitchen, besides Mr. Brown and Karl, the girls found Mr. and Mrs. Ross; Mehitable demurely seated in a corner, and knitting a long woollen stocking; while Seth, under the skilful management of Mr. Brown, was giving quite an interesting description of life in a Maine logging-camp.