articles being all of one sort, as the young people who had made them could make nothing else. Great was my astonishment and joy. I made up the number from the other parcel, and went straight back to the Nest, and told the children how God had supplied their wants. Tears stood in many eyes as they listened, and they learned a lesson of trust in God they will not soon forget. It is wonderful to see how God was preparing the answer before the want came. All the time those little children were putting in stitch after stitch, they were working out the will of God; and just when the need came, the work was ready. It is written, "Before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear."

During this year of 1861, one of the first inmates lay ill of consumption. Her life and death formed the subject of a little book, entitled "Not Alone," which we wrote while all the sweet things she said were fresh in our memories. We will insert it amongst these records of the Birds' Nest, as it is there written:

CHAPTER VI.

"NOT ALONE."

THIS little story is for the lambs in the flocks; and it is written that they may know more of the Good Shepherd's leadings, that they may learn. to be diligent "followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.'

I think if you had seen little Emily, when she was first brought to the Ragged School, you would have said, "What a nice little girl! I should just like to make clothes for her, and buy her some shoes, and take care of her." And yet her mother, who brought her, said that she was a very wicked little girl, that she was disobedient, that she told lies, and that she could not keep her any longer in her house. The ladies of the committee did not

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know how to believe this story; and one of them said to Emily, "Is it true that you are such a naughty little girl?" She smiled very sweetly, and said, "I try not to be, ma'am." "And if we take you into our dormitory, will you try to be obedient ?” "Oh! yes, ma'am; please take me." And when she was told she should stay for a month, such a look of joy came into her face, that the ladies felt quite sure the story was untrue.

And so it was. Emily had always tried to be a good child at home, although she was a Roman-catholic, and did not know the true motives for obedience, and her mother was very fond of her. But by some means she got a New Testament, and when she read this, she found how wrong the Roman-catholic religion is, and she refused to follow it. Then her mother turned against her, and she made up the story of Emily's wickedness, in order to make people think she was right in turning her out of the house.

Poor child! she had now no home on earth, but Jesus was preparing for her a home in heaven; and because He wanted to make her ready for that home, He led her young foot

steps as once He led Abraham, saying. "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land which I will show thee."

Abraham went out that he might "receive the promises," and so did Emily; for when she came to the Ragged School she had only head knowledge. She herself afterwards said, "I did not love Jesus when I first went there; I only had Him in my head; but He was not in my heart. I did not get Him into my heart till I was there three weeks, and then I only began to love Him a little.”

Long before the month was out, Emily had endeared herself to her school-fellows and her teachers, but she was too young and small to stay in the dormitory for great girls; so as soon as "The Birds' Nest" was opened at Kingstown, she was sent there. We hoped, too, that the air of the country would do her good, for she was not at all strong; her face was pale, and there was a bright red spot in the middle of each cheek.

At Kingstown she was quite a "motherbird," loving and kind to the little ones, tenderly caring for them, helping them in their

plays, and comforting them in their sorrows. Everybody loved Emily, except her unnatural

relatives.

Pleasant footsteps were these! The Good Shepherd was leading His little lamb in "green pastures beside the still waters," and she grew in grace and in likeness to the Saviour.

But there are rough places as well as smooth in the road to heaven; it is "through much tribulation that we enter the kingdom;" and the true follower of Jesus, although she be but a little child, will say—

"I'll welcome still the heaviest grief,
That brings me near to Thee."

Severe pain in her leg, accompanied by low fever, soon obliged Emily to find a new home in an hospital.

Here she was laid in a small bed, in a ward in which there were many other beds, and many patients came and went, some cured of their diseases, and some called to another world. But with Emily, month after month passed away with little change, except that she grew weaker, and the two red spots in her cheeks grew brighter, and the great pain of