book. I said it was full of such beautiful stories, and I would read some, if she liked. She was very glad. Then I sang for her, 'Just as I am,' and she liked it so much that she learned it. Oh! it was such a happy evening."

That poor young woman went out of the hospital very soon after, and we do not know whether the seed thus sown has yet sprung up; but we know that God has promised, that His word shall not be lost.

And now dear Emily seemed to be rapidly passing away. We visited her very often. One day one said to her, "I'll come again to-morrow." With a sweet smile, she said, "I may be at home to-morrow; but we'll soon meet above, and oh! won't I have a welcome for you there."

Another day, her wasted hand was lying outside her bed, and one said, "Poor little hand, how thin it is!" "Never mind," she said, "it will be fashioned like unto His glorious body."

On one of the last days of her life she sent a message to her former schoolfellows. She said, "Tell all who remember me to come to

I am

Jesus; tell them that, in my dying hour, He is more to me than all His promises. dying; but, oh! tell them all to come to Jesus."

Thus lived dear Emily; and one morning, when we went to the hospital, she was gone. Her sweet face was not any whiter than usual, but there was the settled calm of death upon it. We thought of Enoch's translation, and we could say, "Emily walked with God, and she is not, for He has taken her."

And now, dear lambs of the flock, may God bless you, and give to each of you more and more of His Holy Spirit, that you may follow Emily as she followed Christ; for " we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end." (Heb. vi. 11).

E

CHAPTER VII.

"THE LORD SHALL COMMAND THE BLESSING UPON THEE IN THY STOREHOUSES, AND IN ALL THAT THOU SETTEST THINE HAND UNTO."-Deut. xxviii. 8.

AND now we begin a new year, 1862. In the early part of it we had great anxieties about the sick children, so many chilblained feet, sore heads, and such things. We often longed for the fine weather to come, and the new house to be opened. But winter has its joys as well as sorrows. There was a decorated school-room and a Christmas-tree, with plenty of tea and cake provided by a kind friend, to welcome in the new year; and almost all were able to be present. And then there were the long pleasant winter evenings, when a good fire was made up in the kitchen, and the girls sat round with their work, the boys with their slates and pencils, and all the

little ones on the floor in the middle, where the matron would sit amongst them, and play all kinds of little games. These were happy times for the Birdies; they cared not for the howling winds and driving rain. Once it might have harmed them, when they wandered forlorn and weary; but now they were safely sheltered from the winter's blast.

For the first four months of the year the children were still in the old house. It was situated on one side of a country road, in the outskirts of Kingstown.

A field very nearly opposite had been chosen as the site of the new building. I could not tell you how often the poor little Birdies looked out at their new "Nest," as stone after stone was laid, and the walls rose, and the window-places were left, and then the roof was put on. And then the carpenters came, and doors were put in, and windows were made; and then the iron railings were put up in front, and the gates in their places. How they wondered what it would all be like inside!

At last April came, and Mr. Dallas was coming over; and though all the inside things

were not ready, still the school-rooms were finished, and we determined to have an opening day, on the 10th of April, exactly a year from the time when we all stood in the green field, and the first stone was put down.

I must explain the plan of the building, or I fear you will not exactly understand all I shall have to tell you. You will see by the picture that there are two doors; one has "Boys'" written over it, the other "Girls'." This is to suit the day-schools. You remember, that at first, the Birds' Nest children went to the Mission School; now the Mission School was to come to the Birds' Nest.

The large space between each entrance is divided into two rooms; the one on the boys' end, is the infant school-room; the other is the feeding-room. In this latter are nine deal tables, some of them very low, with small low forms for the little children; others are higher for those who have longer legs. At one end of this room is a door which is opposite the kitchen door; and all the way from the boiler in the kitchen, to the far end of the feedingroom, a railway is laid; on it is a carriage like a table with four shelves. The plates of food