In about a fortnight the moving day came, and many little hands carried over bundle after bundle; and there was such excitement, such rushing over the house to see all the rooms, such peering into presses, as only children who have ever moved into a new house can understand.

It was not very easy to reduce all to order, as you may imagine. The new house required new plans, and new work; and the workmen. kept themselves a very long time about doing little finishings. Just as we thought they were quite ready to go, a terrible misfortune happened the well ran dry! and there was no water for that great house and its inmates. Many schemes were thought of, for water must be had. The only thing that could be done was to dig a very deep well. At last water was found, but we were obliged to have a steampump to get it

up.

You cannot think what a time of trouble we had of it, all the long weeks when there was no water; we never before felt the comfort of the last part of the promise, "Bread shall be given, and water shall be sure." During that time, we were glad when we heard the driving

rain; for we knew the cisterns were filling, and for a time the want would be supplied.

On the 30th of April we had a Children's Meeting at The Birds' Nest. Some clergymen who knew how to speak to children came.

At this Meeting the story of little Pat Daly was told. He was a child who would have been put into the Nest, only Jesus took him right away to heaven, before we had a place ready for him. As many will read this book who were not at that meeting, we must put in the story for them. It shows just the sort of little children for whom we have provided a home in "The Birds' Nest;" for though Pat had a mother, she had no work except a day's washing now and again. And very, very often there was no food in their home, and no fire; and the story will tell how little of comfort there was for the sick child. It is a story of the winter time without the Holly and Joy.

CHAPTER VIII.

"HE SHALL GATHER THE LAMBS IN HIS ARMS, AND CARRY THEM IN HIS BOSOM."

WHEN the messengers of the Good Shepherd go out to seek those who are lost, they cannot see the marks by which Jesus knows which are His, and so they gather in all they can find; and they teach them about Him who loved them enough to die for them, and they try to win them into the upward path that leads to heaven.

Many of the children who are gathered into the earthly fold, never reach the heavenly; they love sin better than holiness, and the broad easy road that leads to death, better than the narrow difficult path that leads to life.

But many there are who learn to know the gentle voice of the Good Shepherd, and to follow Him.

About three years ago a Scripture Reader,

out on his daily rounds of visiting, entered a room in which there were two children, a girl and a boy.

The girl was about eight years old; she hung down her head and looked cross, and did not like to be spoken to. The little boy was about six; he had a noble forehead and deep blue eyes, and he gave very nice answers to the questions which were put to him. Both children looked miserably poor and dirty, and the room in which they lived was more miserable and dirty still.

Before the Reader left he had taught the little boy to repeat that nice little text you all know-"Suffer little children to come to me," and both of them had promised to attend the Ragged School in the Coombe.

With the girl it was only a promise, but Pat was soon one of the brightest little boys in the infant school. He liked all the lessons very

much, but the more than all.

texts and little hymns he loved

Pat had not been attending the school long, when a great persecution was raised against it. Every morning a large mob assembled in the street to try and keep the children from going

in. Many little children were carried off to strange schools in distant parts of the town, and left to find their way home as best they could; and many a poor mother was searching until late at night for her lost ones.

On one of these terrible days, little Pat was seized by a priest, who was carrying him away in his arms, when his missionary friend saw him, and, to the great joy of the little boy, rescued him.

That terrible time passed away, and again the smitten flock assembled in peace; and many were the prayers they offered up for their enemies, and many the thanksgivings that the Good Shepherd had so watched over them, and quieted the raging of the enemy.

We don't know why it is, but sometimes God sends very great trials to even little children. He knows best; and the roughest path is often the shortest, if it only lead right upwards.

Thus it was with this poor ragged boy; he had not been many weeks at school when his teachers noticed that he grew paler and thinner, and he complained of pain in his leg; then he had to sit all day, and he could not go