Tom pays a Viste. 129

Petree

 

“T can’t tell you how it is, or why itis. Id
never have guessed in old times that I would
come to this. I don’t think whether I’m
happy or not. I’m only waiting every minute
—listening for His blessed voice to call. He's
brought me on to here, and He'll lead me on
further—that I know.”

“Well,” said Tom, getting up; “{f must
run home now. Mamma said I wasn't to
stay late. But Vil come back very soon—
before you go. Id like to say good-bye, dear
Benjamin.”

The violets came only once a-year, soon
after winter, and did not stay till the
summer. Between whiles Tom had time to
forget how pretty they looked, and how
sweet they smelt. Their leaves were in the
shape of little green shields, and they liked
to hide their blue faces underneath them.
They were not tall like a rose-tree or a wall-
flower, or thick like a sweet-briar bush, and
yet their perfume rose up and filled a large
place in the air, so that long before Tom saw
the little green shields covering their heads,