20 LTistory of Gutta-Percha Wuilte.

 

find how dark the room was, And what surprised
him more was a curious noise which he heard the
moment he entered it, like the noise of a hedge-
hog, or some other little creature of the fields or
woods. But he crept gently up to his mother’s
bed, saying—

“ Are you better this morning, mamma ?”

And she answered in a feeble sweet. voice—

“Yes, Willie, very much better. And, Willie,
God has sent you a little sister.”

“Q-o-o-oh!” cried Willie. “A little sister!
Did He make her Himself?”

“Yes; He made her Himself; and sent her to
you last night.”

“How busy He must have been lately!” said
Willie. “Where is she? I should like to see her.
Is she my very own sister?”

“Yes, your very own sister, Willie—to love and
take care of always.”

“Where is she?”

“Go and ask nurse to let you see her.”

Then Willie saw that there was a strange woman
in the room, with something lying on her lap. He
went-up to her, and she folded back the corner of
a blanket, and revealed a face no bigger than that
of the big doll at the clergyman’s house, but alive,
quite alive—such a pretty little face! He stuod
staring at it for a while.

“ May I kiss her, nurse?”