Odd | Page 9

you tired?
You look quite beat.'
'I've had a lovely afternoon,' was the child's answer, and the blue eyes
shone up at her questioner; but not a word more could be got from her,
though the little boys did their best to extract more information.
The next day was a wet one, but the little Stuarts were never at a loss
for occupation, and when they were packed off into a large empty
garret for the whole afternoon their delight was unbounded.
At last, tired out, their spirits began to flag, and after having exhausted
all their stock of games they flung themselves down on the ground to
rest.
'I'll tell you a story,' said Betty suddenly.
'All right, go on!'
Betty sat up in a corner, and rested her back against the wall. She
clasped her small hands in front of her, and gazing dreamily up at an
old beam across the room, on which hung many a cobweb, she began,--
'It was a beautiful day in heaven----'
'It's always a beautiful day there,' put in Douglas critically.
'I never said it wasn't. You're not to interrupt me. It was a beautiful day,
the harps were playing and the angels singing, and one angel looked as
if she wanted something. So God asked her what was the matter.
'"Oh, please," she said, "I want to go down to earth to-day."
'"What do you want to do there, O angel?"
'"I want to play and sing to some children there."

'Then God said she might go. So she flew down and changed her
clothes----'
'What kind of clothes did she put on?' asked Molly eagerly.
Betty considered a moment 'She put on a straw hat and a grey dress;
she took off her wings and folded them up.'
'Where did she put them?' demanded Douglas.
'Down a well,' was the prompt reply. 'It was a dry well, and she put her
white dress and crown with it; she did them up in a paper parcel, and
wrote her name on.'
'What was her name?' asked Bobby.
Betty knitted her brows. 'It was a Bible name, of course; I think it was
Miriam. She felt the earth was very hot, for the sun was shining like
anything, and then she wondered who she could sing to. Well, she
walked along a road, and then she saw a church, so she thought that
must be a good place, and she went inside. The church was dark, and
cool, and still, but it was lovely; and there were red and blue and
yellow and green and violet sunbeams, and beautiful painted windows,
and white marble figures all about, and it was so still that you felt you
must hush and walk on tiptoe. And then, what do you think she saw?'
All eyes were on Betty now, as she sank her voice to an impressive
whisper.
'She saw a little girl fast asleep!'
'Go on,' said Douglas impatiently, as Betty made another pause.
'So the angel thought she would sing to her; so she went up very softly
to the big organ, and began to play it, and then she began to sing. It was
lovely. She sang like she did in heaven, and the little girl woke up and
listened.'
'What did she sing about?' asked Molly.

'She sang about heaven, and all the people and children who had come
through great tribulation. And the music went on right up to the top of
the church, and her voice got louder and louder, and then softer and
softer to a whisper, and then the music got softer too, and then--it was
quite still.'
'Well, go on. What did the little girl do?'
'The little girl came away; she--she cried a little.'
'Why, you're crying too! What a silly!'
Betty dashed her small hand across her eyes, and threw up her head
defiantly. 'That's all my story,' she said.
'Oh, what a stupid story! You must make a proper ending.'
'You shall go on! we'll make you!'
'Did the angel get her proper clothes again?'
'Yes,' said Betty, with a little sigh; 'she put them on and went up to
heaven. And God asked her what she'd done. And she told Him she
thought the little girl would like to come to heaven, if He would let her.'
There was a little break in Betty's voice; she slid down from her corner,
and rolled over on the floor, her face hidden from the others. Then in a
second she called out, 'I see a mouse! Let us catch him!'
The children were on their feet directly, and a regular scramble ensued,
Betty the most boisterous of them all. And when nurse came in a little
later, she found the little story-teller in the act of