Little Alice's Palace; or, The Sunny Heart

								

Lolly thought her the most wonderful little girl in all the world, and
clapped her hands for joy as she looked upon the altered room.
Then they went outside, and swept the sticks and chips from the lawn; and
Maddie managed to hunt up a hammer and some old rusty nails, and to help
Alice to fasten the loose boards upon the door, which improved it more
than anything else could do.
It was so low from the roof to the ground that by stepping on a chair
they could easily reach; and they trained a running rose-bush, that had
been long neglected, and hung, trailing, over the grass, so that it
nearly covered the whole side of the cottage, and would soon be like a
bright green mantle over the dark walls.

CHAPTER VII.

Just as they had finished their labours, and Alice had prevailed upon
Maddie to put herself in a little better order, and the three young
friends had seated themselves upon the step to get something from Alice's
Bible--some words of love and blessing, as Alice said, from their
heavenly Father--there came a lady up the road towards them.  She was
walking very slowly along, with her parasol shielding her face, so that
it was quite concealed from the children; but Alice knew her dress, and
ran quickly to meet her, crying joyously, "It is Miss Mason, dear Lolly!"
Maddie ran into the cottage and hid behind the door, like a foolish
little girl; but Lolly sat still, very glad that the good teacher was
coming to speak to her, yet trembling with a sort of nervous fear;
because she was a shy little girl, and so seldom saw strangers.
She wondered that Alice dared go so fearlessly up and walk along, with
her hand in Miss Mason's hand, and her face upturned towards the lady's,
while she talked as freely as if it had been herself or Maddie listening.
But when Miss Mason stood by the step and stooped down to kiss her sun-
burned cheek, and said sweetly, "So this is your little friend Lolly, is
it, Alice?" she did not wonder any longer; for her heart leaped to meet
the gentle lady, and she could not take her eyes from such a kind and
loving face.
"Where's Maddie?" asked Miss Mason, with a smile.
She could see her peeping through the crack of the door; and,
understanding the case, she said carelessly,--
"I suppose she will join us by-and-by.  We will sit here and read in
Alice's book until she comes, and then I want to talk to you.  Alice told
me you lived here, Lolly, and I want you to go to the Sunday-school.  We
are very happy there, are we not, Alice?"
Alice answered with a beaming face, and she and Lolly sat, one on each
side of the teacher, and listened as she read to them from God's holy
Word.
She read first about the creation of this beautiful world, and the garden
where Adam and Eve were placed; and, when she had made Lolly and Maddie
understand all about how sin came--for Maddie, attracted by the sweet
voice and pleasant manner, had crept softly from her hiding-place and
curled herself upon the step behind the lady--Miss Mason turned to the