Little Alice's Palace; or, The Sunny Heart

								

"I'm going now," said the lady; "but I shall come once a week to see how
you get on.  I shall not expect the cobwebs to gather any more in the
cottage, nor the dust to collect upon the floor, nor to shut out the sun
from the window, nor the little princess's face to be dirty and ugly;
because that would offend the pure and holy God, who made this world
fresh and clean and beautiful, and expects his children to keep it so.  Do
you think you will remember 'Our Father'?"
"'Who art in heaven,'" said the child, calling to mind the prayer taught
her some time in her life, but long since almost forgotten.
"Not in heaven only, dear child," said the lady.  "I want you to think
of him as close beside you always, wherever you go.  Can you read?"
"A little."
The lady opened a pocket-Bible, and drawing the little girl closer to
her, said, "Now, say after me,--
"'Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy
presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed
in hell, behold, thou art there.  If I take the wings of the morning, and
dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead
me, and thy right hand shall hold me.  If I say, Surely the darkness
shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.  Yea, the
darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the
darkness and the light are both alike to thee.'
"You see, my dear child," said she, as she reverently closed the book,
"we cannot get away from God if we would, and surely we would not try to
hide ourselves from so kind a Friend and Father if we could.  Only when
we are doing something that we are ashamed of do we shun the face of one
who loves us; and if we try to flee from the eye of God we may be sure we
are guilty of some wickedness.  How much sweeter is it to do what we know
will please him, and look freely up into his face, as a good child
delights to meet his earthly parent's smile!"
The lady rose to go, and the child looked wistfully at her and then at
the little Bible.
"Ah yes; I will give you this.  It will tell you what to do."  And she
put the book into the child's hands.  "You will read a chapter every day
till I come?"
The little girl gladly promised, but was sad at the parting; for never an
hour passed so cheerily as the hour with the kind teacher.
"You may be sure I'll come again, for He sends me," said the lady.  And
she looked up once more with the heavenly face, and then stooped till her
soft lips touched the child's forehead; and, while the pressure of the
gentle kiss thrilled through the very soul of the little girl, her friend
was gone.

CHAPTER IV

"Did she come again?" asked Maddie, who had got upon her knees in front
of Alice, with mouth and eyes and ears wide open for the story.
"Oh yes; many and many a time," said Alice.  "And she taught the little
girl to see her Father's love in the trees, and the flowers, and all