"Why, it begins about when the dear Lord Jesus lived up in heaven with His Father and the angels. Look! Corrie! At the twinkling stars, how they shine! That is only a little peep of the glory and beauty of the happy home above the bright blue sky."
"Shall we go to that home some day, Robin? You and I and mother?"
"Yes, darling little sister, we shall, for Jesus has promised to take us there; and He always does what He says."
As the boy whispered this, a rush of hot tears came into his eyes, for he could not help thinking that the time might not be so very far off for Corrie, his poor little ailing sister, who had never known how to use her small feet: they did not seem to belong to her at all. For, alas! both legs were quite paralysed and helpless. All day long she had to sit motionless in her chair, or make feeble efforts to creep about on the floor. Robin knew he could never see her playing with other children of her own age among the daisied meadows out beyond the smoky town.
When she was a baby-child, he used to carry her out of doors for long distances, to let her breathe the pure country air. But at last the weight became too much for even his patient loving strength. And now, although she was four years old, there was no improvement in the state of her health. The doctor had told mother yesterday she would be a cripple all her life. This was why the boy's tears fell on Corrie's silky hair to-night; but he brushed them away, and went on with the story as the child nestled closer in his embrace—
"The holy angels live up there," he continued, "and we shall see them all some day; and you will never cry any more, Corrie, when you get there, because Jesus is going to take away everybody's pain."
Corrie gave a sigh of relief.
"Please go on," she pleaded.
"I heard a great deal about it from teacher last Sunday," continued Robin; "she said she was going to tell us a Christmas story, that we might think about it on Christmas Eve; so I listened to every word, that I might be able to tell you."
A transient smile flitted across the face made wan and small through suffering, and one white thin hand was raised to stroke Robin's cheek.