"An' ye like a-sittin' on somebody's knee, like as you did on mine yesterday; but you was half asleep, and maybe you don't remember."
"Oh, but I do, too, an' it was as nice as nice!" repeated Ailie, with shining eyes. "And I did feel so certain sure you was a-takin' care o' me, I didn't feel afraid—not o' the work'us, even."
"Pretty, ain't it?" muttered old Job softly. "Maybe I'll learn a lesson from that, couldn't I, now? Lyin' in my arms, and never seen me before, and not feelin' a bit o' fear, 'cause she knowed I'd take care o' her! Why, how did she know it, 'cept that I picked her up, when she was a-lyin' all helpless, an' gave her food, an' cuddled her in my arms? Sure that's what the Good Shepherd does—not as I'm likenin' myself, a poor sinful old man—but, sure enough, He does pick up the poor stray lambs, and feeds 'em, an' they feels His arms round 'em, and sees His face, and trusts Him, and has no fear. Ain't that a beautiful thought now?" added Job, looking up brightly, in his usual fashion of putting questions to himself.
Ailie had listened to the indistinct soliloquy, but understood little of it. "What's a shepherd?" she asked.
"A man as takes care of the sheep," said Job. "And there's One—the Good Shepherd, Ailie, and maybe ye know who He is."
Ailie shook her head. "I've seen a shepherd," she said. "There was a lot o' sheep goin' through a street one day, and a man a-drivin' of them with a stick, an' a dog barkin' at them. Was he a good shepherd, 'cause he wouldn't let the carts run over 'em?"
"Ah, deary, the Good Shepherd ain't like that nohow. He don't drive His sheep, but He walks along in front, an' they loves Him so much they walks after Him. And don't He lead 'em to nice cool waters and green grass?" added Job, smiling.
"'Tain't in London, then," said Ailie shrewdly. "We've got no green grass here, 'cept it's away in them park places, as mother said she'd been to once."
"I'd like to tell ye a deal about it," said Job. "I'd like to see ye one o' His lambs, Ailie."
"I ain't a lamb—I'm a girl," said Ailie.