Buoyed up by this suggestion Willie quickened his footsteps, and presently they came to a small hall, which was brilliantly lighted. [The children stopped, and Bob peeped in at the door.] The place seemed to be almost full of children, some of whom were quite as ragged as himself. They were all singing lustily, and the two boys could hear the words—-
"Suffer little children to come unto Me."
"Don't it sound prime, Willie?" said Bob. Shall we go in?"
"Yes, do; it'll be warm in there."
So Bob pushed open the door, and trying to make as little noise as possible, so as not to attract attention, the two boys shuffled in. In his anxiety, however, he managed to drop his broom, which fell with a thud on the floor, the noise of which caused all the children to stop their singing and turn round to look at him. This was too much for the poor little fellow, and he tried to get out again as quickly as he came in. Just as he was turning to go, however, a lady with the most beautiful face he had even, came up, and, laying her hand upon his shoulder, said, "Don't go away, dear. Come and sit down!" and she led them to a form near the stove. At the same time, a man who was standing upon a low platform at the other end of the room called out in a quick voice—"Attention, children!" and immediately the singing went on again. After the hymn was finished the children seated them-selves, and the gentleman spoke to them about the One who had said "Suffer little children." He pictured to them the scene of Jesus going on His journey surrounded by His disciples. He told them how the mothers came, bringing their little children along the hot dusty road to meet Him, and how delighted they were when Jesus took the little ones up in His arms and blessed them. And then he held up before them a picture, and, pointing to the central figure, he said—-
"Look, dear children, this Man with the kind face is Jesus. See how lovingly He looks at the little children. Wouldn't some of you have liked to have been there?"
A low murmured "Yes!" came from the children as they listened breathlessly.
"Well, dear children," he went on, "Jesus loves you as much as He loved those children. He is sorry for you when you are hungry and cold. He wants you to be good too, for it makes Him very sad when you steal, or say bad words, or quarrel and fight. He is getting a beautiful place ready for you to live in; but you must let Him help you to be good, and some day He will send His angel to fetch you to go and live in that beautiful place."
After he had finished speaking, Miss Elton, the lady who had spoken to Bob at the door, came up to the platform, and in a sweet, clear voice, so that the children could understand every word, she sang to them the well-known hymn—-
"I think when I read that sweet story of old."