The Second Chance

ut a sleep and

ises with us, o

its setting, and

getfulness, not i

clouds of glo

-who is

rdsw

the tender green of spring, and dotted thick with blue anemones. A prairie fire, the fall before, had burned away all the old grass, and so everywhere the country was of the richest dazzling green, varied

d. Across the long reach of upland pasture-swiftly and almost noiselessly-swept the mixed train of the Canadian Northern, its hug

as he stood watching it. Jimmy had not stolen

. Aunt Kate encouraged him in the idea, and made him a pair of pants and fixed up a striped sw

he school, Bugsey grew faint-hearted and began

course, but his teacher there had been Mis

so Pearlie quickly forged ahead with the unaffected members of her

d by Danny, Mary, Jimmy, and Tommy. Danny was hiding his face in her skirts. Tommy and J

you please," Pearl said, k

heavy eyebrows and great dignity of manner

said, with the authority that comes of

to it. "Come here, Johnny," he said a

er meanin' me," said Jimmy,

ock hastily and told th

she went for

the other two boys the te

winter-time," Pearl

Billy will

o convince the boys that they were in the hands of friends, and even brought out the contents

ts, did a great deal to relieve the bareness of the dingy school-r

ould regard the Watson family. Would she think that they had taken away her old home? Impulsively Pearl leaned over and presented Libby Anne with a new slate-rag securely anchored by a stout string to the neck of a small bottle filled with water. This new

her sad child history. Libby Anne was just what she had pictured her to be, little and thin and scared. She put

e pulled the cork from the little bottle and gave her slate a vigorous cleaning with

ore the day was over he was sure that in Pearl Watson he had a pupil of more than ordinary interest.

rn, and besides, I have to be able to tell the boys and Mary what's what. We're awful poor, but we're happy, and ther

he answered.

hings I'm thinkin' about; but I suppose the farther

g. "The larger the circle of light,

ndered a

he wind blow, and what makes you fall when you step off things, and how does the hail come when it's scorchin' hot; and

closely into his face. She had to

indly. "I am interested. Tell me w

' around the cross, feelin' so sorry for Him, and just wantin' so bad to hold Him up in their arms, but knowin' they dassent interfere without orders, and I often imagine to meself that the word did come to the angels to jump in and save Him, and I can just see how tender they would lift Him down from the cross, and the two poor fellows with Him, and they would float away off into the blue sky, leaving the bad people d

l me why it happened, Mr. Donald. I know God did it for the best. I am not sayin' a word against Him, mind

eart strangely moved at t

earl," he said; "but if He hadn't died he

llege with their examination papers marked high, and their certificates and medals to show how hard they worked; or I guess it's more like soldiers comin' home all tired out, and sunburnt, showing their scars-we can show our ha

us how much He loved us,

't live one day without feelin' that there's love in the world, and I'm sure it

as looking at

earl. Ask Mr. Burrell; he

Pearl opened the theol

ible. I've been asking them about Easter Sunday. They don't know anything about it, only it's a time to see how many eggs you can hold, and they think that God is a bad word It would j

ly. "I don't know, Pearl-we

urbed and troubled. He had told himself years ago that religion was a delusion, a will o' the wisp. But

e told himself that nothing could ever hurt him again. A spiritual numbness had come upon him, which he took to be the compensation for the variety of hard knocks he had exp

t before his pupils as much of the curriculum as they could conveniently grasp. He was kind and patient with his pup

is good, is happier than most of us with all our wisdom, and well he should be, for his days are free fr

ooks that would throw light on the many questions that she brought forward, and every evening h

ughts, he soon began to think of the past