﻿DIAMOND MINES. 177 



harder, and, \vorse than all, Pompey was pushed and beaten, and 

 she could not save him ; and in the night-time her pillow was wet 

 with tears, and Pompey moaned to hear her desolate crying. Her 

 cheeks lost their rich roundness, and the veins peeped out from her 

 temples, and the red lips paled ; but still her busy fingers worked 

 on - - sew, sew, sew at her appointed tasks. One night, Laura and 

 Pompey stole out to look again on God's bright heaven, and to breathe 

 the fresh air of evening. Eight years had passed since her father's 

 death, and now she wandered on, until she entered the grave-yard, 

 and stood once again by her father's grave. She sat down beside 

 it, and laid her head upon the turf, and wept fast and bitterly. A 

 good angel awoke in her heart, and told her that God was good very 

 good and kind ; that he would take care of all his creatures ; and 

 even if Pompey should be killed, as her mistress threatened, still 

 God would be always left; and if she should die, then God would 

 take her soul to heaven, and they would make a grave for her close 

 beside her dear father's. 



While she sat there, thinking of all these things, she felt a hand 

 laid upon her head, and when she looked up a kind voice inquired 

 her name. " Laura Lee, and this is my father's grave ! ' " Then 

 you are my little niece ! " said the stranger, in return; " for James 

 Lee was my only brother, and this, alas, is his grave ! ' 



Sure enough, this was Laura's uncle, who had been a great many 

 years in Africa ; and now he had come home, to find only Laura 

 left, of all his own family. You may well imagine she had no more 

 trouble, for both herself and Pompey were well taken care of, and 

 in a little while she grew stout and healthy once more ; and now 

 she is a grown-up woman, and everybody loves and speaks well of 

 Laura Lee. 



Diamond Mines. 



You have all heard of mines, no doubt, and you have pictured to 

 yourselves deep, and I had almost said bottomless, chasms in con- 

 nection with the subject. It is true the term mine, in most cases, 

 signifies a place under ground ; but sometimes this is not the case. 



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