THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER. 
123 
have not come empty-handed. My brother 
has brought a basket which my mother has 
filled with such things as she thought you 
might most stand in need of, and sister and I 
have added a little to the stock more especially 
intended for Alice.” 
“ May the Lord bless your kind father and 
mother, and you too, for your kindness to us !” 
■was the hearty benediction of the mother, ut¬ 
tered with tears of gratitude. As for Alice, 
her heart was full, and her eyes too, as she 
said, 
We shall allow no false pride to restrain our 
gratitude for such welcome and timely tokens 
of kindness. We are in great need, and accept 
your gift as sent by our ever-gracious Father, 
who has thus shown that he heard our morning 
prayer, ‘ Give us this day our daily breadand 
most surely he will keep his blessed promise to 
repay you a hundred-fold for your charity to 
his afflicted ones. May God’s blessing make 
you as rich as your gifts have made us happy!” 
What were the feelings of the two young 
men as they witnessed this scene, to which 
they had added nothing but their silent pres¬ 
ence, we may not know, but that they were 
