"What's the matter?" she exclaimed when she saw Susie in tears. "Are you so hungry?" she asked—for hunger seemed the only thing worth crying for to Elfie; and then, seeing the slice of bread on the table, and guessing it had been left for her, she put it on the Bible, saying, "You eat it, Susie; I've had some cold potatoes, and I ain't very hungry now." But Susie put it back into her hands. "No, no, Elfie; you must eat that," she said. "I'm not crying because I'm hungry." "What is it then?" said Elfie. Susie looked down at the book lying in her lap. "I was thinking about mother," she said. "Are you getting tired of living with me?" asked Elfie quickly. "Oh no; you're very kind. I don't know what I should do without you, Elfie; but I do want my mother," said Susie through her tears. Elfie looked puzzled. She was beginning to understand that all the mothers in the world were not like hers—that Susie's was not; and she could not understand why Mrs. Sanders had gone away and left her. "What made her go away?" she asked. Susie left off crying to look at her companion in surprise. "Don't you know God took her to heaven?" she said. "Yes, I know, you said that before," answered Elfie impatiently; "but what made him take her?" "Because he loved her," said Susie. "But you said just now he loved you; why didn't he take you up there as well?" "I asked mother about that one day, when she was telling me she should have to go away; but she said she thought God had some work for me to do in the world first before he took me home." And Susie dried her tears, and tried to be brave and choke back her sobs as she spoke. "What work will you have to do?" asked Elfie, sitting down on the floor close to Susie's stool. Elfie always preferred rolling on the floor to sitting on any kind of seat; and she greatly enjoyed questioning Susie. "Mother said God would teach me that if I asked him," answered Susie. "I don't know yet what it will be." "Then why don't you ask him?" said Elfie in her straightforward fashion. "I do," whispered Susie. "I ask him every night; because I want to do it, and then go home to mother." "Is that what you do when you kneel down before you get into bed?" asked Elfie. Susie nodded. "God hears what I say, too," she answered. "Well, then, why didn't your mother ask him to let her stay and help you to do the work, if she didn't want to go away?" said Elfie sharply. Susie knew not what to answer. The question puzzled her not a little; and to escape from Elfie's saying any more, she proposed reading a chapter from the Bible. Elfie had grown tired of playing, and was quite willing to listen. She could not read herself, and was full of wonder that Susie could; and for some time she chattered and questioned so much about this that Susie could not begin; but at last she grew quiet, and Susie turned to her favourite verses in St. Matthew—the story of young children being brought to Jesus.