Year: 1873

down on the floor again beside the
bed.-Soon he feel asleep and slept
as though nothing had happened.


He was awakened by tumult
over his head. 'Therer said he after
listening moment, the neighbors
have come to help me. l thought
they would. Grandmother said that
God would never leave me in trouble
O., am so glad Now she will have
a decent gravel


The noise over his head increased:
soon he heard voices. Then he
heard the clergyman say:


Here it is, my children. We have
hit upon the right spot. See, here
are the rafters. Now, courage! Per-
haps we may find the living


Yes, sir!' cried the little boy as
loudly as he could. God has saved
me! | am not even hurt Y


A cry of joy rang through the air.


Quick, my friends, quick said
the good pastor, eagerly. That was
Rene's voice! Noble boy! God be
thankful for this blessing on our
work =


The men redoubled their toll.
Snow and beams and rubbish were
thrown aside and ray of light
streamed in upon the child. A mo-
ment more and he sprang into the
extended arms of the dear old pastor.


20 thank you! thank your said
he. Il wasn't at all afraid. | knew
you would come as soon as you
could


But your grandmother. Renee
asked the pastor. is she killed p


NO, sir said the boy; mot by the
avalanche; she died little before
it came. | was just coming to yon
when it stopped me. My dear, dear
grandmother all help is too late for
her!


Poor, poor child!' said the old
man, with tears of pity. 1T is hard
to lose all at one blow-parent, house,
land, everything! But take comfort
God will not forget you, my child'


%, | know he wopt!' replied
Rene. My grandmother told me so
with her last breath; so | am not at
all anxious. But | am sorry, very
sorry!7


The good pastor looked at him
with surprise; such faith in one SO
young! He thought the child did not
realize his situation; but he found
he did fully. He knew well that he
was not only alone in the world, but
very poor. His house was in ruins
and his field and garden desolate and
worthless. But he had formed his
plans, with a full and childlike conf
dence that God would take care of
him just as his grandmother had
done. He said that he was poor, to
be sure; but God was was rery rich,
and was not he Gods child2'


He proposed, in full reliance upon
the clergyman's Kindness, too, to
stay with him until he should see
his grandmother buried and then 90
to Paris, or some other large city
and find work. His father had done
so, he said. He had worked hard,
lived sparing1y, and saved carefully,
and so had gathered money enough
to buy that land and build the hut
on it. That was what he meant to do.


The worthy clergyman told him he
was too young to bear all that and
offered him home-at least until he
was old. But Rene gratefully de-
clined the offer. The pastor was not
rich, he said, and beside his own
children had to give to all the poor
and sick of the town. Besides, if he
waited it would be losing time, for
there was no work TO be had there.


But, said the pastor, lit will not
all come out of my pocket; the whole
town will help


To that Rene again objected. He
said that the people were poor; they
had to send away their own children
because they could not support them
and he had no better claim. He was
quite right and the pastor told him
so, but b;.de him come and stay with
him as long as he remained there.


Rene would stay only until he had
seen his grandmother buried; nor
would he go home with the pastor
until he had seen her taken out of
the ruins. At sign from him, there
fore, the kind-hearted men again
went to work and soon the bed and
its occupant were carefully lifted