Part 8 (2/2)

Some sand and a few stones remained; Francis took them up and carried them back near to the house. Then he cleared away the rubbish, and having put on his coat again, returned joyfully to replace his tools in the green-house.

All this was done after dinner, between the hours of three and six.

The evening pa.s.sed quietly away. Grandpapa had not received any bruises, and he could not sufficiently thank the Good shepherd, the Lord Jesus, who had, as it were, ”carried him in his arms,” and ”kept all his bones.”

Grandmamma joined in his praises and thanksgivings, and these two faithful servants blessed the Lord together, whose mercies are over all his works.

”To-morrow, please G.o.d,” said Grandpapa to Francis, ”I shall go and see old George. He must have expected me to-day! But be a.s.sured, my dear Francis, that your Grandpapa will walk no more like a giddy child; and if the path is still slippery, I shall place my foot prudently upon it.”

Francis said he hoped the path would be better; and however that might be, that the Lord would preserve him thenceforth from slipping, and above all, from falling.

Grandpapa made Francis read the Bible as usual to the whole household. He spoke piously of G.o.d's paternal care for our bodies as well as for our souls, and in his prayer he gave abundant thanks to the Saviour who had so graciously preserved him.

The morrow came. Grandpapa had quite recovered his accident of the preceding day, and after reading in the summer-house, he got up to go and see old George.

Francis, who was observing him from beneath the verandah, no sooner saw him come near the little gate, than he ran round the house to hide himself behind a hazel bush, a short distance from the pavement, in order to see what his Grandpapa would do.

Grandpapa walked on towards the orchard, and as soon as he set his foot on the path, he prepared to proceed very carefully. He took three or four steps, and then suddenly stopped, and raising his hands, exclaimed, a ”pavement! a pavement here already! How does this happen? Who could have done this? It must be my faithful Thomas!”--he continued--”I must thank him for it;” and he called out loudly, ”Thomas! Thomas!” Thomas, who was in the cow-house, heard his voice, and ran to him in alarm.

”Have you tumbled again, sir,” he asked anxiously?

”On the contrary,” said Grandpapa, ”thanks to _you_, Thomas, for having made this good substantial pavement so quickly and so well; it is really excellent,” said he, stamping upon it with his foot, and walking over it in every direction. ”It is solid, and even, and slopes on either side! I am very much obliged to you, Thomas.”

”Alas! sir,” said the man, ”it is not I who did it--how vexed I am that I did not think of it what stupidity!”...

”Who is it then?” asked Grandpapa, ”for this has been done since yesterday, and surely these stones are not mushrooms! Who could have thought of this?”

”I think I know who it is, sir,” answered Thomas, ”for yesterday in the afternoon I saw master Francis going down to the brook with his wheelbarrow. I could not think what it was for, but now I understand.”

”Francis! did you say,” exclaimed Grandpapa; ”how could that child have done it even if he had wished? Are these stones only nuts, that _that_ dear boy's little hands could have been able to knock them into the ground?”

”Do you wish, sir, that I should look for him and bring him here?”

asked Thomas.

Francis could no longer remain concealed. He ran from behind the bush, and threw himself into his Grandpapa's arms; saying, ”Dear Grandpapa, how happy I am to have been able to succeed.”

”It is _you_ then, indeed, my son!” cried Grandpapa, as he shed tears of joy. ”G.o.d bless your filial piety towards me! May He return you two-fold all the good you have done my heart. But how did you manage?”

”You have often told me, dear Grandpapa, that 'Where there's a will, with the help of G.o.d, there's a way,' and I prayed to G.o.d, and was able to do it.”

”Well then, dear Francis,” said Grandpapa, solemnly, ”I promise you, that every day of my life, as long as I shall walk here below, when I pa.s.s over this pavement, which your affection has made for me, I will say to G.o.d 'O Lord, prevent Francis from falling in his way! May thy goodness _pave_ for him the path of life, whenever it becomes slippery.'”

Francis understood, and respectfully received this blessing; and whilst his Grand father paid his visit, the little pavior went and told his Grandmamma, what he had been able to do, and how G.o.d had already blessed him for it.

II.

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