"Because I don't love God."

The words were wrung from him as it were by force; he would fain not have told that gentle child that he loved not her heavenly Father, but he could not help it. Blanche looked at him for a moment in astonishment, and then taking his hand, she exclaimed, "Oh, Herbert, Herbert! not love God! oh, why don't you? Miss Woodville, and Maggie, and Mrs. Woodville love Him, why don't you?"

"Because, Blanche, He cares not for me; He has made me unable to do anything in the world but murmur."

"Oh, Herbert, don't say so; He loves you very much indeed, I am sure."

"How do you know?"

"Because the Bible says, 'Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.' I wish I had my little Bible here, I would show you where it says so."

"Is that really true, Blanche? it does not seem like it."

"Oh, but I know it is. Perhaps, Herbert, God sent all this to make you love Him, and, of course, He won't take it away until it has done what He meant it to do.”

"I never thought of that before, and you really think He loves me, Blanche?"

"Oh yes, Herbert, indeed He does; He sent Jesus to die for everybody you know, and that showed how much He loved us."

"I don't care about other people, Blanche; I want to know if God loves me.'

"Yes, Herbert, I know He does, and He wants you to love Him too; won't you, Herbert ?"

"I wish I could! oh, I wish I could! for I am very, very unhappy," and he sighed deeply.

"Dear Herbert, ask God to make you love Him, and I am sure He will, and, oh, you will be so happy then."

"I will ask Him, Blanche, for I really think He loves me. But it is very hard to be obliged to sit still and do nothing."

"But perhaps, Herbert, if you had always been well, you might have sinned a great deal more than you have done. I am sure I don't think I should have loved Jesus half so much if He had not taken mama away, but I have no one but Him to look to now."

Their conversation was here interrupted by the return of Ella and Maggie. As soon as tea was over, Lizzie came for Blanche, and she returned home much pleased with her day's visit.

In such innocent enjoyments as these, and in studies relished almost as much, the halfyear passed away. Blanche was very happy in her new home, though there were some things which she could have wished different. Her aunt did not manifest much affection towards her, and was often desiring her to forget what she called her foolish notions of religion; but Blanche thought it never occurred to her, that Miss Woodville, the governess she herself appointed, was the means of fostering those notions.

Mr. Cleveland treated her very differently, indeed he had done so from the very first, and it was a pleasure to Blanche to be with him. He would often take her out for a walk, and such times were greatly enjoyed by both, for Blanche was delighted to receive the information on various subjects which he was well able to give.

But as the months rolled on, Blanche's heart yearned to behold her beloved papa once more; but the letters which she received from him from time to time, mentioned not a word on the subject: his health was not very good, and that was all Blanche knew. But though at times her spirits sank at the thought of the long separation, she generally hoped that each letter would announce its termination, and though that hope was each time destined to be disappointed, yet it was always soon recovered again, and Blanche was usually a happy and joyous child.

CHAPTER XII.

SICKNESS.

"Wish not, dear friends, my pain away,

Wish me a wise and thankful heart;
With God in all my griefs to stay,

Nor from his loved correction start."

Ar length the holidays came. They were not looked forward to by Blanche with the dread the former ones had been, for she was really very glad, indeed, to see her cousin Fanny again, and Harriet, she thought, had improved a little. As for Fanny, she was delighted at seeing Blanche once more, and soon related to her the trials and difficulties she had met with during the half-year, in which Blanche heartily sympathized.

One afternoon, about a week after the commencement of the holidays, Blanche was practising her music alone in the school-room when