tried till I've just gone blind, trying to keep you and myself from starving. I never thought it would have come to this," she went on: "when your father was alive, Annie, we had a nice home; but it's all gone;" and she looked round on the bare room with its few remnants of furniture; and the recollection of those happy by-gone days brought the tears into her eyes. "Yes, I was happy then, and never expected I should be brought to this. Don't forget that you have been brought up respectably, Annie."

Poor Annie was used to having this charge given her. The neighbours all said that Mrs. Anderson and her little girl were a great deal too proud for them, and so Mrs. Anderson at any rate was. Trouble and sorrow had so hardened and soured her heart that it seemed closed against all kindly influences; and the unhappy woman rarely spoke to any one. A kind Christian lady frequently called at the other houses in the court, and more than once had knocked at Mrs. Anderson's door; but it had never been opened to her. And once, when the city missionary found it open, and was about to enter, it was abruptly closed in his face.

Mrs. Anderson rarely left the narrow court where she lived, except in the evening, or to take her flowers home; and Annie was not allowed to make any acquaintance with the children of the neighbourhood. So the poor child's life had not been a happy one, shut up all day with her sad desponding mother. The only brightness she knew was in the coloured papers which she twisted into imitation leaves and flowers. A real flower Annie had scarcely ever seen.

"Mother, what will you do?" asked Annie, sitting down to her work again; "where will you sell these flowers? May I take them out, and sell them to somebody in the street ?" Her mother lifted her almost sightless eyes, and clasped her hands in despair, "I suppose you must, Annie," she said at last. "I've done all I could, and now-oh! Annie, Annie, it is hard to see you a beggar !"

"But, mother, I read a little book the other day, where it says we are all beggars."

"What book was that ?" asked Mrs, Anderson, quickly. "I never begged," she added; "I would not ask help or a favour from any one."

"But this little book said that we could not live without the help and favour of God," said Annie ;" and one day, while you were gone to take home some flowers, the lady told me that God would help me whenever I was in trouble, if I asked him. Don't you think I had better ask him now?” she added.

Mrs. Anderson was at a loss for a reply. looked to God in her trouble; but had hardly of him and his dealings towards her. testily, "I don't know any thing about it."

She had never often thought So she answered

But Annie knew more than her mother thought she did. Often, in passing the solitary child on the stairs, the kind missionary had said a few words on the love of Jesus to little children; and they had been thought over by Annie although she had never ventured to tell her mother of them until now. "I think the Lord Jesus, who was so kind to the little children, would hear me if I asked him to help us," she said; "perhaps he'd show us the way to another shop where they sell flowers. I'd like to go out and see, mother," she added.

"I don't know what to tell you to do," said her mother, despairingly.

"And you're hungry, mother, as well as I," said Annie e; "I'll go and try to sell some of these that are finished;" and as she spoke she put down the paper she had in her hand, and tied on her bonnet and cape.

"Mother, the gentleman said that it is proper to kneel down when we speak to the Lord Jesus," she said as she finished tying her bonnet.

Mrs. Anderson did not reply; but with a little bewildered wonder how Annie should know any thing about this, or venture to propose it, she kneeled down by the chair, and Annie came and knelt beside her. The child's words were as simple as could be. She spoke as though God were pre

sent with her in the room-as though there could not be a doubt of his hearing and answering her prayer; then she stood up and kissed her mother's tearful face-for there were tears on it now.

Annie took several bunches of flowers, and went out into the street; but the hurrying stream of people that pushed her from side to side, as she tried to step in among them, almost frightened her, unaccustomed as she was to the noise and turmoil of the open thoroughfare. Quarrels, fights, and noises of that sort, she was used to see in the court; but these numberless people pushing and driving, all bent upon their own business, and never heeding any thing else, was more than she could comprehend; and she soon found herself pushed against the wall, with her flowers somewhat tumbled.

Tears stood in Annie's eyes as she noted this, and tried to re-arrange them. "I don't see a shop," she said sadly, looking up and down the street; "I wonder whether it is quite true about Jesus, and his being able to help me. Yes, I think it must be true," she added softly to herself; "but perhaps I've come the wrong way, and the shop is at the other end of the street;" and she turned in the opposite direction, keeping as much out of the way as possible.

But although she walked as far as where the broad thoroughfare branched off in several directions, she saw no shop where they were likely to buy paper flowers; and, faint with hunger, she at last sat down upon a door-step and began to cry.

"How many have you sold to-day ?" asked a girl about her own age, carrying a nearly empty watercress-basket. Annie looked up shily. "I haven't sold one," she said; "I never came out selling things before."

"I thought not," said the girl; "you don't know how to go about it I can see. Let me try for you, shall I?" and she set down her basket as she spoke, and took two or three of the bunches of flowers in her hand.

The crowd did not trouble her, and she contrived to

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squeeze in and out among the people, without getting the flowers injured, as she cried, "Buy my flowers, pretty flowers." In a few minutes they were sold, and the proceeds were honestly put into Annie's hand. There, now you must do the same with the rest,” she said. If you like to come with me I'll help you a bit, Annie Anderson." Annie was surprised to find that the girl knew her. “I don't know you," she said timidly.

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“But I know you, and I've often wanted to ask you to come to school. Will you come ?" she added. "The teacher 'll be glad to see you I know.”

"I'll ask mother," said Annie doubtfully. "Do you learn about Jesus at the school?" she said.

"Yes, and it was just thinking about him, and what teacher had said about helping one another, that made me stop and speak to you."

“Is it quite true, then, that Jesus will help us in trouble if we pray to him?” asked Annie.

Her companion nodded.

Annie's face brightened. "Do you think he'll help us then ?" she asked; "for mother says we shall die of want now her eyes are so bad.”

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ness;

Yes," replied the girl, with great simplicity and earnestyes, if you ask him."

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“I did ask,” said Annie, a little sadly; "but nobody came to buy my flowers. I thought I should see a shop where they wanted them, as soon as I came out, and there isn't one."

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Her companion thought for a minute before she made any reply. "I think you've made a mistake," she said at last; just such a mistake as I made once. God helps us to help ourselves. You should have tried to sell your flowers when you came out, not have sat down on the step and cried because the people did not ask you to sell them."

"Well, I thought that wouldn't be much use; for mother has been trying and trying ever so hard, and can't get on a bit, so I thought I'd just ask Jesus, and let him help us."

"Yes, but you didn't try yourself, you see. Teacher says it's a mistake to think God will help those who don't try to help themselves."

"I did try a little," said Annie; "I came out with the flowers to sell."

"But you didn't try to sell them. See, I have sold no watercresses while I have been talking to you. So I must say good-bye now, Annie; but don't forget to ask your mother about the school;" and the next minute Annie heard the clear cheery voice, crying "Watercresses, watercresses," and she called in a more timid voice, (6 Flowers, paper flowers."

Two or three passers-by turned as she raised her voice; and an old lady spoke to her, and became a customer. So, with her small stock-in-trade greatly reduced, Annie thought she would return home, and try to sell the rest as she went ; and, with a momentary prayer for courage to cry her flowers, she went on towards the court. She sold the last before she reached the entrance, and ran joyfully to her mother with her gains.

"Now, mother, isn't it true about God helping us?" she exclaimed, as she placed the money in her mother's hand; and then she related her conversation with the watercressgirl.

Mrs. Anderson did not answer, but sat all the evening musing over the circumstances, and what had been said. Perhaps I have made a mistake all this time," she said, at length; "perhaps I ought to have sought God's help, as well as worked hard myself. But I didn't; I thought if I worked hard, I should be sure to succeed without his help. Can it be that working and praying must go together? I wish I had known it before; I do wish I had known it before."

Mrs. Anderson had ample time for reflection. She contrived to make up a few flowers while Annie was out selling others; but it was not much she could do; and her eyes slowly but surely became more dim every day. But a change was taking place in her heart and mind.

As her