He slept, too,
wearied out, when he was placed on his couch, while Felix was at
Christmas service, singing, as he had never sung before,--
'Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.'
Oh! was the poor young stranger seeing the way to that
reconciliation? and when Lancelot's sweet clear young notes rose up
in all their purity, and the rosy honest face looked upwards with an
expression elevated by the music, Felix could not help thinking that
the boy had verily sung those words of truth and hope into the poor
dark lonely heart. Kindness, steadfastness, truth, in that merry-
hearted child had been doing their work, and when Lance marched away
with the other lesser choristers, the elder brother felt as if the
younger had been the more worthy to 'draw near in faith.'
Fernando was more like himself when Felix came in, but he was a good
deal shaken, and listened to the conventional Christmas greeting like
mockery, shrinking from the sisters, when they looked in on him, with
what they thought a fresh access of shyness, but which was a feeling
of terrible shame beside the innocence he ascribed to them.
'I wish I could help that poor boy,' sighed Wilmet.
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