The Child's Heart

The young minister, on ceasing to speak, had withdrawn a few steps from the group and stood with his face partially concealed in the heavy folds of the window curtain. Little pearl's unwonted mood of sentiment lasted no longer. The minister looked round, laid his hand on the child's head, hesitated an instant, and then kissed her brow. For save the long sought regards of woman, nothing is sweeter than these marks of childish preference,. accorded spontaneously by a spiritual instinct, and therefore seeming to in us something truly worthy to be loved.