CHAPTER XV.

LAST DAY OF THE VISIT.

EVERYTHING in this world has an end; and George Hardy found, that though at first a whole month seemed a long time to be away from his home, yet the end of the visit came sooner than he had expected. He was not exactly sorry that the time was nearly come for him to see his mother and sisters again; but neither would he have been sorry to have stayed yet a little longer with his kind relations at grandfather's house.

We have not, in this little history of George's visit, set down all that he did, or kept a very exact account of every day that he and his father passed while it lasted. One day in a little boy's life is very much like another; and if we had tried to tell what George did on the second and the third, and every succeeding day up to the thirtieth, though it would have made a much larger book, one page would have been too much like many others to have made the book very interesting. So we will only say, that almost every day George spent an hour or two with his father in reading or writing; another hour or two in his nice, convenient play-room, the loft-sometimes with his father and uncle,

and sometimes alone; that almost every day a longer or shorter walk was taken; that the bathing-pond was re-visited more than once or twice; that a second visit was paid to uncle Henry; and that, at length, the last day of the visit came.

Part of this day was spent in packing_up the carpet bags ready for the journey. But though the carpet bags had been plenty large enough to hold all that the travellers brought with them to grandfather's, they were not large enough to hold all that was to be taken away. No doubt those little boys and girl who have grandfathers and grandmothers, and uncles and aunts, and who have visited them from a distance, can think of a very good reason why the carpet bags were not large enough.

But we will suppose that this difficulty was soon overcome by a few sheets of stout brown paper, and a yard or two of string; and, after this, let us follow George into the garden, where he found his grandfather.

"So George," said grandfather, "this is your last day? Well, let us first see how the fruit comes on, and then we will have a little chat, perhaps for the last time."

So the aged man and the little boy walked together round the garden, and examined the strawberry-beds, and raspberry and currant and gooseberry bushes. But a month had made a great difference there. The straw

berries were all gone, and so were the raspberries; only a few stunted, half-grown ones

could be found.

The currant bushes had also been stripped of fruit, excepting two or three, which were covered over with nets to keep away the birds. From these bushes George obtained a good handful of nice ripe bunches. The roaring lions were sadly diminished; and what there were left had burst, and become insipid, with being over ripe. The little boy sighed to think how soon, how very soon, these summer enjoyments had disappeared.

But all the fruits were not gone. There was one tree loaded with late cherries, and another with early apples. The plums, too, were some of them turning to a fine dark

colour, and were pronounced by George's grandfather to be nearly ripe enough for eating; and George was promised that some of the ripest should be gathered for him to take home to his mother and sisters. Having thus employed themselves, they walked up and down the broad paths of the garden, while grandfather talked, and George listened.

"I hope, my little boy," grandfather said, "that you have enjoyed yourself while you have been here?"

Yes, George replied, he had very much enjoyed himself. He had been very happy.

"I am glad of that," said his grandfather; "for perhaps you may never see me and your grandmother again; and I wish that you may always think of us, and of your visit to us, with pleasure."

George's eyes glistened when he heard his grandfather speak of their not seeing each other again, and he said, "But, grandfather, I should like to see you again; and you have promised to come and see us some day."

"Yes, and I hope to be able to perform my promise; but I am an old man. Do you know that it says in the Bible, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten?' Now, I am threescore and ten years old, and I must not expect to live many years longer. See, my hair is very white; my teeth are almost all fallen out; my eyes are dim. Once my step was as firm, and my eyes as strong,

and my hair as dark, as your father's. Well, all these changes show that I am getting old, and hastening to the grave. And yet, for all this, I may still outlive your father, and even you, young and strong as you are; for we can none of us tell how soon we may be taken from this world. So that I may well say, that it is uncertain whether we shall meet again. Well, then, will you remember a few words-a few last words-from your grandfather?

away

"When I was a little boy, I had not so many advantages as you have: and it was not until I was a young man, that I learned to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ; but I began then to love him, and I love him now. I will tell you why I love him. It is because he loved me, and gave himself for me; to die for me, that I might be saved from sin and from hell, and raised to heaven.

Was it for crimes that I have done
He groan'd upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Not drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe;

Here, Lord, I give myself away;
"Tis all that I can do.

"I am old now, and must soon die: but I am not sorry that I am old, nor am I afraid to die; because I know that, when I die, I