YES, he did know her. When Faith was close up to him her father saw her. He started with surprise for a moment, and then he took her up in his arms, and kissed her.
“Why, Faith, my little Faith!” he said, “I thought I should never find you again. Where have you been?
“Why father," said Faith, as well as she could for her tears,” where have you been? I thought I should never find you again. I've been looking for you all over."
“Come away home, Faith, and I'll tell you all about it," said her father,” I needn't be at work for another half-hour yet."
So Faith ran in with a bright face to say good-bye to Matty, and then took her father's hand, and walked with him back to his house.
The children did not know Faith at all, and they had grown very much since she had seen them last. The house was very forlorn, and the children very dirty.
“There’s nobody to look to them, you see," said her father, " nobody but me, and I'm tired out by the time I get home from work. And now, little Faith, wherever in the world have you been?”
So Faith told her story, how she had heard what Mrs. Gubbins had said about taking the bread out of the children's mouths, and how she had gone to look for a little place where she could be a servant, and earn money for herself. She told him of her weary search that long, tiring day, and then how in the evening she had come to peep at him from the church porch, and how she had longed to spend her penny at the stall, that he might have one more penny to take home to Mrs. Gubbins.
Her father fairly broke down when Faith came to this part of her story.
“Bless you, bless you, child! " he said, " to think of you peeping out of the window at me Why, if I'd only known you were there, wouldn't I have run and brought you out I was looking for you all the time."
Then Faith went on to tell him how she had heard the singing, and had gone into the church, and how Mrs. Fraser had taken her home. And then she gave him an account of her happy home, and how she was being trained to be a useful servant.
“But oh, father," said little Faith,” I've been praying every day to find you; and Mrs. Fraser said the answer would come. Where have you been all this long time?”
“Well, Faith," he said,” my story's soon told. I was real cut up when I heard Mrs. Gubbins say that about you, and I made up my mind I would turn her out as soon as I woke in the morning. And then morning came, and I got up, and you were gone. I never was so angry in all my life, bairn. I told Mrs. Gubbins it was all her fault, and she might go; but she said no, she wasn't going, she should stay as long as she liked.
“Well, child, I didn't know what to do. I walked up and down all day, looking for you, but I couldn't find you. Then at night I had to go to my stall, and I looked up and down the street, but I couldn't see nothing of you. And then I went home, and Mrs. Gubbins was worse drunk than ever, and she'd been beating the children, and all looked so wretched without you, Faith, and I didn't know what to do. Well, on Sunday it was the same, and Monday too. Mrs. Gubbins would not turn out, and I couldn't get rid of her, and I was terrified at leaving her with the children when I was out. So on the Tuesday I only went half a day to the stall, and then, after looking about for a while, I found a man at a little toy shop in a back street who wanted some toys, and I sold him mine cheap, and then I sold my hand-cart to a man who I knew was looking out for one.
“Well, I put the money in my pocket, and went home, and Mrs. Gubbins was out. Now, I thought, is the time: Mrs. Gubbins won't go away from us, so we'll go away from her. So I gathered up the children's bits of clothes as quick as I could, and anything I could get hold of, and we were off before Mrs. Gubbins came back. I had seen in the newspaper that they wanted a man to carry parcels at a shop in Wingtown, that's six miles from here. Well, we went there, and I got taken on; but it was hard work and small pay. I stopped there till last week, though; then I heard they were advertising for night-watchmen at the docks here, to go on board the steamers that are in port, and keep watch of a night. So I wrote and applied, and my master gave me a character, and they told me I might come. They pay me good wages, and I might be very comfortable, but there's nobody to do anything. I've got a few bits of furniture in, but all's in a muddle yet; I must get it righted up next week. I don't think Mrs. Gubbins will find us out here; it's a good long way from Belfry Row."
“Oh, no," said Faith,” she'll never find you out. Don't you know Mrs. Gubbins is dead, father? "
John Robinson was very shocked to hear this. Faith gave him an account of her visit to the attic, and of the dreadful sight she had seen there.
Then it was time for her father to go to his work, and for Faith to go back to her mistress.
Oh! with what a happy heart the child went home. Ellen guessed the good news by Faith's bright face, even before she had had time to speak a word. And no one was more pleased than Mrs. Fraser.
“Now, little Faith," she said, has not God been good to you? Let us thank Him together."
So the old lady and Faith knelt down, and with very grateful hearts gave thanks to the Lord for His gracious answer to their prayers.
The next morning Mrs. Fraser went to see the minister, and had a long talk with him about what little Faith was to do. At first Mr. Barker was very anxious that she should remain with Mrs. Fraser, where she had such a happy home and so many advantages ; but when Mrs. Fraser reminded him how good John Robinson had been to the child, how he had taken her into his home and family when she was a little friendless orphan, and how he had always treated her and loved her as his own child, he agreed with the old lady that now, when her father really needed her help, and when she was old enough to be of some use to him, it was only right that Faith should do what she could to pay back, in some measure, all that her father had done for her.
When Mrs. Fraser came home she talked it over with Faith, and gave the little girl leave to go home at the end of the week, and, if her father wished it, to stay with him and take care of the house and children.
So early on Saturday morning little Faith set off for her new home, with an earnest prayer in her heart that she might indeed be a blessing there. It was about eight o'clock when she arrived there; Mrs. Fraser had let her go early because it was Saturday, and she thought she would be able to make the house more comfortable for her father before Sunday.
When Faith arrived she was received with shouts of joy by the children. They were playing in the middle of the floor, drawing pictures with cinders, and making it, if possible, blacker than ever.
The fireplace was choked with ashes, and looked as if it had not been swept for days. The walls were covered with cobwebs and dust, for the house had been shut up for some time before they came to it, and had never been cleaned since they arrived. The table was covered with dirty cups and plates, and the floor was strewn with clothes, and pans, and brushes, and broken toys. It looked very forlorn and hopeless.
“Where’s father?” said Faith to the children.
“He’s asleep in bed; he gets home at seven, and then he goes to bed, and wakes up about two o'clock, and then he comes down and gets us some dinner."
“Let’s make the room tidy and nice," said Faith, “before father wakes. Who'll help me? "
The children thought it great fun to help Faith in her cleaning. She put on a large apron, and soon they were very busy.
They turned everything out of the kitchen into the little yard at the back of the house, and then Faith took a long brush and swept the ceiling and the walls. Then she sent the children for some black-lead and pipe-clay, and black-leaded the stove and cleaned the hearth.
The children got quite excited as the work went on, and really made themselves very useful.
Then the floor was washed, the window cleaned, the table scoured, and the chairs dusted and polished.
“It does look beautiful!” said Fanny, when their work was done, and Faith had lighted the fire and put on the kettle.
“Now about dinner," said Faith, as she looked with satisfaction at her work; “what time is it?”
Tommy ran to the corner of the street to look at the church clock, and came back to say it was only eleven. Faith had some money of her own in her pocket, so she went out and made her little purchases. She bought some pieces of meat and some vegetables to make into good soup, such as she had so often watched Ellen making, and some apples for dumplings for the children.
“Now, then," she said to them, when all was in train for dinner, “we must smarten you up a bit."
This was a more difficult business than even the house, but Faith took a large basin into the yard and washed them well, and combed and cut and brushed their hair, and made them look very different from what they had done when she came in.
“We must have a wash on Monday," said Faith, " and get all your clothes clean and tidy."
There was no time to do more now; she could hear her father moving upstairs, for it was nearly two o'clock. Faith quite shook with excitement when she heard him coming downstairs.
John Robinson came into the room, and then stood still, mute with astonishment.
“Well, I never!” he said, at length. “I wouldn't have known the place! Bless me, Faith, darling, have you done it? Well, it's just like when Mary was alive!
“I hope it will look much nicer soon, father," said Faith. “I must get the children's clothes done next week."
“You don't mean to say you're going to stop, Faith!” said her father, as he sat down to eat his nicely prepared dinner.
"Yes, father, if you'll have me," said little Faith.
“Have you, my lass," he said,” have you? Why, you're my little comforter! Haven't I been longing to have you this great while? But I don't like to take you from such a good home! "
“Father," said little Faith, as she got up and kissed him, “do you think I could ever forget all you've done for me? And I want so much to show you how I love you for it."
That was the beginning of many happy days for John Robinson and his children. Faith was in every way his little comforter. She kept his house in beautiful order, and the children clean and tidy. Above all, she tried to lead him in the way to heaven.
Mrs. Fraser and Ellen often came to see her, and helped her in every way; and Faith felt that if she went to them she could always find sympathy in her troubles, and advice in her difficulties. She was also able to be a great comfort to little Matty, who lived very near them, and to help to nurse her, until she went to the city where there is no more pain.
Little Faith never forgot her text. Mr. Barker printed it for her in large and clear letters, and Mrs. Fraser gave her a frame in which to hang it.
It was put up on the wall in the kitchen, where everyone could see it. And whenever Faith was downcast, or troubled, or anxious, and whenever her prayers did not seem to be answered, she glanced up from her work at the text on the wall, and she heard her Lord once more asking her the question, " O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ? "
THE END