andsheheardthereply,"no,shewillnevercomeupagain."

"butifsheweretosayshewassorry,andaskpardon,andpromisenevertodosoagain?"askedthelittleone.

"yes,thenshemightcome;butshewillnotbegpardon,"wastheanswer.

"oh,iwishshewould!"saidthechild,whowasquiteunhappyaboutit."ishouldbesoglad.iwouldgiveupmydollandallmyplaythings,ifshecouldonlycomehereagain.pooringe!itissodreadfulforher."

thesepityingwordspenetratedtoinge'sinmostheart,andseemedtodohergood.itwasthefirsttimeanyonehadsaid,"pooringe!"withoutsayingsomethingaboutherfaults.alittleinnocentchildwasweeping,andprayingformercyforher.itmadeherfeelquitestrange,andshewouldgladlyhaveweptherself,anditaddedtohertormenttofindshecouldnotdoso.andwhileshethussufferedinaplacewherenothingchanged,yearspassedawayonearth,andsheheardhernamelessfrequentlymentioned.butonedayasighreachedherear,andthewords,"inge!inge!whatagriefthouhastbeentome!isaiditwouldbeso."itwasthelastsighofherdyingmother.

afterthis,ingeheardherkindmistresssay,"ah,pooringe!shallieverseetheeagain?perhapsimay,forweknownotwhatmayhappeninthefuture."butingeknewrightwellthathermistresswouldnevercometothatdreadfulplace.

time-passed-alongbittertime-theningeheardhernamepronouncedoncemore,andsawwhatseemedtwobrightstarsshiningaboveher.theyweretwogentleeyesclosingonearth.manyyearshadpassedsincethelittlegirlhadlamentedandweptabout"pooringe."thatchildwasnowanoldwoman,whomgodwastakingtohimself.inthelasthourofexistencetheeventsofawholelifeoftenappearbeforeus;andthishourtheoldwomanrememberedhow,whenachild,shehadshedtearsoverthestoryofinge,andsheprayedforhernow.astheeyesoftheoldwomanclosedtoearth,theeyesofthesoulopeneduponthehiddenthingsofeternity,andthenshe,inwhoselastthoughtsingehadbeensovividlypresent,sawhowdeeplythepoorgirlhadsunk.sheburstintotearsatthesight,andinheaven,asshehaddonewhenalittlechildonearth,sheweptandprayedforpooringe.hertearsandherprayersechoedthroughthedarkvoidthatsurroundedthetormentedcaptivesoul,andtheunexpectedmercywasobtainedforitthroughanangel'ssinthoughtingeseemedtoactoveragaineverysinshehadcommittedonearth,shetrembled,andtearsshehadneveryetbeenabletoweeprushedtohereyes.itseemedimpossiblethatthegatesofmercycouldeverbeopenedtoher;butwhilesheacknowledgedthisindeeppenitence,abeamofradiantlightshotsuddenlyintothedepthsuponher.morepowerfulthanthesunbeamthatdissolvesthemanofsnowwhichthechildrenhaveraised,morequicklythanthesnowflakemeltsandbecomesadropofwateronthewarmlipsofachild,wasthestonyformofingechanged,andasalittlebirdshesoared,withthespeedoflightning,upwardtotheworldofmortals.abirdthatfelttimidandshytoallthingsaroundit,thatseemedtoshrinkwithshamefrommeetinganylivingcreature,andhurriedlysoughttoconcealitselfinadarkcornerofanoldruinedwall;thereitsatcoweringandunabletoutterasound,foritwasvoiceless.yethowquicklythelittlebirddiscoveredthebeautyofeverythingaroundit.thesweet,freshair;thesoftradianceofthemoon,asitslightspreadovertheearth;thefragrancewhichexhaledfrombushandtree,madeitfeelhappyasitsatthereclothedinitsfresh,brightplumage.allcreationseemedtospeakofbeneficenceandlove.thebirdwantedtogiveutterancetothoughtsthatstirredinhisbreast,asthecuckooandthenightingaleinthespring,butitcouldnot.yetinheavencanbeheardthesongofpraise,evenfromaworm;andthenotestremblinginthebreastofthebirdwereasaudibletoheavenevenasthepsalmsofdavidbeforetheyhadfashionedthemselvesintowordsandsong.

christmas-timedrewnear,andapeasantwhodweltclosebytheoldwallstuckupapolewithsomeearsofcornfastenedtothetop,thatthebirdsofheavenmighthavefeast,andrejoiceinthehappy,blessedtime.andonchristmasmorningthesunaroseandshoneupontheearsofcorn,whichwerequicklysurroundedbyanumberoftwitteringbirds.then,fromaholeinthewall,gushedforthinsongtheswellingthoughtsofthebirdasheissuedfromhishidingplacetoperformhisfirstgooddeedonearth,-andinheavenitwaswellknownwhothatbirdwas.

thewinterwasveryhard;thepondswerecoveredwithice,andtherewasverylittlefoodforeitherthebeastsofthefieldorthebirdsoftheair.ourlittlebirdflewawayintothepublicroads,andfoundhereandthere,intherutsofthesledges,agrainofcorn,andatthehaltingplacessomecrumbs.oftheseheateonlyafew,buthecalledaroundhimtheotherbirdsandthehungrysparrows,thattheytoomighthavefood.heflewintothetowns,andlookedabout,andwhereverakindhandhadstrewedbreadonthewindow-sillforthebirds,heonlyateasinglecrumbhimself,andgavealltheresttotherestoftheotherbirds.inthecourseofthewinterthebirdhadinthiswaycollectedmanycrumbsandgiventhemtootherbirds,tilltheyequalledtheweightoftheloafonwhichingehadtrodtokeephershoesclean;andwhenthelastbread-crumbhadbeenfoundandgiven,thegraywingsofthebirdbecamewhite,andspreadthemselvesoutforflight.

"see,yonderisasea-gull!"