But oh! if he would only love me!" sobbed the little girl.
"I am sure he does, Elsie, if that is any comfort; here is a letter from him; he speaks of you in the postscript; you may take it to your room and read it, if you like," replied her aunt, putting a letter into Elsie's hand.

"Go now, child, and see if you can extract any comfort from it." Elsie replied with a gush of tears and a kiss of thanks, for her little heart was much too full for speech.

Clasping the precious letter tightly in her hand, she hastened to her own room and locked herself in.

Then drawing it from the envelope, she kissed the well-known characters again and again, dashing away the blinding tears ere she could see to read.
It was short; merely a letter of condolence to Adelaide, expressing a brother's sympathy in her sorrow; but the postscript sent one ray of joy to the little sad heart of his daughter.
"Is Elsie well?
I cannot altogether banish a feeling of anxiety regarding her health, for she was looking pale and thin when I left home.

I trust to _you_, my dear sister, to send _immediately_ for a physician, and also to write at once should she show any symptoms of disease.