darkness of the night, and in the great hurry and excitement, his
youngest child, a babe, had been left lying in its cradle. Perhaps it
had been crushed to death by the collapsing walls of his house and been
buried in the waters of the river.

Daniel was deeply moved by the sad fate of this babe. Little did he
dream that he was the child whom he was pitying. He tried to comfort the
old man over the loss of the infant.

The old man then said, "I have learned to accept my grief, as having
been sent from God. In the end He will prove to each life that what is
sent is for the best."

Daniel agreed with him, and offered him his hand in friendship. Then he
bade him good-bye, saying that the lateness of the hour was the cause of
his haste.

Daniel walked on and called his dog. The faithful Rover did not wish to
forsake his long-lost and newly-found master, but neither did he wish to
lose Daniel. He would hurry ahead and stand in front of Daniel, barring
the way, as if he wished to stay him, and then he would run back to the
old man.

Daniel at last stood still. The dog lay down between them and looked
appealingly, first at one and then at the other, as if he wished to beg
them to remain together. Again Daniel started, but the dog went through
the same antics. A half hour passed in this way. At last Daniel said: "I
really don't know what to do. I love this dog, but I would like you to
have him, too; but I can't let you take him, for he belongs to my
father. Come with me, and let him decide who shall have the dog."