When Ardath awakened on Thursday morning, the sun was not shining. Rain pattered against the window panes on one side of the bedroom. Arthur was still asleep. It was not like dressing as quickly as possible and running out on the dewy lawn, barefooted, knowing Grandfather and the sun would be there to greet her, as she greeted them.

She thought perhaps Grandfather or Mary would come to tell her what to do, but no one came, so she got out of bed, went to the bathroom for her morning toilet, then dressed, including her shoes and socks. She hesitated at the top of the stairs, because the was so quiet, before she decided to go down the steps.

Grandfather was at his desk in the Study. The door was open and he greeted her as cheerily as though he had been on the sunny lawn.

"That's my big girl", he approved, "to dress fully and come downstairs without being told to do so."

Ardath smiled and said, "Good-morning, Grandfather."

"Come into my Study', Grandfather invited. "We may find something interesting to talk about until Arthur awakens."

As Ardath entered the Study, she could feel again the expectancy of the night before, when she had looked for fairies in this room she felt in some way was, very special.

"Would you like to look at the pictures on the wall?" Grandfather saw Ardath looking around the room as she had not taken time to do any other visit nor during the "good-night hour" periods

Ardath said she would like to look at the picture on the wall, so Grandfather told her, "If you see anything you want to ask questions about, I'll be right here at my desk and will try to answer them for you."

It was still very early in the morning. Grandfather had gotten up at the scheduled time of sunrise even though rain clouds obscured the sun. Ardath had awakened at six o'clock. She looked out the Study widow one more time before she began looking at the pictures. She was missing the out-of-doors and her daily romp on the lawn that had become a habit in the last three days.

Grandfather went on writing, at his desk. Occasionally, he would look toward Ardath to see that she was pleasantly occupied. When she had been quiet for an unusual length of time as she gazed at one of the pictures on the wall, he asked, "What do you see in the picture, Ardath?"

"I see a mother and a little angel is whispering in her ear. What is the little angel saying to the mother? She asked Grandfather.

Before he could answer, Arthur appeared in the doorway of the Study, in his pajamas. No one had heard him come down the stairs.

"That's not an angel. That is a bay boy." Arthur entered the conversation without proper recognition.

Grandfather and Ardath turned around to see him.

"Good-morning, Arthur. I'm glad to see you are awake so early, but you aren't ready to join our discussion." Grandfather said as he went to the door of the Study. He took Arthur gently by the Shoulders and turned him out the door.

"Groom yourself and get dressed as you have done on other days since you have been here." Grandfather directed.

Arthur felt like crying, but instead said in a high pitched voice, "It is raining!" as though he thought Grandfather hadn't noticed it.

"Yes, Arthur, it is raining. Is that a reason for you to come downstairs in the morning without dressing?" Grandfather asked kindly because he knew a little boy could easily be confused with a change of habit.

"We start our rainy day the same as any other day." Grandfather informed Arthur. I'm sure you know the proper way to do it. Only one routine may be different. You may wear your shoes and sock unless you want to run on the lawn in the rain.

Arthur did not feel happy as he did when he ran on the dewy lawn. It had been confusing to get awake and find it raining for the first time while he was visiting Beverly Farm. He had also felt alone, because Ardath had not been in her bed across the room. When he went upstairs again, he did not feel confused and lonely, anymore.

After he had gone, Ardath refreshed Grandfather's memory about her question. "The little angel must be telling the mother something she likes to hear, because the mother is smiling."

"Yes, I believe the mother is very happy about what the angel is whispering." Grandfather agreed, then waited a whole minute for Ardath to speak. It seemed that Ardath was waiting for Grandfather to tell her more, so he continued to tell her about the picture.

"You know, before a baby comes to live with a family, it is a little angel, in a quiet, peaceful place. It wants to come to earth so it can have experiences as you and Arthur have. By a very special process, called gravitation, it is drawn to a mother with love in her heart and whispers to her, a secret that only God, the little angel and the mother will ever know."

Ardath was listening intently. Grandfather saw that she was eager to know more about the mother and the little angel so he went on with his story.

"The little angel knows what it needs to experience, so it can grow to be a good and wise individual. Some little angels may want to go to a place where there are brothers and sisters. Others may want to be a first child. The little angel in this picture is telling the mother what it needs. The mother is smiling because it is what she can and wants to give.

Ardath told Grandfather, "Mother said that Arthur and I were angels before we come to live with her and Father."

"Your mother was right. I'm glad she told you that. Now, you tell me what the little angel is telling the mother in the picture. Grandfather encouraged Ardath to talk and think about the subject.

"I think it is telling the mother it wants to come to live with her and her and her husband and be their baby." Ardath beamed as she told Grandfather her thoughts.

"You have answered your own, first question and very well, too, my dear young lady." Grandfather was proud of Ardath and gave her a little hug.

Arthur cam back to the doorway of the Study. He was fully dressed with shoes and socks. His hair was combed, neatly. He waited respectfully for grandfather to speak to him, with approval.

"Good-morning, again, Arthur." Grandfather greeted with grave dignity and bowed. "I note you have worn your shies and socks. That decides the question of whether or not you want to run on the rainy lawn."

"Good-morning, Grandfather." Arthur felt very much better than he had felt when he had been downstairs, earlier.

"Now you are ready to enter our discussion. Did you say that was a ‘baby boy' in the picture?" Grandfather asked as he pointed to the picture Ardath and he had been discussing.

"It looks like a baby boy," is all that Arthur had to offer on the subject.

"You may be right. It could be a baby boy whispering to the lovely young mother in the picture. Perhaps it is saying to the lady, ‘I feel love in your heart for a baby. I would like to come to earth to be your child so Ardath can be my big sister and Arthur can be my older brother. I'll stay near you because I love you. When you have a baby body ready for me, I'll come to live with you."

Arthur smiled, "I'd be a big brother if the little angel came to our house." He put his hand in his pockets and walked around the room.

Ardath clapped her hands. "Do you really think that is what the little angel is saying?" she asked and hoped.

"The little angel is a soul, now, in the land of love. We send it our love so it may find the right home for the experiences it needs to become a noble being. It may come to your home if that is the place best suited for progress." Grandfather said it like a prayer and saluted the picture seriously. The children followed Grandfather's example, wishing progress for the little angel.
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