Esther

y council, at which we were all present, except mothe

as only a house-surgeon in one of the London hospitals; and Fred, who called himself an artist, had never earned a penny. He was a fair copyist, and talked the ordinary art jargon, and went about all day in his brown velveteen coat, and wore his hair rather long; but we never saw much result from his Roman studie

le Geoffrey, and then Fred said every one was against him. It struck me Uncle Geoffrey pooh-poohed Fred's whim of being an artist; he wanted him to go into an office; there was a vacant berth he could secure by speaking to an old friend of his, who was in a China tea-house, a most respectable money-mak

le, that he relented; and at last it was arranged that Fred was to take a hundred pounds of mother's money-she would have given him the

will be robbing the widow and the fatherless. You have scouted my well-meant advice, and Allan's"-he went on-"and are marking out your own path in life very foolishly, as we think; remember, you hav

ging committee, you and Allan will repe

d a week-"we are only doubtful of the wisdom of your choice; but there, work hard at your daubs, and keep out of

as soon work under Uncle Geoffrey as any other man. I think Allan was rather ambitious in his secret views. He wanted to remain longer at the hospital and get into a London practice; he would have liked to have been higher up the tree than Uncle Geoffrey, who was quite content with his quiet position a

must manage to shake yourselves down in the old house at Milnthorpe"-that is how he put it; "it is not so big as

sped Jack, growing scarlet; but Carri

e is not to be tyrannized over by an army of nephews and nieces? Do yo

d put you and Deborah to sad inconvenience, I am afraid;" for I was half afraid of Deborah, who had lived wi

the best plan under the circumstances. I am not fond of being alone," and here Uncle Geoffrey gave a quick sigh. Poor Uncle Geoff! he had never

can wait on us both. Of course I am not a rich man, children, and we must all help to keep the kettle boiling; but the ho

was very far from being rich, and he could not possibly afford to keep us all. A third of his in

off agreed to allow her a fixed maintenance. As Uncle Geoff e

alone with him, "and I have made up my mind that I must allow her another hundred a year. Poor soul, she works hard at that school-keeping of hers, and none of the children

oo, when she is old enough." Could he think we should

d little woman, who always wore shabby black gowns; I never saw her in a good dress in my life. Well, we were

sit with mother, and Fred had strolled off somewhere. They wanted me to try my hand

hey should make me take the head, when Carrie was two years older, and a week ago I was only a schoolgirl; but I f

ducted the extra allowance for poor Aunt Prue, we saw clearly that there was not enough for so large a party; but at the first hint of this from Allan U

you and Esther are not so faint-hearted." And when we found out how our protests seemed to hurt him, we let him have his own way; only Allan and

ng a governess distressed her greatly. "I am very glad you will undertake the housekeeping, Esther," she said, rather plaintively; "it will leave me free for other things," and then she sighed very bitterly, and got up and

I had only Jessie to whom I could talk! and then it seemed to me as though it were months

ar father lying in his quiet grave; ourselves penniless orphans, obliged to leave Combe Manor, and inde

ah, and the stolid, broad-faced Martha; and there was mother so broken in health and spirits, and Dot, and Jack, with her hoidenish ways and torn frocks, and Allan miles away from me, and Carrie-well, I felt half afraid of Carrie to-night; she seemed

hy day, so shall thy strength be." I lit my candle and opened my Bible, that I might read over the words for myself. Yes, there they were shining before my eyes, like "apples of gold in pictures of

came to my mind. Very quain

h day upo

nted burd

t besides

ngeth to

d the hear

romised, stre

date the

hou bear'st

myself, I laid my head on t

urn home somewhat hastily, in order to talk to Deborah and see what furniture would be required for the rooms that were placed at our disposal. A

back and prepare for the flitting. If Allan were beside me, I felt that I could accomplish wonde

rds as I came toward her couch. "Poor child, we are making y

e, for I could have cried with her readily at that moment. "That

ways thought the best of us all, and my heart swelled how proudly, and oh! how

ou were older. You must be Uncle Geoffrey's favorite, I think, from the way he t

t of my darling Carrie. "Think how pretty she is, and how little she cares for dress and admiration.

led a litt

, child; plain women are just as vain as pretty ones. Not that you are plain, Esther, in my eyes, or in the eyes of any one who loves you." But ev

ay before us, and again I marveled at mother's patience and su

n sight of his grave, I should be thankful; but Combe Manor and Milnthrope are the same to me now." And though these words struck me as strange at first, I

of endless comfort. "Such goodness-such unselfishness!" she kept murmuri

stfully, when I had finished. "With all that teaching and

ffrey is going to speak to some of his patients about us. He rathe

nted at such a thing, I should rather have enjoyed the daily walk. I was fond of fresh air, and exercise, and rushing about, after the manner of girls, and it see

, I must try and live up to their good opinion. There is nothing so good as to fix a high standard for one's se

r plans together, but she was reading Thomas a Kempis, and did not

hoolroom and found Dot fractious and weary, and Jack vainly trying to amus

she said she was too tired, and I could

too loud," returned Dot; but his countenance smoothed when I g