Esther

so to Miss Lucas as I followed her up the old oak

ived at our destination. "It is nice to be young and strong," she observed, wistfully. "I am not very old, it is true"-she could not have been more than eight-and-twenty-"but I have never enjoyed go

afterward she evoked rare beauty out of its quiet every-day

" she said once to me, "and then plenty of work is given to them; and some must just keep quiet and watch others work, and give them a bright word of encouragement now and t

manding the same view of the garden and cedar-tree. It had three windows, only they were rather high up, and had cush

cting?" asked Miss Lucas, in a playful voice, for the

she scrambled down, while Flossy wagged his tail and barked.

her, and no one could call Mr. Lucas handsome. Her dark eyes-nearly black they were-matched oddly, in my opinion, with her long fair hair; such pretty fluffy hair it was, falling over her black frock

nt to be taught, auntie; I can read, I have been reading to Flos

ts of pretty hymns to say to him, would you not, my darling! The

urry; "I like being a child better. Nursie is a woman,

rn your lessons, I will play with you," I said, rather t

good drawn battle of battledore and shuttlecock. Perhaps it was the repressed enthusiasm of my tone, f

our own if you like;" and she led me to a corner of the nursery where a quantity of dolls i

him in the pit directly, only I wondered what I should do for

n I next saw them the smart turbans were all taken off the flaxen heads, a few dejected sawdust bodies hung limply round a miller's cart. "Ancient Britons," whispered Flurry. "Nurse would not let me paint them blue, but they did not wear clothes t

en we joined Uncle Geoffrey in the drawing-room

s in the morning were to be followed by a walk, I was to lunch with them, and

He wishes me to find some one who will take the sole charge of the child through the day; in the evening she always comes down to her father and sits with him until her bedtime." And then she named what seemed to me a surprisingly large sum for service

that is worth something." And then he went on to say that Jack must go to school, he knew a very good one just by; some ladi

cheered up after a little while, and begged me not to think her ungrateful and foolish. "For we have so many blessings, Esther," she

over. I shall feel like a day laborer, mother, bringing home my wages in my poc

's clever fingers and Carrie's help, I thought we should do very well. I must utilize every spare minute, I thought. I must get up early and help Deborah, so that things might go on smoothly for the rest o

from the floor, hung up her hat in its place, and tried to efface the marks of her muddy boots from the carpet

ould not help admiring her afresh. I am s

three little Thornes," I said rather mischie

You are very fortunate, Esther, to find work in which yo

feeling myself very generous in intention, but all the same d

yself to play with children in the nursery." I suppose mother had told her about the do

damped by Carrie's want of enthusiasm. I thought I would sit down and write to Jessie,

ken to him before since Uncle Geoffrey introduced us to him. He is such a nice, practical sort of man. He

pouncing upon people, especially young ones, and driving them to work. Before many days were over she had made poor mother promise to do som

they were exceedingly kind. Mr. Smedley seemed to unde

hast at this, "you have work:

or her; "of course, I have my brick-making, and so have you. I am thinking of other

hair at that, I was so s

f girls of our age undertaking such work-she has said so

but she was not in the lea

dly; "this is one of mother's fancies; you cannot expe

consisted in a determination to make herself and every

so she does not see the necessity for my doing it; but I am of a different opinion

nough to judge for myself, and that I thought one's conscience ought not to be slavishly bound even to one's par

uld you? You will m

as possible, as though I meant to shirk any part of my duty. I do not think she really disapproved, only she seemed nervous and timid about it; but I ask you

ed; though what was the good of remonstrat

ings are light I might utilize them a little. I am to have Nightingale lane and the

nly looked at her in a dim, hopeless way and shook my head; if these were her views I must differ from them entirely. Not that I did not

gratefully. She says she and Mr. Smedley have had such up-hill work since they came to Milnthorpe-and there is so much lukewarmness and world

u, and ask you to take a Sunday class in the infant school. You

ickly; "but if you do so much yourself, you will prevent me from doing anything.

lease her; "that is so like you, Esther, to raise obstacles for nothing. Why

, for her speech wounded me. "Oh, Carrie, why will you not understand that I think that all work that is given

f you choose," she

ameron spirit, and would not yield my point; "for in that case Dot wou

eased with my plain speaking; and I went downstairs very tired an

-fashioned, as Carrie says, and it is still my creed that parents know best for their children; but she thinks differently, and she is so g

ill immature and unfledged, and then I never had been as good as Carrie. But what

and then Uncle Geoffrey came in and prescri