Lucy Raymond; Or, The Children's Watchword

tati

us, Lord, to c

ght, to seek to

ily bread' mea

this world's ev

widest extent, to admit every breath of air which came in through the waving pine boughs. Lucy had been promoted to teach a small class of her own, in which Nelly Connor had willingly taken her

und out on the first Sunday how deficient she herself was in Bible knowledge, and never liking to appear inferior to others in anything, she took some pains to prepare her lessons, at least so far that her ignorance might not lower her in the eyes of her classmates. It was a poor motive, certainly;

lace on the following Wednesday, the place being a beautiful oak wood about a mile from the church, in the opposite direction from

her whether she thought her mothe

btful as she replied, "I d

at can be done about it,"

efully down on the tattered frock, which her mother never took the trouble to m

d, and a consultation was held with her aunt as to the practicability of altering it to fit Nelly. "I only wonder I d

he most I ever sewed in my life

t important part of female education. She had always taken care that Lucy should s

as bad as poor Nelly, who said she had never l

nd mamma said we should never need to do plain sewing, so

" remarked Mrs. Steele gently. "It is

ll never have to, f

-naturedly offered to help her a little, though, never having been tra

how often it is that Sunday scholars, on leaving the school, instead of giving one thought to the divine truths they

ended picnic, "can't I have a new pink sash for my white fr

etter of a new hat, for the one you have looks a little brown. And as you've been a pretty good girl, and a deal less forgetful of late, I woul

would have been. Suddenly her mother's remark on the brownness of her hat suggest

y old hat, mother," she s

earing about the farm. Put it by for Jenny,

y Connor, mother? Hers w

houldn't mind if you did. I dare say it would be charity to her, poor thing." And it occurred to her to thi

sk as she took her seat under the spreading butternut-tree; and Jenny and Jack came to beg for "a story." Bessie's story-telling powers had been largely developed of late, to make the Sunday lessons she had begun to give the restless little things more palata

temptation, yet, on the whole, she was steadily advancing in that course in which all must be either going forward or backward. Her mother noticed that this decided improvement dated from the day when she had brought home the card,-a day which had

at her "task," when she saw Nancy

ome to spend the day, and we're going boating up the river, and then home to supper. T

to do would be left undone. Besides, her mother had gone to Ashleigh, leaving her in charge; and

m to come and stay with the children. At the worst, she did not think her mother would be much displeased; and th

Nancy urged, impa

ancy. Mother's out, and I'

me do exactly as I like. Come and get ready;" and she pulled Bess

ar from satisfied with herself for yielding wh

ncing round the room, "what a grand ticket you'

looking at it in silence. Then, instead of replying to the qu

waiting so long, too. Why, don't you know your own mind? Come, you

ve said I would go at all. Don't wait any lo

without your company." And off she r

done right, and felt thankful that she had had strength given to resist a temptation to which she now felt she would have done very wrong to yield. So she went b

d, tired and dusty from her long walk. Her pleased surprise at Bessie's thoughtful industry in getting through so much of the work which she thought was still before her, was in itself sufficie

go. Mrs. Thompson, in the village, was just telling me about these cousins of Nancy's, and says they are the wildest set in Burfo

to resist the temptation! But she felt she cou

ther, but something told me I shou

as you didn't go. And you were a

ot had her task of sewing to finish, with the feeling that it was her duty t

d exactly fit her. How nice it would be, she thought, if she had such a frock to wear to the picnic! Then came one of the evil suggestions which the tempter is so ready to put into the heart: what if she should keep it till the picnic was over, and wear

came in her way, without thinking twice about it; but some light had visited her mind now, and she could distinguish what was darkness. But then this would not be stealing, it would only be borrowing the frock! At last she was so near the house, that she was oblige

ould not understand how it was that she should feel so miserable. She was glad that she could not go for her lesson to-night, for she should have been ashamed to face Miss Lucy. One of the children just t

mal one. She fell asleep at last, but only to dream uneasy dreams, in which the pink frock was always prominent; and when she awoke in the early morning, it was with an uneasy sense of something wrong, soon defined into a distinct recollection. As she lay watching the early sunbeams slanting golden into her dingy attic, her eye fell upon the card pinned up against the wall, "Looking unto Jesus," which she could now spell out herself. Had she not been told to "look to Jesus" when unhappy or naughty, and He would del

d on her return for being out "idling about," instead of lighting the fire for the breakfast. She felt she

lowed to go to the picnic. Mrs. Connor of course grumbled a good deal about the inconvenience of having to spare Nelly for a whole afternoon, but the frock tempted her; and reflectin

er. Lucy was prepared for her look of surprise, but not so for her covering her face with her hands and bursting into tears. With some trouble she drew from her a confused account

wn, not being able to realize the strength of such a temptation to a child whose possessions were so few; and s

ort to the same sure Helper in time of temptation, and to do it in the

frock too, wasn't it? And I'm rightly

ith very different feelings from those with w

ched her depart, her own heart full of the pleasure of doing a much-needed kin

desire, notwithstanding one or two slight showers that fell in the early morning. But these only cleared the air and

ith the ripe-red berries which had been brought in in great abundance, and cutting up the piles of buns and cakes. Bessie Ford was superintending the distribution of the cream which had come in large jars from the farmhouses, and of which Mill Bank Farm had contributed the richest and finest. Lu

ne placed upon her dark hair, which had been smoothly combed and brushed out and put back from her eyes, she really looked as nice as most of the children there. Her dark eyes danced with pleasure as Bessie, herself almost as happy, took her to a group of girls about her own age and introduced her to them as a stranger, to whom they must try to make the

th some of the elder girls, who preferred a quiet chat. Stella, in her airy muslin flounces, a tiny hat with floating blue ribbons crowning her golden tresses, flitted about with a winning grace, which made her the admired of all observers. She felt herself a sort of princess on th

er cousin won her way, and how far her more adventitious advantages threw into the shade her own real exertions for the pleasure of those around her. Not that the exertions had been prompted by a desire for praise; but she was not yet unselfish enough to be satisfied that they ha

arker has on? I suppose she wanted to be dressed just like me; but I'm glad I wore a different one to-day." Yet, though St

om they owed the innocent pleasures which had been provided for them, he spoke earnestly of the Creator and Redeemer they were to "remember," to whom they should now bring their young hearts, that He might take them and make them His. The sunshine of His gracious presence would, he said, hallow and sweeten their joyous hours, and be a stay and support even when the "evil days" should come, and all other sources of happiness should fail them. His address was not so long as

of the more greedy,-alas that there should be such among Sunday-school children! Nelly Connor had seldom had a treat in her life, but she would

by Mr. Raymond to the care of Him who neither slumbers nor sleeps, all quietly dispersed to their homes. The "picnic" so eagerly looked forward to was over, as all earthly pleasures must sooner or later be. Not a single incident had marred its h