Lucy Raymond; Or, The Children's Watchword

xperi

resence every

can foil the t

pers fail, and

lpless, Lord,

ge and unfamiliar aspect of everything around her quite bewildered her, till little Amy's gentle touch recalled the events of the preceding day.

ear. But it did not apparently matter much, for the different members of the family seemed to come to the breakfast table just as it suited them, and the meal could scarcely be called a social one. Neither Sophy nor her fathe

an have a little more sleep," she said,

oner at night, my dear, if you w

ject, and kept up a full stream of talk till Mrs. Brooke

ou must let me see your dresses this morning; I am sure yo

int on which she was sensitive, not wishing herself to spend any more on her dress than was absol

w you cannot dress here exactly as you did at Ashlei

uld have cried, as one after another of the articles on which she and Mrs. Steele had bestowed

y shabby or old-fashioned dress, disgrace the family in the eyes of her critical fashionable associates; so it was determined, without reference to Lucy, that Ada and Soph

and carriages; above all, the gaily-decorated shop windows-having so much of the charm of novelty for a country girl. The windows of the print-shops and book

would spend so much time in looking over articles which they had no intention of buying, thereby, she thought, putting the obliging shopmen to an immense deal of trouble, and sa

wonted expedition over the hard city streets, with their bewildering noise and confusion, and was glad to get away as soon a

ucy?" she said. "I got her on my bir

rprised. "Did you call he

"for Stella said you were

t the pale, delicate face and fragile form. She had always wished to have a little sister of her own, and her heart was quite d

od, kind Saviour, who

d up with a puz

Lucy, thinking that nam

is about. Nurse taught me, '

u love Him, Amy? He

?" asked Amy. "H

e He sa

Nurse said my little brot

to explain as simply as possible that, although the Saviour is in heaven, He is as really near us as wh

?" asked Amy, look

u can't read y

says I mustn't lear

me of the things that Jesus

and deep interest with which Amy listened, and mentally resolved to try to lead her to know more of that blessed Saviour, of whom as yet she k

t was varied by the presence of visitors, among whom was a gentleman w

low, and has a large plantation in the South, where he lives. I know she's as fond of him as she can be, though sh

id not quite coincide with Lucy's ideas of love and lovers, founded, it must be confessed, chiefly on books, to observe the seeming pl

having never before seen an instance of coquetry, did not know how venial many girls who might know bett

uitable for the day, and cultivating a spirit of Christian cheerfulness, he succeeded in making his family feel it no hardship to carry out his wishes. Fred and Lucy, indeed, had learned to love the Lord's day, and to appreciate the privileges it brings with it. But in Mr. Brooke's family it was decidedly a dull day,-a day which must be respectably observed, and therefore not available for ordinary purposes, but a day to be got through as easily as possible, shortened at both ends by late rising and unusually early retiring, as well as by naps indulged in during the day, when even the so-called Sunday reading proved somnolent in its tendency. The necessary

appeared, except Amy, who sat contentedly on her knee, and listened to more reading out of

ad been down. "I think it is so nice to lie as long as you like, Sunday mornings! I used t

the most precious day of the week, and that, though he could excuse a hard-worked labouring man for taking an e

aid Stella, "who often sleeps till it is too late to go

n learning, but Sophy did not seem to care about it, and said to Lucy, "You had better not teach her any more hymns. The doctor says she should not be allowed t

ct to teaching a child those blessed gospel truths which will shed either on life or on death the truest light. But while she felt a st

staying away from the house of God for such a reason. But then she remembered that while under her aunt's charge it was her duty to yield a deference to her wishes, unless she absolutely violated her conscience in so doing, a

ome remark which, when answered, was sure to lead to another; and though Lucy's remonstrances at length became somewhat impatient in their tone, it was evidently hopeless to try to reduce her to silence. She, however, at last succeeded in persuading her to listen while she read to Amy, first one or two Bible stories, such as she thought

nversation almost continually going on there. First one topic was started, and then another; and in spite of her efforts to the contrary, she would find herself list

ing? I don't like staying at home all day, and no one wo

u really want to go?" she asked. "I thought pe

y replied, "but I should be sorry i

rvice always seems to me so long, and the sermon s

ways hears something to do one good,-often the very thing one needs at the very time. It always makes troubles seem lighte

, not able to comprehend any other reason. "Well, since you like it so much, I'l

which the family usually attended, they should go to a small one in the neighbourhood, their usual resort on stormy days. Edwin having got tired of the novel he had been yawn

ovelty to Lucy's country eyes. The streets were full of people, encountering each other as they wended their way to church in opposite

hings she most needed, carried her heart with it, till she forgot she was not at home still. The text read was, "A very present help in trouble," and the sermon was what might have been expected from the tone of the preceding prayer. It was so full of Christ, pointing to His

ll that Christ might be to the weary soul which had tried earthly pleasures and found them wanting, earthly cisterns and found them broken,-a fountain of refreshing, giving strength and energy for the journey of life, the "shadow of a great rock in a weary land," giving to the weary wayfarer rest and shelter from the burden and heat of the day,-he began to feel, in spite o

then came the happy thought that, though they seem so remote and inaccessible, the Saviour is near at once to them and to those who are left below, and that in communion with Him there may be a point of conta

r accuracy and deeper thought, she was far in advance of her cousin. This might have considerably increased the tendency she already had to a sense of her own superiority, had it not been that the things in which she was deficient were precisely those which were of most consequence at Mrs. Wilmot's establishment, being more

d to make the most of her opportunities; and her enjoyment of her studies and the stimulus of contest to a great extent counteracted the uncongenia