THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Rare Book Room 
 GIFT OF 
 
 John W. Beckman 
 
r% 
 
 FRONTISPIKCK. 
 
 Heautiful Berthn. 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Honey-pot Brook, .,7 
 
 CHAPTER H. 
 Miss Nancy, 34 
 
 CHAPTER m. 
 Treasures Discovered, - - - - - - -21 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 The Grotto, 33 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 The Fairies, 44 
 
 " 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 The Beauty and the Brook, 52 
 
IV CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGH 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 The wrong Pew, 6! 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Style m a Shandrydan, 76 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Patsy Gracy, 90 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Work and Play, - 100 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 Love of the Beautiful, - - 106 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 St. George and the Dragon, - - 117 
 
 CHAPTER XHI. 
 Esther's Influence, 131 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 An unexpected Visitor, - - - - - - -138 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Mr. Perrit's Fancy Sketch, ----- 149 
 
CONTENTS. V 
 
 PACK 
 
 CHAPTER XYI. 
 A sad Farewell, - 161 
 
 CHAPTER XVIL 
 The Beauty at School, 165 
 
 CHAPTER XVHI. 
 A sudden change ot Scene, 173 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 Ivy Cottage Fireside, 173 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 Who comes now ?-------- 185 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 Delicate Kindness, 206 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 A Letter to the Dead, - 213 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 Grand Expectations, 226 
 
 CHAPTER XXTV. 
 News from the Antipodes, 231 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 Under an Umbrella, - 235 
 
VI CONTENTS. 
 
 PAOE 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 An overwhelming Surprise, 243 
 
 CHAPTER XXVn. 
 The Ivory Casket, 250 
 
 CHAPTER t XXYIII. 
 Gratitude, - 259 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 u Not expected to happen," 268 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 HONEY-POT BROOK. 
 
 Honey-pot!" exclaimed Mr. Perrit, 
 with, boyish glee. 
 
 Mr. Perrit and his daughters, Esther and 
 Louisa, had left the railroad, over which they 
 had traveled more than two hundred miles, and 
 were driving in a one-horse wagon to the village 
 of Sylvania. 
 
 The sun was just sinking in the west as they 
 came in sight of Honey-pot brook. 
 
 " Brook ! Do you call this a brook ?" ex 
 claimed Louisa. " Why, a brook is just a nar 
 row stream that I could jump over." 
 
 " Later in the season you will be able to jump 
 over this brook. It is now swollen by the snow 
 and rain. Many a time, when I was a boy, 
 have I followed its winding course, and waded 
 three or four miles in its waters." 
 
8 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 " But what a queer name it has," remarked 
 Esther. 
 
 " I always liked its name," replied Mr. Per- 
 rit ; " and the brook seemed perfectly contented 
 with it, too, dancing over the smooth pebbles, 
 and winding its shining way through groves 
 and green meadows, and bounding over huge 
 rocks, as merrily as any brook in the whole 
 world." 
 
 " It is awfully wide and deep now ; how are 
 we to get over ?" anxiously demanded Louisa. 
 
 " By going right through, to be sure ; come, 
 old horse, jog along." So saying, Mr. Perrit 
 snapped the whip, and the horse splashed in 
 up to his knees, and then stood still to take a 
 draught of cool water. 
 
 c - Oh dear, dear, this is a deep river, I know 
 it is; you have forgotten the road, papa, and 
 the brook, too," said Louisa, with tears rushing 
 over her cheeks. 
 
 " Not remember Honey-pot brook ! I have 
 forgotten many things, change has come over 
 many more, but this brook is as familiar to me 
 as the face of your mother. Those very wil 
 lows, now so rough and gnarled, were then in 
 
HONEY-POT BKOOK. 9 
 
 their glorious prime, drooping gracefully over 
 the brook. Just beyond that rock yonder there 
 is a deep pool, where it was glorious fun to 
 bathe and swim." 
 
 "The willows already show that spring has 
 come," said Esther. 
 
 " Yes ; they are the last to put off their green 
 ness in the autumn, and the first to put it on in 
 the spring." 
 
 " Green ! Why, papa, they are a bright yel 
 low, and look like giant street-brooms," replied 
 Esther. 
 
 " Do let us get out of this deep water," en 
 treated Louisa. 
 
 " Well, come, old horse, you have had a very 
 good draught, we will go on," said her father ; 
 and soon they were on the other side of the 
 brook. 
 
 " What a feathery look the dark trees have 
 what is that owing to, papa ?" asked Esther. 
 
 "The buds are starting. A month earlier 
 these trees were of a dull uniform color ; now 
 they are a soft, rich brown, contrasting beauti 
 fully with the clear March sky." 
 
 " And there are as many shades of brown as 
 
10 BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 we could find in Muller's worsted-shop," said 
 . Louisa, who, now they were safely over the brook, 
 had found her spirits as well as her tongue. 
 
 " But who ever saw worsted of so pure and 
 heavenly a blue as this country sky ? Look up, 
 papa, the trees overhead form a brown net-work 
 contrasting charmingly with the sky," said her 
 sister. 
 
 Esther had always lived in the crowded street 
 of a large city, and had only seen the smoky 
 sky over the tops of tall houses. 
 
 " Oh ! do see that flock of white geese, fol 
 lowing their leader in solemn procession, Indian 
 file. Did you ever see anything so funny and 
 so absurd ?" asked Louisa. 
 
 "Yes, indeed, my child; it seems like the 
 very same flock, thirty years ago, that marched 
 home every evening. I hope you will love the 
 country now as I did then. But here we are at 
 the old homestead." As Mr. Perrit said this, 
 he turned the horse's head towards an old pear 
 tree, in front of a large log-house, almost cov 
 ered with ivy. 
 
 " Surely, papa, this was not your birth-place ; 
 it is a log-house," said Louisa. 
 
HONEY-POT BROOK. 11 
 
 Mr. Perrit, without replying, sprang out of 
 the wagon, and then, as he lifted the young 
 girls out, they noticed that tears were filling his 
 eyes. Beloved parents had gone to the grave 
 since he had visited the place of his birth. So 
 grief and joy were mingled like rain and sun 
 shine. 
 
 In front of the house was a court-yard filled 
 with shrubbery. In the midst of it was a 
 woman, whose face was hidden by a large sun- 
 bonnet, and who was so vigorously pruning an 
 old lilac bush that she had not noticed their 
 approach. Suddenly she turned, came forward, 
 and leaning over the gate, with her pruning- 
 knife in hand, surveyed the travelers with a 
 bewildered air, muttering to herself, "Why, 
 they 've brought a carpet-bag !" 
 
 Mr. Perrit fastened the horse, and then ad 
 vanced to the gate ; smiling through his tears, 
 he held out his hand, saying, " Don't you know 
 me, Nancy ?" 
 
 " There 's but one man in the world who has 
 a right to call me Nancy, and that is Paul Per 
 rit ; but you can't be he." 
 
 " Why not ? I used to be Paul Perrit, and 
 
12 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 you used to be my sister Nancy. These are 
 your two nieces. Are you going to close your 
 gate upon us ?" 
 
 Why, they Ve brought a carpet-bag 1" again 
 muttered Miss Nancy, gazing at the girls with 
 a look of amazement, while she slowly opened 
 the gate. 
 
 " We hare taken you by surprise," said Mr. 
 Perrit, kindly. 
 
 Miss Nancy walked backward till she came 
 to the large stone step before the door, and 
 there she sat down, threw aside her pruning- 
 knife, and resting her elbows on her knees, cov 
 ered her face with both hands. 
 
 Mr. Perrit advanced towards her, but the 
 girls stood at the gate, Louisa giggling uncivil 
 ly, so that she had to cram her handkerchief in 
 her mouth, while Esther, who had the carpet 
 bag in her hand, timidly whispered, " Why has 
 she taken such a dislike to our carpet-bag ?" 
 
 " I am sorry, sister, that we did not write to 
 you, to tell you we were corning. After so long 
 an absence, it was cruel for me to take you so 
 completely by surprise." 
 
 " It 's your own voice, Paul, and I am glad 
 
HONEY-POT BROOK. 13 
 
 to hear it once more," said Miss Nancy, rising 
 and opening the door. " Come in." 
 
 Mr. Perrit beckoned to the girls, and they 
 advanced, but Esther left the offensive carpet 
 bag outside the gate. 
 
CHAPTER H 
 
 MISS NANCY. 
 
 THE interior of the log-house was much more 
 neat and comfortable than might have been ex 
 pected from its rough exterior. It was two 
 stories high. The small windows of all the 
 front rooms were hung with white dimity cur 
 tains, and deep fringe of Miss Nancy's handi 
 work. Worsted work, of which the staring 
 cats and monstrous roses were not copied from 
 German patterns, covered the heavy mahogany 
 chairs; patchwork of silk and chintz proved 
 the industry, if not the taste, of Miss Nancy 
 Perrit. 
 
 Soon after the unexpected arrival of the trav 
 elers, a small tea-table, supported by four slen 
 der legs, was spread with a damask cloth of 
 Miss Nancy's spinning, which had not been 
 unfolded for many years. 
 
MISS NANCY. 15 
 
 Esther and Louisa watched with great inter 
 est while an old woman-servant placed on the 
 table cold ham, biscuit, honey, preserves, pickles -, 
 cream, and hot corn bread. The long ride and 
 the country air had given them keen appetites ; 
 and though Louisa stared at the strange min 
 gling of sweet and sour, the good things rapidly 
 disappeared from the table. 
 
 After taking several cups of tea, Mr. Perrit 
 said, " Sister Nancy, I am going on a business 
 excursion to the far West ; I shall take my wife 
 with me, and I wish to leave my girls with you." 
 
 " With me ! Paul, you must be crazy. You 
 know I never liked children," exclaimed Miss 
 Nancy, shaking her curls. Yes, curls gray 
 curls adorned Miss Nancy's head. She never 
 wore caps, and her hair, about two fingers' long, 
 curled all over her head. 
 
 " They have been at school all their lives, I 
 may say, for they cannot remember the time 
 when they did not go to school. Esther is 
 about thirteen, and Louisa eleven years old; 
 they have never before been in the country, 
 and a long vacation will be of service to their 
 health, both of body and mind." 
 
16 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 " Poor things ! I dare say it would ; but I 
 am not the person to take care of children, 
 especially the city-born and city-bred," said 
 Miss Nancy, somewhat contemptuously. 
 
 " They will not need much care ; let them 
 run and romp as much as they please. I want 
 them to love the country just as we did, sister, 
 when we were young." 
 
 Somewhat softened, Miss Nancy replied, 
 "But they can't romp all the while. How 
 should I keep them busy ?" 
 
 " They have brought plenty of work and 
 books for rainy days ; and when they are dis 
 posed to be industrious, they will assist you." 
 
 " What, clothing, books, and work, all in that 
 one carpet-bag! It frightened me, because I 
 thought somebody had come to take up their 
 quarters with me for the night." 
 
 Louisa laughed outright, and Esther said, 
 "I believe the unfortunate bag has not yet 
 been brought in." 
 
 " So you consent to let the poor girls, who 
 know nothing of the country, stay with you for 
 a few months?" continued Mr. Perrit. 
 
 "If they won't pick my flowers, nor scare 
 
MISS NANCY. 17 
 
 my chickens, nor teaze my cats, nor bring any 
 other children to my house." 
 
 " We certainly will not gather your flowers 
 without your consent," said Esther. 
 
 "Then you will not gather them at all. 
 My flowers bud, bloom, wither, and die, like 
 their mistress, in the spot where they were 
 born." 
 
 " And the chickens, when they are dear little 
 wee-wee things, may we not just take them in 
 our hands ?" asked Louisa, coaxingly. 
 
 "Not for the world!" replied Miss Nancy 
 with a look of horror, and a fluttering such as 
 the hen-mother would make at a hawk ready to 
 pounce on her brood. She added, "That is 
 just what I should have expected from a city 
 girl." 
 
 " Oh, excuse us. We will learn good coun 
 try ways in time, if you will be so kind as to 
 teach us," said Esther, soothingly. 
 
 "Well, well, I must consult Orpy. It is a 
 pity that you should be cooped up in the stifling 
 air of the city all your lives, and never know 
 how to do one useful thing." 
 
 "I hope you will teach them many useful 
 
18 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA.^ 
 
 things, and that they will be a great comfort to 
 you," said Mr. Perrit. 
 
 "Since you insist on it; but really I am 
 afraid that one will be as idle and as saucy as 
 my parrot ;" and Miss Nancy pointed at Louisa. 
 
 'Hold your tongue! hold your tongue!" 
 screamed the parrot, as if to give a specimen of 
 his sauciness. 
 
 " Naughty Poll !" said Miss Nancy, shaking 
 her curly head at him. 
 
 The parrot, not in the least abashed, hopped 
 to her shoulder, and pretending to kiss her, 
 said, " Pretty Miss Nancy ! pretty Miss Nancy !" 
 
 No wonder the girls were tempted to laugh, 
 for Miss Nancy was anything but pretty. She 
 was a tidy, active little body, busy as the bees 
 that hummed all day long about the honey 
 suckles of the front porch. The gray curls 
 about her face and neck contrasted oddly with 
 her wrinkled face. Her dress of brown merino 
 fitted closely to her spare figure, making her 
 look as straight and thin as one of her own bean 
 poles. The green parrot was not her only pet. 
 White rabbits might be seen hopping about 
 among the grass and shrubs. Nine black cats 
 
MISS NANCY. 19 
 
 were daily fed with a bountiful meal from the 
 kitchen. A flock of tame pigeons alighted to 
 gather up the crumbs after them. Canary birds 
 were the in-door favorites, and the parrot scold 
 ed or flattered them all, in-doors and out, from 
 morning till night. 
 
 "When tea was over, the bright wood fire 
 blazing and crackling in the wide flre-place, 
 looked very inviting ; but the girls were tired 
 and sleepy, and asked permission to go to bed. 
 
 While Miss Nancy went to make some need 
 ful preparations, Esther and Louisa stealthily 
 brought in the carpet-bag, giggling together 
 about Miss Nancy. 
 
 " You must excuse your aunt's peculiarities," 
 said their father ; " she has lived alone for the 
 last eighteen years, and in all that time she 
 probably has not had a guest to sleep in her 
 house." 
 
 And yet the house was as neat and clean as' 
 a new pin, from garret to cellar, for twice a 
 year the regular house-cleaning was performed, 
 and after that the spare rooms were aired and 
 dusted every week. Miss JSTancy loved neat 
 ness for its own sake. 
 
20 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 Long after Esther and Louisa were asleep, 
 Mr. Perrit and his sister remained by the fire 
 side, talking over the days of their childhood 
 and youth, and forming plans for the future. 
 
CHAPTEE HI. 
 
 TREASURES DISCOVERED. 
 
 THE next morning, Esther and Louisa were 
 awakened at an early hour by cackling and 
 gobbling, and crowing and lowing, and a vari 
 ety of noises perfectly amazing and incompre 
 hensible to their city-bred ears. 
 
 "Why, what is the matter?" exclaimed Lou 
 isa, jumping out of bed and peeping through 
 the white dimity curtains. 
 
 Nothing was to be seen there but the quiet 
 front yard, where the crocuses were dotting the 
 grass, and the roses and lilacs showing their 
 leaf-buds. Opposite the window was a high 
 hill, which seemed to touch a rosy sky, while a 
 few light clouds of a golden hue were floating 
 above. 
 
 " Oh, jump up quick, Etta dear," exclaimed 
 Louisa ; " the sky in the country is pink, and 
 
22 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 it actually comes down to a great hill in front 
 of the house." 
 
 Esther was soon by the side of her sister. 
 " That must be the east," said she, " and we are 
 now seeing what we never saw before in all our 
 lives a sunrise." 
 
 " So it is, so it is !" exclaimed Louisa, clap 
 ping her hands, " for it begins to be so bright I 
 can hardly look at it." 
 
 " How beautiful !" whispered Esther, whose 
 delight was mingled with religious reverence. 
 "I do not wonder that heathens, who knew 
 nothing of the great God, who is a Spirit, wor 
 shiped the sun." 
 
 A smart tap at the door startled them, fol 
 lowed by Miss Nancy's voice. "Time to be 
 up, children ; country folks are early risers." 
 
 " We are up already, and will soon be down 
 stairs," said Esther. 
 
 When they entered the parlor they saw the 
 breakfast-table spread for three. 
 
 " Where is papa ?" asked Esther, as Miss 
 Nancy seated herself at table, and motioned 
 them to take their places. 
 
 " Gone, long ago." 
 
TREASURES DISCOVERED, 23 
 
 "Gone!" exclaimed both at once; "gone 
 where ?" 
 
 " Gone home to your mother in the city. 
 He found he must leave before dawn, in order 
 to reach the first railroad train. He would not 
 disturb you just to say good-bye. Here is a lit 
 tle note he left for you." 
 
 Tears were now streaming over faces which a 
 moment before were bright with joy. 
 
 " Come, don't cry. Here are your bowls of 
 bread and milk, and fresh butter just churned, 
 and green water cresses from the brook." 
 
 They tried to eat, poor things, but could 
 scarcely choke down the wholesome food. 
 
 " Don't take on so, for pity's sake ; I can't 
 stand it," said Miss Nancy. " What is the use 
 of crying ?" 
 
 " Pretty Miss Nancy ! Don't scold," said the 
 parrot. 
 
 "Hold your tongue, sauce-box," retorted 
 Miss Nancy. 
 
 " Hold your tongue ! hold your tongue !" 
 clamored the parrot, a dozen times repeated. 
 
 Louisa laughed in spite of her tears; and 
 Esther, as soon as the parrot gave her a chance, 
 
24 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 asked that slie might be excused, and went with 
 Louisa to their room to read their father's note. 
 
 The note was as follows : 
 
 "I am sorry to leave you, my darlings, with 
 out a parting kiss, but I would not disturb your 
 sweet slumbers. Since we must be parted for 
 a while, let us all bear it as cheerfully as possi 
 ble. Be very kind and gentle to each other and 
 to your aunt, and try to exert a good influence 
 over her. She is now your sole guardian ; be 
 obedient and respectful to her. Remember 
 your loving parents in your daily prayers. 
 God bless you, my dear children, and keep you 
 under His special care. May He restore you, 
 improved in health and character, to the arms 
 of your devoted father." 
 
 And now they gave free vent to the tears 
 they had tried to suppress before Miss Nancy. 
 
 They were aroused by the sound of wheels, 
 and thinking their father might have returned, 
 flew to the window. No ; it was their own lug 
 gage, which had been brought from the depot. 
 
 Box after box was taken off by two strong 
 men, and placed in the court-yard, while Miss 
 Nancy stood at the door, talking to herself. 
 
TREASURES DISCOVERED. 25 
 
 "One, two, three, four, five boxes, and two 
 trunks big enough for chicken coops. Paul has 
 played a nice trick on me ; he means his chil 
 dren shall stay with me for ever." 
 
 " What can be in all those boxes ?" thought 
 the sisters, as they clattered down stairs and 
 stood beside Miss Nancy at the door. 
 
 " Why, in the name of common sense, have 
 you brought all this stuff with you ?" demand 
 ed Miss Nancy. 
 
 " We don't know," was the only answer they 
 could give. 
 
 The men who brought the luggage began to 
 open the mysterious boxes. Number one con 
 tained a nice mahogany wardrobe for the girls' 
 bedroom ; number two, a secretary and book 
 case for the same purpose ; number three was 
 filled with books ; number four contained a 
 handsome mantel-clock for Miss Nancy ; num 
 ber five, a China tea sett, and a silver milk jug 
 and sugar bowl which had belonged to her 
 mother. Miss Nancy was in ecstacies. That 
 same silver had been the wonder of her child 
 hood and the admiration of her youth, and all 
 the gold of California would have been a trifie 
 
26 BEAUTIFUL BEJJTHA. 
 
 to her compared with that ancient milk jug and 
 sugar bowl. 
 
 " I always said I ought to have these things 
 of my mother's, being the only girl of the fam 
 ily. It has been a bone of contention between 
 us for years, and now Paul at last has done 
 just right ;" and Miss Nancy hugged the trea 
 sures to her heart. 
 
 It was sufficient occupation for the morning 
 for the girls to arrange their wardrobe and 
 book-case. They laughed long and loud over 
 the clothing which they placed in their ward 
 robe. The coarse frocks, stout shoes and stock 
 ings, and woolen sacks, were well fitted for the 
 racing and romping their father had spoken of. 
 The large sun-bonnets, which would have been 
 stared at contemptuously by their city school 
 mates, were tried on amid perfect shouts of 
 merriment. Then came the pleasant task of 
 arranging their book-case and secretary. Many 
 old favorites among the books were greeted cor 
 dially, and many new ones placed by their side 
 with great exultation. There were valuable 
 works on botany, conchology, and other branch 
 es of natural history, with colored plates. 
 
TKEASUKES DISCOVERED. 27 
 
 " And here is a beautiful book about birds," 
 said Esther, " and exactly such a blue-bird in 
 it as we saw in the pear tree this morning. 
 Now we shall be able to know the names of all 
 the flowers and birds in the country. How 
 kind it was for dear papa and mamma to think 
 of so many things for our pleasure." 
 
 The " pigeon-holes " and the little drawers of 
 the secretary delighted Louisa. The note paper, 
 letter paper, foolscap, envelopes, &c., were ar 
 ranged and rearranged in them, and were each 
 and all pronounced lovely. The morning 
 passed so rapidly, they could hardly believe 
 their ears when summoned by Miss Nancy to 
 dinner. They ran down stairs. 
 
 " Dinner !" exclaimed Louisa ; " why it seems 
 but two or three hours since breakfast." 
 
 Miss Nancy pointed to the new clock on the 
 mantel. It was twelve o'clock. 
 
 "Do you dine at this early hour?" asked 
 Louisa. 
 
 "To be sure I do ; it is the hour intended by 
 nature for dinner; just in the middle of the 
 day. I consider it a sin to dine at any other 
 hour." 
 
28 BEAUTIFUL BEETIIA. 
 
 " We must, then, have been great sinners all 
 our lives," replied Louisa, laughing. 
 
 " I know you haven't been brought up right, 
 but I shall try to teach you true, natural ways. 
 Everything in city life is turned upside down 
 and hind-side foremost." 
 
 " Sauce-box !" ' screamed the parrot, " hold 
 your tongue." 
 
 In the afternoon the weather was delightful ; 
 the sun shone with summer warmth. Having 
 dressed themselves in their new coarse gar 
 ments, Esther and Louisa went out for a ramble. 
 
 Miss Nancy advised them to go to the top of 
 the hill in front of the house, which would give 
 them a view of the country for miles and miles 
 around. They scrambled over fences at the 
 risk of breaking their necks, and laughed at 
 their own awkwardness. They stumbled over 
 stones, and caught their dresses in briar-bushes, 
 and at last arrived at the top of the hill com 
 pletely out of breath, and seated themselves on 
 a flat rock. 
 
 Distant mountains seemed to enclose them 
 all around ; rivers and valleys, towns, villages, 
 and scattered farm-houses were spread over the 
 
TREASURES DISCOVERED. 29 
 
 wide landscape; among forests of trees, and 
 hanging above all, like a boundless dome, was 
 the clear blue sky of March 
 
 So new and wonderful was the scene that the 
 sisters for some minutes remained in silent ad 
 miration ; then Louisa exclaimed, " What an 
 immense world !" 
 
 " And how great and good must our heaven 
 ly Father be, who made it so beautiful for us to 
 enjoy," responded the elder sister 
 
 " Don't it look like a big map ! I am sure I 
 shall like geography better than ever now," 
 said Louisa. 
 
 After admiring the landscape awhile longer, 
 they wandered about the hill, collecting mosses 
 in their checked aprons, till the sun was setting, 
 and beautiful clouds of purple and gold floated 
 in the western sky. 
 
 Suddenly a wind sprung up, and before they 
 reached the foot of the hill, it blew a gale. 
 Much ado had they to keep their sun-bonnets 
 on their heads, and at the same time hold fast 
 to the treasures in their aprons. Miss JSTancy 
 was at the door, when they reached the gate, 
 puffing and blowing like porpoises. 
 
SO BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 " Come in quick. March is no fool," said 
 Miss Nancy, with a contortion of features ap 
 proaching to a laugh. Miss Nancy had almost 
 forgotten how to laugh. 
 
 "What does that mean?" asked Esther, as 
 soon as she could get breath. 
 
 " It means," replied Miss Nancy, shutting the 
 door with great difficulty, "that March is just 
 now playing us one of his lion tricks. He is 
 pleasant and mild as a lamb at times, and then 
 we believe spring has come in earnest ; and 
 then again he shows his w T hite teeth, and roars 
 and raves like a ramping lion. But this is his 
 parting salutation, for to-morrow is the first of 
 April." 
 
 " You are quite poetical, Miss Nancy. See 
 what a variety of beautiful mosses we have 
 found on the hill. And here is a most curious 
 plant, all white ; it looked as it grew like a 
 Chinese umbrella. Oh, dear, the precious thing 
 was so delicate that it is broken." So saying, 
 Esther held out the pieces. 
 
 " Gracious me ! It is nothing in the world 
 but a dirty toadstool. What city ignorance !" 
 
 " A toadstool ! Is that its name ? It was not 
 
TEEASUB-ES DISCOVERED. 31 
 
 dirty when I gathered it," replied Esther ; " it 
 looked sweetly." 
 
 " So it did, and I thought it was the funniest 
 flower that ever grew," said Louisa, coming to 
 her sister's aid. 
 
 "Flower! It is poisonous to eat, and an 
 ugly thing. And that moss of which you have 
 brought home such lots, is that a treasure, too ?" 
 
 " Certainly it is. TVe shall find it described 
 in our books. ~W& called this trumpet moss, be 
 cause it has tiny trumpets all over it ; and this 
 extinguisher moss. Don't you see those little 
 caps like extinguishers ? The moss covered 
 the rocks like a beautiful soft carpet. It must 
 be of some use, for God made it." 
 
 " You are queer children," Miss Nancy said. 
 " You must not carry this trash to your room ; 
 I will show you where to put it in the wood- 
 house." 
 
 They did as they were bidden, but looked 
 rather crest-fallen to find their precious collec 
 tion so utterly despised. Their appetites, how 
 ever, did not suffer in consequence. ~No food 
 was ever relished better than that supper. This 
 pleased Miss Nancy. 
 
32 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 " I told your father it would be so," she said. 
 " In a few months, instead of two thin, sallow, 
 mincing city girls, I shall see two nice, plump, 
 rosy-cheeked country girls, fit for a cattle- 
 show." 
 
 " That is too funny. What if we should be 
 fit for nothing else ?" asked Louisa. 
 
 " By that time you will begin to be good for 
 something, for I am going to teach you to make 
 bread, pies, cake, soap, pickles, preserves, and 
 lots of other things." 
 
 "If we succeed as well in making nice 
 things as we do in eating them, you will be 
 satisfied with us, I am sure," said Esther. 
 
 According to the usage of Miss Nancy, they 
 went to bed at an early hour. 
 
 Though tired and sleepy, they did not forget 
 their absent parents in their prayers. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE GEOTTO. 
 
 THE next morning at the table, Miss Nancy 
 said, "You haven't seen my poultry-yard." 
 
 " ]STo ; but we have heard the creatures ; 
 they will not let us sleep after there is a ray of 
 light," replied Louisa. 
 
 " Certainly not ; instinct teaches them when 
 it is time to wake. They follow nature, and I 
 follow them. The sun never gets ahead of me 
 in the morning." 
 
 In the poultry-yard were slovenly bantams 
 and dandy top-knots hens speckled and black, 
 yellow and white ; but, alas for Miss Nancy, 
 it was before the time for Shanghais and Chitta- 
 gongs. Ducks, with glassy-green backs, white 
 breasts, and red bills, paddled about in a small 
 pond, which in the city would have been called 
 3 
 
34: BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 a mud-puddle. The white geese were depart 
 ing for their daily journey to the brook. The 
 scarlet-throated turkeys commenced such a hor 
 rible gobbling that Louisa was fairly frightened 
 out of the poultry-yard. 
 
 " What can you do with all this poultry ?" 
 inquired Louisa. 
 
 "Use what we want, and send the rest to 
 market. I like to see things grow and thrive. 
 Has not your father told you that his sister 
 Nancy was a thrifty woman?" 
 
 "Never; he said you were a good scholar 
 when he went to school with you." 
 
 " Did he indeed ! I have learned very little 
 from books since. ]STow I never read anything 
 but the Farmer's Almanac. When I was young 
 I read too many novels, and became romantic." 
 
 " Romantic ! I should never have suspected 
 that." 
 
 Miss Nancy shook her gray curls very grave 
 ly as she replied, " Household learning is better 
 for girls than book learning. We live in a very 
 common-place world." 
 
 "That depends very much on our way of 
 seeing it," said Esther. "To me it seems a 
 
THE GROTTO. 35 
 
 glorious, beautiful world." My dear mother 
 calls it c tlie vestibule to heaven. 7 " 
 
 By this time the frightened Louisa ventured 
 back, and peeping in at the gate, said, " Miss 
 Nancy, will you show us the way to Honey-pot 
 brook?" 
 
 " Take the long path through my garden ; at 
 the end of it you will find a gate opening into 
 a large field. Go directly across the field, and 
 you will find yourself by the side of the brook ; 
 but take care you do not fall in, for the bank 
 on this side is rocky and steep." 
 
 And so to their surprise they found it, while 
 the opposite bank was low and fringed with 
 alders, which had just "hung out their tassels." 
 A gentle slope, covered with trees, extended 
 for some distance from the brook. They sat 
 down on one of the rocks and deliberated how 
 they were to descend through the rough pathway. 
 
 " I dislike the name of this brook ; suppose 
 we call it the Susquehannah," said Louisa. 
 
 "The Susquehannah is a wide, wide river, and 
 so near us too," objected Esther. 
 
 " Well, then, the Juniata, that is a beautiful 
 name the blue Juniata." 
 
36 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 "There is the same objection to that; they 
 are both too near. Suppose we call it the Del 
 aware? There are so many historical associa 
 tions connected with that name." 
 
 "Historical associations," repeated Louisa 
 with a puzzled look ; " you do use such big 
 words." 
 
 "You have read in your History of the Uni 
 ted States about "Washington's crossing the Del 
 aware, in the revolutionary war." 
 
 " Oh, yes ; it was frozen over I remember 
 now ; and Philadelphia is on the Delaware, and 
 Trenton, too. There, I know something about 
 geography, you see. Is Delaware an Indian 
 name ?" 
 
 " ISTo ; the river and State were named after 
 Lord Delaware." 
 
 "I like it for that. I admire of all things 
 lords and ladies. But let us try to climb down 
 these rocks, and come nearer to the Dela 
 ware." 
 
 They scrambled down the rocks until they 
 came, at some distance from the place where 
 they started, to the side of the brook, where it 
 was strewn with scattered, broken rocks. These 
 
THE GROTTO. 37 
 
 rocks were thrown together in a variety of 
 forms. 
 
 " Oh, here is a grotto a real grotto, just such 
 as I have read about in story-books !" exclaimed 
 Esther. 
 
 Four large rocks formed this grotto; three 
 of them made the sides of an irregular enclo 
 sure, and a fourth lay over the others, serving 
 very well for a roof. The room or grotto thus 
 formed was ]arge enough for the girls to stand 
 in without stooping, and though irregular in 
 shape, contained several square yards of floor 
 or pavement, which was covered with loose 
 stones. It was open in front towards the brook, 
 and from it a smooth green bank sloped down 
 to the water's edge. 
 
 " The. first thing we do must be to clear away 
 the loose stones," said Esther ; " then we will 
 cover the pavement with moss, and ornament it 
 with pebbles and shells ; then it will be a real 
 fairy grotto." 
 
 " Beautiful ! beautiful !" exclaimed Louisa, 
 clapping her hands with delight ; " and we 
 will be fairies, at least play we are. I will be 
 Lady Delaware. 
 
38 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 " That would not do for a fairy's name," said 
 her wiser sister. " You know fairies were sup 
 posed to live in flowers, and every fairy might 
 take the name of her favorite flower. I choose 
 the violet for my flower, and I will be the fairy 
 Yioletta." 
 
 "I like the rose best; besides, that is the 
 queen of flowers. I will be queen of the 
 fairies." 
 
 " Yes ; Queen Rosamia, if you like." 
 " Queen Eosamia ! Oh, that is charming !" 
 " But there is work to be done," said Esther, 
 as she tried to move a large stone, too heavy 
 for her to lift. 
 
 Louisa attempted to assist her, but their unit 
 ed efforts were not sufficient to remove it from 
 the grotto ; so, after tugging away for a while, 
 they gave it up. 
 
 " Well, we can cover this with moss and use 
 it for a seat, and all the rest of the stones we 
 can take outside and lay up for a wall or enclo 
 sure round the front of our grotto." 
 
 "Esther, you are the smartest girl I ever 
 knew; you ought to be queen of the fairies. 
 Let me see ; what are our names ?" 
 
THE GEOTTO. ' 39 
 
 " Yioletta and Rosamia." 
 "Wouldn't it be too funny if some good 
 fairy should take pity on us, and come and fit 
 up our grotto?" said Louisa, as she seated her 
 self near the opening, quite tired with tugging 
 at the large stone. 
 
 " No, indeed ; I think the fun is in doing it 
 ourselves," replied her sister, bringing out an 
 apronful of smaller stones, and commencing the 
 enclosure or court-yard of the grotto. " I think 
 Queen Rosamia must condescend to help poor 
 Yioletta." 
 
 They were still working busily, carrying out 
 the stones, when they heard Miss ]STancy at a 
 distance yelling with all her might, " Esther-r-r ! 
 Louisa-a-a !" 
 
 They shook the dust from their aprons, and 
 ran and clambered up the rocks at the risk of 
 their necks, frightened at the thought of having 
 stayed beyond the natural dinner-hour. How 
 ever, they got only a slight scolding. 
 
 After dinner, Miss Nancy said, " I am going 
 to take you to my kitchen, and teach you to 
 make apple-pies." 
 
 Esther and Louisa would have preferred going 
 
4:0 BEAUTIFTJL EEETHA. 
 
 again to the fairy grotto ; but no, Eosamia and 
 Yioletta must condescend to make apple-pies. 
 
 First they must pare the apples. This they 
 did much after the fashion'of him who "pared 
 his wits on both sides, and left nothing in the 
 jiiddle ;" at least, after their awkward attempts, 
 very little was left of the apples but the cores. 
 
 Louisa cut a deep gash in her thumb while 
 paring the third apple ; and while Miss ISTancy 
 was binding it up, the parrot provokingly said, 
 
 " No matter no matter ; try again." 
 
 Old Orpy, Miss Nancy's only servant, was 
 deaf as a post, and the parrot had caught a 
 great many words from hearing them screamed 
 into the poor woman's ears. It quite surprised 
 the children that the parrot's sayings should so 
 often be appropriate ; but they did not notice 
 the thousand words that were not so ; and as 
 the creature talked a great deal, it was not 
 strange that she sometimes hit right. 
 
 " You can't have any more apples this time, 
 child, but you can grate a nutmeg, as it is your 
 left thumb that you have so clumsily cut. 
 Fie ! Esther," continued Miss Nancy, " you are 
 wasting my apples shockingly." 
 
TIIE GKOTTO. 41 
 
 "Am I, indeed! How can I help it?" 
 meekly inquired Esther, who was most vigor 
 ously slashing away at them with a large 
 knife. 
 
 " You must pare them thin thin as a wafer. 
 Apples are as scarce as gold-dust at this time 
 of year, and almost as costly, especially these 
 choice rusty-coats." 
 
 Estjjer tried in vain to make the paring as 
 thin as a wafer. In attempting it she left bits 
 of brown skin scattered over them, at which 
 Louisa laughed, and said, " Sister, your apples 
 are pied already." 
 
 "Have you not grated that nutmeg yet?" 
 asked Miss Nancy, who did not understand 
 Louisa's pun. 
 
 " No ; but I have grated the skin off my fin 
 gers," said Louisa, with a rueful face. 
 
 " I declare, I could not have believed it pos 
 sible that city girls of your age could have 
 been so awkward in the kitchen. What on 
 earth are you good for ?" 
 
 " Miss Nancy, do you know how to play the 
 piano ?" roguishly asked Louisa. 
 
 " No, indeed." 
 
4-2 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 " But why don't you know how ?" demanded 
 Louisa. 
 
 " Because I never learned, and never wished 
 to learn to play the piano." 
 
 "A very good reason, Miss Nancy. Now 
 suppose we should give the same for not know 
 ing how to make apple-pies?" retorted Louisa, 
 giggling triumphantly. 
 
 " Sister, sister !" said Esther, reprovingly, " I 
 am sure it is very kind in Miss Nancy to try to 
 teach two such awkward things as we are, and 
 I am much obliged to her, for I wish to learn 
 how to do useful things." 
 
 " There is some hope of you, Esther, though 
 you have cruelly wasted my apples. Now, you 
 see, here is the paste for four apple-pies, but 
 you have wasted the fruit, so that I shall have 
 but two." 
 
 "Well, I will go without," said Esther. 
 
 " And so will I," said Louisa, " and that will 
 make it just right one for you, and one for 
 Orpy. ' 
 
 " No, no ! I will make two custard pies, with 
 thick crust, to use the paste." 
 
 " Ah ! now you are very kind, Miss Nancy 
 
THE GKOTTO. 43 
 
 for I like custard a great deal better than apple 
 pie. You said when we came that you did not 
 love children; but I do believe you mean to 
 love us, by and by," said Louisa, looking 
 roguishly in Miss Nancy's grave face, and pat 
 ting her on the shoulder. 
 
 A pleasant smile stole over her rigid fea 
 tures, but she said, " Go away, saucy child." 
 
CHAPTER Y. 
 
 THE 5'AIRIES. 
 
 Miss NANCY required of her visitors great 
 neatness and order in their room, and to attend 
 to it themselves. So the next morning the 
 queen of the fairies was obliged to assist the 
 more humble Yioletta in sweeping and dusting. 
 The task was done not without some most un- 
 fairylike grumbling from Rosamia. Then 
 they started, carrying baskets on their arms, in 
 which moss and pebbles were to be carried to 
 the grotto. When they got there, behold it 
 was already fitted up in a marvelous manner ! 
 The loose stones had been all removed, and laid 
 on the circular wall for the court-yard. The 
 floor within the grotto was covered with bright 
 green moss, as soft as velvet. This beautiful 
 carpet was ornamented with a design formed 
 
THE FAIKIES. 45 
 
 of white pebbles. A circle of large pebbles, 
 glistening like pearls, had the names Yioletta 
 and Rosamia in the centre, formed of small 
 pebbles. 
 
 Esther and Louisa stood at the entrance in 
 delighted astonishment. 
 
 " How beautiful ! how beautiful !" exclaimed 
 Esther ; " who has done this ?" 
 
 " The fairies !" whispered Louisa, with almost 
 breathless awe. 
 
 "Fairies! human fairies like ourselves," 
 said her wiser sister ; " but I wonder how they 
 knew our fairy names." 
 
 " A very mysterious thing ! How could they 
 know them, for we were all alone ?" 
 
 Just then Esther observed a small roll of 
 paper near the entrance, and opening it, read 
 aloud, 
 
 " The name of the brook is Castalia." 
 
 " Our fairy writes a bold hand," said Esther, 
 showing the scroll to her sister. " "We will call 
 the brook Castalia." 
 
 Louisa peeped timidly into the grotto. In 
 stead of the large stone, a neat green bench 
 had been placed at one end for a seat. 
 
46 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 " How strange !" she exclaimed, with her 
 eyes staring wildly, while Esther stepped care 
 fully over the moss carpet and sat down. 
 
 Louisa heard the sound of voices, and quickly 
 turned her head. Then she beckoned to her 
 sister, whispering, " I never saw any creature so 
 beautiful in all my life. Can that be our fairy ?" 
 
 At a short distance, seated on a rock, was the 
 object of Louisa's wild admiration, a young 
 girl whose beauty was indeed wonderful. She 
 had taken off her bonnet for the purpose of 
 arranging the rich chestnut curls which the 
 wind had discomposed. A waiting-maid stood 
 beside her, holding a pink bonnet ornamented 
 with white feathers. On perceiving Louisa she 
 shook back the luxurious ringlets from a face 
 which might well have been mistaken for that 
 of a fairy : the delicate rosy hue of the cheeks 
 melted into the purest white, and the dark blue 
 eyes seemed mischievously hiding themselves 
 beneath soft dark lashes, while the parted lips 
 were as red as the berries of a honeysuckle. 
 
 " Is it our fairy ?" whispered Louisa, with a 
 half-way belief that it was nothing human. 
 "Speak to it Esther." 
 
THE FAIRIES. 4? 
 
 The beauty, after gazing a moment at the 
 strangers, snatched the bonnet from her maid, 
 placed it on her head, and pointing at Esther 
 and Louisa with a contemptuous expression, 
 said something in a language which they did 
 not understand, and then walked rapidly away. 
 
 " Who can she be ?" exclaimed Esther. " She 
 is very beautiful; but her expression was not 
 pleasing." 
 
 " I believe it is the fairy who has ornamented 
 our grotto, and that she was not pleased because 
 we did not thank her for it," said Louisa. 
 
 " Nonsense! there are no such beings as 
 fairies, and never have been ; it is only a poeti 
 cal fancy," replied Esther. 
 
 Louisa shook her head, and seating herself on 
 a large stone by the grotto, said, " I don't know 
 what to believe about it, but I feel a kind of 
 creeping and shuddering that is very queer." 
 
 Esther again went within the grotto, and 
 soon returned, and saying, "See! this is no 
 fairy weapon," showed a pearl-handled pen 
 knife, which was marked on a small silver 
 plate, W. M." 
 
 "Where did you find it?" 
 
48 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 "Among the soft moss in the grotto. W. 
 M ! Whose can it be ? Let us ask Miss Nan 
 cy if she knows any one with these initials." 
 
 " Oh, no ! for then we shall be obliged to tell 
 her all about our grotto, you know, Esther, ana 
 she might forbid our coming here." 
 
 " I intend, of course, to tell her all about it, 
 and shall try to restore the knife to the owner." 
 
 When they reached Ivy Cottage, as they 
 called the log-house, they found Miss Nancy in 
 the garden. 
 
 " Do you know any person whose name be 
 gins with W. M. ?" asked Louisa, almost out of 
 breath with eagerness. 
 
 "That is a very strange question," replied 
 Miss Nancy, reddening with anger and embar 
 rassment. " Never ask me questions about 
 people." 
 
 Thus checked, Esther, who was about to show 
 the penknife, slipped it into her pocket, and 
 walked off with Louisa to the house. 
 
 At night, after they had retired to their room, 
 they consulted what they should do with the 
 knife, and decided to place it the next day just 
 where they found it. 
 
THE FAIKIES. 49 
 
 " One thing has struck me' as very remarka 
 ble here," said Esther, as she took up her small 
 Bible to read before going to rest. 
 
 " There are a great many remarkable things 
 here," replied her sister ; " which one do you 
 mean ?" 
 
 "It is a very serious matter. Miss Nancy 
 never has family prayers." 
 
 " Family prayers ! Who would she have to 
 join her but cats, canaries, and deaf Orpy, with 
 the parrot to say Amen ?" 
 
 " Don't treat the matter so lightly, Louisa ; 
 you know how sweet it was to unite with dear 
 papa and mamma in family worship." 
 
 " I know I often went to sleep at night during 
 prayers." 
 
 " And I hope you are sorry for it now. It 
 does seem so heathenish and unthankful not to 
 acknowledge our heavenly Father's goodness 
 from day to day, and to ask together forgive 
 ness for those faults and sins of which we have 
 been guilty, especially towards each other. It 
 is mournful to think that any person of Miss 
 Nancy's age should live without reading the 
 blessed Bible and praying to God." 
 
50 BEAUTIFUL BEKTIIA. 
 
 "Perhaps she reads and prays in secret," 
 suggested Louisa. 
 
 " Let us hope she does. She takes good care 
 to provide for our bodily comfort ; but our dear 
 mamma never forgot that we had souls as well 
 as bodies, and that we are accountable to God 
 for all that we are and all that we have. I 
 intend to ask Miss Nancy if she would like to 
 have us come to family prayers." 
 
 "Now, Esther, you talk like a Methodist 
 preacher. I wouldn't ask Miss Nancy that 
 question for a silver dollar." 
 
 " Do you not remember what papa said in 
 his farewell note about influence f We are ex 
 pected to exert a good influence on Miss Nancy, 
 and we must consider how it is to be done." 
 
 " Well, do as you like ; I should as soon 
 think of asking her to give mw that hideous 
 parrot, with its everlasting < Pretty Poll,' < Never 
 mind,' 'Try again.' I declare I am so angry 
 with it, I could twist off its neck." 
 
 " Dear Louisa, that is a cruel, wicked thought. 
 I am afraid you are angry with Miss ^ancy be 
 cause she would not answer your question. She 
 may have good reasons for it. Don't go to 
 
THE FAIRIES. 51 
 
 sleep so out of temper. Let us forgive as we 
 hope to be forgiven, before we kneel down to 
 say the Lord's Prayer. It would be a fearful 
 thing to repeat those sacred words with anger 
 burning in our hearts." 
 
 Louisa pouted for a moment ; then she threw 
 her arms around her sister's neck, and said, " I 
 am a naughty child ; I wish I was better." 
 
 Esther kissed her affectionately, and said in a 
 sweet, low voice, " Ask, and ye shall receive. 
 Jesus Christ was tempted even as we are, and 
 yet without sin, that we may never despair of 
 forgiveness when we ask it in His name. Good 
 night!" 
 
CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 THE BEAUTY AND THE BROOK. 
 
 " SUCH a rainy day ! nothing but ^/)ur, pour, 
 pour," exclaimed Louisa the next morning after 
 breakfast, as she stood with her forehead pressed 
 against the window-pane, while the rain fell in 
 torrents. 
 
 "A nice April shower!" said e Miss Nancy, 
 who was washing up the breakfast things. 
 
 " But it is very provoking when we want so 
 much to take a walk," replied Louisa, pettishly. 
 
 " We must not forget who it is that sends the 
 rain to water the earth and make the flowers 
 we love to bud and blossom." 
 
 Miss Nancy stared at Esther as she made this 
 remark, and Louisa made no reply. 
 
 The grass in the court-yard looked fresh and 
 green, the hyacinths and daffodils were already 
 
THE BEAUTY AND THE BEOOK. 53 
 
 in blossom, and the lilac buds had expanded 
 wonderfully since the day before ; a horse-chest 
 nut tree near the window was putting out its 
 first tender green leaves from the varnished 
 buds, where they had been sealed up all win 
 ter ; and a^ blue-bird was singing in spite of the 
 rain. 
 
 Soon the drops of water were not all on the 
 outside of the window. Tears streamed from 
 the eyes of the affectionate but impulsive Lou 
 isa as she thought, " God is good and kind to 
 make all these beautiful things. I wish I was 
 like Esther, who never forgets what is right. I 
 am sorry one minute, and the very next, almost, 
 I do the same thing again." 
 
 " Come, Louisa," said Esther, affectionately 
 taking her arm and leading her up stairs, "I 
 have something to read to you." Then going 
 to the secretary, Esther took out a book which 
 looked like an album, but it was not, and said, 
 " Shall I read my journal to you ?" 
 
 " Yes, indeed. I haven't begun mine yet." 
 
 " Perhaps it would have been better if I had 
 not, for I am afraid it is very silly. This is the 
 motto, 
 
54 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 " Let love and truth indite 
 Whatever here I write." 
 
 " Poetry, to be sure !" exclaimed Louisa. 
 " Who ever dreamed of your writing poetry ?" 
 
 "It is a sort of rhyming jingle ; don't call it 
 poetry," replied Esther, coloring rosy red. 
 
 " The reign of old Winter was past, 
 And Spring was rejoicing at last 
 That delicate flowers were peeping 
 From cold beds where they had been sleeping, 
 And birds were so merrily singing, 
 Where lately the tempests were ringing. 
 Alas, in our home there was sorrow, 
 For dear ones must part on the morrow ; 
 Our parents are summoned away, 
 And must not their parting delay. 
 Oh, God of the land and the sea, 
 I gladly entrust them to thee ! 
 On, on with the speed of the .wind, 
 We left the proud city behind, 
 And glided by river and vale, 
 By town and by mountain and dale, 
 The car-whistle shrieking a wail, 
 That went through my heart's very core 
 Ah, what if we see them no more ! 
 
 " At length we left the cars, and glad was I 
 Another mode of traveling to try ; 
 A cosy ride we had, papa and Lou, 
 With me between, (the seat was made for two.) 
 Through leafless woods we jogged a mile or so, 
 And then we came to that sweet brook you know, 
 
THE BEAUTY AND THE BROOK. 55 
 
 Whose name, from Honey-pot to Delaware, 
 Was changed one day, by damsel bright and fair ; 
 The brook, with yellow willows by its side, 
 Spread out its shining ripples deep and wide, 
 And Lou, who thought a brook was but a ditch, 
 Alarmed, cried out, " We all shall in it pitch !" \ 
 
 "Now you know I didn't use that ugly 
 word," interrupted Louisa. 
 Esther went on 
 
 " But yet we safely passed the mighty stream, 
 Which our pupa a bosom friend would deem 
 A friend whose every crook and turn he knew, 
 Unchanged, while he from youth to manhood grew. 
 The quiet woods of feath'ry brown we past, 
 And reached the ancient house of logs so vast ; 
 We wondered where such giant forests grew 
 Tall shrubs (behold Miss Nancy peeping through !) 
 The budding lilac, tall seringle, too, 
 And roses soon to please with varied hue. 
 Miss Nancy stares like one who walks in sleep, 
 Then dear papa makes one tremendous leap ; 
 Then places Lou and me upon the ground, 
 And hastens to his sister with a bound 
 Of heart that noble heart, so warm and good. 
 Amazed, Miss Nancy stark and silent stood." 
 
 " There now, that is enough for one day, and 
 too much for your patience, Lou. Is it not 
 ridiculous ?" 
 
 " No, indeed," replied Louisa, warmly. u It 
 is sweet. I wonder how you can write poetiy. 
 
56 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 I could not make a single rhyme even if some 
 one would tell me who fixed up our grotto, to 
 pay for it." 
 
 " Don't call this stuff poetry. Only think 
 how beautifully Lucre tia Maria Davidson wrote 
 before she was as old as I am." 
 
 " Oh, good, good !" exclaimed Louisa, clap 
 ping her hands, "there comes the blessed sun ; 
 we shall have a sweet afternoon. What a fool 
 I was to cry about an April shower !" 
 
 After dinner the sisters started for the grotto. 
 On approaching it, they saw the beautiful being 
 who had excited such warm admiration tho 
 day previous, standing within the enclosure of 
 stones, looking eagerly at the inside of the 
 grotto. Her maid was seated on a rail fence 
 near by, knitting. 
 
 " Is this yours?" said Esther, stepping quickly 
 to the side of the young beauty and handing 
 her the knife. 
 
 She snatched it without replying, and ran off, 
 laughing so loud that the rocks around seemed 
 to ring with the shrill sound. Soon she stopped, 
 and seating herself on a large stone, began to 
 sing. 
 
THE BEAUTY AND THE BEOOK. 57 
 
 "1 do believe, after all, it is a fairy. I never 
 heard any human voice sound like that," said 
 Louisa, whose imagination was much excited. 
 
 Soon the stranger started up, and walked off, 
 followed by her German maid. 
 
 "Let us see where she goes," said Louisa. 
 
 They wandered along by the side of the 
 brook until they came to a beautiful little 
 waterfall. The lively stream dashed over high 
 rocks, and then rushed on, foaming and whirl 
 ing among the stones. Across the brook, just 
 above this pretty cascade, was a light foot 
 bridge. Esther was fond of drawing. She 
 stood looking up, and wishing for pencil and 
 paper to take a sketch of the charming scene, 
 when splash came a stone into the brook, then 
 another, spattering the water over the aston 
 ished sisters. They heard that peculiar ringing 
 laugh, and looking up, saw the beauty peeping 
 over the railing of the bridge. 
 
 " Could she have done it on purpose ?" ex 
 claimed Esther. 
 
 "The spiteful thing, of course she did!" re 
 torted Louisa. 
 
 And they hastened homeward, full speed. 
 
58 BEATTHFDI, BERTHA. 
 
 Miss J^Tancy was waiting tea for them. She 
 looked uncommonly sad, and did not notice 
 their spattered dresses. After they had been 
 seated awhile at table, she said to herself, " I 
 think she must have been poisoned." 
 
 They did not venture to ask a question. 
 
 " Yes, yes, it must have been poison." 
 
 " Poison !" exclaimed Louisa. 
 
 " Yes ; my poor parrot is dead dead ! I 
 found her lying on her back in her cage, her 
 claws held up, and her mouth wide open dead !" 
 
 "Death takes away the most precious things. 
 I am very sorry for your loss," said Esther, 
 kindly. 
 
 Louisa held her napkin to her mouth, and 
 pretended to cough, to hide a laugh. 
 
 "Was it possible that Louisa had anything to 
 do with the death of the parrot ? 
 
 As soon as they were together in their room, 
 Esther said, " How could you laugh, Louisa, 
 when poor Miss $"ancy was so grieved at the 
 doath of poor Polly ?" 
 
 " She looked so funny, and so did you ; in 
 deed, I couldn't help laughing ; besides, I was 
 glad the ugly thing was dead." 
 
THE BEAUTY ANT> THE BKOOK. 59 
 
 " Do you know how she came to die ?" 
 
 " For want of breath, I suppose." 
 
 "Had you given her anything that could 
 poison her ?" 
 
 "Nothing, unless it was the piece of my 
 shoulder she snapped off the other day." 
 
 " My dear sister, you hated the poor parrot, 
 and wished her dead. You may pass too easily 
 to hating human beings, and wishing them 
 dead, too. The next step would be murder." 
 
 " Murder ! Oh, you are severe on me. I do 
 not know any more than you do what killed 
 the creature." 
 
 " I do not wish to be severe, my own darling 
 sister, but we are just about to ask the protec 
 tion of our heavenly Father and the forgive 
 ness of our sins, and we ought to have a Kindly, 
 loving spirit. We should remember that God 
 is love, and that not a sparrow falls to the 
 ground without his knowledge. It seems to me 
 dreadful to hate anything He has created." 
 
 "I am always wrong, and you are always 
 right," said Louisa, throwing her arms about 
 her sister's neck, and sobbing aloud. 
 
 "No, no, darling, I am often wrong, too. 
 
60 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 May God forgive us both," said her sister, kiss 
 ing her again and again. . 
 
 Poor Louisa ! her sorrow for the time was 
 keen. Her feelings were all quick, but not 
 lasting. Her penitence, though bright as the 
 rainbow after a storm, was as transient, too. 
 There was a strong probability that the same 
 fault she had bitterly repented of, one day 
 would be committed again, whenever a similar 
 temptation occurred. 
 
CHAPTER VIL 
 
 THE WKONG PEW. 
 
 SUNDAY morning dawned bright and clear* 
 Oh, how beautiful ! The birds sang their 
 sweetest and tenderest notes. What business 
 had the cocks to crow so merrily ? The cattle 
 lowed ; the geese, ducks, and turkeys joined in 
 the concert. 
 
 " Why, they don't keep Sundays here," were 
 Louisa's first thoughts on awaking. 
 
 There was more truth in it than she suspect 
 ed. Miss Nancy was already with her congre 
 gation in the poultry-yard. 
 
 " Where do you go to church, Miss Nancy," 
 asked Esther at the breakfast table. 
 
 " Nowhere," was the brief reply. 
 
 There was silence for a minute, then Esther 
 said, " But you will allow us to go." 
 
62 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 " Yes, if you can walk two miles to the vil 
 lage with old Orpy, who goes to church, though 
 she can't hear a word. It is as good a place 
 for her to rest in as any other." 
 
 Esther might have said it was a better place 
 than any other, because she there would have 
 sympathy in her devotions; and from habit 
 and long association the place had become 
 sacred to her. 
 
 * " Don't put on any of your city finery," said 
 Miss Nancy. 
 
 "We didn't bring anything fit to wear to 
 church," said Louisa. 
 
 "Yes, we did, quite good enough," replied 
 Esther. 
 
 In simple but neat attire the sisters walked 
 arm-in-arm to church, that delightful spring 
 morning, preceded by Orpy. 
 
 A queer looking person was old Orpy. Bent 
 almost double by age and hard labor, she hob 
 bled away, leaning on a stout stick. Her gown 
 of plaid linsey-woolsey had been her only go-to- 
 meeting dress for a dozen years or more, and 
 her little black satin bonnet had been its con 
 stant companion. A spotted calico shawl com- 
 
THE WRONG PEW. 63 
 
 pleted her attire. Though her nose was hooked 
 and approached her chin, and her face was 
 wrinkled and puckered, its expression was not 
 disagreeable. 
 
 They had enjoyed the walk for a mile, when 
 Orpy stopped, and pointing with her stick to 
 the spire of the church, said, " It is a great 
 privilege to take two sweet little ladies to the 
 house of God. 
 
 " ' I have been there, and still would go ; 
 'Tis like a little heaven below.' " 
 
 " Dear old woman !" said Esther, " why have 
 we never taken any notice of her before ? I do 
 believe she is good. What an awful thing it 
 would be if this poor old person were not re 
 ligious." 
 
 Again Orpy spoke: "This is as pretty a 
 morning as I ever saw of an April. I've hearn 
 tell of dimons. Sure the dew glistens on the 
 grass brighter than any dimon-stone. I hope 
 your young hearts are thankful to God for 
 making such a nice pretty world for you to live 
 in ; but, my little dears, heaven is a brighter 
 world than this. You know about its golden 
 streets and gates of pearl." 
 
64 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 Esther's eyes filled with tears, and her heart 
 bounded with fervent joy and gratitude. Lou 
 isa was awed and silent. 
 
 As they approached the church, the people 
 from all directions, on foot, on horseback, and 
 in wagons, were gathering to the place of wor 
 ship. Just as the sisters reached tKe door, it 
 occurred to them where they were to sit, and 
 they stood a moment hesitating ; but Orpy led 
 the way to the gallery stairs, which were inside 
 the church, and taking her seat on one of the 
 lower steps, motioned them to sit higher and 
 near to the balustrade, that room might be left 
 for others to pass up stairs. 
 
 The services commenced, and Esther joined 
 with true and earnest devotion. Louisa was 
 peeping through the balusters at the beauty, 
 who sat in a pew near the pulpit with a gaily 
 dressed lady and a young lad. Poor Louisa's 
 pride had to suffer. After a while the stran 
 gers discovered her in her exalted position, and 
 their eyes were often directed towards her and 
 her sister. The beauty whispered to her mo 
 ther, and then hid her face, laughing behind 
 her book. 
 
THE WKONG TEW. 65 
 
 When the service was over> Orpy did not 
 rise to go. The sisters, not knowing what to 
 do, stood still while the people passed down the 
 gallery stairs ; then Orpy beckoned them to be 
 seated, and taking a small basket from under 
 her calico shawl, she spread a clean napkin on 
 Esther's lap, and placed on it shaved tongue, 
 biscuit, and cakes, saying, "I always bring 
 dinner, so that I can stay all day." 
 
 " How provoking !" exclaimed Louisa, " I 
 have been mortified enough already." 
 
 Just then the clergyman came in at the side 
 door, and walking to the gallery stairs, first 
 shook hands kindly with Orpy, and then said, 
 " I perceive, young ladies, you are going to re 
 main for the afternoon service. You will find 
 a more comfortable seat in the pew yonder." 
 He pointed to the yellow-cushioned pew where 
 the beauty had been seated, and continued, 
 " The family rarely come in the afternoon. I 
 beg you will not hesitate to sit there." 
 
 " Thank you, sir," said Esther. 
 
 He left them with a polite bow. 
 
 " Exactly like good Mr. Nelton," said Orpy. 
 
 " He always takes kind notice of poor me. You 
 5 
 
6 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 had better sit there. I knew what he meant 
 by his motions. I often know more than folks 
 think I do. ISTow, when you have done your 
 dinner, go and stroll about and take the air." 
 
 Near the church was the graveyard not a 
 nicely-kept and ornamented "God's acre," as 
 the Germans call it, but a " neglected spot," 
 
 " Where the rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep." 
 
 " Yet e'en these bones from insult to protect, 
 
 Some frail memorial, erected nigh, 
 With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture deck'd, 
 Implores the passing tribute of a sigh ; 
 
 " Their name, their years, spelt by the unleiter'd muse, 
 
 The place of fame and elegy supply, 
 
 And many a holy text around she strews, 
 
 To teach the rustic moralist to die." 
 
 The young girls wandered about with solemn 
 awe. Fragile anemones waved their graceful 
 heads as the gentle breeze swept over the green 
 graves. Violets, white and blue, and the sweet- 
 briar, just putting forth its tender leaves, per 
 fumed the air. Though man had neglected to 
 adorn the sacred spot, God had not forgotten it. 
 
 "May we gather these flowers?" said Louip' 
 to the sexton. 
 
 " As many as you please, Miss." 
 
THE WKONG PEW. 67 
 
 When the girls seated themselves in the yel 
 low-cushioned pew to which the clergyman had 
 directed them, Louisa held in her hand a large 
 bouquet of wild flowers. As the service was 
 about to commence, who BJould enter the 
 church but tho beauty and her brother. She 
 opened the pew door, and motioning to the 
 surprised sisters to come out, whispered, "This 
 is our pew." 
 
 The tall boy, who was behind her, gave her 
 a smart push, which sent her into the pew in 
 haste. Esther and Louisa rose to let her pass 
 to the end of the seat, but the boy shook his 
 head and bowed for them to be seated. 
 
 The beauty was anything but lovely now. 
 She pouted her pretty lips, and turned up her 
 pretty nose, and tossed back contemptuously 
 her pretty head. She whispered to her bro 
 ther, " They've brought a bushel of weeds into 
 our nice pew." 
 
 Louisa looked at her valued bouquet, and 
 wondered if her saucy neighbor called those 
 sweet flowers " weeds." She was ready to cry 
 with vexation. 
 
 The disdainful beauty drew away her silk 
 
68 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 dress as far as possible from Louisa's mousseline 
 de laine, and cast sneering glances at the 
 coarse shoes which had been soiled that morn 
 ing by a walk of two miles. Esther, who sat 
 at the end of the seat, did not observe all this, 
 but joined with her usual interest in the ser 
 vices. 
 
 When they were over, the beauty said aloud 
 to her brother, " I wonder what business these 
 country gawks have in our pew, scattering 
 nasty weeds and mud all over it." 
 
 Poor Louisa had dropped a few of her short- 
 stemmed violets on the carpet. " Mr. K~elton 
 told us to sit here, Miss," said she, pettishly. 
 I am sorry if we have soiled the old carpet or 
 hurt the yellow cushions." 
 
 The beauty, quite astonished, walked out, 
 while her brother held the pew door open for 
 them all to pass. 
 
 " Thank you, sir," said Esther, as she passed 
 out. 
 
 " You are welcome to sit here whenever you 
 come to church," said he, with a very polite bow. 
 
 They now joined Orpy, who was waiting for 
 them at the church door. 
 
THE WKONG PEW. 69 
 
 When they had walked a short distance, 
 " "W. M. ! the very owner ">' the pearl-handled 
 penknife !" exclaimed Louisa. 
 
 She was interrupted by Orpy : " Pretty 
 creature ! very pretty creature ! but hasn't she 
 anything in the world to do but just to be pretty, 
 like a posey or a bird ? I am speaking of the 
 -proud little Miss who was in the pew with you. 
 Her silly mother is spoiling her for this world 
 and for another. Why, she spends her whole 
 time in taking pains with that girl to make and 
 to keep her handsome. She bottles up May- 
 dew and snow-water to wash her with. She 
 wastes the milk of two cows every day for her 
 to bathe in. She thinks roses grow and blos 
 som on purpose to scent the linen of her dar 
 ling. Does the proud woman ever think who 
 made her child, and that He will one day ask 
 what she has done for her soul ? I am afraid 
 not." 
 
 The sisters listened with astonishment. Lou 
 isa asked her the name of the beauty in so loud 
 a voice as to frighten her sister ; and Orpy, 
 though she did not hear, seemed to understand 
 what she wanted to know, for she continued, 
 
70 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 "You had better say nothing to Miss Nancy 
 about Bertha Maxwell; it is a sore subject. 
 You must know, Mrs. Maxwell, when she was 
 young, was called a beauty. She was poor and 
 proud. Our Miss Nancy was going to be mar 
 ried to Mr. Maxwell, but that woman stepped 
 in, and by her arts drew him off. Miss Nancy 
 has never been like the same person since. 
 "Woeful day was it to poor Maxwell when he 
 married that woman ! Miserable life he led ! 
 She married, and teazed him to death with her 
 extravagance and uppishness. Poor man! he 
 has been in his grave several years." 
 
 " There, I told you W. M. must be the beau 
 ty's brother. He was very polite to us ; but, 
 O, that Bertha Maxwell ! I am so angry with 
 her, I could bite her," exclaimed Louisa, setting 
 her teeth firmly together. 
 
 " The day is too holy and beautiful for anger," 
 replied her sister, mildly. "See those purple, 
 gold-tipped clouds piled up in the west, looking 
 like illuminated palaces and frowning castles, 
 while those tiny floating clouds are fire-birds 
 hovering over the magnificent scene. I won 
 der if poor old Orpy is not reminded of the 
 
THE WKONG PEW. 71 
 
 heavenly city of which she spoke this morn- 
 ing." 
 
 " I can't think of anything but that insulting 
 Bertha Maxwell, turning up her nose at my 
 sweet flowers, and calling them nasty weeds !" 
 
 " My dear sister, how unlike your spirit is to 
 the one described by the clergyman in his ser 
 mon this afternoon." 
 
 " I didn't hear a word of the sermon." 
 
 " You heard the text, surely c He was led as 
 a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before 
 her shearers is dumb, so opened he not his 
 mouth.' Then he preached from it about a for 
 giving spirit, and the virtue of meekness." 
 
 "I tell you, Esther, it might as well have 
 been Greek for me ; that silly girl was all the 
 while provoking me. She poked out her small 
 foot to show it in its silk stocking and purple 
 kid shoe. Then she would draw off her long 
 kid glove, and spread out her hand to exhibit 
 her taper fingers and the rings on them. I was 
 vexed because she was so beautiful and so 
 proud." 
 
 " The good clergyman said we should over 
 come evil with good. Now, if you had listened 
 
72 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 to the sermon and taken no notice of her, it 
 would have been far better for you both." 
 
 They were now silent. The quiet and peace 
 ful spirit of the gentle Esther had been dis 
 turbed awhile 'by the anger of her sister; but 
 soon a sweet calm stole over her mind ; she en 
 joyed the lovely evening, and lifted up her 
 grateful heart to the Almighty Creator. 
 
 When they were about a quarter of a mile 
 from Ivy Cottage, Orpy exclaimed, " Goodness 
 me! there comes Miss Nancy. She has not 
 been as far as this from home in more than 
 eighteen years. What can be the matter ? 1 
 shouldn't wonder if our house was burnt 
 down 1" 
 
 Sure enough, there was Miss Nancy, wearing 
 an antiquated silk dress, and a bonnet the 
 fashion of which had passed away before Esther 
 and Louisa were born. Esther hastened to 
 meet her aunt, who greeted her with a smile. 
 The loving girl threw her arms around Miss 
 Nancy's neck, and kissed her cheek. 
 
 Miss Nancy was surprised by this token of 
 affection. Turning round and walking beside 
 Esther she said, " The day has been long and 
 
THE WKONG PEW. 73 
 
 lonely. I have missed my poor parrot. She 
 used to keep up a noise, and seemed to me 
 almost like a human being." 
 
 Esther slid her hand gently within her aunt's 
 arm, and pressing it slightly, said, " And did 
 you not miss us too? I missed you, and most 
 earnestly longed to have you with us at 
 church." 
 
 " I suspect Orpy has been very talkative. 
 She is apt to be when she gets a chance," re 
 plied Miss Nancy, willing to turn off the con 
 versation. "Poor old soul, she is getting 
 childish." 
 
 " She seems to be a good Christian woman 
 is she?" asked Esther, earnestly. 
 
 " After her fashion, she is ; somewhat super 
 stitious, according to my notion ; yet she is 
 faithful to her duty." 
 
 Louisa was still in bad humor. 
 
 "What ails you, child?" asked Miss Nancy. 
 
 " I wish I had stayed home from church with 
 you." 
 
 "Why so?" 
 
 " Because, in the first place, I didn't like my 
 seat on the gallery stairs with a servant ; and I. 
 
74 BEAUTIFUL BE.RTHA. 
 
 did not like my seat in Mrs. Maxwell's pew 
 much better." 
 
 "In Mrs. Maxwell's pew!" exclaimed Miss 
 Nancy. 
 
 "Yes; the clergyman told us to sit there; 
 but that proud beauty would have turned us 
 out if her brother had not prevented it." 
 
 Esther looked reprovingly at her sister, and 
 she was silent. Not another word was spoken 
 till they reached home; but Esther felt Miss 
 Nancy's arm tremble, and saw that tears were 
 in her eyes. 
 
 The nice cold chicken and ham on the tea- 
 table showed that Miss Nancy had not been 
 unmindful of her nieces' comfort. Their light 
 dinner and long walk rendered the wholesome 
 meal quite relishing. 
 
 After they had retired to their room, Louisa 
 said, "I have a question that I want to ask 
 you, Esther, but I am ashamed to ask it ; I 
 know you will think me silly." 
 
 " "What is it ? Don't be afraid." 
 
 " Will you answer me candidly ?" 
 
 "If lean." 
 
 " Well, then, am I handsome?" 
 
THE WRONG PEW. 75 
 
 " I never thought much about it. You look 
 very well to me." 
 
 " Did you ever hear anybody call me pretty ?" 
 
 " Never, that I remember." 
 
 Louisa sighed, but questioned no farther. She 
 looked in the glass and saw a pair of bright 
 dark eyes, dark hair to match, a nose that 
 turned a very little the wrong way that is, up 
 ward, a smooth but dark complexion, and a 
 pair of full red lips that were given to pouting. 
 Surely she was not ugly. Her sister's eyes 
 were blue, and her complexion fair. Was 
 Evsther beautiful ? Louisa was in doubt. 
 
CHAPTEE VIE. 
 
 STYLE IN A SHANDRYDAN. 
 
 " IT is quite time for us to have letters from 
 papa and mamma," said Esther, the next morn 
 ing at the breakfast- table. " How shall we get 
 them ?" 
 
 " You can go to the post-office in the village ; 
 you have learned the way. The post-office is 
 near the church," replied Miss Nancy. 
 
 Quite delighted, the girls started on their 
 walk to the village. 
 
 How glorious was that spring morning ! The 
 velvet grass dotted with flowers; the tender 
 leaves of the trees, just beginning to flutter in 
 the stirring air; the yellow butterflies, like 
 winged flowers hovering over the fields; all 
 were sources of pleasure to the sisters. 
 
 As they reached the small post-office they 
 
STYLE IN A SIIAJSDRYDAN. 77 
 
 saw a queer, old-fashioned vehicle standing in 
 front of it, 
 
 "What is that?" exclaimed Louisa; "chari 
 ot, phseton, gig, or shandrydwi, as papa would 
 say?" 
 
 " Shandrydan I think it must be," replied 
 Esther, much amused. 
 
 It was a four-wheeled carriage, the body of 
 it a dingy yellow, the wheels red, the top, which 
 was thrown back, a faded green. Originally it 
 was designed for a pair of horses ; now it was 
 drawn by a single gray mule. In the carriage 
 were seated Mrs. Maxwell and her daughter. 
 The coachman had gone into the office. Coach 
 man ! He was a mulatto boy, perhaps twelve 
 years old, dressed in blue-striped linen, and yet 
 a livery servant that is, his shiny black hat 
 was ornamented with a gilt band and large 
 brass buckle. With these insignia of office, 
 
 " His feet, perchance, may lack a shoe, 
 Yet he's a coachman through and through." 
 
 Grand and stately sat Mrs. Maxwell and Ber 
 tha in their carriage, as Esther and Louisa stood 
 at the door of the post-office. 
 
78 BEAUTIFUL UE.RTHA. 
 
 "Mamma, them's the same country josies 
 what set in our pew yesterday," said Bertha. 
 
 " Indeed !" exclaimed the mother, motioning 
 to the sisters to come nearer the carriage. 
 
 Esther stepped forward, but Louisa stood 
 still, indulging in a little private giggle. 
 
 " Girl ! what business have you and that 
 other girl to sit in genteel people's pews at 
 church?" demanded the lady, throwing back 
 her head proudly. 
 
 "The Rev. Mr. ISTelton requested us to sit 
 there," replied Esther, in a remarkably lady 
 like manner, and a voice whose sweetness was 
 equally remarkable. 
 
 Mrs. Maxwell was puzzled. "Are you the 
 children my daughter has several times seen by 
 Honey-pot brook ?" 
 
 " The very same," cried Louisa. " She 
 dashed mud and water over us when we stood 
 by the brook. She isn't very polite, if she does 
 ride in a carriage." 
 
 At that moment the mulatto boy came out 
 of the office, and saying, " No letters, marm," 
 jumped on the box, snapped his long whip at 
 the mule, and drove off. 
 
STYLE IN A SHANDKYDAN. 79 
 
 " Style ! style !" exclaimed Louisa, looking 
 after them, while Esther went into the office ; 
 " style with a vengeance I" and then the laugh 
 which had been suppressed bunt forth a com 
 pletely girlish He ! he ! he ! 
 
 This laugh was suddenly checked by the ap 
 proach of two young lads, who smiled as they 
 cast a glance at her, and walked leisurely on 
 ward. One of them was the supposed brother 
 of Bertha Maxwell. 
 
 " Oh, but he couldn't know what I was 
 laughing at," thought Louisa, quite troubled 
 when, she remembered his politeness to them at 
 church. 
 
 Esther now came out with two letters, one 
 for each. All other things were forgotten. So 
 they walked along reading these precious epis 
 tles from their beloved parents. 
 
 " My letter is full of good advice," said Lou 
 isa, " which, I am sorry to say, I am not likely 
 to follow, unless I am better than I have been. 
 You do not need as much advice, Esther ; per 
 haps yours contains more news." 
 
 "You may read it," said Esther, her eyes 
 brimming with tears. The last lines from her 
 
80 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA, 
 
 mother had touched her tenderly. They were 
 as follows : 
 
 "I know, my dear child, that you are go 
 verned by Christian principles, and that wher 
 ever you are your presence will be like a sun 
 beam. I desire humbly to thank God that He 
 has through His grace, rendered you an un 
 speakable blessing to your father and myself." 
 
 " You are a good girl, there is no doubt of it, 
 Esther, and I love you dearly," said Louisa; 
 " and yet, do you know, I sometimes wish you 
 were not half as good as you are, because I 
 should seem better if we were more alike." 
 
 " I am afraid you all think me much better 
 than I am," replied Esther, with unaffected 
 humility 
 
 " Suppose we go home by the way of Casta- 
 lia" suggested Louisa. 
 
 Esther cheerfully assented, and they followed 
 the course of the brook. 
 
 AVhen they reached the grotto, they found a 
 beautiful fresh bouquet of green-house flowers 
 lying on the rustic bench within. Around the 
 bouquet was a slip of paper, on which was 
 written the following rough stanza. Esther and 
 
STYLE IN A SHANDKYDAN. 81 
 
 her sister stood at the entrance of the grotto as 
 they read it, Louisa holding the bouquet : 
 
 " Farewell to the grotto, farewell to the brook, 
 
 The haunt of the fairies, so beautiful ; 
 Farewell, Violetta, with one parting look 
 To Rosamia, good and dutiful." 
 
 Damon and Pythias. 
 
 Esther read the lines aloud, and at the close 
 heard a sneering laugh. Raising her eyes, she 
 saw Bertha Maxwell standing near, making up 
 a contemptuous face. 
 
 " Suddenly the beauty came forward and 
 snatched at the flowers, exclaiming in an angry 
 tone, " They are OUKS ; I know they came from 
 our house, and I will have them." 
 
 Louisa tried to lift the bouquet beyond her 
 reach. Bertha snatched at it again, saying, 
 " Dandelions are good enough for country 
 josies." 
 
 The passionate Louisa, exasperated by this 
 second desperate attack, made a vigorous de* 
 fence of her rights. She drew the nails of her 
 left hand not very lightly over the beauty's face, 
 leaving three long scratches on the beauty's 
 rosy cheek. 
 
 6 
 
82 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 Esther seized hold of Louisa's arm while the 
 German maid took Bertha by the shoulder and 
 drew her off, yelling most piteously, " She 
 scratches like a wild-cat !" 
 
 " You might better have let her have the 
 bouquet than to fight for it," said Esther. 
 
 " No indeed ; I shall not yield my rights to 
 her." 
 
 " Calm yourself, dear Louisa ; you have 
 gained the victory, certainly." 
 
 " And carried off the prize. The pretty flow 
 ers are not injured, though the pretty face is," 
 retorted Louisa, triumphantly. 
 
 " Perhaps for life. That would be most un 
 fortunate." 
 
 " I don't think so. It might do her good. 
 But, Esther dear, somebody thinks we are beau 
 tiful, though you do not. Look at that poetry 
 again." 
 
 " I think you mistake ; it is the brook that is 
 called beautiful." 
 
 " No, no ; the haunt of ' the fairies so beauti 
 ful ' that is, I and you" 
 
 " I think it means the brook ; there is a com 
 ma after fairies." 
 
STYLE IN A SHANDKYDAN. 83 
 
 " But you will confess that YOU are called 
 ' good and dutiful. 
 
 "That was only to make out the rhyme. 
 You don't know, as you never try to make 
 rhymes, how we adopt any word that rhymes 
 when we are puzzled. There are very few 
 words that rhyme with beautiful. Besides, you 
 know this is a mere compliment, not meant 
 for truth." 
 
 Louisa shook her head doubtfully, wishing to 
 believe that she was called " beautiful." 
 
 As they reached Ivy Cottage they heard the 
 sound of galloping on the road, and running 
 through the house to the front gate, were just 
 in time to see the liveried coachman spring off 
 the gray mule. Puffing and stammering, he 
 handed a note to Louisa, saying, " Misses sends 
 this ere billet to the old woman what lives 
 here." 
 
 Louisa took the note, directed to "Nancy 
 Perrit." 
 
 " Do you wait for an answer ?" 
 
 " Yes, I s'pose I does." 
 
 Louisa and her sister found Miss Nancy, and 
 handed her the note. 
 
84: BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 " What does this mean ?" she inquired, after 
 she had twice perused it. "Read it Esther." 
 
 THE NOTE. 
 
 " Two saucy girls, who, I hear, live with you 
 as servants, have brewtally attacked my beau 
 tiful Bertha, and infiicked a severe wound on 
 her face, from which she may never recover. 
 If these girls are bound out to you, I shall sew 
 you for damages. Think of the lovely creach- 
 ure coming home with the blood streaming over 
 her face, where the lilly and the rose are Hen- 
 ned in such marvellious beauty ! Oh, the cruel 
 deed ! You or they shall pay for it. 
 
 " FLOKINDA MAXWELL." 
 
 Louisa was frightened, and yet she laughed 
 convulsively. 
 
 Esther looked very grave, and said, " Dear 
 Aunt Nancy, this is a long story. Shall we let 
 the messenger go home, and send an answer 
 when we have had time to think about it ?" 
 
 " Yes, by all means let him go." 
 
 And the messenger on his gallant gray gal 
 loped home. 
 
STYLE IN A SHANDRYDAN. 85 
 
 " Louisa, did you actually scratch Bertha 
 Maxwell ?" 
 
 " Aunt Nancy, I actually did ; and I am not 
 a bit sorry for it, either." 
 
 " Stay, Louisa ; let me tell the whole story, 
 beginning at the beginning," said Esther. 
 
 They sat down in the little parlor. Miss 
 Nancy took up her knitting, and listened quiet 
 ly while Esther related everything that had 
 happened to them in connection with the Max 
 wells, and ended by expressing extreme regret 
 at what had just happened. 
 
 It was doubtful what Miss Nancy would say 
 or do. She remained silent for at least ten 
 minutes, and then said, " Esther, go and bring 
 pen, ink, and paper here." 
 
 She did so. 
 
 " Now write as I dictate, in a fair round 
 hand, plain as print, these words : 
 
 "Nancy Perrit informs Florinda Maxwell 
 that the two girls whom she takes for servants 
 are the daughters of Paul Perrit, Esq., and she 
 may ; sew ' him for any damage done to the 
 face of the bequty" 
 
 " But, Aunt Nancy, would it not be well for 
 
86 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 us to say we are sorry for the injury ?" gently 
 urged Esther. 
 
 " You may say what you please ; I have said 
 my say." 
 
 " Louisa dear, allow me to express some re 
 gret on your part." 
 
 " I can't say I am sorry when I am not. I 
 only defended myself." 
 
 " The flowers, you mean." 
 
 " "Well, my property, then." 
 
 Esther added to the note : " Esther Perrit 
 regrets exceedingly that Miss Bertha Maxwell 
 should have received a wound on her very 
 pretty face, and hopes the consequences will not 
 be lasting." 
 
 The question now was, who should carry the 
 note. It was at last settled that old Orpy, who 
 now and then hobbled on week days to the vil 
 lage, should, after dinner, be the bearer. Miss 
 Nancy was amused at the astonishment of the 
 poor deaf woman when she told her that she 
 was to carry the note to the " big white house." 
 
 "What is to come of all this!" exclaimed 
 Orpy, who could not conjecture what it was all 
 about. 
 
STYLE IN A SHANDEYDAN. 87 
 
 The sisters then read the kind messages in 
 their letters from their parents to Miss Nancy, 
 who seemed in unusually good spirits. 
 
 While Orpy was absent they planted flower 
 seeds with their aunt in the garden, and then 
 assisted her to get tea. Louisa was in high 
 spirits, and quite delighted Miss Nancy with 
 lively little songs and funny stories. 
 
 Esther waited with some anxiety for the re 
 turn of the infirm messenger, regretting among 
 other things that this affair had been the cause 
 of trouble to her. 
 
 She came just at sunset, laughing aloud as 
 she entered the house. 
 
 " What is the matter ?" they would all have 
 asked, but Orpy saved them the trouble. 
 
 " Marm Maxwell sent for me to come in. By 
 the motion of her mouth and the shaking of 
 her fist, I suppose she talked very loud. I was 
 not the wiser for it, but I did not tell her I was 
 hard of hearing. Then she pointed to her 
 daughter and the three long scratches on her 
 face, and shook her first at me again. I wasn't 
 a bit frightened. Then the gal, she began, and 
 she talked and talked, and grew red in the 
 
88 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 face as a piny, stamped her small foot at me, 
 and set a little dog to bark at me. Just then a 
 nice young lad came in, who appeared to be all 
 ready for a journey, but seeing me he stopped. 
 Then he went to the sideboard and got out some 
 very poor cake (that wasn't his fault) and a glass 
 of wine, and handed it to me himself. Only 
 think of that! to poor old Orpy! The nice 
 young gentleman ! Then the marni held her 
 tongue, and the gal pouted. The lad then 
 shook hands with his mother, kissed his sister, 
 and beckoned me out of the house. Then he 
 gave rne this little billet, and jumped into the 
 funny carriage, and the yallow boy drove off as 
 fast as the old mule could trot. As I shut the 
 gate I saw the marm standing in the door beck 
 oning to me ; but I thought I might as well be 
 blind as well as deaf just then, and so I hobbled 
 off as fast as my old legs would carry me." 
 
 The note was as follows : 
 
 " William Maxwell regrets that the extreme 
 rudeness of his sister should have given so 
 much annoyance to the two young ladies who 
 are visiting Miss Pen-it. lie assures them 
 that the injury sustained by his sister is very 
 
STYLE IN A SHANDRYDAN. 89 
 
 slight, and need not give them the least un 
 easiness." 
 
 Miss Nancy evidently was much pleased with 
 this polite note. Louisa was in ecstacies, which 
 were somewhat abated when Esther told her 
 she should give an account of the whole, affair 
 to her lather and mother, and ask their advice. 
 
CHAPTER IX, 
 
 PATSY GKACY. 
 
 THE next day the girls went to the grotto, 
 fearing lest they should meet Bertha Maxwell. 
 
 The beloved grotto ! Some one had entirely 
 destroyed its beauty. The pebbles were all 
 scattered, the moss thrown out, the shells bro 
 ken, and the rustic bench was floating in the 
 brook. 
 
 Louisa sat down and cried. Esther tried to 
 console her with the prospect of restoring it to 
 its former condition. 
 
 "JSTo, no," she said; "it never will be the 
 same. Only think how beautifully the names 
 Rosamia and Yioletta looked in the green moss, 
 with the circle of pure white pebbles around 
 them 1" 
 
 " Well, it was all a pretty little piece of ro- 
 
PATSY GKACY. 91 
 
 mance, and it is passed. We will not play we 
 are fairies any longer. E"ow the weather is 
 warmer we will fix up the grotto again, and 
 come here sometimes with our books, and study 
 botany. We can gather flowers, you know, 
 and examine them here, and make this a kind 
 of museum. Nobody will want our trea 
 
 sures." 
 
 " A museum ! Oh, yes, I should like that ; 
 but I am afraid, now that hateful Bertha has 
 begun to torment us, she will never leave our 
 things alone." 
 
 " We are not sure she was the person who 
 did this mischief." 
 
 "/ am quite sure, and I say it is a mean re 
 venge." 
 
 " All revenge is mean, my dear sister. Come, 
 let us try a new walk to-day. We have never 
 wandered far along the brook in that direction. 
 We may find something curious for our mu 
 seum." 
 
 Louisa started up, brushed away the tears, 
 and arm in arm the sisters walked on. When 
 they were more than a mile from Ivy Cottage, 
 a dark cloud suddenly rose. They ran some 
 
92 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 distance in a green lane, without knowing 
 whither it would lead, when the rain began to 
 pour. 
 
 Under a large pine tree, by the road-side, 
 they saw a young girl seated, with a book on 
 her lap. A cow and two sheep were feeding 
 near her. The sisters took shelter under the 
 tree. The girl started up. 
 
 " Don't ]et us disturb you," said Esther ; " we 
 have got caught in a shower, some distance 
 from home." 
 
 " Oh, April has not forgotten her old tricks," 
 said the stranger. "We are going to have a 
 pretty smart shower. If it should thunder and 
 lighten, it wouldn't be a safe place under that 
 tree. Run to our house yonder. You see the 
 large red gate ; go through it and up to the 
 house. Just knock at the door; mother will 
 bid you come in. I will follow with Mincey 
 and my other pets." 
 
 So saying, the girl took up a long stick and 
 hurried her " pets " homeward, while the sisters 
 ran on as fast as they could. 
 
 " Come in," said a voice in reply to their 
 knock at the door of a small red house. 
 
PATSY GRACY. 93 
 
 A tidily-dressed woman was sitting by the 
 fire in the neat carpeted kitchen. She was 
 spooling woolen yarn. 
 
 " Ah, you have been overtaken by an April 
 shower. Take off your bonnets and sacks, and 
 dry your feet." 
 
 " Thank you," said Esther, " our sacks are so 
 thick they shed off rain like ducks' wings." 
 
 "Papa knew all about March winds and April 
 showers when he bought us these coarse and 
 ugly things," said Louisa, who was so much 
 chagrined at being taken by Mrs. Maxwell for 
 a servant, that she determined this person 
 should know she was somebody. 
 
 When the woman had put some dry wood on 
 the fire, and placed chairs for the sisters, she 
 inquired if they had seen a girl about their age 
 on the road. 
 
 " Here I am, mother dear," she answered for 
 herself, "wet as a drowned rat; and what is 
 worse, my poor book has fallen in the mud, and 
 is thoroughly drenched." 
 
 " Let me dry the book," said Esther ; " it 
 looks like an old friend f Adams' Latin Gram- 
 
94: BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 " So it is. Let it stand while I go and change 
 myself from a drizzle-drazzle to something more 
 decent." 
 
 " Patsy is always just so cheerful," said the 
 mother. " While she is looking after the cow 
 and sheep, she finds plenty of time to study 
 and read. She is fond of study, though she 
 never has been to school a day in her life." 
 
 "She recites to you, does she not?" asked 
 Louisa, with a doubtful smile. 
 
 " Yes, when her brother is absent at college. 
 While he is at home during vacation, he makes 
 her review all she has been over during his 
 absence." 
 
 Patsy now came in with a tray in her hands, 
 on which were ginger-cakes and spring water. 
 " Plain fare and a hearty welcome," said she, 
 offering it to her guests. 
 
 " This is my mother, Mrs. Gracy," continued 
 she, " and I am Margaret, Peg, Peggy, or Pat 
 sy Gracy, just which you please." 
 
 "This is Louisa Perrit, and my name is 
 Esther. We are staying with our aunt, Miss 
 Nancy Perrit." 
 
 " Indeed ! And how is Miss Nancy ? I be- 
 
PATSY GRACY. 95 
 
 lieve she seldom leaves Ivy Cottage," eagerly 
 inquired Mrs. Gracy. 
 
 " Seldom ! Never !" replied Louisa. " She 
 is like a snail, always with its house over 
 itself." 
 
 "Nancy and I were schoolmates in our girl 
 hood. A lively, pretty girl was she, as smart 
 for study as for play. But times are sadly 
 changed since then," said Mrs. Gracy, with a 
 sigh. 
 
 " But we have nice times now, mother, you. 
 know we do, only when I drench my old Latin 
 Grammar," Patsy said, as she tried to bend the 
 warped cover of her book back to its original 
 shape. 
 
 The shower was now over. The girls thanked 
 Mrs. Gracy and Patsy warmly for their hospi 
 tality. Esther doubted if it would please Misa 
 Nancy to have them invite company to Ivy 
 Cottage ; indeed, it had been expressly forbid 
 den ; but Louisa, delighted to find a lively com 
 panion near her own age, said, " You must come 
 and see us, Patsy, very soon." 
 
 " Thank you," replied Mrs. Gracy ; " we are 
 somewhat like your aunt, we seldom go beyond 
 
96 BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 our own roof; but we shall be happy to see 
 you here very frequently. Patsy has a fine col 
 lection of sea-shells, which she will show you." 
 
 " "We will come, certainly," replied Louisa. 
 
 "If Aunt JSTancy will give us permission," 
 said the more prudent Esther. 
 
 " Give my kindest regards to her," said Mrs. 
 Gracy. 
 
 The rain had left diamond drops on every 
 leaf and every blade of grass, the birds were 
 singing their merriest songs, and the sun was 
 peering out through curtains of gorgeous clouds 
 on the fresh and beautiful earth. 
 
 " What nice people those are !" exclaimed 
 Louisa ; " and how funny to find them living in 
 that small cottage, and working for their living." 
 
 " So intelligent and well-bred, too !" respond 
 ed her sister ; " such real hospitality !" 
 
 "And so dreadfully funny to be studying 
 Latin Grammar, and taking care of cows and 
 sheep !" 
 
 "I should have thought your love for the 
 romantic would have made you admire a shep 
 herdess." 
 
 " Yes, if she wore a real shepherdess hat and 
 
PATSY GKACY. 97 
 
 carried a crook ornamented with blue ribbon, 
 and had a little white dog, just as we see in 
 pictures." 
 
 " Ah, Louisa dear, you are not the only per 
 son who prefers an imaginary picture to plain 
 reality." 
 
 Miss Nancy had been much troubled during 
 the absence of her nieces. Again and again 
 had she been to the door and looked out the 
 windows, muttering, " Children are a great 
 deal of trouble. Something dreadful will hap 
 pen to those girls, and then what will Paul and 
 their mother say ?" 
 
 When they at last appeared, dancing along 
 full of life and joy, she looked half provoked 
 that she had given herself unnecessary anxiety 
 about them. 
 
 They ran to her, and each in turn threw her 
 arms around Miss Nancy's neck and kissed 
 her. She couldn't resist it ; her heart was be 
 ginning to melt under their warm affection ; she 
 actually kissed them in return, but at the same 
 time said, " Naughty girls, where were you 
 during the shower ?" 
 
 " At Mrs. Gracy's," they both replied. 
 
y8 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 " Mrs. Gracy's, to be sure ! How came you 
 there?" 
 
 "Oh, Aunt Nancy, tea is all ready," said 
 Louisa, and I am so hungry. Let us take 
 off our things, and while we are at table 
 we will tell you all about our afternoon's ad 
 venture." 
 
 "Yery well." 
 
 They related every circumstance, and con 
 cluded with Mrs. Gracy's " kindest regards." 
 
 " Poor Mrs. Gracy !" exclaimed Miss Nancy. 
 " She was the richest heiress in this part of the 
 country. She married a gay man, who spent 
 nearly all her property, and then left her with 
 two children. Nobody knows whether he is 
 living or dead. She sends her son Hamilton to 
 college, you say. I wonder how, with her 
 small means, she is able to do so." 
 
 "She was winding yarn on spools," said 
 Louisa. 
 
 "For the carpet factory, I presume," con 
 tinued Miss Nancy. " She owns the house 
 where she lives, and a small farm. Her name 
 was Margaret Hamilton, and little did any one 
 dream that the rich heiress would over have to 
 
PATSY GRACY. 99 
 
 eke out her living by working with, her delicate 
 hands." 
 
 "I observed they were small and delicate, 
 and that her manners were lady-like. May we 
 ask Patsy to come and see us, Aunt Nancy ? r 
 timidly urged Esther. 
 
 Miss Nancy hesitated a moment, and then 
 replied, " You can ask her to come to your fa 
 vorite grotto and play with you there." 
 
 " Oh, but Aunt Nancy, some cruel wretch 
 has spoiled it entirely," passionately exclaimed 
 Louisa ; and then she gave a glowing account of 
 its present condition. 
 
 " Just like them just like them," muttered 
 Miss Nancy ; and then she quickly spoke, as 
 though it cost her an effort, " Well, then, you 
 may ask Patsy to come to the house. From 
 what you. say, she must be a nice country girl, 
 and not ashamed to work, though she does 
 study Latin Grammar." 
 
CHAPTEK X. 
 
 WORK AND PLAT. 
 
 A FEW days after, the sisters went to pay an 
 other visit to Patsy Gracy. As they approached 
 the house, who should they see but Bertha Max 
 well mounted on the second rail of the. red gate, 
 and her maid, who always followed like a sha 
 dow, standing near. 
 
 Not far from the gate was a garden, and there 
 was Patsy Gracy hoeing peas. 
 
 After what had passed between Bertha and 
 Louisa, the meeting was not likely to be a plea 
 sant one. The gate must be passed, however, as 
 it was the only entrance to the house. 
 
 Esther stepped up to it, and said very gently, 
 " Please, let me open this gate," while Louisa 
 hung back, looking fiercely at her enemy. 
 
 " No ; I shall not trouble myself to move for 
 you," was the reply. 
 
WOKK AND PLAY. 101 
 
 Patsy threw down her hoe and came to the 
 gate, exclaiming, " Oh, I am right glad to see 
 you, girls. Get off, Miss, and stand back," she 
 said impatiently to Bertha. But Bertha still 
 clung to the gate. 
 
 "Then I shall be forced to open it and 
 give you a swing," said Patsy; and the gate 
 swung in on its hinges, Bertha still clinging 
 to it. 
 
 Without taking any further notice of her, 
 Patsy said, " Come in, girls, my mother will 
 be very glad to see you." 
 
 And they walked to the house without be 
 stowing another glance on the beauty. 
 
 Mrs. Gracy was ironing. She made no apol 
 ogy, but continued her work, after having given 
 a cordial welcome to the visitors. 
 
 " Have you ever seen that hateful Bertha 
 Maxwell before ?" asked Louisa. 
 
 " Oh, yes, hundreds of times," replied Patsy. 
 " She frequently comes and looks at me, when I 
 am at work in the garden, for a whole hour at a 
 time. I never take the least notice of her ; and 
 as she has been forbidden to speak to any of us 
 country folks, she does not trouble me." 
 
102 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 "What flowers are you cultivating in your 
 garden ?" 
 
 "Papilionaceous ones," replied Patsy, with a 
 merry laugh. 
 
 " I do not understand that hard Latin word ; 
 I have only just begun to study botany." 
 
 "Well, my papilionaceous flowers are peas 
 and beans. When brother was home he plant 
 ed them, and now they need hoeing, and you 
 found me hard at it. I hope, one of these days, 
 you will come and eat some of them. It seems 
 a wonderful mystery to Bertha Maxwell to see 
 me doing all kinds of work, for I am told she 
 never does anything. Poor thing, I pity her !" 
 
 " So do I, most sincerely," replied Esther. 
 
 Mrs. Gracy remarked that, in Bertha's case, 
 it was a great misfortune to be beautiful, though 
 it was not necessarily so. Beauty was like any 
 other good gift, to be used as a loan from the 
 giver. 
 
 "My brother Hamilton admires Bertha ex 
 ceedingly," replied Patsy. "He raves about 
 her angelic beauty. I can't see that she is 
 beautiful." 
 
 "Angelic !" exclaimed Louisa, contemptuously. 
 
WORK AND PLAY. 103 
 
 " She is not very amiable, I believe," said 
 Mrs. Gracy; "but Hamilton will not be con 
 vinced of the fact until he has some other proof 
 besides hearsay." 
 
 Louisa was ready to give her opinion, but 
 Esther interrupted her by inquiring if the 
 young gentleman, Bertha's brother, were not 
 very unlike his sister. 
 
 "William Maxwell is a fine fellow; he is 
 my son's most intimate friend at college. They 
 have been like brothers in affection ever since 
 they were little children." 
 
 " Damon and Pythias !" whispered Louisa. 
 
 Patsy now brought out apples and hickory 
 nuts, over which the girls chatted for an hour, 
 and then they took their leave, after inviting 
 Patsy to come and spend the next afternoon 
 with them. 
 
 They had much to talk over on their way 
 home. Many conjectures were made about 
 Hamilton Gracy, and much delight expressed 
 that they had made the acquaintance of Patsy. 
 They went to the grotto, and decided to put it 
 once more in order for their museum ; to clean 
 it out neatly, and cover the floor again with moss. 
 
104: BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 "I wonder how Patsy and her mother can 
 work so cheerfully when they have not been 
 used to it," remarked Louisa, as she was carry 
 ing an apronful of moss and pebbles out of 
 the grotto. 
 
 Esther laughed, and said, " You work quite 
 as cheerfully yourself." 
 
 " Yes ; but then this is play." 
 
 " Oh, you only work when you play ; perhaps 
 Patsy only plays when she works." 
 
 " How is that ?" 
 
 "She may find as much pleasure in real work 
 as you do in this which you call play." 
 
 "Can that be possible?" 
 
 " It would seem so from her merry face. The 
 day we found her under the tree, she looked as 
 happy and as independent as a queen ; and to 
 day, the way she hoed those 'papilionaceous 
 flowers ' was not like that of one who finds hard 
 work a disagreeable task." 
 
 " She was thinking, perhaps, how nicely the 
 peas would taste when her brother came home 
 to share them with her. It seems he can work, 
 too, though he is a college student." 
 
 When they had removed the rubbish from 
 
WOKK AKD PLAY. 105 
 
 the grotto, they swept it out with a broom made 
 of young twigs a brush-broom, which Esther 
 manufactured; then, finding the bench had 
 floated ashore, they carried it to its former 
 place, and went home quite satisfied with the 
 task they had accomplished. "Work it was 
 hard work, too ; and yet, so long as they called 
 it play, it was charming. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 LOVE OF THE BEAUTIFUL. 
 
 THE next day great preparations were going 
 on at Ivy Cottage for the expected visitor. 
 
 Miss Nancy even allowed some of her flow 
 ers to be gathered. Jonquils, and pansies, and 
 suow-drops, and lilac buds were placed in two 
 large goblets on the mantel, each side of the 
 French clock. The new China tea things were 
 brought out, and the beloved silver cream jug 
 and sugar bowl placed with them on the tea- 
 table ; then all were covered over with a dam 
 ask napkin. The baking that was done that 
 day in the kitchen would have sufficed for a 
 large tea party. A rare occurrence an event 
 of great consequence in Miss Nancy's life was it 
 to receive an invited guest. 
 
 And Patsy came soon after dinner, looking 
 
LOVE OF THE BEAUTIFUL. 107 
 
 as bright and as cheerful as a June morning. 
 They hastened with her to their own room, to 
 take off her bonnet and shawl. The doors of 
 the book-case happened to be open. Patsy, be 
 fore she had time to throw aside her bonnet, 
 exclaimed, " Are all those your books ?" 
 
 " Yes. Would you like to look at them ?" 
 
 " Indeed I should ; I have but three books of 
 my own, besides my school books and Bible." 
 
 Patsy's exclamations of wonder and delight 
 pleased the sisters exceedingly. She made but 
 one objection to their library: "There is too 
 much poetry in it." 
 
 " Too much poetry ! Don't you love poetry ?" 
 asked Esther, with surprise. 
 
 " ~No ; I prefer prose. I knew you must be 
 poetical and romantic." 
 
 " How did you know that ?" eagerly demand 
 ed Louisa. 
 
 "Because of the grotto and the fairy names, 
 replied Patsy, laughing. 
 
 " Who told you about our grotto ?" 
 
 "The same person who told me you called 
 yourselves the*fairies Rosamia and Yioletta." 
 
 "But who could it be?" 
 
108 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 "My brother Hamilton. He and "William 
 Maxwell were seated on a bank on the other 
 side of the brook, behind some bushes, the day 
 you found the grotto. They did not like to 
 move for fear you would be frightened, and so 
 they were obliged to hear all you said. They 
 amused themselves with ornamenting the grot 
 to, and they know you only by the names of 
 Kosamia and Yioletta." , 
 
 " They must have thought us very silly," said 
 Esther. 
 
 " And laughed at us, I dare say," added 
 Louisa. 
 
 "They did laugh, but good-naturedly. I 
 don't think they are quite as common-place and 
 prosy as I am." 
 
 " Then they did laugh at us," continued Lou 
 isa ; " that was too bad. I arn half angry with 
 them ; are not you, too, Esther ?" 
 
 " I am more ashamed than angry ; and yet, 
 as it was merely for our own amusement, I don't 
 know that we were so very ridiculous, after all." 
 
 " Ridiculous ! By no means ; they only 
 thought you had read fairy tales, and were ra 
 ther romantic." 
 
LOVE OF THE BEAUTIFUL. 109 
 
 " No doubt we are. Aunt Nancy thinks so, 
 too. By the way, we must go down and see 
 her, or she may not like it," said Esther, leading 
 the way down stairs. 
 
 Miss Nancy was shy and awkward at first 
 with her young visitor; but Patsy's habitual 
 good nature and frank, cordial manners, soon 
 made her feel at ease, and she inquired with 
 much interest after Mrs. Gracy. 
 
 " Now I want to see the famous grotto. Sup 
 pose we take a run down to Honey-pot brook 
 oh, I beg its pardon to the Delaware," said 
 Patsy. 
 
 "To Castalia; I won't be laughed out of it," 
 rejoined Louisa. 
 
 To the grotto they went, and the sisters told 
 Patsy all about the beauty's spite against them. 
 
 " We are going to have the grotto for a mu 
 seum now," said Louisa, as they reached the 
 favorite haunt of the fairies. 
 
 "Why it is only four big rocks, just piled 
 together!" exclaimed Patsy. 
 
 "But the rocks make a grotto, and it was 
 beautiful when the floor was covered with velvet 
 moss and pearly pebbles." said Esther. 
 
110 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 " And we have had so much pleasure here ; 
 I never enjoyed any spot so much in my life," 
 added Louisa, warmly. 
 
 " It must be because you have always lived 
 in the city ; the rocks are only rocks to me, 
 and the moss is just a kind of common stuff 
 that covers them," said Patsy. 
 
 "But when you examine the moss through 
 our pocket microscope you will not say so. 
 Look here, how beautiful this specimen is, eveii 
 without magnifying. Don't you see all those 
 funny little caps with pointed crowns?" said 
 Louisa, showing a bit of moss. 
 
 " I have studied Botany, but have never exa 
 mined plants. I have had too much hard work 
 to do to spare time for it." 
 
 " But don't you think you can spare an hour 
 or two now and then to come to our museum 
 and help us make a collection of shells, and 
 stones, and flowers, and bees, and butterflies, 
 and everything curious and beautiful ?" 
 
 " I suspect I have no taste for the beautiful." 
 
 " No taste for the beautiful ! is it possible !" 
 exclaimed Esther ; " my mother is a dear lover 
 of the beautiful, and she says God has made 
 
LOVE OF THE BEAUTIFUL. Ill 
 
 beautiful things for us to admire, and given us 
 a sense of beauty, which is a source of great 
 pleasure to us, and ought to be cultivated." 
 
 " I am very willing to cultivate it, if there is 
 anything to begin with. Hush! there comes 
 Beauty herself." 
 
 "And Beauty's mother!" exclaimed Louisa*, 
 as she perceived Mrs. Maxwell and Bertha ap 
 proaching. 
 
 " Let us retreat into the grotto," said Esther. 
 
 " !No, no ; I shall not retreat," replied Louisa, 
 seating herself on a rock ; " Sit by me, Patsy." 
 
 " Yes, and stand ~by you, too," Patsy said, 
 casting a look of defiance at the lady and her 
 daughter. Esther in the mean while stood in 
 front of the grotto, looking anxiously at her sister. 
 
 " So ; you are the naughty children who 
 trouble my Bertha," began Mrs. Maxwell. 
 
 "You are mistaken, madam, entirely mis 
 taken," interrupted Patsy; "I never spoke to* 
 her but once in my life, and then she would not 
 get off from our gate." 
 
 " Oh, ma ! she is the farm-girl ; that one there 
 is the saucy minx who scratched my face," said 
 Bertha, pointing at Louisa. 
 
112 BEAUTIFUL BERTH A. 
 
 " She is indeed ! How dare you insult and 
 injure my lovely Bertha, in such a shocking 
 manner?" And Mrs. Maxwell waxed wrathy 
 and red. 
 
 Esther now came forward. " My sister has a 
 hasty temper, Mrs. Maxwell, and your daughter 
 was very rude, and very provoking. I see no 
 marks of the scratches on her face." 
 
 " 'No ; if there had been, I should have gone 
 to law about it." 
 
 " I had a letter from my father yesterday, and 
 he wants to know whether you intend to sew 
 him up in a bag or to mend his coat. He begs 
 you will excuse him from the former, and he 
 will excuse you from the latter," said Louisa. 
 
 " "What is the saucy child talking about ? I 
 said I would sue him for damages." 
 
 " Ko ; you said you would s-e-w sew him. 1 
 sent him your note." 
 
 " They pretend to be some pumpkins, don't 
 they, ma?" said the beauty, contemptuously ; 
 " and yet they keep company with the farm-girl, 
 who digs, and rakes, and hoes, and drives cattle." 
 
 " "Well, does it do you any harm?" demanded 
 Patsy. 
 
LOVE OF THE BEAUTIFUL. 113 
 
 NO." 
 
 " Neither does it harm me. It has afforded 
 you some amusement, and I think you ought to 
 be very much obliged to me, for you seem to be 
 sadly in want of occupation." 
 
 " Come, my dear, we are only wasting words 
 on these vulgar persons," whispered Mrs. Max 
 well to her daughter Bertha, but so loud as 
 to be distinctly understood by the rest of the 
 group. 
 
 " I have heard my mother say nothing is vul 
 gar but pretension " remarked Louisa, in a con 
 temptuous tone. " She said plainness was not 
 vulgarity poverty was not vulgarity igno 
 rance, if it were not wilful ignorance, was a 
 misfortune. Nothing else but pretension ought 
 to be called vulgar." 
 
 Mrs. Maxwell was astonished at the boldness 
 of this speech. Patsy clapped her hands, ex 
 claiming, "Good, good!" Bertha drew her 
 mother along, saying, " That girl is the sauciest 
 piece I ever see. Suppose we get out of her 
 way as soon as we can." 
 
 The three girls had the civility to refrain 
 from laughter till mother and daughter were 
 
114: BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 out of sight, and then peal on peal startled the 
 fishes of Honey-pot brook. 
 
 They soon after returned to Ivy Cottage, 
 where Miss Nancy was waiting for them, and 
 with keen appetites they partook of her boun 
 tiful tea-supper. 
 
 ME. PERRIT'S LETTER TO LOUISA. 
 
 "Your most welcome letter, iny dear child, 
 pleased and amused us, and yet it did not 
 entirely meet your mother's and my appro 
 bation. It is very funny, no doubt, that I am 
 to be 'sewed' by Mrs. Maxwell. Will she sew 
 me up in a bag, as they threaten to do naughty 
 children? or will she mend my clothing? I 
 beg she will excuse me from the first, and I will 
 excuse her from the last. And you to. scratch 
 Beauty's face! Really, my dear daughter, I 
 cannot be funny nor witty about this matter, 
 for I feel soberly, almost sadly. I fear there is 
 some naughty envy in your young heart, and a 
 spice of malice towards Bertha Maxwell. Ex 
 amine well that warm and sometimes generous 
 heart, and see if it be not so. Has not the un 
 common beauty of your country neighbor ex- 
 
LOVE OF THE BEAUTIFUL. 115 
 
 cited other emotions beside admiration and 
 pity? 
 
 " A mistaken and injurious education has de 
 veloped faults in Bertha which perhaps would 
 never have come to full growth had she been 
 under the charge of your own dear mother. 
 You, who have been blessed with such careful 
 nurture, ought to be more free from faults than 
 you are. 
 
 " Just by the window where I am sitting, a 
 clematis is trained over a lattice. . Some care 
 ful hand has trained it ; and yet, in its wild lux 
 uriance, part of the vine trails on the ground ; 
 large shoots branch out boldly from the lattice. 
 It is not a well-behaved plant, growing in grace 
 and beauty, as it ought ; but, alas, like my own 
 Louisa, too independent of control. Away 
 from us, and unchecked by your prudent mo 
 ther, you are exhibiting faults that we never 
 dreamed could spring up in our own darling. 
 Check them now at the very outset, and pray to 
 God to help you. 
 
 " Beauty is a fearful gift fearful because of 
 the harm it may do to the possessor, and for the 
 power it confers of doing harm to others. To 
 
116 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 the Giver we are responsible for every 'good 
 and perfect gift.' There is a wonderful power 
 in beauty, and no one would willingly relin 
 quish the possession of it. A love of the beau 
 tiful is elevating and refining to the whole cha 
 racter. Without it, in nature and art, a woman 
 is common-place, and, I had almost said, coarse, 
 though otherwise endowed with most brilliant 
 talents. 
 
 " I would have my daughters strong-minded, 
 and yet delicately feminine; courageous, but 
 not coarse ; energetic, but not pushing and 
 obtrusive ; efficient in action, but knowing and 
 keeping their right place ; able to counsel, but 
 willing to obey ; fit to command, yet willing to 
 serve. I would have them particularly careful 
 to maintain what is due to their own sex, and 
 by the loveliness and excellence of their char 
 acters, maintain that supremacy over the other 
 sex which was granted to Eve in Eden; but 
 not, alas ! to use their power like their unfortu 
 nate alma mater. 
 
 " God bless you, my darling. 
 
 "PAUL PERRIT." 
 
CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 ST. GEOEGE AND THE DKAGON. 
 
 THE three friends often met at the grotto, at 
 the red house, and at Ivy Cottage. Patsy 
 found that her tasks were every day done, for 
 Esther and Louisa were ready to help her when 
 she was in a hurry in consequence of having 
 played with them. 
 
 " I wonder why Mrs. Gracy has no flowers 
 about her house," said Louisa to Miss Nancy, as 
 they were together training a woodbine over a 
 lattice in the front yard. 
 
 " Poor woman ! she has no time to cultivate 
 flowers," replied the aunt. 
 
 " But she and Patsy would find time if they 
 loved flowers as we do. Patsy finds time to 
 study Latin, and botany, and philosophy, and 
 arithmetic, and ever so many other things. 
 
118 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 Don't you think, if she really loved beautiful 
 things, she would at least train a woodbine or a 
 clematis over their ugly red house ?" 
 
 " Patsy is a smart, hard-working girl ; I like 
 her," said Miss Nancy ; " she is not ashamed of 
 being a country girl." 
 
 " Neither am I ashamed of being a city girl. 
 We did not choose the places where we were 
 born," replied Louisa, with spirit. 
 
 Miss Nancy could not help smiling. 
 
 "Now," continued Louisa, "I have heard 
 papa talk a great deal about cultivating a love 
 of the beautiful ; I am going to try what I can 
 do for Patsy, and you must help me, Aunt 
 Nancy." 
 
 " I ! How ? pray tell me." 
 
 " By sending Patsy a bouquet now and then. 
 Why, there is not a flower to be seen about the 
 house, excepting dandelions and daisies. Sup 
 pose you send her some flower roots and seeds." 
 
 " You are a bold child, and yet I like you." 
 
 " Like me ! You love me, you know you do, 
 aunty. Now, let me gather a nice nosegay for 
 Patsy." 
 
 " It is like drawing out my very teeth, but I 
 
ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON. 119 
 
 can't refuse you. Here, take my scissors and 
 cut off the flowers carefully." 
 
 " And just give me one root of woodbine and 
 three or four rose bushes to ornament the rough 
 red house." 
 
 " You saucy girl !" was Miss Nancy's reply ; 
 and yet she took up the woodbine and the rose 
 bushes, and added a clematis of her own ac 
 cord. Louisa tied up an immense bouquet with 
 a blue ribbon, and placed the roots in a large 
 basket. 
 
 Miss Nancy was still among her flowers in 
 the front yard, as the sisters started on their 
 way to Mrs. Gracy's. 
 
 " Thank you ! thank you ! a thousand times," 
 said Louisa, kissing the bouquet and waving it 
 towards her. 
 
 Miss Nancy beckoned to her to come back, 
 and going to the gate, leaned over it, and whis 
 pered in her ear, " Tell Mrs. Gracy the boy who 
 drives my cows to pasture every morning, can 
 drive hers just as well as not. There is plenty 
 of feed in my meadow-lot. Patsy will then 
 have time to cultivate flowers." 
 
 " Thank you a million times. You are kind, 
 
120 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 in spite of yourself. "When I come back I'll 
 give you a dozen kisses." 
 
 "Yes, indeed, Aunt Nancy is very kind to 
 us," said Esther, as they skipped along. " When 
 we came here she seemed so stern and forbid 
 ding I was afraid of her, and would not have 
 believed she could become so indulgent. We 
 were of all things not to pick her flowers. Do 
 you know, she told me this morning I might 
 buy a bonnet for her the next time we go to the 
 village!" 
 
 " What ! is she really going to give up that 
 coal-scoop bonnet? I shouldn't wonder if in 
 time she became quite like other folks." 
 
 " And even went to church," added Esther. 
 
 Thus they chatted as they went along till 
 they came in sight of Mrs. Gracy's red gate. 
 A stone wall separated a field from the road on 
 which they were walking. 
 
 Suddenly a large brown dog came furiously 
 towards them, followed at some distance by men 
 and boys armed with scythes and guns, raising 
 the fearful cry, " Mad dog ! mad dog !" 
 
 " Jump over the wall," said Esther, snatching 
 the bouquet from Louisa, and throwing it over. 
 
ST. GEOKGE AND THE DKAvlON. 121 
 
 She then took the basket and helped her sister 
 to clamber over the wall. When Louisa was 
 safe, Esther attempted to follow, but catching 
 one foot between the rough stones, the other 
 hung dangling in the air. The dog seized the 
 foot between his teeth and held it fast. 
 
 Just at that moment a young man sprang 
 upon the wall with a sharp pitchfork in his 
 hand. Instantly the pitchfork came down with 
 such force on the dog's neck, that his teeth loos 
 ened their hold on Esther's foot, and with one 
 bound she was over the wall. The. young man 
 pressed his whole weight on the handle of the 
 pitchfork, and held the struggling, foaming dog 
 pinned to the ground, till the crowd came up 
 and with a shower of stones despatched him. 
 
 " Are you hurt, darling ?" exclaimed Louisa, 
 in agony intense, as Esther sank down on the 
 ground pale as death. 
 
 " I don't know. Pray don't touch my shoe, 
 it might harm you." 
 
 But Louisa, without heeding this generous 
 caution, untied the shoe all covered with froth, 
 snatched it off, and then drew off the stocking. 
 The delicate foot was red from the severe pres- 
 
122 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 sure it had undergone ; but well was it for the 
 dear girl that the shoe was of coarse, tough 
 leather ; the teeth of the mad dog had not pen 
 etrated to the flesh. Louisa sat down beside 
 her sister, threw her arms around her neck, and 
 began to cry vehemently. 
 
 "My dear sister, let us thank God that we 
 are safe," whispered Esther. 
 
 " And you risked your life for mine !" sobbed 
 out the weeping girl. 
 
 The young man now sprang lightly over the 
 wall, and stood beside them. He was in his 
 shirt sleeves that is, while at work in the field 
 he had thrown aside his coat and waistcoat, and 
 his slender person in its homely guise looked 
 even taller than usual, but neither awkward nor 
 
 "I am afraid you are badly bitten, Miss," 
 said he to Louisa. " I will run and call my 
 mother." 
 
 " No, no ! I am not hurt ; the horrid dog 
 seized dear Esther's foot, not mine, and I am 
 crying for joy." 
 
 " Joy because it was your sister's foot instead 
 of your own ! How selfish !" thought he ; then 
 
ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON. 123 
 
 turning quickly to Esther, he said, "Let me 
 assist you; we must hurry to the house in 
 stantly." 
 
 "Thank you, I am not hurt; that is what 
 makes Louisa cry. There comes Mrs. Gracy, 
 followed by Patsy." 
 
 " Hamilton, are you safe ?" was Mrs. Gracy's 
 first inquiry. 
 
 " All safe !" he replied, pointing over the 
 wall, where the dog still lay, surrounded by a 
 gazing crowd of men and boys. 
 
 " Esther was the one most in danger. Just 
 look at that shoe covered with foam from the 
 dog's horrid mouth," said Louisa, and then she 
 took off both her own shoes. 
 
 Mrs. Gracy shuddered, and looked at Esther 
 as if she thought she would go mad that in 
 stant. " Oh, something must be done immedi 
 ately," she exclaimed, taking hold of Esther's 
 arm ; " let me help you into the house." 
 
 " I am not hurt ; yet my heart beats so vio 
 lently I can scarcely breathe," Esther replied, 
 endeavoring to rise. 
 
 " Put on one of my shoes," said Louisa. " See, 
 she has held on to the basket all this time." 
 
124: BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 Sure enough, Esther had kept hold of it ; and 
 Louisa's feelings, always quick as lightning, 
 were now changed from grief and terror to ex 
 cessive mirth. She danced about like a wild 
 creature, tossing her shoes up in the air and 
 catching them as they fell, and performing other 
 antics more extraordinary than graceful. 
 
 "And where is the bouquet which came 
 bounding over the wall and drew my attention 
 to you ?" asked Hamilton Gracy. 
 
 " Here it is," said Patsy, who had not before 
 spoken a word. "I, too, can hardly breathe. 
 I was on the top of the hill opposite, when I 
 saw our Hamilton standing on the wall with a 
 pitchfork, pinning the horrid dog to the ground, 
 looking for all the world just like the picture of 
 St. George and the Dragon. I did not see the 
 girls." 
 
 " We were then safely on the other side of the 
 wall," responded Esther. "I owe my life to 
 you, fiir, and the kind Providence that brought 
 you to my aid." 
 
 " Come, we must go into the house," said 
 Mrs. Gracy, placing her arm round Esther's 
 waist. 
 
ST. GEORGE AND THE DKAGON. 125 
 
 As they walked on, Louisa, who had attempt 
 ed to put one of her shoes on Esther and found 
 it too small, still carried them in her hand, and 
 danced round the rest of the party. Suddenly 
 she ran to Patsy, and kissing her, said, "I have 
 come to cultivate your taste for the beautiful." 
 
 " Beauty of motion?" asked Patsy, roguishly. 
 
 " Now, Patsy, you ought to be ashamed to 
 make fun of me. I have brought you a wood 
 bine and a clematis to train over the front door, 
 and rose bushes for the front yard. The bou 
 quet you may place where you please." 
 
 " Fairy gifts, worthy of Rosamia, the queen 
 of the fairies," said Hamilton Gracy. 
 
 "Ah, now you are mischievous, Damon or 
 Pythias, whichever you are ; but set out these 
 vines and bushes and I will forgive you," re 
 plied Louisa, with perfect good humor. 
 
 Louisa pointed out the spots where they 
 should be placed, and Hamilton set them in 
 the ground. The bouquet ornamented the 
 mantel-piece. 
 
 After partaking of cream and strawberries, 
 the visitors started for Ivy Cottage, accompa 
 nied by Patsy and her brother. 
 
126 BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 On the way, Louisa told Patsy of her aunt's 
 offer of pasture for the cow in the meadow-lot, 
 and of the boy to drive the cow and the sheep. 
 
 "But will he treat Mincey kindly?" she 
 asked, with much anxiety. 
 
 " Of course he will. Aunt Nancy wouldn't 
 trust her cows with him if he did not drive 
 them carefully." 
 
 " You know Mincey is my beloved pet. We 
 have reared her from a calf, and she is the 
 sweetest, dearest little cow in the whole world." 
 
 Louisa laughed at the idea of a pet cow, and 
 Patsy defended her taste, saying, " I don't see 
 why a pet cow is not as pretty and nice as a pet 
 dog, a pet horse, or a pet donkey." 
 
 " But flowers, Patsy, lovely flowers ! you will 
 have time to attend to them, and I will help 
 you cultivate a taste for the beautiful." 
 
 " And I will cultivate yours for the useful." 
 
 " Very well ; it's a bargain, Patsy dear. How 
 came your brother to be at home just when he 
 was most wanted ?" 
 
 " He is home for vacation, and takes the time 
 to aid us about farming and gardening." 
 
 " Well, we must show him our museum, with 
 
ST. GEOKGE AND THE DKAGON. 127 
 
 its specimens to illustrate natural history, to 
 prove to him that we, too, have a taste for the 
 useful. Here is the place to turn from the 
 road and take the walk by the brook." 
 
 Esther and young Gracy were lagging be 
 hind. He had offered her his arm, wishing as 
 he did so that he had put on his coat. She 
 took it gladly, for, in addition to her exhaustion 
 and fatigue, she was shuffling along in one of 
 Patsy's large shoes. She declined going to the 
 grotto, and they kept the road. They had not 
 gone far when they met Mrs. Maxwell and her 
 daughter driving out in the vehicle which Lou 
 isa called the shandrydan. Gracy saw only one 
 object the beautiful face of Bertha Maxwell. 
 The yellow boy m livery, the gray mule, the 
 odd-looking carriage, passed by, and he saw but 
 that beautiful face. 
 
 As soon as they were out of sight, "Is she 
 not perfectly lovely ?" exclaimed he, drawing a 
 long breath, as though breath itself had been 
 suspended while he gazed at the beauty. 
 
 " ISTo, she is not lovely at all," replied Patsy ; 
 "she is hateful." 
 
 " I think she is very beautiful," said Esther. 
 
128 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 " But very disagreeable, like that stramoni 
 um there, with its delicate lilac flowers," re 
 sponded Louisa, pointing to a plant by the 
 roadside. 
 
 " I cannot believe it possible that such a 
 countenance as Miss Maxwell's could belong to 
 one who was not angelic in character. She 
 may be proud. I confess, she gave me a con 
 temptuous glance," said Gracy, taking the old 
 straw hat from his head and twirling it on his 
 hand. " No doubt I appeared to her like a very 
 respectable scarecrow." 
 
 Esther thought, in spite of the hat an' a' 
 that,' he was a fine young man, with his hair 
 somewhat disarranged, his complexion bronzed, 
 and his hands not as delicate as they would 
 have been had he been playing the piano in 
 stead of pitching hay. 
 
 Patsy, in the most voluble and violent man 
 ner, repeated the wrongs her friends had suffered 
 from Bertha. Her brother shook his head 
 doubtfully, as much as to say, "Impossible! 
 It must have been some one else." 
 
 As they approached Ivy Cottage, old Orpy 
 hobbled forward to meet them. " Make haste, 
 
ST. GEOEGE AND THE DRAGON. 129 
 
 for marcy's sake," she cried ; " Miss Nancy is 
 taken very bad, and I don't know what to do 
 for her." 
 
 They hastened onward. Esther found that her 
 aunt had been violently seized with cramps, and 
 was suffering intensely. Without asking per 
 mission of the sufferer, she despatched Gracy 
 for a physician, and Patsy ran home to sum 
 mon her mother. 
 
 Miss Nancy was still in great distress when 
 they both arrived, and gladly accepted their 
 services. The violence of the attack yielded to 
 medicine, but she was left very feeble. Esther 
 sat up with her all night, and nursed her with 
 tenderness and gentle kindness. 
 
 Ah, how many times that night did the grate 
 ful girl thank God for the wonderful escape she 
 had had from the very jaws of the infuriated 
 dog. Time and again, as she sat in an arm 
 chair beside Miss Nancy's bed, her weary eye 
 lids would droop for a moment, and then she 
 would see the horrid creature rushing towards 
 her, with his wide red mouth open, and his 
 great fiery eyes glaring upon her ; and starting 
 wide awake with a chill of horror creeping over 
 
130 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 her, she would fall on her knees in devout 
 thanksgiving. 
 
 Miss Nancy continued ill for some weeks. 
 Mrs) Gracy came often to see her, and aided 
 her young nurses in the care of their patient. 
 Both the sisters had been much devoted to her, 
 but Esther was peculiarly calculated for minis 
 tering to the sick and suffering. Her patience, 
 quietness, and gentleness were united with 
 good judgment and good sense. She received 
 the physician's orders with calm attention, and 
 executed them with scrupulous fidelity. 
 
 As Miss Nancy grew better, her heart warmed 
 more and more towards her kind nieces; in 
 deed, she loved them tenderly ; but, moreover, 
 there was a higher emotion stirring in her 
 heart, gratitude and love to God. 
 
 The long- neglected Bible and a prayer-book 
 were now placed on a table beside her bed, and 
 Esther frequently selected portions of Scripture 
 to read aloud, and then with Louisa knelt and 
 performed morning and evening devotions in 
 that sick room. 
 
CHAPTER XHL 
 
 ESTHER'S INFLUENCE. 
 
 so you have sat in the clergyman's 
 pew ever since the first Sunday you went to 
 cnureh here," remarked Miss Nancy one day, 
 after she had entirely recovered her health. 
 
 " Yes ; he invited us to sit in his pew, and 
 there is room for you, too," replied Esther, quite 
 delighted. 
 
 " Eighteen years have passed since I have put 
 my foot inside of a church-door ; and eighteen 
 more might have come and gone in the same 
 heathenish way with me, if it had not been for 
 your influence, Esther. I think I will go to 
 church next Sunday ; but you and Louisa must 
 do some shopping for me in the village, and 
 buy me suitable things to wear." 
 
 Gladly did the sisters go to execute their 
 aunt's commissions. 
 
132 BEAUTIFUL BERTH A. 
 
 " How nice Aunt Nancy will look in a fash 
 ionable straw bonnet trimmed with white rib 
 bon, and a lavender lawn dress, 5 ' said Louisa. 
 
 " And the white erape shawl that dear papa 
 Bont her, which she has never worn," added 
 Esther. 
 
 Just as they reached the village they heard 
 quick footsteps behind them, and were startled 
 by a voice which they had heard but once be 
 fore, saying, " Excuse me, young ladies, for ad 
 dressing you; I have a message for you from 
 my friend, Hamilton Gracy. He sails for Eu 
 rope in a few days, and as I was coming home, 
 he requested me to say he was very sorry not to 
 have seen you again before he left the country." 
 
 " And Mrs. Gracy and Patsy, do they know 
 that he is going ?" inquired Louisa. 
 
 " Yes ; they went to the city this morning to 
 take leave of him. A gentleman made Gracy 
 an excellent offer to accompany his son as tutor, 
 to make the tour of Europe ; and though his 
 college course was not completed, he consented 
 to go, not only because of the advantage to 
 himself, but because he could thus do more for 
 his mother and sister. My name is William 
 
ESTHER'S INFLUENCE. 133 
 
 Maxwell, and I have the honor to be Giacy's 
 most intimate friend." 
 
 " Damon and Pythias !" whispered Louisa. 
 
 " Violetta and Eosamia !" Maxwell said, with 
 a smile ; and then, making a formal polite bow, 
 he bade them " Good morning," and hastened 
 onward. 
 
 " What will become of the corn and beans, 
 the hay and the turnips, at the red house, with 
 out their very respectable scarecrow?" ex 
 claimed Louisa, laughing. 
 
 Esther looked very seriously at her sister, and 
 remarked, " You surely do not despise Hamil 
 ton Gracy because he was raking hay without a 
 coat, wore coarse boots and an old straw hat. 
 Don't you know l the man's the man for a ; that, 
 and for a' that,' as Burns says ?" 
 
 " Yes ; but I had rather see him well dressed, 
 neat and trim, like Maxwell." 
 
 " Yet your neat and trim Maxwell is proud 
 to have the respectable scarecrow for his inti 
 mate friend. ISTo doubt Gracy holds a high 
 standing in his class." 
 
 " But Maxwell is a gentleman," continued 
 Louisa. 
 
134: BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 "So is Hamilton Gracy every inch a gentle 
 man," warmly replied Esther, 
 
 " Excepting the few inches of elbow which 
 had poked themselves through his shirtsleeves,'* 
 retorted Louisa, giggling. 
 
 " Now, my dear sister, I am ashamed of you. 5 ' 
 
 " You need not be ; I am a lover of the beau 
 tiful." 
 
 "Did you never hear of such a thing as 
 moral beauty ?" 
 
 " Yes ; and I see it before me now," sai</ 
 Louisa, looking her sister lovingly in the face. 
 
 One bonnet after another was tried on. This 
 was too old that too young; but at length 
 they chose a plain straw trimmed with white 
 ribbon. 
 
 " With a few flowers inside this will do nice 
 ]y," said Louisa. 
 
 " No, Louisa, not flowers for her; they would 
 not become her at all." 
 
 " But I shall buy some with my own money, 
 and I know she will wear them to please me. 
 Here are some lilies of the valley mingled 
 with white rose buds ; put them in the bonnet,' 1 
 continued Louisa to the milliner. " They 
 
ESTHER'S mFLUENCE. 135 
 
 are beautiful, and Aunt Nancy dearly loves 
 flowers." 
 
 Miss Nancy, to the surprise of Esther, ac 
 cepted Louisa's gift, and wore the flowers. 
 
 3f 4f X -X- * # * 
 
 Poor old Orpy ! No one rejoiced more hear 
 tily than she did when Miss Nancy Perrit ap 
 peared in the church at Sylvania on that famous 
 Sunday. There was staring among young and 
 old as it was whispered from one to another that 
 the queer old maid, who lived at Ivy Cottage, 
 had actually come to church with the strangers 
 who sat in the minister's pew. She did not 
 look odd ; she did not look old ; she did not 
 look ugly : she was a nice, highly-respectable 
 looking person. Mrs. Maxwell inquired of the 
 sexton as she passed out of church who the lady 
 was in the minister's pew, and blushed deeply 
 when he answered, " Miss Perrit." 
 
 Miss Nancy saw and heard none of these 
 things. She trembled as she walked up the 
 aisle, and held tightly by Esther's arm ; but 
 after the services commenced, she listened with 
 devout attention, and united in the worship of 
 God with a sincere and earnest heart. 
 
136 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 Mrs. Gracy and Patsy joined Miss Nancy and 
 her nieces on the way home. 
 
 "We parted with Hamilton with keen re 
 gret," said Mrs. Gracy ; " and yet I trust it was 
 all for the best. Patsy bore it bravely." 
 
 Large tears streamed down Patsy's face ; she 
 could not speak. Her brother was so much 
 to her play-fellow, friend, adviser, protector, 
 teacher. 
 
 And tears of sympathy were in Esther's 
 eyes, for had he not saved her life ! 
 
 It was a beautiful evening in the latter part 
 of June. Earth had put on her most glorious 
 attire. The air was perfumed with the mingled 
 essence of hundreds of fresh flowers, and the 
 song of birds and the hum of honey-laden bees 
 floated upon it. The friends walked slowly 
 home from the " house of God," taking sweet 
 counsel together. A holy, happy Sunday was 
 it to all. 
 
 Three little months had effected a mighty 
 change in the solitary misanthrope, Miss ISTancy 
 Perrit. The affections which had lain dormant, 
 or been lavished upon unresponsive animals, 
 had been called out. She blessed the day 
 
ESTHER'S ESTFLTJENCE. 137 
 
 which brought the sisters, with their carpet 
 bag, to the gate of the log-house, which they 
 had beautified with their presence, and adorned 
 with the name of Ivy Cottage. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 A2T UNEXPECTED YISITOE. 
 
 Two months more passed rapidly away 2 and 
 they were to leave Ivy Cottage, Esther and Lou 
 isa, who had given such a charm to it. 
 
 A letter from Mr. Perrit summoned them to 
 be ready to take their departure whenever he 
 should come for them. With Patsy they went 
 to pay a farewell visit to the beloved brook and 
 the precious grotto. 
 
 The brook, which in the spring Louisa had 
 considered quite a river, was now so shallow in 
 many places, that she could cross it without 
 going over shoes, by stepping from stone to 
 stone. The waterfall was a scanty rill, just one 
 silvery streak in the midst of the green trees 
 which hung over and around it. Yet it was 
 Castalia still to the sisters, who loved it as well 
 
AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR. 139 
 
 as their father did before them, but with a more 
 romantic affection. 
 
 Patsy could scarcely understand their senti 
 mental tears as they bid the brook farewell. 
 To her it was a nice stream for Mincey to drink 
 from and to stand in, when the weather was 
 hot, and the cow chose to chew the cud and 
 meditate. 
 
 The grotto with its museum they bequeathed 
 to Patsy. There they had of late collected 
 shells and studied conchology, flowers and bot 
 any, beetles, butterflies, bees, and entomology. 
 
 "You must keep the museum in order till 
 we come again," said Louisa, looking at the 
 treasures it contained .with a sorrowful counte 
 nance. 
 
 " I will carry everything there is here to our 
 house, and keep all till you make us another 
 visit." 
 
 " But the specimens would not look like any 
 thing out of the grotto. They are only beauti 
 ful here." 
 
 " The snow would bury them all up in win 
 ter, or mischievous boys or girls might steal 
 them." 
 
140 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 "ISTever inind; I would rather they should 
 be left as they are, Patsy. I want to think of 
 the fairy grotto when I am away, just as I leave 
 it." 
 
 " So do I," added Esther. 
 
 "Well, you are very queer girls; I can't 
 quite understand you," said Patsy, with a puz 
 zled expression shading her honest face. 
 
 "I confess we are too romantic," replied 
 Esther; "but romance will wear away as the 
 realities of life press upon us at least, so my 
 mother says, and I have never known her to 
 say anything that was not wise and true." 
 
 Of late they had not met Bertha Maxwell in 
 their rambles. She had been for some weeks 
 absent from home with her mother. Just as 
 they were leaving the grotto, Esther exclaimed, 
 " There comes Beauty, floating along like a 
 fairy-dove." 
 
 Dressed in thin white muslin, with a floating 
 blue sash, and blue ribbons on her white chip 
 hat, she came tripping along the path, for once 
 alone. 
 
 " No wonder your brother calls her angelic," 
 whispered Esther to Patsy. 
 
AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR. 141 
 
 Bertha walked directly up to the group, and 
 said, " Ma and I have been to Saratoga. There 
 we met the Hon. Paul Perrit and his lady. 
 Who would ever have thought you girls be 
 longed to such grand people ! Ma could hardly 
 believe it, especially as you keep company with 
 that are farm-girl." 
 
 "Margaret Gracy is the sister of your 
 brother's most intimate friend," replied Es- 
 Uier, 
 
 "More's the pity for our Bill for choosing 
 such low companions. You must know, girls, 
 I ran away from ma this morning. She is 
 dressed to kill, and you see I have on my very 
 best. She determined to call on you right 
 away after we got home. Our carriage stood 
 before the door ; but when I thought of the 
 splendiferous coach that you ride in, with the 
 grand black horses, I wouldn't come with our 
 shabby concern, and a poor, miserable gray 
 mule. So, you see, I ran away, and thought I 
 might find you here." 
 
 " What is the girl talking about ?" inquired 
 Patsy. 
 
 " I suppose she has seen father and mother 
 
14:2 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 in OUT carriage, that's all," replied Louisa, with 
 an effort to appear indifferent. 
 
 " So I did, and it was the handsomest turn 
 out at Saratoga not dashing, but elegant,' I 
 heard a gentleman say. Only think of ma's 
 calling you servants! She is so ashamed she 
 don't know what to do, and she is going to 
 make her apology. Good enough for her. I 
 am glad to have her eat humble pie sometimes, 
 she is so fussy proud." 
 
 " Do you say that of your own mother ?" 
 asked Patsy, indignantly, while Esther whis 
 pered to Louisa : 
 
 "What will poor Aunt Nancy do if Mrs. 
 Maxwell calls ? "We had better hurry home." 
 
 They started off, accompanied by the 
 beauty. 
 
 " I might have had nice fun with you if we 
 had only known who you was," said Bertha. 
 
 The girls made no reply ; she continued : 
 
 " You would be astonished to see how every 
 body stared at me at Saratoga. They thought 
 I was just a piece of wax-work. I could hear 
 people in the street and everywhere say, f How 
 beautiful !' It is not strange if I am proud ; 
 
AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR. 
 
 but I don't know what ma has got to be proud 
 of but me." 
 
 " And your brother," remarked Louisa. 
 
 " No ; he is homely as a horse's head." 
 
 " I don't think so," said Louisa. 
 
 "Ma says he is. She don't care half as 
 much for Bill as she does for me ;" and she 
 tossed her pretty head with a silly conscious air. 
 
 " Perhaps she spent her spoiling on you, and 
 it has been all the better for him," said Patsy. 
 
 " "Who are you to talk so to me ? I don't be 
 lieve you ever wore anything better than a cali 
 co frock since you was born ; and I never wear 
 calico, morning, noon, nor night." 
 
 44 Well, your soul's made of calico if your 
 body is silk. I would rather have a satin soul 
 in a calico body," said Patsy, laughing. 
 
 " I didn't come here to meet you, farm-girl. 
 You'd better go home and hoe corn, or feed, 
 your cow, than to be here with your betters." 
 
 " Please to be more polite to my friend," said 
 Esther, reddening with anger, while Louisa bit 
 her tongue for fear she should say something 
 dreadful. 
 
 As they came in sight of the cottage, sure 
 
14:4 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 enough there was the shandrydan before the 
 door. Orpy was leaning over the gate, scream 
 ing at the top of her voice, " Miss Nancy won't 
 see you ; Miss Nancy won't see you." 
 
 Mrs. Maxwell fairly yelled in return, " Tell 
 Miss Perrit it is Mrs. Maxwell come to pay her 
 respects to her and the young ladies." 
 
 Orpy shook her head fiercely, repeating, 
 " Miss Nancy won't see you ; sartain sure she 
 won't." 
 
 " I knew she wouldn't. I told her so before 
 we started from home. Come, let's hide here," 
 said Bertha, concealing herself behind some tall 
 seringas and lilacs in the front yard. 
 
 The girls followed her example, glad to escape 
 an encounter. Mrs. Maxwell, after throwing 
 her card to Orpy, drove off. 
 
 The sisters were reluctantly compelled to ad- 
 rait Bertha to the parlor. 
 
 " What a little bit of a room !" said Bertha. 
 " How odd it must seem to you who have lived 
 in such a grand house." 
 
 "It seems very pleasant to us," replied 
 Esther. " My father was born in this house." 
 
 " How strange ! In a log house !" 
 
AN UNEXPECTED VISITOK. 14:5 
 
 " There was once a better man than he born 
 in a stable," said Patsy. 
 
 " Was there ? I never heard of such a thing," 
 Bertha replied, looking quite bewildered. 
 
 Esther, feeling that the allusion was too sa 
 cred and not in good taste, immediately added, 
 " My father is devotedly attached to his birth 
 place. You ought to hear with what enthusi 
 asm he speaks of the beautiful scenery about 
 Sylvania, and all the haunts of his boyhood." 
 
 " I am sure I never should speak of Sylvania 
 if I lived in the city. I hate the country." 
 
 " And I adore it," exclaimed Patsy. 
 
 " Shall I not see that queer woman, your 
 aunt?" asked Bertha. 
 
 " I believe she is engaged ; she is generally 
 occupied in the morning," said Esther. 
 
 " Making bread, I suppose." 
 
 "Yes; she makes excellent bread. Would 
 you like some ?" 
 
 " No ; I should rather have some cake." 
 
 " A broad hint," whispered Patsy to Louisa. 
 
 Esther felt compelled to take the hint, and 
 went to find her aunt. She hunted all over and 
 
 about the house in vain. Then she thought she 
 10 
 
146 BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 would go to tlie pantry and get some cake, as 
 Miss JSTancy had told them always to help them 
 selves. She shook, and pulled, and rattled at 
 the pantry door for some time, and found it 
 locked. Pausing a moment, she heard some 
 one saying very softly, " Who's there ? * What 
 do you want ?" 
 
 " It is I. Is it you, Aunt Nancy ?" as softly 
 responded Esther. 
 
 " Yes ; I would not see those Maxwells in 
 my house for a thousand dollars." 
 
 Esther could not help being amused. She 
 went back to the parlor, and said, " I beg you 
 will excuse me, Miss Maxwell, the pantry is 
 locked, and I cannot offer you a lunch." 
 
 " That stingy old maid, I dare say, locks up 
 everything from you. I don't doubt you are 
 half starved." 
 
 " You are greatly mistaken, Miss," replied 
 Louisa, indignantly; "she gives us the nicest 
 and best of sweet country fare, and we have 
 grown so plump in five months that dear father 
 and mother will hardly know us." 
 
 " I ought to have been home long before this 
 time," said Patsy. " Good bye ! I shall see 
 
AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR. 147 
 
 you again to-morrow. You have promised to 
 come and take tea with me." 
 
 " Yes ; meet us half way," said Esther, kiss 
 ing Patsy. 
 
 " Every one to their taste, as the old woman 
 said when she kissed her cow," muttered Ber 
 tha. 
 
 Patsy had been gone but a moment when the 
 others were startled by a loud rap at the front 
 door. The girls all ran to the door. It was 
 Mrs. Maxwell's yellow coachman. Mrs. Max 
 well had returned. Seeing Bertha, she ex 
 claimed, "Come here, you naughty thing! 
 You have given me an awful fright. You said 
 you were going to your room because you did 
 not feel well enough to make a call." 
 
 " So I did ; but I didn't say I was going to 
 stay in my room." 
 
 " Come here, you hussey ; you have been 
 tramping through the fields and over the rocks 
 with them new blue kid shoes and your fine 
 muslin dress." 
 
 Mrs. Maxwell in her anger quite forgot the 
 presence of the daughters of the Hon. Paul 
 Perrit ; suddenly it came to her mind : " I beg 
 
14:8 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 your pardon, young ladies, my Bertha is very- 
 contrary this morning. I had the pleasure to 
 see your respected father and mother at Sarato 
 ga lately, and I have left my card for your aunt 
 this morning. I hope we shall see you soon at 
 Linden Hall." 
 
 Esther bowed, but Louisa and Bertha laughed. 
 
 " Good bye, girls," said the beauty ; " I have 
 had a mighty nice time. Don't you admire our 
 carriage?" 
 
 So saying she jumped in, and they drove off. 
 
 Poor Miss Nancy ! Glad was she to escape 
 from the " durance vile " of the pantry. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 MB. PEKRIT'S FANCY SKETCH. 
 
 THE next day Esther received a letter from 
 her parents, informing her that before returning 
 to the city they were to go to Niagara. As they 
 were in great haste, they would only stop at 
 Ivy Cottage for a short time, and Esther and 
 Louisa must be ready to leave. All was now 
 hurry and bustle, for they might leave that very 
 day. 
 
 " Niagara ! glorious Niagara !" exclaimed 
 Esther ; " how kind it is in dear mother to take 
 us with her." 
 
 " I would rather see our sweet Castalia any 
 day, than great Niagara," replied Louisa, with 
 tears in her eyes. 
 
 Miss Nancy came into their room while the 
 girls were packing their trunks, and seating 
 
150 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 herself on the side of the bed, covered her face 
 with her hands, and waving backwards and 
 forwards, said nothing, but now and then 
 breathed a sigh, which was almost a groan. 
 
 " Dear Aunt Nancy," said Esther, " we shall 
 come and see you again. We are to take no 
 thing away but our trunks ; all our books and 
 country clothing we are to leave. Surely papa 
 intends to have us come again next summer." 
 
 " But the long winter." 
 
 " Oh, I will send you a parrot, Aunt Fancy," 
 said Louisa. 
 
 She meant it for kindness ; but Miss Nancy 
 had lost her love for parrots since she had felt 
 the sweeter love for children. The offer sound 
 ed cruel to her sorrowing heart, and she sobbed 
 aloud. 
 
 " Perhaps you will be so kind as to come and 
 see us," timidly suggested Esther. "We will 
 do all in our power to make you happy." 
 
 " I know you would, my dear child ; I know 
 you would. You have done me more good 
 since you have been here than I can tell. If I 
 should never see you again on earth, I shall 
 hope to meet you in heaven." 
 
MK. PEEKIT'S FAUCY SKETCH. 151 
 
 The sound of wheels was heard. Esther and 
 Louisa ran to the window, and there were Mr. 
 and Mrs. Paul Perrit in the very same wagon 
 that brought them first to Ivy Cottage. 
 
 The girls were soon in the arms of their pa 
 rents. Miss Nancy now, instead of shrinking 
 from her brother, greeted him and his good lit 
 tle wife in the most cordial manner, and showed 
 them into her cosy parlor. 
 
 A dear little woman was Mrs. Perrit. There 
 was a calm repose in her manner, and her 
 countenance was grave, but the sweetest, the 
 most human of smiles gave a charm to it more 
 pleasing than perfect beauty of feature. 
 
 " These girls don't look much like fairies, 
 sister," said Mr. Perrit. "The country air 
 and your wholesome table has made them 
 as chubby as cherubs and as rosy as milk 
 maids." 
 
 " Milk-maids ! That reminds me of our milk 
 maid and shepherdess, Patsy Gracy. "We are 
 engaged to take tea with her this afternoon," 
 said Louisa. 
 
 " You can keep your engagement, for we do 
 not leave till early to-morrow morning that is, 
 
152 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 if we are not encroaching on your hospitality, 
 sister ISTancy." 
 
 " Not at all ; I only wisb you could make a 
 longer stay." 
 
 The change in Miss fancy's manner was 
 wonderful and delightful to her brother. The 
 change in her dress was equally remarkable. A 
 neat, becoming cap and a white morning-dress 
 made her look ten years younger than she did 
 in the spring. 
 
 Esther proposed that they should pass a couple 
 of hours at Mrs. Gracy's and return to tea, and 
 bring Patsy with them. To this arrangement 
 Louisa willingly agreed. 
 
 " I shall go with you to Mrs. Gracy's," said 
 Mr. Perrit, as his daughters, two hours after 
 dinner, were ready to start. " I looked up to 
 Margaret Hamilton with wonder and admira 
 tion when I was a boy. She was a rich heiress, 
 a bright, particular star. Fortunate for me 
 that I did not fall in love with her," said he, 
 casting a grateful glance at his little wife. 
 "We must go by the grotto and the brook, 
 of course the chosen haunt of the fairies so 
 
MR. FEEKIT'S FANCY SKETCH. 153 
 
 beautiful, and the inspiring fountain of romance 
 and poetry." 
 
 "Now, papa, indeed you are laughing at us; 
 
 we will not take you there," said Louisa. 
 
 " Then I shall go by myself after I have left 
 you at Mrs. Gracy's, and perhaps I shall be in 
 spired to write a poem or draw a picture. Don't 
 you think I could coax Beauty to sit long 
 enough on her favorite rock for me to take her 
 portrait?" 
 
 " You saw Bertha Maxwell at Saratoga ; do 
 you not think her very beautiful?" asked 
 Esther. 
 
 " Yes, indeed, poor thing ! She was taken to 
 be exhibited there, just as old Joyce Heth and 
 the rhinoceros were, only the spectators were 
 not charged twenty-five cents apiece. Come, 
 we must be off. I shall perhaps introduce the 
 shepherdess into my poem or picture." 
 
 " There, papa, do you see that woodbine and 
 that wild clematis growing over the small porch 
 before that ugly red house?" asked Louisa, as 
 they approached Mrs. Gracy's. "I carried 
 them there, and Hamilton Gracy built the porch 
 on purpose for them." 
 
154: BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 " Is that Mrs. Gracy's house ?" he asked with 
 surprise. " What a change for Margaret Ham 
 ilton 1" 
 
 Mrs. Gracy made no apologies for that 
 change, but received Mr. Perrit with easy 
 dignity. Patsy, too, was as easy and as unem 
 barrassed as if she had welcomed her friends to 
 a palace. 
 
 Mr. Perrit did wander by Honey-pot brook 
 on his return, and amused himself not a little 
 by examining the contents of the grotto muse 
 um. "Time well spent by those girls, and 
 highly enjoyed," said he. He was inspired, 
 perhaps by the gentle murmur of Castalia, to 
 draw a picture,* though beautiful Bertha was 
 not there to sit for her likeness. 
 
 When Esther and Louisa returned to Ivy 
 Cottage, they brought Patsy with them. On 
 their way they overtook Mr. Perrit. 
 
 " Here is a pencil-sketch, partly imaginary 
 and partly true. I have named it c OUE BOU 
 QUET,' " said he, exhibiting the drawing. 
 
 In the background was the grotto and the 
 rocky banks of the brook. In the foreground 
 * Frontispiece. See page 81. 
 
ME. PERRIT'S FANCY SKETCH. 155 
 
 the fight for the bouquet between Louisa and 
 Bertha, Esther looking on, her hands held up in 
 amazement. In one corner was Patsy, under a 
 tree, wearing a shepherdess hat, and holding a 
 crook ornamented with flowers, a cow and two 
 sheep feeding near by. 
 
 "Now, papa, that is not at all like the 
 reality. Where is the German maid?" asked 
 Louisa. 
 
 " She has not come in sight yet." 
 
 " And the shepherdess, how came she there ?" 
 
 "That is our little friend Patsy. Painters 
 take licenses as well as poets. The old masters 
 even brought in their own likenesses in scenes 
 from the Bible." 
 
 "JSTobody but the painters would recognize 
 their likenesses if they did not look more like 
 the originals than that does like me," said Lou 
 isa, pettishly. 
 
 " You don't look like yourself when you are 
 angry, my child ; and you perceive even beau 
 tiful Bertha is almost ugly when she fights for 
 OUR BOUQUET." 
 
 " And I look like a picture on a French fan," 
 said Patsy. 
 
156 BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 "And what do you intend to do with the 
 drawing ?" asked Esther, laughing. 
 
 "Have it engraved and framed, most cer 
 tainly. But here we are at Ivy Cottage, as 
 your romance has it." 
 
 "Now, papa, I hope you don't dislike ro 
 mance," remarked Esther. 
 
 " I do not when it is regulated by common 
 sense, and without dazzling the mental vision, 
 sheds a halo round sober reality." 
 
 "I don't quite understand you, papa," said 
 Louisa. 
 
 "Neither do I, at all," added Patsy. 
 
 " Well, then, put the remark down in your 
 note-books for future consideration and the re 
 membering of after years. It is a very useful 
 plan thus to write down scraps of poetry or 
 prose, marked, 'for future consideration.'' ' 3 
 
 They found Miss Nancy's bountiful tea-table 
 waiting their arrival. 
 
 "No wonder I have a pair of dumpling 
 daughters to carry away from Ivy Cottage," 
 Mr. Perrit playfully remarked as he surveyed 
 the loaded table. "Why, sister, you have la 
 creme, de la creme, in the country." 
 
ME. PEKKIT'S FAJSTCY SKETCH. 157 
 
 " Oh, mamma, you must taste my preserved 
 strawberries. I gathered them and made them 
 all myself," said Louisa. 
 
 " And my cake, too," added Esther. 
 
 " I hope your knowledge of the culinary art 
 is not confined to what may be called the em 
 broidery or fancy work sweetmeats and cake," 
 replied her father. 
 
 " No, indeed, papa ; Aunt Nancy has taught 
 us to make bread, biscuits, cake, custards, pud 
 dings, pies, pickles, preserves, to bake, to 
 stew, to roast, to fry, to broil, to fricasse, to 
 boil, and to to make soap and smoke hams," 
 rattled Louisa, quite out of breath. 
 
 " What an array of accomplishments ! I am 
 exceedingly obliged to her ; but have you actu 
 ally put your dainty hands in dough ?" 
 
 " I have," replied Esther ; " and the bread 
 you are now eating will prove whether I am a 
 mere amateur performer." 
 
 " I, being a connoisseur in the matter, pro 
 nounce you a capital performer. I am quite as 
 well pleased with your skill in bread-making 
 as I was with your splendid execution on the 
 
158 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 piano at Madame Le Fevre's school concert ; 
 and the butter is a chef d'ceuvre." 
 
 "Ah, papa, I wish I ever could tell when 
 you are jesting and when you are in earnest," 
 exclaimed Louisa, while Esther's face glowed 
 with pleasure. " The butter Patsy brought us ; 
 she churned it herself," continued Louisa. 
 "Isn't it elegant?" 
 
 " It is as yellow as California gold, and sweet 
 and rich as a nut ; but, my dear, it is not ele 
 gant. That is an epithet we should rarely use. 
 It implies the added grace of art to what is 
 beautiful. A lady may be beautiful, but she is 
 not elegant unless dressed with taste. Her 
 manners may be pleasing, but not elegant un 
 less they possess grace and refinement. A 
 house may be large, expensive, and convenient, 
 but not elegant unless art has decorated it. I 
 think I have heard you speak of elegant chick 
 ens, an elegant cow, and now of elegant but 
 ter." 
 
 " You are rather severe on poor Louisa," said 
 Mrs. Perrit. 
 
 " I do not intend to be ; I only wish her to 
 use language properly." 
 
ME. PERRIT'S FANCY SKETCH. 159 
 
 " I shall be afraid to open my lips before you, 
 sir," said Patsy. 
 
 " What ! you who study Latin and under 
 stand all the ologies ! You know what elegan- 
 tin means, and would not send your butter to 
 market labeled, < Elegant butter at twenty cents 
 per pound.' " 
 
 "I agree with Louisa; I don't know, sir, 
 when you are in fun and when you are in ear 
 nest," replied Patsy. 
 
 "In sober earnest, I admire you and your 
 golden butter, and rejoice that you have found 
 time to study Latin and the ologies without ne 
 glecting your appropriate duties." 
 
 " Thank you, sir ; besides, through the beau 
 tiful influence of Esther and Louisa, the utile 
 cum dulce is beginning to dawn upon my pro 
 saic mind," replied Patsy, with a mischievous 
 smile. 
 
 So anxious were the sisters that Patsy should 
 make a favorable impression on their father and 
 mother, that their lips actually and involunta 
 rily moved like hers with every word she ut 
 tered. 
 
 When tea was over, the sisters, attended by 
 
160 BEAUTIFUL BERTH A. 
 
 their father, walked home with their young 
 friend, and bade her a loving " Farewell." 
 
 After the parting, they walked on in sad 
 silence for a while. 
 
 " A nice girl Patsy Gracy is a very nice 
 girl indeed," said Mr. Perrit, as if soliloquizing. 
 
 The sisters were quite satisfied with this 
 opinion. 
 
 Early next morning Mr. and Mrs. Perrit, with 
 their daughters, bade adieu to Miss Nancy. 
 They left her leaning over the gate with a sor 
 rowful countenance, while poor old Orpy stood 
 at the door with her apron to her weeping eyes, 
 sobbing out, " Of such is the kingdom of hea 
 ven !" 
 
 "We must now bid farewell to our friends the 
 Perrits for a long time. 
 
CHAPTEE XVI. 
 
 A SAD FABEWELL. 
 
 MKS. MAXWELL had been for several years 
 keeping up appearances on very small means ; 
 or, to be more plain, she endeavored to live like 
 a rich person when she was not rich at all. She 
 had been exceedingly extravagant during her 
 married life, and after Mr. Maxwell's death all 
 his property went to pay his debts, excepting 
 what the law allowed to his widow. She still 
 remained at Linden Hall, though the place was 
 far too expensive for her, and every year she 
 found herself getting deeper and deeper in 
 debt. 
 
 When "William Maxwell came home for the 
 
 fall vacation he had just entered the Senior 
 
 class in college, and expected to pass another 
 
 year to complete his collegiate education. Sad- 
 
 11 
 
162 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 ly disappointed was lie when his mother told 
 him she could not possibly afford to have him 
 return to college. 
 
 " But what am I to do, mother ?" he anxious 
 ly demanded. 
 
 " Go and seek your fortune, as other young 
 men do ; I have maintained you long enough," 
 was the stern reply. 
 
 "William was not his mother's favorite. He 
 had not a friend in the world, excepting Ham 
 ilton Gracy and a few other young class-mates. 
 
 "Seek my fortune! Where, on the wide 
 earth, am I to find it ?" exclaimed the inexperi 
 enced boy of eighteen years, whose life had 
 been that of a secluded student whose whole 
 ambition had been to be distinguished as a 
 scholar. He turned to Bertha : " Have you no 
 word of sympathy to offer to your brother ?" 
 
 " Sympathy ! ISTo ! I am sure, if I was a 
 man, I should like of all things to go and seek 
 my fortune, just like the brave fellows in story 
 books." 
 
 Poor boy ! He was anything but brave at 
 that moment. His throat throbbed with intense 
 emotion, and his large eyes were swimming in 
 
A SAD FAREWELL. 163 
 
 tears ; but he choked down feeling, and proudly 
 dashed away the obtrusive tears. 
 
 " When shall I go, mother?" 
 
 " The sooner the better. I don't know what 
 will become of Bertha and me, unless you can 
 do something for us." 
 
 " I hope you have enough for yourself and 
 Bertha, if you have not for me." 
 
 " No, I have not. We must give up Linden 
 Hall." 
 
 " And where are you going ?" 
 
 " I shall place Bertha in a fashionable board 
 ing-school for two or three years, to complete 
 her education, and meantime I shall take cheap 
 lodgings somewhere in the neighborhood of the 
 school. She must have accomplishments, and 
 then her beauty will make her fortune." 
 
 A bitter smile passed over the expressive 
 countenance of William Maxwell as he said, 
 " Am I to be thrust upon the world without a 
 dollar in my pocket ?" 
 
 "To; I will pack up all your clothes for 
 you, and give you ten dollars ; it is all the 
 ready money I can possibly muster." 
 
 " Mother !" It was all the boy could say ; 
 
164: BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 he turned, flew to his room, and locked himself 
 in for two long hours. 
 
 In anticipation of the event, Mrs. Maxwell 
 had made such arrangements as she deemed 
 needful for her son's departure. His wardrobe 
 was not very extensive, yet his clothing was 
 neat and respectable. During the day every 
 needful preparation was made, and in the eve 
 ning a small black trunk and a carpet-bag were 
 to be seen in the front entry of Linden Hall. 
 
 The next morning the carriage with the gray 
 mule was at the door, to take William Maxwell 
 to the Sylvania station. 
 
 He extended his hand to his mother; he 
 could not speak. 
 
 " Good-bye, "William ; I hope you will do 
 well in the world. Let us hear from you ^ome- 
 times." 
 
 He kissed Bertha. 
 
 " Don't cry, Bill," said she, " it is too girlish. 
 Why, you almost make me cry, too." 
 
CHAPTEE XYIL 
 
 THE BEAUTY AT SCHOOL. 
 
 PETTED, unrestrained, and almost idolized by 
 her mother, how was Bertha Maxwell to accom 
 modate herself to the equality of a boarding- 
 school ! 
 
 Mrs. Maxwell chose a fashionable and expen 
 sive school for her daughter in the city. In 
 order to do this with her small means, she 
 boarded with a very plain family about two 
 miles out of town, and every Saturday walked 
 into the city to a fashionable hotel. In the par 
 lor of this hotel she received Bertha, having 
 made an arrangement with the landlord of the 
 Lamartine House for this purpose. It was sup 
 posed, of course, by the companions whom Ber 
 tha frequently brought with her, that Mrs. Max 
 well was living at the Lamartine House. 
 
166 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 The school girls were in raptures with the 
 new scholar. Beautiful ! sweet ! glorious ! 
 handsome ! lovely ! splendid ! magnificent ! 
 They exhausted upon her their vocabulary of 
 epithets in commendation of beauty. 
 
 Her rich silk dresses (they were made over 
 out of her mother's) were thought not quite 
 fashionable ; but then they were so expensive, 
 she must be wealthy. Her whole wardrobe 
 was more expensive than had ever been seen be 
 fore at Mrs. Hoppington's Seminary. 
 
 These were great recommendations to the 
 favor of silly girls, and yet they excited 
 envy. Bertha must be very kind and sweet to 
 gain their love, in spite of her superior advan 
 tages. 
 
 Her teachers soon found out her deplorable 
 ignorance. She had had French maids and 
 German maids, that she might speak French 
 and German. She had caught a smattering of 
 each, and mingled them strangely together. 
 Moreover, these maids had been uneducated 
 persons, who spoke their own language ungram 
 matically and pronounced it abominably, so 
 that Bertha had to unlearn all she had acquired 
 
THE BEAUTY AT SCHOOL. 167 
 
 of them. In English studies she was behind 
 even the youngest scholars in school, and could 
 hardly utter a correct sentence in her own lan 
 guage. 
 
 JSTot a week had passed before the beauty 
 was pronounced by her school-mates proud and 
 disagreeable. The airs she assumed were in 
 tolerable. She expected from her room-mates 
 entire submission to her will in everything. As 
 she had always been waited upon, and never 
 done anything for herself, her companions were 
 frequently called upon : " Come and tie my 
 shoe," "Hook my dress," "Hand me my 
 books." 
 
 At first they replied, " Ask us, if you please, 
 instead of commanding us ;" but soon they 
 said, " We are not your servants ; we did not 
 come here to wait on you." 
 
 She became home-sick, and begged her mo 
 ther to take her home. But Mrs. Maxwell had 
 given up Linden Hall, and had no home. Ber 
 tha must stay where she was. For the first 
 time in her life she was forced to submit to 
 what was exceedingly against her own will. 
 
 After some severe experience, and much 
 
168 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 pouting and crying, Bertha Maxwell was bro 
 ken in and obliged to conform to the rules ot 
 the school, and to treat her companions with 
 civility. Yet she was no favorite. 
 
 After a while her silk dresses became greasy 
 and shabby, and there were none to replace 
 them. Her mother denied herself every luxury 
 and almost every comfort in order to pay the 
 large school bills as they became due. 
 
 During the vacations Bertha was with her 
 "in the country." She never mentioned at 
 school that three weeks were passed under the 
 humble roof where her mother boarded. 
 
 Those vacations ! What patching and darn 
 ing, what washing and starching and dyeing 
 and furbishing over, to make Bertha's clothing 
 look " almost as well as new." 
 
 The Beauty complained bitterly because the 
 girls asked if her things were to last forever ; 
 they wondered why she never had anything 
 fashionable. 
 
 Poor, mistaken Mrs. Maxwell! "Would she 
 had labored and spent her strength for better 
 purposes. Bertha was not grateful for all the 
 Sacrifices she made in her behalf. 
 
THE BEAUTY AT SCHOOL. 169 
 
 Nearly two years had thus passed, and Bertha 
 had learned to play on the piano a little; 
 enough, however, to give pleasure to any one. 
 She had learned, in fact, a little of everything 
 commonly taught at fashionable boarding-schools 
 and to dance very well. She had, in fact, 
 learned just enough of her various studies, to 
 forget them with perfect ease. All this time 
 not a word had been heard from "William Max 
 well, since the day he left Linden Hall. Did 
 not his mother think sometimes of her absent 
 eon ? Often ; and with severe reproaches of 
 conscience. 
 
 * * * * * 
 
 One Saturday, early in autumn, Bertha went 
 as usual to the Lamartine House to see her mo 
 ther. The teacher, who was out with a number 
 of scholars, left her there for an hour, to call for 
 her on returning from a walk. 
 
 Mrs. Maxwell was not at the hotel herself, 
 but there was a note from her, written in a hand 
 that was scarcely legible, saying that she was 
 ill, but begging Bertha not to be alarmed as she 
 hoped soon to be better. Bertha was not alarm 
 ed, but thought it very strange that her mother 
 
170 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 should have written such a very careless, scrawl 
 ed note. 
 
 Alas ! Mrs. Maxwell had hardly strength to 
 write at all. She was very violently attacked 
 with fever, and was unwilling Bertha should 
 be exposed to it by coming to see her. 
 
 Another week passed, and Bertha, who was 
 very much occupied in preparing for an exhi 
 bition at the end of the term, scarcely thought 
 of her mother's illness. 
 
 She went the next Saturday to the hotel, 
 wishing much to see her mother, because she 
 must have a new dress for the exhibition, in 
 which she was to play a conspicuous part. 
 
 Instead of finding her mother at the Lamar- 
 tine House, she met Mr. Hamden, the man with 
 whom Mrs. Maxwell boarded ; he had come in 
 a wagon to take her to her mother. 
 
 Bertha was now exceedingly alarmed; she 
 begged the man to take her immediately, and 
 she would send an excuse afterwards to Mrs. 
 Hoppington. 
 
 He placed her in the wagon, and drove as 
 rapidly as possible till he reached his own house. 
 
 But alas ! when Bertha arrived Mrs. Maxwell 
 
THE BEAUTY AT SCHOOL. 171 
 
 was wandering, and she did not know the idol 
 ized child who stood by her bed-side. 
 
 Poor Bertha ! She cried, " Mamma, mamma ! 
 it is your own darling ! Don't you see me ? " 
 
 Then the thought of her sudden departure 
 without Mrs. Hoppington's knowledge, and as 
 that lady supposed Mrs. Maxwell was a lodger 
 at the Lamartine House, how was she to unde 
 ceive her ? 
 
 "Oh what shall I do? What shall I do?" 
 she exclaimed, again and again. 
 
 "Haven't you some friend to send for?" in 
 quired Mrs. Hamden. 
 
 " JSTo, I cannot think of one ; but I must send 
 word to Mrs. Hoppington that 'ma was taken 
 suddenly ill in the country, and I was obliged 
 to go to her." 
 
 " Not suddenly ; the poor lady has been ail 
 ing for some time, though she was careful not 
 to let you know it." 
 
 " Then do send word that 'ma is in the coun 
 try very sick, and I am with her." 
 
 Mrs. Hamden promised to do so, but before 
 she succeeded there had been great alarm at 
 Mrs. Hoppington's, and thousands of wild con- 
 
172 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 jectures as to what had become of Bertha. 
 Their exhibition would be spoiled without the 
 Beauty ! 
 
 Mrs. Maxwell, in the ravings of fever, called 
 for William, and implored him to come to her. 
 
 When Bertha attempted to speak to her sliQ 
 would say, " Go away ! Go away ! I don't 
 know you. You trouble me. Keep out of my 
 sight." 
 
 Every hour the poor lady grew worse ; the 
 physician said there was no hope of her re 
 covery. 
 
 The very next day after Bertha arrived, Mrs. 
 Maxwell died, without having recognized for a 
 moment her darling child. 
 
CHAPTER XVHL 
 
 A STJDDEN CHANGE OF SCENE. 
 
 IT is a splendid library. Books on rich cases 
 of oak. Marble statues on pedestals. Busts of 
 the wise and good give an air of dignity and 
 repose to the apartment. A bronze chandelier 
 is suspended over a richly carved oak table, 
 covered with green cloth ; the gas light falls on 
 three young ladies seated at the table with books 
 before them, over which they studiously bend 
 their heads. 
 
 Two years and some months have produced 
 a change in the appearance of those three 
 Esther and Louisa Perrit, and their friend Mar 
 garet Gracy. 
 
 All have grown taller. Esther, a slender, 
 graceful girl, has entered her seventeenth year. 
 Louisa is nearly as tall as her sister. Patsy is 
 
174: BEAUTIFUL BEETIIA. 
 
 neither tall nor graceful, and none of them 
 would be called superlatively beautiful, and yet 
 one might seek among thousands and not find 
 faces more expressive and interesting than those 
 three. 
 
 There is sweet pensiveness in Esther's coun 
 tenance, and deep thoughtfulness in her shaded 
 eyes, "Wells of thought, in which the star of truth 
 is shining," somebody once called those eyes. 
 
 Wells sometimes reflect the stars, and truth 
 is said to be hid in a well doubtless he who 
 paid the compliment saw the heavenly soul 
 beaming through those eyes. 
 
 Louisa's face is as arch and smiling as for 
 merly; but more intellectual and more pleas 
 ing. Her vivacity is not subdued, but her 
 temper is at least, it is under tolerably good 
 control : now and then it breaks loose, and has 
 the mastery over her for a brief space. 
 
 Patsy is plump and rosy but what a bright, 
 sparkling countenance ! Where could one find 
 a happier face ? 
 
 " Have you learned your lesson already, 
 Patsy ? I see you have laid aside Whately and 
 taken up Scott," remarked Louisa. 
 
A SUDDEN CHANGE OF SCENE. 175 
 
 " Yes ; I have learned rny rhetoric lesson per 
 fectly and now am indulging myself in a few 
 pages of the l Lady of the Lake.' " 
 
 " So you do really enjoy poetry," said Esther, 
 looking up playfully, from the book she was 
 stud ( ying. 
 
 " Indeed I do, Esther ; thanks to you." 
 
 " And thanks to you, Patsy ; I have over 
 come the mountains of difficulty in Day's Al 
 gebra." 
 
 And how came Patsy in that splendid library ? 
 Mr. Perrit invited her to pass the winter in his 
 family, and go to school with his daughters. 
 Meantime, Mrs. Gracy, having left the care of 
 her house to a farmer and his wife, who occupy 
 it for the winter, has gone to Ivy Cottage to be 
 with Miss Nancy. 
 
 A knock at the library door. 
 
 " Come in." 
 
 A waiter enters : " Miss Perrit, there is a 
 gentleman in the parlor who wishes to see you 
 and Miss Louisa." 
 
 " Did he not send up his name ? " 
 
 " No, Miss." 
 
 "Esther and Louisa wondering much who 
 
176 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 the gentleman could be, followed to the parlor. 
 A tall, young gentleman, with dark hair and 
 dark whiskers, bowed politely as they entered, 
 and simply bade them " Good evening." 
 
 " My father and mother are not at home," 
 said Esther, thinking the stranger must have 
 called to see them. 
 
 "Violetta and Rosamia have forgotten the 
 Damon of Castalia." 
 
 " Hamilton Gracy ! St. George and the Dra 
 gon ! " exclaimed Louisa, recalling at once the 
 mad-dog scene and Patsy's comparison. 
 
 " The very same," he replied laughing, " or 
 if you please, the respectable scare-crow." 
 
 "I'll run and call Patsy," said Louisa, scam 
 pering out of the room. 
 
 " Patsy ! Is my sister here, Miss Perrit ? " 
 
 " She is ; did you not know it ? " 
 
 " I did not ; I arrived in the steamer from 
 Europe to-day, and have not heard from my 
 mother and sister for a long time. I am half 
 afraid to ask for my mother." 
 
 " She is well but here comes Patsy." 
 
 " Do you know this person ? " said Louisa ; 
 " He claims to be an old acquaintance." 
 
A SUDDEN CHANGE OF SCENE. 177 
 
 Patsy looked doubtfully at her brother for a 
 moment, then ran to him, seized his arm, and 
 burst into tears and shrieks of joy. He led her 
 to a sofa, and hastily brushed the tears from his 
 own eyes. 
 
 " ~Now tell us how you are, and where you 
 came from, and how you happened to be here," 
 said Patsy. 
 
 " I was at Gottingen when you heard from 
 me ; that is, if you received my last letter." 
 
 " We did ; and despaired of seeing you soon, 
 you were then so charmed with that German 
 University." 
 
 " After travelling over Europe and exploring 
 Egypt, I went with my friend and pupil, for he 
 was both to me, to Gottingen, where we passed 
 a year. I then thought it was better for us to 
 return home, lest we should become too Ger 
 manized for good and true American citizens. 
 "We passed a short time in England and Scot 
 land on our return ; and here I am, thank God, 
 once more in my own beloved country. My 
 mother, Miss Perrit says, is well. I shall go 
 directly to Sylvania." 
 
 " What, to-morrow ! " exclaimed Patsy. 
 
178 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 " Yes ; to-morrow. Will you go with me ? " 
 " I cannot leave school I am going on with 
 
 my studies here, to fit myself for a teacher." 
 " Indeed ! You are a brave girl." 
 Esther and Louisa soon withdrew, leaving the 
 
 happy brother and sister to enjoy a tete-a-tete. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 IVY COTTAGE FIRESIDE. 
 
 THAI b<*:ne evening, it was dark and stormy 
 in the country. Miss Nancy and her friend, 
 Mrs. Gracy, were seated before a blazing wood 
 fire at Ivy Cottage. A small, round table was 
 between them OD which were two candles (of 
 Miss Nancy's own making) in bright brass can 
 dlesticks. 
 
 Miss Nancy was knitting " a tidy" for an arm 
 chair, Mrs. Gracy reading aloud from Dwight's 
 " Germany." Of course Germany has great at 
 tractions for her while her only son resides there, 
 and Miss Nancy sympathizes with her in all her 
 cares and interests. 
 
 A large Maltese cat stretches its full length on 
 the rug before the fire, looking the very picture 
 of a petted favorite. 
 
180 BEAUTIFUL EEETHA. 
 
 " Stop a moment ; I thought I heard a knock 
 at the front door," said Miss Nancy. 
 
 A single faint, timid rap was heard. 
 
 " Who can it be, this stormy night ? " said 
 Mrs. Gracy, snatching up the candle and going 
 to the door. The instant she opened it a gust 
 blew out the light, but not before a glance had 
 shown her that it was a woman. 
 
 " Come in out of the storm, whoever you are," 
 she exclaimed, holding the door wide open. 
 
 Slowly the person stepped in, and Mrs. Gracy 
 closed the door. 
 
 " "Wipe your feet on the mat, and then come 
 this way," Mrs. Gracy continued, as she opened 
 the door of the little parlor. 
 
 The stranger remained standing in the small 
 entry without speaking a word. 
 
 Mrs. Gracy relighted the candle and returned 
 to the entry. Miss Nancy followed. 
 
 A slight, stooping figure, dressed in black, 
 was leaning on the post at the foot of the stair 
 case ; the face was completely hidden by a bon 
 net. On her arm was a small, black travelling bag. 
 
 " Who, and what are you ? " demanded Miss 
 Nancy, somewhat abruptly. 
 
IVY COTTAGE FIRESIDE. 181 
 
 A sob, almost a groan, was the only reply. 
 
 " Come in by the fire," said Miss Nancy ; 
 " you must be almost frozen." 
 
 Mrs. Gracy took the stranger by the arm, led 
 her in almost by force, and seated her on a 
 chair, near the fire. 
 
 She continued to weep aloud. 
 
 " Your feet must be very cold," Mrs. Gracy 
 said, as she observed a pair of small, thin shoes, 
 much worn ; " let me rub them." 
 
 As she took the shoes from the small, delicate 
 feet, partially covered by silk stockings full of 
 holes, she chafed them in her warm hands, and 
 then shook her head, mournfully. 
 
 Miss Nancy meantime went to the kitchen 
 and put the tea-kettle on to make a cup of hot 
 tea. 
 
 " Take off your bonnet ; it is too stormy for 
 you to go farther to night," continued Mrs. 
 Gracy. 
 
 " Oh ! I can't take off my bonnet ; I am not 
 fit to be seen," sobbed out the stranger. 
 
 " Never mind that ; it would be cruel to allow 
 a dog to be out in such a night as this," thought 
 kind Mrs. Gracy as she untied the black bonnet. 
 
182 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 With some reluctance the stranger allowed the 
 bonnet to be removed. Mrs. Gracy started as 
 she saw a deathly pale young face, and a head 
 from which the hair had all been shaven. 
 
 "It must be a lunatic," thought she, shud 
 dering. 
 
 Miss Nancy now entered, and the same 
 thought passed through her mind. 
 
 "You don't know me, Miss Nancy Perrit," 
 whispered the stranger, trembling like a leaf in 
 the autumn wind. 
 
 " No ; poor young creature, I never saw you 
 before." 
 
 " You have seen me at church I am Bertha 
 Maxwell." 
 
 " Bertha Maxwell ! Beautiful Bertha ! " 
 
 "They used to call me beautiful," she at 
 tempted to say, but the words died on her half- 
 frozen lips and chattering teeth. 
 
 " Poor child ! You shall have some hot tea 
 soon, and then perhaps you will tell me how 
 you happened to come here to me to me" 
 Miss Nancy repeated the last words with start 
 ling emphasis. 
 
 "I know I poisoned your parrot, and was 
 
IVY COTTAGE FLRESIDE. 183 
 
 very rude to your nieces ; but I had nowhere 
 else to go," said Bertha, bursting into violent 
 weeping. 
 
 "His child coming to me ? Mysterious Pro 
 vidence ! In mourning, too ! Can it be that 
 the woman is dead ? " said Miss Nancy to her 
 self, as she left the room. 
 
 Soon she returned with a tray, on which w r ere 
 a smoking cup of tea, bread and butter, and 
 boiled eggs. 
 
 Placing the tray on the small, round table, 
 she moved it close to Bertha, and begged her to 
 help herself. 
 
 The shivering girl swallowed the tea, but 
 could not eat a morsel. The warmth was re 
 viving. 
 
 "You dont know that my mother is dead, 
 and perhaps my brother is dead too," said she, 
 with a violent effort. 
 
 " We will not trouble you to tell us any more 
 about your misfortunes to-night," said Mrs. 
 Gracy, tenderly, her eyes overflowing with 
 tears. 
 
 Miss Nancy, who never forgot what was need 
 ful for the comfort of the body, added, " No 
 
184 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 indeed, we will not. Orpy shall make a fire in 
 your room and warm your bed, and in the morn 
 ing I hope you will feel a great deal better." 
 
 Miss Nancy not only showed Bertha to her 
 room, but helped her to undress, and tucked the 
 bed-covering in all around, as snug and closely 
 as the upper crust of one of her apple pies. 
 
 The candles burnt out ; the clock warned them 
 the lateness of the hour, and still Miss ^Nancy 
 and Mrs. Gracy were sitting by the smouldering 
 fire, talking of things past, present, and to come 
 
CHAPTEK XX. 
 
 WHO COMES NOW? 
 
 THE next morning Bertha felt unable to come 
 down stairs, and Miss JSTancy sent up her break 
 fast. Oipy set down the tray, stared at Bertha 
 a moment, and then lifting up her hands and 
 eyes, muttered, "Pride goeth before destruc 
 tion, and a haughty spirit before a fall." 
 
 Soon after Orpy left the room Mrs. Gracy 
 went in and found Bertha earnestly regarding 
 herself in a small looking-glass, which hung over 
 the old-fashioned toilet-table. 
 
 The beautiful curls, once so ornamental, were 
 gone, and the short, bristly covering which re 
 mained stood out " like quills upon the fretful 
 porcupine ;" her eyes were red and swollen, her 
 complexion sallow and mottled in short she 
 was a complete fright. 
 
186 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 She was repeating in a bitter tone the passage 
 from Scripture which Orpy, half unconsciously, 
 had dropped from her lips. " Pride goeth be 
 fore destruction, and a haughty spirit before a 
 fall." 
 
 " What a horrid creature ! Poor 'ma would 
 not have known me ;" and Bertha covered her 
 face with her hands, and threw herself on the 
 bed, weeping convulsively. 
 
 " Excuse me," said Mrs. Gracy, whose pre 
 sence Bertha had not before noticed; "I came 
 to see if I could be of any service to you." 
 
 " Nobody can do me any good. O, I am so 
 miserable ! " 
 
 " Poor child ! don't agitate yourself; you have 
 been very ill." 
 
 " I have ; who told you so ? " 
 
 " I judge so from your appearance ; I hope 
 you will soon be better." 
 
 " I shall never be beautiful Bertha again." 
 
 " Never mind that, if you recover your health. 
 Where were you during your illness ? " 
 
 " At Mr. Hamden's. I have been dreadfully 
 ill. 'Ma died, you know, of fever. I took it 
 from her, and came near dying. I was very 
 
WHO COMES NOW? 1ST 
 
 sick a great many weeks. Those people were 
 poor, plain folks, and I suppose did what they 
 could for us. I don't think they meant to be 
 hard with me, but they sold all ma's clothes 
 and almost all mine, to pay the doctor, and for 
 the funeral and nurses and medicine. Only 
 think, Mrs. Gracy, I have now nothing in the 
 world but the few things I brought with me." 
 
 Bertha seeming much exhausted, Mrs. Gracy 
 begged her to keep quiet, but Miss Nancy now 
 coming in, she continued, " How can you and 
 Miss Nancy Perrit be so kind to me ? I must 
 tell you how I came here. I thought if I could 
 only get to Linden Hall it would seem like 
 home for I was so home-sick. I begged Mr. 
 Hamden to let me have just money enough to 
 get here, and I would leave my dear little watch 
 with him till I could pay him. He said we 
 owed him more than the watch was worth al 
 ready, but he would buy me decent mourning 
 and give me money enough to travel to Linden 
 Hall. He did so ; but when I got here the 
 money was all gone, for I came by the rail-road. 
 Nobody spoke to me all the way. I walked 
 to Linden Hall cold and desolate it was. I 
 
188 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 sat down on the front steps and cried a long 
 while. I did not know anybody in this neigh 
 borhood. 'Ma never made acquaintances in the 
 country. I remembered the two girls who 
 stayed with Miss Nancy Perrit one summer, and 
 thought how happy they always were, and 
 what a sweet, gentle way one of them had. I 
 remembered, too, when I was a very little girl 
 my father said to me, as we passed this house 
 he led me by the hand I remember, and he 
 said, < Miss Nancy Perrit lives here ; she was 
 once a very dear friend of mine.' I wonder 
 how I ever could have forgotten it somehow I 
 did till I sat on those cold steps, and the dark, 
 stormy night was coming ; and then, when 
 I thought of it, I said to myself, perhaps Miss 
 Nancy will be kind to me for the sake of my 
 father who has been so long dead and gone. 
 I knew she could not for my own sake, for I 
 poisoned her parrot. Oh dearj I have not a 
 friend in the world." 
 
 The tears were chasing each other down Miss 
 Nancy's face ; she could not speak. 
 
 " I am sorry to make you feel so badly," added 
 Bertha ; "I will not talk to you any more now." 
 
WHO COMES NOW? 189 
 
 " Be quiet, then. We will leave yon to rest 
 yourself as long as you please," said Mrs. Gra 
 cy, tenderly. 
 
 " Oh, I must say how sorry I am that I was 
 rude to Patsy Gracy, too ; I was very haughty. 
 I see it now." 
 
 " Patsy would most heartily forgive you." 
 
 Mrs. Gracy then went down stairs and found 
 some lace to make Bertha a cap, to cover her 
 frightful head, while Miss Nancy went to her own 
 room and passed the rest of the morning alone. 
 
 At dinner-time Bertha still pleaded fatigue 
 and weariness and begged to be allowed to stay 
 in her room. 
 
 Miss Nancy was silent and thoughtful at din 
 ner. She seemed to be revolving something in 
 her mind, which at last shaped itself into ex 
 pression : " Yes, yes ; I must teach her to work, 
 poor thing, that she may be able to support her 
 self." 
 
 As this was rather thought aloud than ad 
 dressed to Mrs. Gracy, she seemed not to no 
 tice it. 
 
 " I wonder what has become of the lad. Do 
 you knowj Mrs. Gracy ?" 
 
190 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 "Who? William Maxwell ? I haven't heard 
 a word of him since he suddenly left col- 
 lege." 
 
 " Then she is alone in the world William's 
 daughter ! a poor, helpless, spoiled child !" 
 And Miss Nancy again relapsed into silence. 
 
 Bertha was allowed to remain in her bed 
 room all day. It was the same room Esther 
 and Louisa had occupied. There was the ward 
 robe, and there the pretty secretary and book 
 case, with some of their books still standing on 
 the shelves. Bertha looked them over with in 
 terest, and almost for the first time in her life 
 found pleasure in reading. 
 
 Mrs. Gracy and Miss Nancy were again 
 seated by the fire for one of their usual quiet 
 evenings. Dwight's Germany was spread open 
 on the table. Miss Nancy, instead of knitting, 
 had in hand a piece of white flannel, making 
 up garments for somebody she did not say for 
 whom. Without, it was a clear,' cold night ; the 
 stars were gleaming brightly in the dark sky. 
 Within, too, it was cheery and bright ; the fire 
 sending its flickering flames up the wide chim 
 ney, and the candles (only when they wanted 
 
WHO COMES NOW? 191 
 
 snuffing) giving a pleasant light to the little 
 parlor. 
 
 "Mercy! there's another rapping at the 
 door !" exclaimed Miss Nancy, starting up. 
 
 There could be no mistake now. The old 
 knocker was not lifted by a timid hand. Before 
 Miss Nancy could reach the door, rap ! rap ! 
 rap ! it went again. Mrs. Gracy followed and 
 stood just behind her as she cautiously opened 
 the door. 
 
 " Who's there ?" demanded Miss Nancy, as 
 she caught a glimpse of a man full six feet tall. 
 
 " Is my mother here ?" was the reply. 
 
 The question was answered by Mrs. Gracy 
 springing forward and clasping the stranger to 
 her heart. Oh, the unfathomable depth of a 
 mother's love ! Such joy as hers found no ex 
 pression in words. 
 
 " Come in ! come in ! I suppose this must be 
 the loy you have been talking about all win 
 ter," said Miss Nancy, holding the light to the 
 young man's face as she walked backward to 
 the parlor. 
 
 " Yes, this is my son Hamilton," she replied, 
 proudly surveying him, from his broad, hand- 
 
192 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 some forehead to his polished boot from top to 
 toe, from toe to top. 
 
 Miss Nancy under no circumstances forgot 
 good cheer, and soon the little table, well filled 
 with it, was placed before the traveler, who 
 was ready enough to appreciate it. Hundreds 
 of questions were to be asked and answered be 
 tween mother and son, and Miss Nancy went to 
 stay awhile with Bertha. Hamilton discussed 
 his coffee and several other matters. 
 
 " I saw Patsy last evening. How well she' is 
 looking, and how her manners have softened. 
 The elder Miss Perrit must have had a happy 
 influence over her. Mother, you have not seen 
 Miss Esther for a long time. She is perfectly 
 lovely. I never saw a more beautiful counte 
 nance. She resembles . the famous Dresden 
 Madonna, my favorite among all Raphael's 
 Madonnas ; yet she has more sweetness a more 
 angelic expression than any picture I have seen 
 abroad." 
 
 " Hamilton, I remember you raved in this 
 way about Bertha Maxwell's beauty. You 
 called her angelic." 
 
 " Did I ? It was a boyish fancy. Hers was 
 
WHO COMES NOW? 193 
 
 a different kind of beauty a wax-doll beauty 
 mere color and form ; but, by the way, is beau 
 tiful Bertha still at Linden Hall?" 
 
 Mi's. Gracy was embarrassed, and seemed re 
 luctant to reply. 
 
 " Is she dead ?" exclaimed Hamilton. 
 
 " ~No ; but her poor mother is dead. Bertha 
 is here." 
 
 " Here ! in this house ?" 
 
 " In this very house, my son." 
 
 Mrs. Gracy drew tears from the eager listener 
 as she related Bertha's mournful story. 
 
 It was late that night when Hamilton Gracy 
 went over the well-known road to his mother's 
 house, where he passed the night. As he lifted 
 his eyes to the glittering stars which gemmed 
 the heavens, he thanked the Almighty Creator 
 for the kind care and love bestowed on one so 
 humble and insignificant as himself. 
 
 The next day Bertha was intending to come 
 down stairs ; but when she heard that Hamil 
 ton Gracy was there, she positively refused, and 
 weeping, said, "He was my brother's dear 
 friend. Oh, ask him if he knows what has be 
 come of William Maxwell." 
 13 
 
194: BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 Mrs. Gracy was obliged to confess that her 
 son had not heard from his classmate since he 
 left college. 
 
 " Oh, such a horrid fright as I am ! I would 
 not see Mr. Gracy for the world," exclaimed 
 poor Bertha. 
 
 "I have brought you a cap, Miss Bertha,' 1 
 said Mrs. Gracy ; " perhaps, as you have not 
 had time since your recent illness to make any 
 for yourself, you will do me the favor to wear it." 
 
 Mrs. Gracy was extremely polite and delicate 
 in her manner towards the poor girl, much 
 more so than she would have been to the beau 
 tiful Bertha of Linden Hall. 
 
 "I shall be glad to wear it," was the reply. 
 " I asked Mrs. Hamden to buy me some caps, 
 but she did not. I brought but few things 
 with me. Where am I to go, Mrs. Gracy ?" 
 
 " I don't know. Can you not go back to Mrs. 
 Hoppington as an assistant teacher ?" 
 
 " Oh, no, indeed. She did not come to see 
 me, and was very angry with poor ma. When 
 Mrs. Hamden went there for my things she 
 asked her that very question. She laughed, 
 and said I could teach nothing but dancing. 
 
WHO COMES NOW? 195 
 
 Mrs. Hamden told me I must work for a living 
 as she does. I don't know how to do one use 
 ful thing. It would kill me to wash and iron, 
 or to work out doors, like Patsy." 
 
 " You must get quite well before you think 
 of these matters, my poor child," said Mrs. 
 Gracy, taking one of Bertha's thin, delicate 
 hands, and thinking how utterly impossible it 
 would be for the feeble girl yet to make any 
 exertion, in her unselfishness forgetting that her 
 own hands had once been equally delicate. 
 
 Hamilton Gracy remained at home only one 
 day ; a part of it he passed in solitary musing 
 by the grotto and the brook-side, and there 
 formed resolutions which he religiously kept in 
 after years. 
 
 His liberal allowance to his mother and sis 
 ter had enabled them to transform the ugly red 
 house to a neat white one, with honeysuckles, 
 roses, and woodbines climbing about it. The 
 old red gate had been displaced by a handsome 
 white one, with stone posts, over which ivy was 
 growing luxuriantly, transplanted from the 
 parent vine at Ivy Cottage. The farm, too, was 
 in fine order. 
 
196 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 Hamilton dined at Miss Nancy's, but Bertha 
 did not come down stairs. Little thought she, 
 when she took a peep at him between the dirn- 
 ity curtains of her window, as he was coming 
 through the gate, what a shock, a shudder of 
 horror, she gave him. It was but a glance, yet 
 it revealed that emaciated visage, with the eyes 
 starting from the head, the lips, once so red and 
 full, thin and blue, the sallow cheeks, the shaven 
 head. 
 
 " And what are your-plans for the future, my 
 son ?" asked Mrs. Gracy. 
 
 Hamilton told her that the gentleman whose 
 son he had traveled with had made him a gen 
 erous offer to study law with him, and at the 
 same time to continue his son's tutor. He 
 would thus be able to maintain himself. He 
 only wanted his mother's approval. 
 
 Mrs. Gracy very naturally thought her son 
 had sufficient talent to honor that profession, and 
 readily approved of the plan. Although his 
 visit was short, she was obliged to consent to 
 his immediate return to the city, where he was 
 to enter at once the lawyer's office. 
 
 When taking leave of his mother, he slipped 
 
WHO COMES NOW? 197 
 
 a gold piece into her hand, and whispered, 
 "Poor Bertha!" 
 
 The next evening, when Hamilton Gracy re 
 lated Bertha's sad story at Mr. Perrit's, various 
 were the emotions of the little circle. 
 
 When Louisa learned that Bertha had lost all 
 her beauty, the first thought was, " I am glad 
 of it I" The instantaneous one that followed 
 was, " Oh, how wicked I am ! Poor unfortunate 
 girl !" 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Perrit, with their usual benevo 
 lence, began to devise ways and means for her 
 comfort. Mr. Perrit said, " It will be a good 
 thing for sister Nancy to have her sympathy 
 and kindness called forth in Bertha's behalf." 
 
 Esther covered her face and wept, without 
 uttering a word. 
 
 Patsy said, " "What a pity the poor child was 
 never taught to work. How can she maintain 
 herself?" Patsy had been taught that every 
 person should, if need came, " earn their own 
 living." 
 
 * 4f -X- * * * -5f 
 
 "How can she maintain herself?" was the 
 question asked at Ivy Cottage by Mrs. Gracy. 
 
198 BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 "We will teach her," was Miss Nancy's 
 cheerful reply. 
 
 Yet, day after day, Bertha sat cuddled up in 
 an arm-chair by the fireside, and did nothing. 
 Under the care of two such excellent nurses she 
 rapidly recovered her health. 
 
 " Here is some plain sewing for you," said 
 Mrs. Gracy one morning to Bertha, after she 
 had been a full month at Ivy Cottage. 
 
 " I cannot do plain sewing ; I don't know 
 how," said she. 
 
 " But I can teach you." 
 
 " Poor ma always did everything for me. It 
 will spoil my lingers to sew ;" and she began to 
 weep. 
 
 " But, Bertha, you know you must now learn 
 to do many things for yourself. It may seem 
 hard at first ; but soon you will find more plea 
 sure in being occupied than in idleness." 
 
 " I wish I had a piano here." 
 
 "A piano!" exclaimed Mrs. Gracy, almost 
 hopeless. " You must learn something besides 
 accomplishments." 
 
 " I mean to teach dancing ; Mrs. Iloppington 
 said I could." * 
 
WHO COMES NOW? 199 
 
 " But who will you teach here ? Surely not 
 Miss Nancy, not me, nor Orpy," replied Mrs. 
 Gracy, laughing at the ridiculous idea. 
 
 " I don't know why you laugh. Every lady 
 admired my dancing ; and if my face is changed, 
 my figure and feet are not." 
 
 Mrs. Gracy was puzzled. Is there no possi 
 bility of vanity's dying out ? 
 
 " It would be very disagreeable for you to 
 appear among the people of the village under 
 present circumstances. Have you any accfuaint- 
 ance with them ?" 
 
 "No; I never was allowed to speak to the 
 country people. Now it would be mortifying. 
 I suppose I must give up that notion. But, in 
 deed, I shall prick my fingers dreadfully with 
 that coarse work." 
 
 "I hope not. It is only hemming. I will 
 turn down and baste the hem for you." 
 
 Bertha was awkward, but Mrs. Gracy was 
 patient. True, there were little dots of blood 
 from the delicate fingers all along the hem, and 
 the delicate fingers smarted a little ; but Bertha 
 was pleased to see what she had accomplished, 
 and when Mrs. Gracy told her she had better 
 
200 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 lay aside her work, she said, " Not till I show 
 it to Miss Nancy." 
 
 That good lady came in, bringing a checked 
 apron, one that belonged to Esther. She 
 praised the first effort at hemming. "Now," 
 said she, " put on this apron, Bertha ; I am 
 going to teach you to make pies, as I did my 
 nieces." 
 
 " Oh, now, Miss Nancy, you surely are not 
 going to take me to the kitchen. I am afraid 
 of old Orpy." 
 
 " Orpy is the kindest of human beings ; she 
 would not hurt a fly." 
 
 " Oh, dear ! I don't know what I have got to 
 come to next !" 
 
 "I do," said Miss Nancy, good humoredly. 
 " When you have learned to make pies, I will 
 teach you to make bread. I intend taking you 
 through a regular course of domestic learning." 
 
 Poor Bertha was ready to faint from the heat 
 and the smoke of the kitchen ; and her unskil- 
 fulness in paring apples quite exceeded that of 
 Miss Nancy's former pupils. Old Orpy whis 
 pered loudly in Miss Nancy's ear, " Do take 
 the poor little crittur out of the kitchen." 
 
WHO COMES NOW? 201 
 
 Miss Nancy did as Orpy requested. 
 
 " The bird that we nurse is the bird that we love.' 
 
 So kind had been Miss Nancy and Mrs. 
 Gracy to the unfortunate Bertha, that they 
 were becoming devotedly attached to her, in 
 spite of her faults. The prospect of her being 
 able to maintain herself was very doubtful. It 
 was quite certain that she was unfit for hard 
 work. Too tender early nurture had rendered 
 her a fragile thing, no more able to encounter 
 the storms of life than the drooping fucia of the 
 greenhouse would be to encounter the wintry 
 blasts which now beat harmlessly against its 
 warm shelter. 
 
 * ft * ft * 
 
 LETTER FROM PATSY GRACY. 
 
 "March 20, 18 . 
 " DEAR MOTHER : 
 
 "I begin already to count the days which 
 must pass before I shall be with you. Much as 
 I have enjoyed the winter, my heart bounds 
 at the prospect of being once more in my own 
 humble home. 
 
 " I am right glad to hear that you and Miss 
 
202 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 Nancy continue to be deeply interested in Ber 
 tha Maxwell. Mrs. Perrit says Miss Nancy 
 only wanted an occasion to open up the rich 
 and sweet fountain of kindness in her generous 
 heart. Esther and Louisa unsealed the fountain 
 which is now flowing forth so abundantly. I 
 don't think those were her exact words, but it 
 was the idea. 
 
 " I have something to tell you, dear mother, 
 which will, I trust, give you pleasure. I am 
 sure it has made me jump for joy. Mr. Perrit 
 has found two pupils for me two nice little 
 girls, whose mother is an invalid, and whom I 
 am to take home with me and educate, with 
 your permission and assistance. Now will you 
 be a mother to them, too a dear, good mother, 
 as you are to me ? You know how anxious I 
 am to be independent, because yes, mother, 
 we must think of these matters because I want 
 you to be well provided for when you are older, 
 and that you may not be obliged to work so 
 hard now. 
 
 "I have found myself able to keep a high 
 standing in my classes at school, thanks to yor 
 and Hamilton for your thorough elementary in- 
 
WHO COMES NOW? 203 
 
 struction, and hope it is not presumption for me 
 to attempt teaching. 
 
 " Hamilton must not be taxed for us. It will 
 be as much as he can do to support himself 
 while he is obtaining his profession. Then, you 
 know, he must have a law library. Perhaps, if 
 I am successful, I may be able to make him a 
 present of Blackstone's Commentaries and 
 some other law books. Wouldn't that be de 
 lightful! 
 
 " Then I Jiave another plan. Bertha must re 
 ceive a good education. I can assist her. If 
 she stays with Miss Nancy she can recite to me 
 every day. What do you say to that, my dear, 
 good mother? and what says generous Miss 
 Nancy ? Poor petted Bertha ! Helpless or 
 phan ! We must do all we can for her till she 
 is able to help herself. Tell her not to be dis 
 couraged. There is One above who < tempers 
 the blast to the shorn lamb.' 
 
 " The Perrits the noble Perrits, one and all, 
 send love to the tenants of Ivy Cottage. 
 
 " Devotedly your daughter, 
 
 " PATSY. 
 
 "P. S. We see Hamilton quite frequently. 
 
204: BEAUTIFUL EEBTHA. 
 
 He is a great favorite here, I assure you. 1 
 hope- our farmer takes good care of Mincey." 
 
 A 
 
 Mrs. Gracy read the letter to Miss Nancy and 
 Bertha. 
 
 " And that is the farm-girl whom I used to 
 despise !" exclaimed the latter. " How can 
 she be so generous to me?" After musing 
 awhile, Bertha asked Mrs. Gracy how Patsy, 
 who was only a little older than herself, could 
 be her teacher. 
 
 "Because for years she has been preparing 
 herself for the employment," answered Mrs. 
 Gracy. " Many a time has she stood at the 
 ironing-table with a book on the corner of it, 
 studying her lesson while she w r as ironing. You 
 have seen her sitting by the road-side with her 
 book in hand, while our cow was feeding." 
 
 "That I have, again and again, and I won 
 dered what funny story-books they were that 
 charmed her so much that she did not notice 
 me at all. Mrs. Gracy, it seems to me the 
 strangest thing in the world that you should be 
 so much more kind to me now than you were 
 then." 
 
WHO COMES NOW? 205 
 
 Mrs. Gracy might have told Bertha that the 
 reason was because she more needed kindness 
 now than she did then ; but she simply said, 
 " We are all glad if we can do you any good." 
 
 Alas ! the sun of prosperity had withered and 
 shrivelled the heart of Bertha Maxwell, and it 
 was still too contracted to comprehend the 
 length, and breadth, and depth of Christian 
 charity. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 DELICATE KINDNESS. 
 
 BEKTHA had now been some months at ivy 
 Cottage, and yet had never been off the grounds. 
 They urged her to go to church. She would 
 not for the world, she said, have those country 
 folks make fun of her. "You stayed home 
 from church yourself for ever so many years," 
 said she to Miss IsTancy. 
 
 " Sorry arn I that such is the fact. Those 
 were lost years to me. But you should follow 
 good examples, and not bad ones like mine," 
 was the humble reply. 
 
 These words were scarcely uttered when a 
 carriage drove up to the door, and out of it 
 sprang Hamilton Gracy, who then handed out 
 Esther, Louisa, and Patsy. 
 
 Bertha fled to her room and locked herself in. 
 The new comers were welcomed at the gate by 
 
DELICATE KINDNESS. 207 
 
 a feu-de-joie of kisses from Miss Nancy and 
 Mrs. Gracy. The little party had just left Mr. 
 and Mrs. Perrit, who, after dropping them at 
 the Sylvania station, continued their route 
 westward. Mrs. Gracy went home with her 
 son and daughter. 
 
 In spite of the urgent entreaties of Miss 
 Nancy, Bertha would not leave her room. The 
 evening was passed in pleasant chat by the party 
 below. The misses were surprised to find how 
 tenderly and affectionately their aunt felt to 
 wards her unfortunate guest. Louisa still found 
 it difficult to repress a wicked joy that Bertha 
 was no longer beautiful. Esther, full of sym 
 pathy and pity, seemed entirely to have forgot 
 ten the grievances they had suffered during 
 their former visit. 
 
 The next morning Miss Nancy sent up Ber 
 tha's breakfast, instead of following Louisa's ad 
 vice, half in jest, and half in naughty earnest: 
 " Starve her out." Bertha refused to admit 
 Orpy with the well filled tray, though she had 
 taken no supper. 
 
 Soon after breakfast Esther went and knocked 
 gently at the door of Bertha's room. 
 
208 BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 No answer. 
 
 She knocked more loudly, with no better suc 
 cess ; then, in a gentle voice she said, " It is I ; 
 Esther Perrit. Will Miss Maxwell please let 
 me come in ? I wish to tell her how deeply I 
 am interested in her." The sweet voice of Esther 
 was an "open sesame." Bertha unlocked the 
 door and admitted her to the well-known apart 
 ment. The shutters were closed and the cur 
 tains down. They sat in darkness, but Esther's 
 conversation was sunshine to the overshadowed 
 soul of Bertha ; she drew her on to relate her 
 trials, and wept with the unfortunate and erring 
 girl. 
 
 " I have lost everything. Is n't it a shame ? " 
 said Bertha, as she ended her painful story. 
 "I have lost my beauty, and my money, and 
 my home, and my mother, and I never shall be 
 happy again as long as I live. I wish I could die." 
 
 " Oh Bertha, Bertha I don't say that ; think 
 what a mercy it is that your life was spared, 
 that you might have better feelings towards 
 God, your Maker, before you go into his pre 
 sence in another world and be judged according 
 to the works done in the body." 
 
DELICATE KINDNESS. 209 
 
 " Why I never have done anything very bad 
 that I should be punished so severely in this 
 world. To be sure I was proud, but I had a 
 great deal to be proud of, and I was rude to 
 you and your sister. I coaxed Groschen, my 
 German maid, to poison Miss Nancy's parrot, 
 because she said 'Hold your tongue' to me. 
 We gave the creature arsenic one day when she 
 was sitting on the fence yonder. I am sorry for 
 that, because Miss ISTancy is very kind to me now." 
 
 " It is a good beginning, Bertha ; we ought 
 to be sorry for all the wrong we have done to 
 our fellow-creatures. Can we help feeling sorry, 
 too, when we think how we have treated our 
 best Friend ? God gave you beauty and many 
 other things perhaps you never loved Him nor 
 thanked Him for those gifts, and yet you are 
 very angry, and think it hard because He takes 
 them away from you. Bertha, your Heavenly 
 Father may be trying a different course to bring 
 you to Him. You know when the Prodigal 
 Son, in the beautiful parable, had spent all his 
 living and began to be in want, he remembered 
 his father's house and resolved to go to him and 
 
 say, ' Father, I have sinned against heaven and 
 14 
 
210 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 before thee, and am no more worthy to be called 
 thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants.' 
 Now, you know his father met him while he 
 was yet a great way off ; he was on his return, 
 however, with love in his heart towards that 
 kind father. So we must all return to our Hea 
 venly Father, and He will forgive our sins, and 
 make us his dear children through Jesus Christ, 
 and give us a better inheritance than beauty 
 or wealth. There is no perfect happiness in 
 this world, but there is i pleasantness ' and there 
 is c peace ' for those who walk in ' wisdom's 
 ways,' and after death perfect happiness through 
 eternity. But I am afraid I have wearied you, 
 Bertha ; I will bid you good morning." 
 
 " No, you have not ; tell Miss Nancy I will 
 come down to dinner." 
 
 When the clock struck twelve, Bertha slowly 
 descended the stairs, but when she reached the 
 door of the little parlor she stood irresolute, 
 with her hand on the lock. She heard Esther's 
 sweet voice, and it wooed her onward. 
 
 As soon as Louisa saw her, all malicious, un 
 kind feeling passed away like chaff before the 
 wind. Bertha had lost her uncommon beauty ; 
 
DELICATE KINDNESS. 211 
 
 but her hair was now grown longer, her com 
 plexion was less sallow, and she was much less 
 emaciated. She was pale, and her eyes swol 
 len and red with weeping. It was not the 
 change in appearance that touched the gen 
 erous heart of Louisa. It was the shyness the 
 painful consciousness of wrong-doing which Ber 
 tha exhibited which quite subdued Louisa ; 
 she went forward to meet her, held out her 
 hand cordially and led her to a seat at table be 
 side her, but Louisa could not speak a word. 
 Perhaps the large drops that chased each other 
 over her cheeks were a most acceptable expres 
 sion of sympathy. 
 
 What made Miss Nancy nudge her knuckles 
 into her own eyes so indignantly ? She had no 
 reason to be ashamed of those tears that would 
 cor^e in spite of herself. 
 
 It would have been an awkward and painful 
 meal throughout, but for Esther. She talked 
 with Miss Nancy about Patsy's plans. The two 
 pupils were to arrive in a few days. There was 
 to be a room fitted up for the little school. 
 Patsy hoped for a third pupil. "Margaret 
 Gracy," said she, " was the first scholar in her 
 
212 BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 classes at school. She has besides been taking 
 lessons in music all winter and has made won 
 derful progress, so that she will be able to teach 
 the little girls, who are beginners. Papa has 
 given her a piano, and Bertha can practice if 
 she wishes to keep up her music." 
 
 Bertha's eyes brightened and her face flushed 
 with pleasure. Such delicate consideration for 
 her w r as more than she could possibly understand, 
 and it was long, long before she fully appreciated 
 all their kindness. 
 
CHAPTER XXIL 
 
 A LETTER TO THE DEAD. 
 
 THE two little pupils arrived, and the day 
 came for opening Patsy's school. 
 
 One expected scholar was very reluctant to 
 make her appearance. Bertha had not yet been 
 beyond Miss Nancy's grounds, though she had 
 of late frequently seen Patsy at Ivy Cottage. 
 
 " Come Bertha, Louisa and I will walk with 
 you this morning," said Esther, handing her a 
 neat white sun-bonnet, the making of which had 
 employed many an hour in Esther's room ; 
 " please wear this bonnet, because it is just like 
 Louisa's and mine." 
 
 " I am afraid we shall meet Hamilton Gracy." 
 
 " He has returned to the city 
 
 "But we shall meet a great many other 
 people." 
 
214: BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 " They will do us no harm. It is a charming 
 morning, and the walk to Mrs. Gracy's a de 
 lightful one." 
 
 " But, Miss Perrit, are you not afraid of mad 
 dogs?" 
 
 Esther shuddered, but replied, " It is not the 
 season for mad dogs." 
 
 "Here are your books, Bertha; I will put 
 them in your dinner-basket," said Louisa, cut 
 ting short the deliberation by walking off with 
 the basket on her arm. 
 
 " Dinner-basket ! " exclaimed Bertha, looking 
 at the well-filled basket with as much horror as 
 a fashionable dandy would at a huge market- 
 basket, if requested to carry it home. "Din 
 ner basket ! Am I expected to carry my din 
 ner?" 
 
 " You may call it a lunch if you please, Ber 
 tha," said Miss Nancy ; " you know, my clear, 
 you are to stay all day on account of your mu 
 sic and Frenchj so at noon you will need some 
 refreshment, and if you choose, ask Patsy to join 
 you ; or perhaps you will prefer going to Mrs. 
 Gracy's table ; if so, the pie (for it is a pretty 
 large one), and other things can go on her table 
 
A LETTER TO THE DEAD. 215 
 
 without looking oddly. Do just as you please, 
 darling." 
 
 As Mrs. Gracy predicted, Miss Nancy was in 
 danger of over-indulgence to her present pet. 
 
 " Louisa is running away from us, we must 
 walk fast to come up with her." 
 
 As soon as they started, Louisa skipped "back 
 to them and went on chatting in her gayest 
 mood, in spite of the big dinner-basket which 
 she now and then changed from one arm to the 
 other. 
 
 When they arrived, there sat Patsy (beg par 
 don ! Miss Gracy !) in an arm chair, as grave 
 and as dignified as the President of a College 
 on Commencement Day. Her two young pu 
 pils were seated at their desks. Patsy motioned 
 Bertha to take her seat at another desk, and 
 then with a wave of the hand to Esther and 
 Louisa, unceremoniously dismissed them. 
 
 The fact was, she saw a mischievous twinkle 
 in Louisa's eye, and was afraid her own gravity 
 would be disturbed. 
 
 The sisters wandered homeward by the grotto 
 and the brook, calling up memories of the past 
 at every step. They were not as romantic and 
 
216 BEAUTIFUL -BERTHA. 
 
 sentimental as formerly, but they had keener 
 appreciation, and more intense love of the beau 
 tiful. In the grotto they could not stand up 
 right, but they sat on the old rustic bench, and 
 chatted a full hour. 
 
 " Suppose we go now to the Post Office, we 
 ought by this time to have letters from papa 
 and mamma," said Louisa. 
 
 " A bright thought ! " exclaimed Esther, start 
 ing up suddenly, and thumping her head against 
 the rock-roof hard enough to knock all bright 
 thoughts out for the next minute. 
 
 At the Post Office they found letters for them 
 selves, and then the Post-master said, " Here is 
 a letter for Mrs. Maxwell, who used to live at 
 Linden Hall. I understand the lady is dead. 
 It is a foreign letter, that has been long on the 
 way." 
 
 " Her daughter is with my aunt, Miss ISTancy 
 Perrit. Shall I take the letter to her \ " 
 
 " Yes ; if you will pay the postage." 
 
 " Certainly." 
 
 Many were the conjectures formed about that 
 letter as they wended their way to Ivy Cottage. 
 They wished to go immediately and carry it to 
 
A LETTER TO THE DEAD. 217 
 
 Bertha, but Miss Nancy thought it better to 
 wait for her return in the afternoon. 
 
 Mrs. Gracy walked home from school with 
 Bertha, to whom the day had been the most 
 pleasant she had passed in a long time. 
 
 Miss Nancy took Mrs. Gracy aside, and tell 
 ing her of the letter, asked her to hand it to 
 Bertha. 
 
 Mrs. Gracy followed Bertha to her own room, 
 and there broke it to her as gently as possible 
 that the letter she held in her hand was ad 
 dressed to her deceased mother. Bertha held it 
 in her hand, turning it this way and that, study 
 ing the various postmarks, and then asked, in a 
 mournful tone, what she should do with it. 
 
 " You can open and read it, if you please." 
 
 " 'Ma never allowed me to open her letters." 
 
 " It may relate to business of importance." 
 
 " Please call Miss Nancy." 
 
 Mrs. Gracy did so. 
 
 " O, Miss Nancy, only think ! this letter ought 
 to have come to my poor 'ma, who is now in 
 in the grave. I am afraid to open it please 
 just see who it comes from." 
 
 Miss Nancy shuddered at the thought of open- 
 
218 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 ing one of Mrs. Maxwell's letters, but not liking 
 to refuse, with trembling hands she broke the 
 seal, and glancing her eye at the closing page, 
 read aloud, "William Maxwell," and placed 
 the letter on Bertha's lap. 
 
 " From my brother ! It cannot be. Do read 
 it. I can't see one word." 
 
 "Wait awhile till you are more composed. 
 We will leave you to take your own time," said 
 Mrs. Gracy, as they left the room. 
 
 THE LETTER. 
 
 " CANTON, June 14, 18 . 
 "Mr DEAR MOTHER: 
 
 " I have written to you several times since I 
 left home, but my letters may not have reached 
 you, as I have not received any in return. 
 
 " After leaving Linden Hall, I made my way 
 to New York as rapidly as possible, hoping to 
 find there my friend Hamilton Gracy, who, 1 
 knew, was about to sail for Europe. He had 
 sailed the very day before. I had been accus 
 tomed to consult him and to rely upon his supe 
 rior judgment. Now, I was alone in a strange 
 city, and without a dollar in my purse. I took 
 
A LETTER TO THE DEAD. 219 
 
 up a newspaper and saw an advertisement 
 4 Hands wanted on board ship Columbus, Capt. 
 Micker, up for Canton,' &c. &c. 
 
 " ~Not knowing what to do with myself, 1 
 went on board the Columbus and engaged my 
 self as a sailor before the mast. I, a fresh-water 
 lubber, who had never before been on board 
 any craft larger than a boat on Honey-pot 
 Brook ! We had a stormy passage. Of course 
 I suffered severely from sea-sickness and the 
 hardships incident to a sailor's life. We were 
 seven months on the passage. 
 
 " For some reason, which I cannot explain, I 
 gained the good-will of Captain Micker and his 
 first mate. Finding that I was reduced in 
 health and strength, and was really unable to 
 do duty on deck, the Captain, who had no clerk, 
 took me into his cabin to act in that capacity. 
 Before we reached Macao he was seized with 
 dangerous illness. I was his nurse. Through 
 the mercy of God he recovered. During his 
 convalescence I frequently read to him from the 
 Bible and other good books, with which our 
 ship had been supplied by the New York Ma 
 rine Bible Society. He never to my knowledge 
 
220 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 has used profane language since (unfortunately 
 lie had been terribly addicted to swearing) ; and 
 he has given up < grog ' entirely. I do hope he 
 is a Christian man. < Works' seem to have fol 
 lowed fast after ' Faith.' 
 
 " He has since treated me like a brother. 
 Being well acquainted with merchants at Can 
 ton, he inquired among them for a clerkship for 
 a ' liberally educated young man.' He found 
 a very lucrative position for me, which I still 
 occupy. 
 
 " And now, my dear mother, though it was a 
 severe trial for me to leave home, I trust God 
 meant it for good. I shall now be able to do 
 much more for you and Bertha than I could 
 have done in a long time had 1 completed my 
 college course. You wished my pretty sister 
 to enjoy better advantages for her education 
 than she could have at Linden Hall. I hope 
 you have been able to afford them to her. It 
 is highly important that she should be thoroughly 
 educated. Such are the vicissitudes of life, that 
 every person in our country should be prepared 
 as far as possible to meet them. 
 
 " I herewith send you a draft on < Homer, 
 
A LETTER TO THE DEAD. 221 
 
 Milburn & Co.,' of New York, for dhe hundred 
 dollars, which they will cash at sight. You 
 perceive that it is payable 'to bearer,' so that 
 you have only to send it by mail. This is my 
 first present to Bertha. I hope others will soon 
 follow. Address the letters you write to me to 
 the care of the same house, and they will for 
 ward them to me. 
 
 " I have thought of many things which I did 
 at home which I ought not to have done, and 
 many others which I left undone. I am deeply 
 sorry for all the sins and follies of my childhood 
 and youth. I beg you will forgive me, dear 
 mother, for any wrongs I may have done to you 
 in times past. 
 
 "Give my best love to dear Bertha. Tell 
 her to study faithfully, and to learn besides, to 
 be a domestic, useful woman not a fine lady. 
 Life is a stern, sober reality, my dear mother, 
 but I hope, through God's assistance, to battle 
 it through manfully. The flowers which lay in 
 my morning path were crushed before noon, 
 yet their perfume lingers in memory. 
 
 " Give my best love to my pretty Bertha, and 
 heg her to write to me. I am extremely anx- 
 
222 BEAUTIFUL UERTHA. 
 
 ious to hear from you. Alas ! how many things 
 may have happened to you since I left home. 
 God bless and protect you from harm. Fare 
 well. 
 
 " Your only son, 
 
 "WILLIAM MAXWELL." 
 
 About an hour after Mrs. Gracy and Miss 
 Nancy had left Bertha to read her letter, they 
 returned, and found she had, childlike, cried 
 herself to sleep. Their entiance awoke her. 
 
 " Was it a dream ? Was it a dream ?" she 
 exclaimed, on waking. " O no ; here is the 
 blessed letter. Now, now I can have my dear 
 little watch back again ! Head it aloud, Mrs. 
 Gracy." 
 
 Mrs. Gracy's eyes were dim with tears, and 
 her voice faltered ; but she read it all through. 
 Miss Nancy immediately after left the room. 
 
 Could it be that Bertha's first thought was of 
 her watch? Ah ! bad habits of thought and feeling 
 are iron-rust stains on the soul. By sharp and 
 bitter means must they be removed, or they will 
 eat in to its very core. 
 
 "Tell me, Mrs. Gracy, how I can get the 
 
A LETTER TO THE DEAD. 223 
 
 money my brother sends me ? It was kind in 
 Bill to think of me," added Bertha. 
 
 " There will be no difficulty about obtaining 
 the money," said Mrs. Gracy, coldly. 
 
 "I shouldn't wonder, now, with your singular 
 notions, if you objected to my sending my own 
 money for my beloved watch. It is such a dear 
 little watch, with a blue enamelled back." 
 
 "Your generous brother's money was no 
 doubt hardly earned, and ought to be judi 
 ciously spent." 
 
 " Well, I can have the watch for eighty dol 
 lars, and besides can pay Miss Gracy for my 
 schooling, if you wish." 
 
 "That is too unkind. Now, Bertha, I am 
 really angry with you. I can stay no longer ;" 
 and Mrs. Gracy hastily left the room. 
 
 She was too generous to tell Miss Nancy of 
 this indelicate and cruel speech, but she did tell 
 her about the watch, and Esther and Louisa 
 were present. There was a general exclamation 
 of astonishment. But tea was ready, and no 
 more at that time was said about it. Bertha 
 remained perfectly silent at the table, quite 
 shamefaced. 
 
224 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 After tea she called Miss ISTancy aside, and 
 had a conversation with her, the result of which 
 Miss Nancy soon after communicated to the 
 little circle. 
 
 " Of her own accord, she came to me and 
 thanked me for all I have done for her, and 
 offered me half the money she is to receive," 
 said the kind-hearted Miss Nancy, exultingly. 
 
 " You accepted it, of course ; it is the first 
 symptom of moral recovery Bertha has yet 
 shown," remarked Mrs. Gracy. 
 
 " I told the poor child I was much obliged 
 to her, and I would take the matter into con 
 sideration. I will accept her offer, if you 
 think best, but I shall send for the watch and 
 keep it for her till some future time. You 
 know I am a thrifty woman, and can well afford 
 this small indulgence to myself." 
 
 " You may indulge yourself as much as you 
 please, but beware of indulging Bertha; she 
 needs strict, steady watchfulness, and tight 
 reins. You remember the fable of Sysiphus, 
 and how the great stone he was rolling up hill 
 pressed back upon him if he relaxed his efforts 
 one moment. Just such will be your experi- 
 
A LETTEK TO THE DEAD. 225 
 
 ence; you will find it up-hill work with 
 Bertha." 
 
 Miss ISTancy sighed, and was sorrowful. 
 
 ''Take courage, dear aunt Nancy," said Es 
 ther, cheeringly, " I do believe the first impulse 
 upward has been given to poor Bertha, and I 
 trust God will give her strength to keep onward 
 and upward, and true to the line." 
 
 15 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 GRAND EXPECTATIONS. 
 
 u Miss GRACY, please write a letter for me to 
 my brother," said Bertha, the next morning, as 
 she sat at her school-desk, with a sheet of paper 
 "before her, biting the end of her pen. 
 
 " By no means ; you will write it better your 
 self." 
 
 " 1 have tried and tried, and I can't do it. 
 Well, if you will not write for me, just read 
 Bill's letter, and tell me what to say." 
 
 Patsy read the letter, and her tears fell like 
 rain over the touching pages. It was, she ac 
 knowledged, very trying for Bertha to communi 
 cate the news of her mother's sickness and death, 
 and she would write that part of the letter for her. 
 Difficult indeed did Patsy find the task thus 
 imposed upon her ; she wrote and rewrote it, 
 
GRAND EXPECTATIONS. 227 
 
 and at last was quite dissatisfied with her effort, 
 and sorry to be obliged to sign her name at the 
 close. 
 
 Eelieved from that part of the letter, Bertha 
 wrote as follows : 
 
 u DEAR BILL : 
 
 " You will wonder who Margaret Gracy is, 
 who wrote what goes before this. Don't you 
 remember the farm-girl, who used to drive a 
 cow, and hoe, and do all sorts of work ? Well, 
 she has got to be quite like a lady, and keeps 
 school, and I go to her. She has only two 
 scholars besides me, and she gives me my 
 schooling for nothing. I live with Miss Nancy 
 Perrit. She is very kind to me. You remem 
 ber the queer old maid who lives in a log-house. 
 Them two girls that you used to call fairies are 
 now here on a visit. Esther is a very religious 
 girl Louisa not so much so. They both take 
 a great deal of notice of me, though they are 
 immensely rich, and I should be poor as pov 
 erty, if it was not for the money you sent. I 
 am much obliged to you for it, and I hope you 
 will be able to make a great deal more. The 
 
228 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 worst news of all I have got to tell you is, I 
 have lost my beauty. My hair had to be cut 
 off, and it is growing out stiff and straight, and 
 I don't think I shall ever get my true color 
 again, But my form is the same, only rather 
 better, and Miss Nancy says I look as well now 
 as most folks. Who would tiave thought that 
 Miss Nancy and these other people would be 
 so kind to me when I came here sick, and with 
 nothing but what I carried in my traveling 
 bag ! O Bill, I am really beginning almost to 
 love Miss Nancy. Is n't it strange ? I mean 
 to study, because you want me to ; and because 
 it is lady-like to know something. I am glad 
 you are so pious, because you wont get dissi 
 pated, and spend all your money. When do 
 you expect to come home? I wish you was 
 here now, for I do miss poor 'ma dreadfully ; it 
 makes me cry so to think of her, that I can't 
 write another word, only that I am always your 
 affectionate sister, 
 
 "BEKTHA MAXWELL." 
 
 This letter, and the draft, were sent to Horner, 
 Minturn & Co., New York, and by return of 
 
GRAND EXPECTATIONS. 229 
 
 mail, Bortlia received one hundred dollars. 
 Half of it she handed to Miss Nancy, who whis 
 pered in her ear, " Darling, I will keep it for 
 you." 
 
 Never having had fifty dollars in her posses 
 sion before, Bertha felt quite rich, and on her 
 way to school with Esther and Louisa, she 
 talked of the handsome mourning she should 
 buy, and formed bright plans for the future 
 when her brother should come home, rich as 
 Croesus. 
 
 "I do hope in all conscience," said she, "I 
 shall never be obliged to earn my own living 
 as Patsy does." 
 
 " Patsy is not obliged to do it ; it is her free 
 choice," replied Louisa with spirit ; " and you, 
 Bertha Maxwell, ought to be the last person in 
 the world to speak contemptuously of your gene 
 rous benefactress." 
 
 " I don't mean to, but O dear me ! I find it 
 so hard to keep down my pride. I can't, some 
 how, remember that I don't live at Linden Hall, 
 with a maid to wait on me, and everybody call 
 ing me Beautiful Bertha ; yet I have had enough 
 to make me remember it." 
 
230 BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 Esther sighed as she thought how much more 
 discipline the poor girl still needed. 
 
 The next Monday Mr. and Mrs. Perrit arrived 
 at Ivy Cottage, and the day following left for 
 home with their daughters. 
 
CHAPTEE XXIY. 
 
 NEWS FROM THE ANTIPODES. 
 
 MONTH after month passed away with very 
 little change at Ivy Cottage and at Mrs. Gracy's, 
 with one exception. Patsy's school had gradu 
 ally increased, and now numbered ten all day 
 scholars but the first two pupils, who were still 
 in the house with her. Bertha had become an 
 industrious scholar, and was slowly improving 
 in character. 
 
 It was nearly seven months since the recep 
 tion of William Maxwell's letter, and none had 
 been since received by Bertha. Day after day 
 she went to the Post-office before going to 
 school, and her heart sickened as every day she 
 heard the same reply to her eager inquiry, 
 " No letter." 
 
 At length it came, early in the month of May, 
 
232 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 and with joy amounting to rapture, Bertha 
 seized it and walked out of the office. She ran 
 till she came to a retired place in a little grove, 
 and seating herself under a tree, tore it open 
 and read as follows : 
 
 " CANTON, January 21, 18 . 
 
 "Gone! Our poor mother gone, and you 
 left alone, my dear Bertha ! Delicately and ten 
 derly as the information was conveyed, by your 
 excellent friend Miss Gracy, it was a great shock 
 to me. 
 
 "You, Bertha, our mother's petted darling 
 who will take care of you ? The Father of the 
 fatherless, who has opened the heart of Miss 
 Nancy Perrit to receive you so kindly to her 
 own house. May He bless and reward her ! 
 
 "I must write you a very short letter, my 
 dear Bertha, for I am just recovering from 
 severe illness, and can scarcely hold my pen. 
 This climate does not agree with me, and I shall 
 be obliged to return to my own country. For 
 your sake I wish to return, and I trust it is on 
 every account for the best. 
 
 " Through Messrs. Homer, Minturn & Co., I 
 
NEWS FROM THE ANTIPODES. 233 
 
 send Miss Nancy Perrit a chest of tea, and a 
 few articles for you, my dear sister. The ivory 
 fan I wish you would present in your own name, 
 to Miss Gracy. I am grieved not to be able to 
 send you another draft ; my long illness has 
 drawn largely on my funds, and at present I 
 have not a dollar to spare. Indeed I should 
 have been troubled for money, had not an Ame 
 rican gentleman kindly loaned me enough to 
 render me comfortable. Do assure Miss Nancy 
 Perrit that if my life and health are spared I 
 will repay her, so far as pecuniary payment is 
 concerned, and yet I shall remain her debtor for 
 life. Kindness, such as hers and Miss Giacy's, 
 calls forth the deepest gratitude ; and thanks 
 seem poor and mean when I endeavor to express 
 them. Should I not be permitted to return 
 
 home but that is too sad a thought. 
 
 " What a privilege it is to you, dear Bertha, 
 to be able to continue your education under 
 such peculiarly favorable circumstances. Make 
 the best use of your time at school, and at home 
 assist good Miss Nancy in her domestic affairs. 
 I hope you will become a discreet, useful woman. 
 Above all, read your Bible, and pray to God to 
 
234: BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 impress its sacred truths on your heart. It has 
 been a blessed consolation to me in a foreign 
 land, far away from Christian society and the 
 services of the Church, and above all during the 
 long, lonely hours of a slow convalescence. 
 
 Please give my sincere regards and warmest 
 thanks to Miss Nancy and all the Perrits, and 
 my profound respects to Mrs. Gracy and her 
 daughter. 
 
 " I am so much exhausted by the effort to 
 write, that I have hardly strength left to sub 
 scribe myself 
 
 " Your loving brother, 
 
 " WILLIAM." 
 
 Bertha covered her face with her hands, and 
 sobbed aloud. For the first time in her life she 
 breathed a heartfelt prayer; few were the 
 words, but the flame of devotion was kindled, 
 and though but a feeble spark, it proved like 
 "the morning light, which shineth more and 
 more unto the perfect day." 
 
CHAPTEK XXV. 
 
 TJNDEK AN UMBEELLA. 
 
 IT was a warm day in the month of July. 
 Bertha, at Miss Nancy's urgent entreaty, carried 
 a large umbrella to shield her from the burning 
 heat of the sun, as she walked to school. A 
 small basket hung on her arm, and in one hand 
 she held an open book in which she was dili 
 gently studying her lesson. As she thus walked 
 slowly along, suddenly she almost stumbled 
 over some one on the ground by the roadside, 
 and stopped. 
 
 A young man, who might possibly have seen 
 two and twenty summers, lay on the grass be 
 neath a large elm tree, soundly asleep. 
 
 By his side was a small bundle, tied up in a 
 white silk handkerchief. A stout stick lay by 
 it. His coarse straw hat h'ad fallen off, and his 
 
236 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 dark hair fell over a face as bronzed as an In 
 dian's ; dark whiskers and moustache rendered 
 his appearance still more dusky. His dress was 
 worn and soiled, and yet had a certain air of 
 respectability, " almost of gentility," thought 
 Bertha, as she gazed wonderingly at the sleep 
 ing stranger. 
 
 " I am afraid this is not a safe place for a per 
 son to sleep," thought she. " Over the other 
 side of the fence he would do better. It would 
 be kind to tell him so." " Ahem ! ahem !" said 
 Bertha. He did not wake. 
 
 " I will put his bundle the other side of the 
 fence, at any rate, for fear some rogue might 
 steal it. I have a great mind to set my umbrel 
 la up so that it will shade his face, for the sun 
 comes through this thin elm," said she to her 
 self; and kneeling down beside him she en 
 deavored so to place the umbrella as to afford 
 him security from the scorching rays of the sun. 
 Just as she had succeeded in placing it to her 
 satisfaction, and while still on her knees bending 
 over him, he suddenly awoke. 
 
 " Is this the good $ngel I have been dreaming 
 of?" said he, gazing wistfully in her face. 
 
TINKER AN UMBRELLA. 237 
 
 " Oh, no, I am not a good angel. I never 
 heard of angels carrying umbrellas. I was 
 just trying to fix mine in such a way that you 
 would not melt in the sun ;" and Bertha started 
 to her feet. 
 
 The young man did the same, and then said, 
 " You are very kind, Miss. I was much fa 
 tigued with a long journey, and must have slept 
 here for some hours." Then looking round 
 anxiously, he said, " I had a small parcel with 
 me of great value ; I am afraid some one has 
 robbed me of it before you came along." 
 
 " There now, you acknowledge it was careless 
 of you to leave it exposed to the passers-by." 
 
 "I do; but excessive fatigue overcame me. 
 This is the crowning-point of my misfortunes." 
 
 Bertha, with a merry laugh that shrill ring 
 ing laugh drew the bundle from the other side 
 of the fence. 
 
 He started, and exclaimed, "There can be 
 but one laugh like that. It must be Bertha's." 
 
 " Yes, I am Bertha Maxwell, and it is quite 
 time I was at school ; but I don't know you, sir." 
 
 " Not know your own brother ! Then, in 
 deed, 1 must be changed." 
 
238 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 "Brother!" exclaimed Bertha, still looking 
 doubtfully at the dark stranger. 
 
 He threw his arms around her, and kissed hei 
 again and again, while she struggled to escape, 
 crying, " I can't believe it ; no, I can't believe 
 it.' 3 
 
 " Yes, Bertha, I am your poor shipwrecked 
 brother. Will you not own me ?" 
 
 "I wonder I did not know your voice be 
 fore," said Bertha, tenderly. "I should, only 
 it was so mournful, somehow so grief-stricken." 
 
 " Let us sit down under this tree awhile," said 
 William, " for although I have had a long nap, 
 I am still very weary." 
 
 They seated themselves together under the 
 tree, and under the umbrella, too, Bertha say 
 ing, "I know Miss Gracy will excuse me for 
 playing truant to-day, when she knows the rea 
 son. Bill, did you say you had been ship 
 wrecked ?" 
 
 " I did. If you received my last letter, you 
 will remember that I was then recovering from 
 a long and severe illness. After that I had an 
 other relapse, and my employers decided to 
 send me home. I suffered much on the long 
 
UNDER AN UMBRELLA. 239 
 
 voyage during the first two months ; after that 
 I was better, and had almost recovered my 
 health as we were drawing near our own dear 
 country. "We had just come in sight of the 
 Neversink Hills of New Jersey, at the close of 
 a hot, sultry day, when a violent gale suddenly 
 sprang up. The ship was under full sail. Be 
 fore there was time to take in sail, the masts 
 w r ere all carried away with. one fell swoop, and 
 our gallant ship was on her beam ends. The 
 sailors succeeded in cutting loose the masts, and 
 she righted ; but six of the crew and two pas 
 sengers had been swept overboard, and we never 
 saw them again. The night came on dark as 
 Egypt, and the storm raged more and more 
 furious, driving our helpless vessel directly to 
 wards the coast. 
 
 " The captain said there was no help for us. 
 We should soon be dashed either on the rocks 
 or a sand bank. I took the most precious thing 
 I had in my keeping, and secured it about my 
 waist. The ship had sprung a leak, and was 
 filling so fast I could not go down to the cabin 
 to my trunk. At last the shock came. The 
 vessel struck on a sand bar, and the captain en- 
 
240 BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 treated us to keep up courage till morning, when 
 boats might be sent to our relief. 
 
 " Morning came, but no human beings were 
 in sight. A low sandy beach extended along 
 at no great distance from the ship, and all who 
 could swim prepared to go on shore. I was 
 among them ; and with a fervent prayer to an 
 Almighty Protector, threw myself from the 
 sinking vessel into the sea, and swam some dis 
 tance. But the waves were running high, and 
 my strength failed. I was sinking, while the 
 near shore was before my eyes, and almost 
 within my grasp. As I sank in the water my 
 whole past life came before me, and an agony 
 indescribable, that I should no more see my 
 poor, desolate sister. That was the last thought 
 I remember, till I found myself in a shanty 
 with two or three rough-looking men around 
 me, rolling and tumbling me about, and punch 
 ing and rubbing me with their hard hands. 
 The operation was harsh, but successful. I had 
 been washed ashore by a huge wave, and then 
 had been seized by these wreckers, who by 
 their efforts had rescued and recuscitated me." 
 
 Here the narrator seemed quite exhausted. 
 
UNDER AST tJMBKELLA. 241 
 
 Bertha, who had listened without once inter 
 rupting him, exclaimed, " Don't tell me a word 
 more till you have refreshed yourself with some 
 cold ham and biscuit." 
 
 Suiting the action to the word, she took a 
 napkin from her dinner basket, spread it on her 
 brother's lap, and laid on it some of Miss Nan 
 cy's famous biscuit, cold ham, and a saucer of 
 freshly-gathered raspberries. 
 
 " I shall rob you of your dinner," said he, 
 looking wishfully at it. 
 
 "And suppose you do; there are lots more 
 where this came from. Miss Nancy doesn't eat 
 much herself, but I really believe she thinks it 
 a virtue in other people to relish her good fare." 
 
 Thus urged, "William gladly partook of what 
 was before him. Poor fellow, he had not eaten 
 a morsel for twenty-four hours. 
 
 "While he was thus refreshing himself, Bertha 
 talked as fast as her tongue could wag about 
 Hiss Nancy and all the Perrits, Mrs. Gracy and 
 Patsy, and their several sayings and doings. 
 " Now tell me," she ended by saying " now 
 tell me how you reached this spot where I stum 
 bled upon you ?" 
 
 16 
 
24:2 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 " "Walked, Bertha ; I walked all the way, for 
 I had too little money to bear the expense of 
 railroad traveling. I will not pain you by re 
 lating the particulars ; I have had a rough jour 
 ney, but, thank God, I have arrived and my 
 precious parcel is safe." 
 
 " And where were you going this morning ?" 
 
 "To Mrs. Gracy's." 
 
 "Mrs. Gracy's! That is just where I was 
 going," said Bertha, starting up. " Come, 1 
 will be the good angel who carries an um 
 brella.'- 
 
CHAPTER XXYI. 
 
 AN OVERWHELMING STJRPKISE. 
 
 As Bertha and her brother entered the gate 
 at Mrs. Gracy's, William said, " You must in 
 troduce me, Bertha ; although Hamilton Gracy 
 was my most intimate friend, I did not know 
 the other members of the family." 
 
 " Miss Gracy is in school ; I will take you to 
 Mrs. Gracy's room, and leave you there." Mrs. 
 Gracy's room that day was the kitchen, for the 
 good lady was baking. 
 
 Bertha rushed in without knocking, and not 
 waiting to know if her brother followed, ex 
 claimed, " Here is my brother Bill ; he looks as 
 shabby as ever Hamilton did, and yet I was de 
 lighted to see him." 
 
 Mrs. Gracy, who was clearing the hot oven, 
 stopped and leaned on the large kitchen shovel, 
 
244 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 dumb with surprise at the sudden announce 
 ment. Bertha ran off to the school-room, and 
 'William entered the kitchen. 
 
 "William Maxwell ! Is it possible !" 
 
 He bowed, saying, " Even my sister did not 
 know me." 
 
 Mrs. Gracy saw that he was fatigued, and 
 handed him a chair, saying, " If you will ex 
 cuse me, I will put my bread and pies in the 
 oven, and then I will take you to a cooler room." 
 
 William involuntarily turned his eyes from 
 Mrs. Gracy while she put the light loaves and 
 the nice cherry pies in the oven. It was per 
 haps polite so to do, yet Mrs. Gracy was not in 
 the least ashamed of her occupation, and con 
 tinued chatting about the weather and ordinary 
 topics till the oven was filled, and then she led 
 the way to her "sitting room," as the best 
 apartment in the house was called. Placing 
 her guest in a comfortable rocking-chair, she 
 took up her knitting and sat down near him. 
 
 " I hardly know how to begin the sad story I 
 have to tell you, Madam," said William. 
 
 " I perceive you. are not well ; you had been 
 very ill when you wrote to Bertha." 
 
AN OVERWHELMING SURPRISE. 24:5 
 
 " It is not of myself I am about to speak ; 
 my sufferings and shipwreck I will relate to 
 you another time." 
 
 " Hamilton ! Has anything happened to 
 him ?" inquired Mrs. Gracy, with alarm. 
 
 "I hope not. I have not seen him. You 
 probably know that I resided for some time in 
 Canton. "While there I was able to render 
 essential service to an American gentleman. 
 We became well acquainted, and during my 
 long illness he was kind to me. I recovered ; 
 but he, in the mysterious providence of God, 
 was seized with a fever, which in a few days 
 terminated fatally." 
 
 Here William Maxwell paused, and seemed 
 much embarrassed. 
 
 Mrs. Gracy regarded him with surprise and 
 said, "you are fatiguing yourself; perhaps you 
 had better omit the remainder of your story till 
 another time." 
 
 " By no means. It is difficult for me, Madam, 
 to convey to you tidings so sad, and yet so min 
 gled with cause for gratitude." 
 
 < Was the gentleman acquainted with with 
 
24:6 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 Mr. Gracy '4 " inquired she, in a voice almost 
 inarticulate. 
 
 " The gentleman was " 
 
 ""Was acquainted with him since he left 
 home," she hastily interrupted. 
 
 " The gentleman was himself " 
 
 " My husband ! " Mrs. Gracy grew deadly 
 pale, but did not faint. 
 
 William untied the white silk handkerchief, 
 saying, " Here is a letter from Mr. Gracy, and 
 a casket containing some articles of value, and 
 his last will." 
 
 Mrs. Gracy covered her face with her hands, 
 and groaned aloud, while he placed them on her 
 lap. 
 
 Gently saying, " God bless you," he left the 
 house. There was an outer door to Patsy's 
 school, opening into the front yard ; William 
 stepped to that door and knocked ; it was opened 
 by Patsy. Without waiting for an introduction 
 she grasped his hand, and in her own frank 
 manner gave him a cordial welcome. As he 
 was thanking her, Bertha rushed by him with 
 the umbrella and dinner-basket, crying, " Good 
 bye, Miss Gracy, I can't study to-day." 
 
AN OVERWHELMING SUKPKISE. 247 
 
 As the brother and sister approached Ivy 
 Cottage, Bertha said, "Miss Nancy does not 
 like to be taken by surprise ; I will run round 
 to the back door, and tell her you have come 
 home." 
 
 Springing lightly over a rail-fence, she ran 
 across a field to the house, while he walked on 
 ward till he came to Ivy Cottage, and there 
 leaned wearily over the front fence. Miss 
 Nancy, who was in the front-yard gathering 
 chick-weed for her canaries, started up, and 
 found herself face to face with the stranger. 
 
 " Gracious Heaven ! Who are you ? " ex 
 claimed she. 
 
 " William Maxwell." 
 
 " Have you come from the spiri t- world ?" 
 
 " Not quite," replied he, supposing Miss Nancy 
 had inferred from his last letter that his illness 
 had proved fatal. " Not quite ; but I have been 
 on its borders." 
 
 " Oh, Miss Nancy ! " cried Bertha, rushing 
 out of the house, " I meant to prepare you to 
 see my brother, and so I ran to the back door; 
 I see he has introduced himself. Come in, both 
 of you ; the sun is broiling hot." 
 
24:8 BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 William waited for an invitation from Miss 
 Nancy, who stood gazing wildly at him. Ber 
 tha put her arm around Miss Nancy's waist, 
 and said playfully, " He mistook me for a good 
 angel ; I am afraid you mistake him for a bad 
 one. He is rather dark-looking." 
 
 " Are you sure it is your brother ? " eagerly 
 inquired the still bewildered Miss Nancy. 
 
 " "Why who else can he be ? Come in." 
 
 " Yes ; come in William Maxwell. It is twen 
 ty years and more since you came to me the 
 last time ; yet, you are heartily welcome. 
 
 " Now, Miss Nancy, you needn't pretend to 
 be crazy ; you are the oddest, kindest body in 
 the world." 
 
 So saying Bertha drew Miss Nancy towards 
 the house, and beckoned William to follow. 
 
 William had a long story to tell, but Miss 
 Nancy, who had fully come to her senses, in 
 sisted that he should wait till after dinner. 
 
 Bertha, who seemed perfectly at home, showed 
 him to a neat bed-room, and then insisted on 
 brushing his coat, and left him to enjoy the 
 luxury of plenty of cold water. 
 
 When she brought back the coat there were 
 
AIT OVERWHELMING- SURPRISE. 24:9 
 
 with it a plain linen collar of her own, and two 
 nice pocket handkerchiefs. 
 
 " Now Bill, put on the collar, and one of those 
 handkerchiefs for a cravat, and you will look 
 quite like a young clergyman." 
 
 This simple act of kindness touched the bro 
 ther tenderly, and though he that saw she was no 
 longer beautiful, he admired her countenance, 
 beaming with kindness, more than he ever had 
 the proud Bertha. 
 
CHAPTEK xxyn. 
 
 THE IVOEY CASKET. 
 
 How different are the allotments of an all- 
 wise Providence from the expectations of short 
 sighted man ! Bertha Maxwell had expected 
 her brother to return home "rich as Croesus," 
 and he came penniless. 
 
 Mrs. Gracy, who had humbly reconciled her 
 self to comparative poverty, suddenly became 
 the possessor of a large fortune. 
 
 For many years she had believed Mr. Gracy 
 to be no longer among the living, and never 
 spoke of him even to her children. 
 
 Having nearly squandered the rich inherit 
 ance of his wife, he left her and wandered from 
 place to place, at times in great poverty. Wish 
 ing to place himself as far as possible from all 
 who had ever known him, he at last went to 
 China. In Canton he found employment, at 
 
THE IVOEY CASKET. 251 
 
 first of a very humble kind, but at length va 
 rious opportunities of making money offered, 
 and Mr. Gracy resolved to regain what he had 
 extravagantly spent, and restore it to his wife. 
 To this purpose he devoted all his thoughts and 
 actions, and as " extremes beget extremes," in 
 his eager pursuit of wealth he became a com 
 plete miser. He dressed meanly and lived by 
 himself, but his banking-house, or broker's office, 
 was fitted up in an elegant, attractive style, and 
 it was bruited abroad that he was immensely 
 rich. 
 
 One night as he was going home from his 
 office, and passing along a narrow street, he 
 was suddenly attacked by two strong men, one 
 of whom knocked him down and held him fast, 
 while the other searched for the money he was 
 supposed to have about him. Mr. Gracy strug 
 gled violently to release himself; the robber 
 who. held him down drew a long knife, and 
 was just about to thrust it in his throat when he 
 was arrested by a sudden and violent blow on 
 the side of the head. He reeled for a moment, 
 but soon found his feet, and both the robbers 
 ran off at full speed. 
 
252 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 Mr. Gracy sprang up, and by the dim light 
 of a street-lantern perceived a young man with 
 a stout rattan in his hand, who had been his 
 brave deliverer. 
 
 "Are you hurt, sir?" eagerly inquired the 
 stranger. 
 
 " Not much ; you have saved my money 
 my life, I mean ; I saw the glittering knife at 
 my throat. "Who are you ? " 
 
 " My name is Maxwell ; I am an American." 
 
 " A Yankee ! Well, you are a brave one ; 
 come to my office to-morrow (here is my card), 
 and I will talk over this matter with you." 
 
 " I will see you safely home, sir." 
 
 " Thank you ; there is no need of it ; the 
 cowards will not molest me again. I am near 
 my lodgings," 
 
 Those mean lodgings Mr. Gracy did not like 
 to* expose to a stranger. 
 
 William Maxwell called the next day, as re 
 quested, at the office of Mr. Gracy. Much sur 
 prised was the latter to learn who had thus been 
 brought to his notice. 
 
 After the strictest injunction to secresy, he 
 told William his whole history. 
 
THE IVORY CASKET. 253 
 
 Not long after this event William was seized 
 with the illness which he mentioned in his let 
 ter to Bertha. This illness was severe and pro 
 tracted. The expenses incident upon it ex 
 hausted his funds, and Mr. Gracy offered to 
 lend him money; that was his kindness. He 
 would not willingly have abstracted a dollar 
 from what he believed belonged to his wife. So 
 rigid was he in his economy, that a Chinaman 
 living on rats and mice, and a handful of rice a 
 day, could scarcely have exceeded him. 
 
 From William Mr. Gracy received the most 
 glowing account which partial friendship could 
 give of his son Hamilton. When he saw the 
 letter Patsy wrote for Bertha to William, the 
 first tears which had moistened his eyes for 
 many years fell on the paper as he exclaimed : 
 "My own little Patsy! How beautifully the 
 child writes P Indeed, he seemed quite to 
 have forgotten that Time, in its rapid flight, 
 had brought Patsy to the verge of womanhood. 
 
 He now resolved to return to his family as 
 soon as he could settle up his business advanta 
 geously. About this time he made his will, 
 had it legally attested, and a copy of it placed 
 
254: BEAUTIFUL BEETHA. 
 
 in the hands of the American consul, wha, to 
 gether with William, were the witnesses. By 
 this will Mr. Gracy gave the whole of the large 
 fortune which he had accumulated through 
 years of toil and deprivation, to his wife. His 
 ample funds had from time to time been safely 
 invested in New York. 
 
 'Man appoints, and God disappoints.' Mr. 
 Gracy had named the very day for leaving 
 Canton, and had taken passage in a ship for 
 New York ; but it was not so to be. He was 
 suddenly attacked by a disease which from the 
 first threatened to be fatal. He sent for Wil 
 liam Maxwell and entrusted to him an ivory 
 casket containing the will, a number of busi 
 ness certificates, and two small parcels ; a doll 
 and a few Chinese toys were in one, for " little 
 Patsy;" in the other, for his son Hamilton, 
 were a valuable watch and a miniature of 
 Margaret Hamilton before she became Mrs. 
 Gracy, which her husband had kept through 
 seasons of extreme want, as mementoes of other 
 days. To Mrs. Gracy he wrote a few lines with 
 a feeble, trembling hand, as follows : 
 
TIIE IVOKY CASKET. 255 
 
 DEAK, MY LONG-NEGLECTED WlFE : 
 
 " I am on the very verge of the unknown 
 world (God have mercy on my soul !) Can you 
 forgive all the wrong I have done you ? The 
 fortune which I now restore to you I feel to be 
 a miserable compensation for the long years of 
 labor and trial to which my extravagance and 
 desertion have subjected you. I implore your 
 forgiveness with my dying breath. 
 
 " From young Maxwell I learn that Hamilton 
 is like his good mother, and an honor to her ; 
 and that Patsy is a cheerful, industrious little girl. 
 God bless them ! Do not let them despise the 
 memory of their erring father. 
 
 "I owe much to Maxwell life itself, and 
 more than life. His Christian example has 
 been a light to my path, and his Christian pray 
 ers will ascend when I pass through the dark 
 valley of the shadow of death. 
 
 " He owes me nothing. Be very kind to him 
 for the sake of your penitent husband, who now 
 bids you and his dear children farewell. God 
 grant it may not be eternal ! 
 
 "JAMES GKACY." 
 
 16 
 
256 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 The day after Mr. Gracy had written this 
 letter, he handed a purse to William Maxwell, 
 saying, "Take this and use it for your return 
 to your own country. My passage is now taken 
 for another world. I too am going home." 
 
 After this, Mr. Gracy's mind wandered, and 
 the next morning, while "William was reading 
 by his bed-side the prayer for the dying, his 
 spirit passed to the world of retribution. 
 
 Mr. Gracy, with the habitual carefulness he 
 had of late practiced with regard to pecuniary 
 matters, had only reserved from his funds 
 enough for his expenses till he reached home. 
 When William had paid the physician's bill, 
 and other bills incurred by sickness and death, 
 the remainder was barely sufficient for passage- 
 money. Poor William had only a small sum 
 of his own in addition. Yet all he asked of his 
 employers in Canton was a letter of introduc 
 tion to the house of Horner, Minturn & Co. 
 
 Nobly did he perform the sacred duty en 
 trusted to him. On the long passage, instead 
 of repining at the misfortunes which had be 
 fallen him, he gratefully dwelt on the opportu 
 nities for doing good which had been presented 
 
THE IVOEY CASKET. 257 
 
 to him, and was thankful to be relieved from 
 pecuniary obligations to Mr. Gracy. lie re 
 gained his health during the voyage, and made 
 himself useful to his fellow passengers and the 
 rough sailors, among whom he was a special 
 favorite. This latter information, however, he 
 did not vouchsafe to his auditors, Miss Nancy 
 and Bertha, but he told them the substance of 
 what has just been related. 
 
 Miss Nancy, when he had finished the mourn 
 ful account of his shipwreck and subsequent 
 journey, called Bertha out of the parlor, and 
 leading the way to her own bed-room, which 
 Bertha had never before been permitted to 
 enter, she locked the door, and then opening 
 an old-fashioned chest, she took out a huge red 
 morocco pocket-book. 
 
 " Bertha, darling, take your brother's money 
 to him," said she, handing out a fifty dollar 
 note. 
 
 " My brother's money !" 
 
 " Yes, to be sure ; you know we have not 
 spent all his money, only half of it ; hand this 
 to him and tell him it is his own." 
 
258 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 Bertha was delighted to be the bearer of such 
 a communication, and flew down stairs. 
 
 " There now, Bill, what a nice thing it was 
 to put your money in Miss Nancy's bank here 
 it is. I owe you fifty more, which I mean to 
 pay one of these days." 
 
 It was some time before "William could be 
 induced to take the whole ; a part of it, he 
 said, he should need but he had in his wallet 
 a letter of introduction to Horner, Minturn & 
 Co., which he thought would secure to him a 
 place in their counting-house. 
 
 " But you. must make yourself presentable, 
 Bill. You don't know what an expert seam 
 stress I have become. I will go to the village 
 and buy lots of things to make up for you, and 
 Miss Nancy will cut them out. Isn't she the 
 queerest, dearest old maid that ever was known ? 
 Besides, you are sick and forlorn, and Miss 
 Nancy says you must recruit." 
 
CHAPTEE XXVHL 
 
 GRATITUDE. 
 
 IT was some days before Mrs. Gracy commu 
 nicated the startling intelligence which she had 
 received to her son Hamilton. After the mel 
 ancholy story had been briefly told, she con 
 cluded her letter as follows : . 
 
 * * -x- * * 
 
 "And now, my dear son, relax not your 
 efforts. The riches which have once taken 
 wings may find them again. By their removal 
 you have been urged by a sufficient motive to 
 strenuous exertion, and God only knows from 
 how much temptation you have thus been de 
 livered. 
 
 " An immense weight of responsibility now 
 devolves on us ; we are to be the almoners of 
 God's bounty. "We are to seek out the means 
 for doing good most judiciously and effectively. 
 
260 BEAUTIFUL BEKTHA. 
 
 " Patsy and I have been much surprised and 
 pleased with Bertha Maxwell's late conduct. 
 Thinking that Patsy would not be able to go 
 on with her school as usual, she came and 
 eagerly begged to take her place. Patsy al 
 lowed her to do so ? knowing she was well qual 
 ified to teach. When the week ended, Patsy 
 told Bertha she should be able to resume her 
 duties on Monday morning. Bertha colored 
 hesitated, and at length in a very humble man 
 ner entreated as the greatest possible favor, that 
 Patsy would give up the school entirely, and 
 allow her to take it. 
 
 "After consulting me, Patsy granted this 
 most unexpected request. William Maxwell's 
 health was so much impaired that Miss Nancy 
 will not yet allow him to leave her house. 
 
 " Hasten to us, my son, for there are business 
 matters whjch require your attention, and we 
 long for your sympathy. 
 
 " Most devotedly, YOUR MOTHEE." 
 
 A part of Hamilton Gracy's reply was as 
 follows : 
 
GRATITUDE. 261 
 
 * * " The matter about which 1 consulted 
 you in a former letter, my dear mother, has 
 been decided. I confessed to Mr. Perrit my 
 attachment to his daughter Esther, and honestly 
 stated to him that I had no expectations except 
 ing what must arise from my own exertions in 
 my profession. I therefore did not think it 
 right to make a proposal, or even allow Esther 
 to discover how deeply and entirely I was de 
 voted to her. Moreover, I had no reason to be 
 certain that this affection was reciprocated. 
 Mr. Perrit pleasantly replied that I must learn 
 that from herself, and heartily wished me suc 
 cess. Emboldened by his generous approval, I 
 revealed to my gentle Esther the hopes and 
 fears which had long agitated me, and thank 
 God, she consented to unite herself for weal or 
 for woe with your portionless son ; rich only 
 in love and hope. Rejoice withjne, dear mo 
 ther, that this avowal was made before the re 
 ception of the astonishing news. 
 
 " And my friend, my noble friend, William 
 Maxwell, what can we do for him ? Such ser 
 vices as his can never be repaid. More than 
 ever may we now call ourselves Damon and 
 
262 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA, 
 
 Pythias, excepting that the debt of gratitude is 
 all on my side. He is the chosen brother of 
 my soul, and I cannot be entirely happy till 
 I have walked arm-in-arm by the brook-side, 
 and confided to him, as I did in boyhood, all 
 that is in my heart. 
 
 " I hope to be with you in the course of the 
 week ; imperative duty detains me at present. 
 
 "I sincerely rejoice with you in Bertha's im 
 provement. I have no doubt her countenance 
 is now more truly ' angelic ' than it was when 
 I raved about it in days of youthful folly. Give 
 my kindest regards to her and to good Miss 
 Nancy. Your grateful and loving son, 
 
 "HAMILTON GRACY." 
 
 In a few days Hamilton was with his mother 
 and sister, entering earnestly into all their joys 
 and sorrows. But his more immediate personal 
 interests did not prevent him from feeling the 
 deepest sympathy with his friend, William 
 Maxwell, who was yet unable to leave for New 
 York. 
 
 The first walk that the invalid took was with 
 Hamilton to the grotto and the brook. There 
 
GRATITUDE. 263 
 
 they talked long of other days and of the 
 changes which had since taken place. 
 
 "Without a particle of envious feeling did 
 William listen to the fair prospects which his 
 friend Hamilton opened up like a long glorious 
 vista into the future, although a dark curtain 
 seemed to vail his own prospects, and almost 
 shut out every ray of hope. 
 
 " Cheer up, "William," said Gracy, " you are 
 still the same man. With health, energy and 
 courage will return. A man is wrecked indeed 
 who loses his character his reputation. True, 
 you have to begin anew, but your experience o 
 life, its hardships and its vicissitudes, is a lesson 
 of inestimable value, which, although it has 
 cost you dear, has tried your very soul and 
 found it true metal pure gold." 
 
 " You are too partial, Hamilton. I am every 
 way vastly your inferior." 
 
 " Come, now, we will not make comparisons, 
 nor compliments, either, unless the fairies, Yio- 
 letta and Rosamia, should suddenly start out 
 of the ruinous grotto. Those days of romance 
 and poetry were delightful." 
 
 u Like a glorious morning in June which 
 
264 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 heralds a coming thunder storm," replied Wil 
 liam, mournfully. 
 
 "Which storm ends in a brilliant sunset and 
 a splendid bow of promise," replied his friend, 
 cheeringly. 
 
 x- # * * * * * 
 
 Miss Bertha Maxwell's first experience of 
 school teaching was not without its trials. What 
 useful occupation ever is ? Idleness surely has 
 greater trials. It was, however, an excellent 
 discipline, exactly what Bertha needed. 
 
 Although several years older than the other 
 pupils, she had been their school-fellow, and 
 when she took the arm-chair and assumed the 
 dignity becoming that elevated situation, they 
 were disposed to view it in a ludicrous light; 
 smiles and suppressed sneers greeted her from 
 several rosy lips, and winks and nods that por 
 tended mischief. 
 
 The first day she was so much discouraged 
 and annoyed, that she was ready to give up, 
 and several times turned to the black-board and 
 wrote or drew diagrams, to conceal tears of vex 
 ation. But she persevered from day to day and 
 week to week, and at the end of the first quar- 
 
GRATITUDE. 265 
 
 ter the peculiar difficulties in her path were 
 vanquished. Ordinary trials she had the cour 
 age thenceforth bravely to encounter, because 
 she had gained the respect and love of her 
 pupils. 
 
 "Miss Nancy, I am so happy," said she; 
 " I never was so happy in all my life. I am 
 going to pay off my debts. You needn't look 
 so doubtful, dear, I am. Not to you, because 
 you pay yourself all the way with the pleasure 
 of doing good ; and so would brother "William 
 if he did not need something more material. 
 I am going to send him the fifty dollars. I 
 wish it could be doubled and doubled again: 
 and it shall be if my life and health are spared. 
 You know he will want to begin business him 
 self one of these days, instead of being a mere 
 clerk, and I must help him along. I never was 
 so delighted with any money as I am with this 
 that I have earned for myself. I cannot help 
 laughing when I remember my silly contempt 
 for the vulgar people, as I considered them, who 
 Lad to work. To be sure, mine is head work, 
 thanks to you, dear little busy bee, who saved 
 
266 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 me from the labor for which I had not sufficient 
 strength." 
 
 "To go farther back ; you are indebted to 
 Esther Perrit and Louisa for being here at all." 
 
 "How is that?" 
 
 "If you had not remembered how happy 
 they appeared to be with me, you would not 
 have come to the old maid in the log-house. If 
 Esther had not exerted a blessed influence over 
 me while here, I should not have been willing 
 to receive and retain you when you did come." 
 
 " Especially with a carpet-bag ! Often have 
 I laughed with Louisa over your fearful alarm 
 at the sight of their carpet-bag on their first 
 arrival." 
 
 " Ah, that visit was one of the greatest bless 
 ings Providence ever granted to me. Without 
 it I might to this day have been living in 
 gloomy solitude !" 
 
 "Instead of having been tormented by the 
 freaks and follies of a silly, wayward girl, who, 
 after all your trouble and care, has nothing to 
 return for it but grateful love." 
 
 Miss Nancy left the room with her eyes swim- 
 ming in tears, and soon returned. "Here, Ber- 
 
GRATITUDE. 267 
 
 tha, is your dear little watch. I sent for it long 
 ago, but I solemnly promised Mrs. Gracy I 
 would not give it to you till your gratitude to 
 me was deep and sincere." 
 
 Bertha's eyes sparkled with delight for a mo 
 ment ; then a deep shade of sadness flitted over 
 her face. Painful associations were summoned 
 up by that watch. 
 
 After a few minutes' silence, she threw her 
 arms around Miss Nancy's neck, and sobbing 
 like a child, cried, " Oh, Miss Nancy, I would 
 rather be Bertha the loved than Bertha the 
 beautiful !" 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 "NOT EXPECTED TO HAPPEN." 
 LETTER FEOM LOUISA PEEEIT TO BEETHA MAXWELL. 
 
 " December Z$, 18. 
 "Mr DEAE BEETHA: 
 
 " Pack up your trunks, aunty and you, and 
 come to us immediately. We want you for the 
 Christmas holidays. Mrs. Gracy and Patsy 
 are already with us. I have a grand secret to 
 tell, and I am permitted to have the pleasure 
 of telling it, because why ? That I will not 
 tell. 
 
 " You know Hamilton has been engaged more 
 than two years, and is now established in his 
 profession. "Well, 'the consummation devoutly 
 to be wished ' (trite quotation, that !), is appoint 
 ed for New Year's Day. You know, moreover, 
 that Mr. William Maxwell is now the junior 
 partner in the house of Horncr, Minturn & Co. 
 
NOT EXPECTED TO HAPPEN. 261) 
 
 " All these things you know, but you don't 
 know that we are to have a double wedding ! 
 There now, exercise your Yankee faculties, and 
 guess who are the parties. 
 
 " William Maxwell and Louisa Perrit. 
 
 " No ; guess again. 
 
 " Who are to be bridesmaids ? 
 
 " Miss Nancy Perrit, Miss Bertha Maxwell, 
 and Miss Louisa Perrit. 
 
 "Bride and bridegroom, Mr. Maxwell and 
 Miss Gracy. 
 
 "There, you have it. William wished to tell 
 you himself, but I begged it as a special favor. 
 
 ^ Marriages do take place in real life, as in 
 romances, as the winding up of youthful history; 
 but, in real life, not exactly as they are expected 
 to happen. 
 
 " Papa and mamma so urgently insisted Da 
 mon and Pythias should have but one wedding, 
 that there was no refusing them. 
 
 " Tell good old Orpy this wedding would be 
 incomplete without a bride's-loaf of her famous 
 fruit cake ; her favorite, Esther, says so. 
 
 " The brides give dresses, gloves, &c. to us, 
 so you need make no preparations of that kind. 
 
270 BEAUTIFUL BERTHA. 
 
 "Write at what hour we may expect yon, 
 and papa will meet you in the carriage at the 
 station. 
 
 " In the hurly-burly of the approaching nup 
 tials, I, bridesmaid to be, write in a flutter and 
 in haste. Patsy and Esther, brides to be, are 
 as solemn and sedate as daguerreotypes. 
 " Yours truly, 
 
 " LOUISA PEKKIT." 
 
 When Bertha had finished reading this letter 
 aloud, she exclaimed, " This is astonishing news ! 
 I always thought William would marry Louisa 
 Perrit ; but Patsy will make him a better wife 
 than anybody else in the whole world. Will 
 you go to the wedding, Miss Nancy? Will 
 you go ? " 
 
 " Yes, I will ; but not to be bridesmaid ; that 
 would render the whole ceremony ridiculous. 
 1 will set Orpy immediately about making the 
 cake. You, Bertha, dismiss school for a fort 
 night, and write to Louisa that we shall leave 
 home in the morning train, day after to-morrow.'- 
 
 It was a brilliant, and yet a sensible wedding, 
 for the guests were all near and dear friends. 
 
NOT EXPECTED TO HAPPEN. 27- 
 
 The solemn ceremony was performed by the 
 Eev. Mr. Helton, of Sylvania, and felt in a suit 
 able manner by the young persons who were 
 taking those momentous vows, which nothing 
 but veligious principles, aided by the grace of 
 Gud would enable them faithfully to fulfil.