THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Rare Book Room 
 GIFT OF 
 
 John W Beckman 
 
University of California Berkeley 
 

 * 
 
 
 

 

 
 .. 
 

 " He suddenly guve c,n impatient jerk, and raising his arm strove to deal a 
 How at his nurse. " Page 52. 
 
ELLE; 
 
 OR, 
 
 THE PROMISED BLESSING. 
 
 BY 
 
 THE AUTHOR OF "TIMID LUOY.' 
 
 
 Jk 
 
 tf>a fatfjer an* tf)S motfjet." 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 DANIEL DANA, JR., 381 BROADWAY. 
 
 M.DCOO. LIX. 
 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, 
 
 BY DANIEL DANA, JR., 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
 , Southern District of New York. 
 
 NEW YORK : 
 
 BILLIN AND BROTHER, PRINTERS, 
 XX, NORTH WILLIAM ST. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. PAGE 
 
 THE WELCOME .................................... 5 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 A SURPRISE ...................... . ................ 12 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 THE JOURNEY ENDED ................................ 23 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 NEW OCCUPATIONS ................................. 35 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 THE WING ____ , ................................... 49 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 POOR NANNY ..................................... 55 
 
 CHAPTER VII. , 
 A MOTHERLY HEART ............................... 68 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 SOLEMN LESSONS. . . ................................ 81 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 LETTERS ........... 99 
 
4 CONTENTS. 
 
 H 
 
 CHAPTER X. PAGE 
 
 Miss HANSY'S STORY 110 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 THE DAUGHTER'S REWARD 117 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 SUNDAY SCHOLARS 125 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 TILDEN FARM 135 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 LITTLE JANY 149 
 
 CHAPTER XV. ' 
 OLD TEMPTATIONS 166 
 
 CONCLUSION 1V6 
 
BELLE; 
 
 OR, 
 
 THE PROMISED BLESSING. 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 THE WELCOME. 
 
 AFTER three years of weary separation from 
 his wife and children, Mr. Cortlandt was once 
 more to be welcomed home. 
 
 The hickory fire sent its cheerful blaze up 
 the wide chimney, and flashed and flickered as 
 if partaking of the general joy, while the pol 
 ished tea equipage and the shining door knobs 
 caught its bright rays, and returned an answer 
 ing sparkle. Stretched back in an arm-chair, 
 and resting his feet on the fender, sat Willy 
 Cortlandt, the very picture of perfect content 
 ment and quiet satisfaction. 
 
 1* 
 
 . 
 
 
 
6 BELLE; OR, 
 
 While Willy was tranquilly enjoying the ex 
 pectation of the pleasant re-union, so soon to 
 take place, his sister Belle walked up and down 
 the room in a state of eager* impatience. Three 
 years had made a great alteration in Belle Cort- 
 landt, for they had changed the chubby little 
 girl, who bade her father "good-bye," with a 
 hearty hug and a shower of tears, into the slen 
 der miss, "just in her teens," who now so 
 anxiously awaited his return. 
 
 "Where's mother?" asked Belle, after listen 
 ing to the imaginary sound of wheels, and peer 
 ing out in vain into the darkness for the twen 
 tieth time. 
 
 "Mother?" said Willy, rousing from his 
 pleasant reverie, "Mother? 0, here she is!" 
 and at that moment the door opened. 
 
 " Mother," that was just the name for Mrs. 
 Cortlandt, for she had a face that told of love 
 and tenderness, and there was a look in her blue 
 eye, that made even the children of strangers 
 nestle at her side, and take her hand in theirs. 
 
 Mrs. Cortlandt had hardly time to give an 
 approving glance round the room, when the 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 7 
 
 sound of wheels was actually heard, and all 
 hastened to welcome the wanderer. 
 
 " Thank God, I ain at home again !" said a 
 clear, strong voice, and the wife was clasped in 
 her husband's arms, and the children received 
 their father's kiss. 
 
 " Why, you are almost as tall as your mother, 
 Belle," said Mr. Cortlandt, looking at his daugh 
 ter, with astonishment and pride. 
 
 Belle's black eyes sparkled with pleasure, 
 and, drawing her slender figure to its full 
 height, she moved forward with a step that 
 "Willy was wont to call "the grand march of 
 the generalissimo," and which his sister was apt 
 to assume on important occasions. 
 
 Willy Cortlandt, though two years younger 
 than Belle, had it in his power to tease her most 
 unmercifully. His quiet sarcasms on the new 
 airs of dignity and superiority, she had lately 
 assumed, often put that dignity to flight, and 
 brought forth a storm of angry words, which 
 Willy heard with a calmness that only pro 
 voked the speaker the more. 
 
 Willy felt that this was no time for such 
 
8 BELLE; OR, 
 
 attacks, but the effect of his father's remark did 
 not escape his notice, and he put it by in his 
 store-house of ammunition for the warfare he 
 so loved to wage. 
 
 A happy party sat round the tea-table at Oak- 
 side that evening. As Mr. Cortlandt looked 
 from face to face, he candidly thought his wife 
 the sweetest woman in the world, and his chil 
 dren more than equal to his fondest expecta 
 tions. 
 
 During the three years Mr. Cortlandt had 
 been detained in China, in the transaction of 
 the business that had called him from his home, 
 he had been a close observer of men and man 
 ners, and he had many amusing particulars to 
 tell of daily life among the Celestials. 
 
 The evening passed rapidly away in pleasant 
 chat, and all were surprised when the clock 
 struck eleven. " Belle," said Mrs. Cortlandt, 
 "Belle, Willy, it is an hour past your usual 
 bed-time you may put the Bible on the table, 
 daughter." 
 
 Mr. Cortlandt did not see the frown that sud 
 denly clouded the bright face of Belle ; he could 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 9 
 
 not know the rebellious murmur that throbbed 
 at her heart, as she rose to execute her mother's 
 wishes. That angry look did not escape the All- 
 seeing Eye ; that proud, stubborn heart was un 
 veiled to Him whose holy book she now took 
 in her hands. 
 
 Mr. Cortlandt opened the Bible to a Psalm 
 of praise. His own feelings of devout grati 
 tude broke forth in the words of royal David, 
 and he read as those only can read who feel 
 what they utter. 
 
 " How good and. noble he looks ! How beau 
 tifully he reads!" thought Belle; but her heart 
 was dead to the feelings that filled the soul of 
 her father and found a full response in that of 
 his wife. 
 
 For a moment Belle was sobered by the 
 voice of prayer. There was something in the 
 way Mr. Cortlandt addressed the Supreme Be 
 ing which seemed to make the reality of His 
 presence felt. 
 
 To the God who had watched over him in 
 his wanderings, and restored him in safety to 
 his home, the husband and father poured out 
 
10 
 
 his thanksgivings. For the wife of his bosom, 
 for the children, dear as his heart's blood, 
 he asked choice blessings from on high, and 
 doubtad not that his prayer was heard. 
 
 While heaven drew near to the true wor 
 shipper, and a blessing was pledged for those 
 for whom he prayed, Belle was lost in her own 
 wandering thoughts. Though on her knees, 
 in the attitude of prayer, her mind was busy 
 with memories of the past and with plans for 
 the future. 
 
 The fervent " amen " which came from the 
 lips of the mother, as Mr. Cortlandt closed, 
 roused Belle from her musing, and she sprang 
 from her knees with a start. 
 
 " Good-night, Belle," said the father, placing 
 a candle in her hand, " Good-night, daughter; 
 God bless you ! Good-night, Willy !" and the 
 children were gone. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Cortlandt talked long and late 
 that night over the pleasant fire. " How love 
 ly Belle is looking," said the husband, at the 
 close of their conversation. 
 
 A shade passed over the expressive face of 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 11 
 
 the mother, as she replied, " Yes, Belle is very 
 handsome, I think, and not at all vain." 
 
 The father noticed the momentary shadow, 
 but forebore to question its cause. He observed 
 the evasive answer, and dimly guessed its mean 
 ing. It passed like a cloud between him and 
 the sunshine of his happy return. 
 
12 BELLE; OR, 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 A SURPRISE. 
 
 SEVERAL weeks had passed pleasantly away 
 since Mr. Cortlandt's return, and he had yet 
 seen but little in Belle to justify the look of 
 pain with which her mother heard her daugh 
 ter's praise. 
 
 A real wintry storm was having its own way 
 without ; and within, something of the same 
 kind seemed threatening. 
 
 Belle appeared at the breakfast-table in what 
 might have passed with a casual observer as a 
 silent mood, but the keen eye of her father did 
 not overlook the unpleasant expression about 
 her mouth, or the studied indifference with 
 which she met all remarks addressed to herself. 
 
 "Belle," said the mother gently, when Mr. 
 Cortlandt had left the breakfast-room "Belle, 
 I am sorry you will not be able to go into town 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 13 
 
 to-day to the exhibition it may be brighter 
 to-morrow, and that will do as well, you know." 
 
 " I don't know any such thing," said Belle, 
 angrily. " I do not see why I am always to be 
 disappointed. I think I am old enough to 
 judge for myself, and I know I could go as 
 well as not, if you would only let me." 
 
 " I do not think it best for you to go to-day," 
 said Mrs. Cortlandt, quietly turning away. 
 
 " You think best," said Belle, contemptuously. 
 " Who do you think I am, that you talk to me 
 as if I were a baby ? I do think a mother is 
 the greatest torment in life !" 
 
 The hall-door had been ajar during this con 
 versation, and now it was suddenly thrown 
 open, and Mr. Cortlandt stood on the threshold. 
 " Belle 1" said the father, in a tone where stern 
 ness and sorrow were mingled. 
 
 "Father!" retorted the angry girl, in a tone 
 as stern as his own and her large black eyes 
 looked him full in the face, with a determined 
 stare. 
 
 " My dear child, think what you are doing," 
 said the mother, earnestly. 
 
14 BELLE; OR, 
 
 " We can get on without your advice," said 
 Belle, with another of those contemptuous looks. 
 
 Two strong hands were placed on the shoul 
 ders of the astonished girl, and before she could 
 recover from her surprise, she was marched 
 across the hall into the library opposite, the 
 door was closed and locked, and she was left 
 alone. It cost her a moment's thought to re 
 member what all this was about. She had but 
 spoken to her mother in a way to which she 
 was too well accustomed, and yet a scene had 
 occurred which seemed to make the matter of 
 importance. 
 
 Shame and pride contended in her heart, as 
 she thought of the look of reproof that had 
 flashed from her father's eyes, but pride, alas ! 
 got the mastery. 
 
 Belle strove to calm her agitated feelings, and 
 resolved to take a book and read, as if nothino 1 
 
 ' ' O 
 
 unusual had happened. This was at first rather 
 a difficult matter, but she had selected a volume 
 of Scott's poems, as among her particular favor 
 ites, and she at length lost all knowledge of the 
 flight of time, while poring over the " Lady of 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 15 
 
 the Lake." Meanwhile the mother had reluc 
 tantly confessed the increasing waywardness in 
 Belle, which had latterly tried her sorely. 
 While the father listened, both sorrow and 
 indignation from time to time prevailed in his 
 face. 
 
 " I think I shall subdue her in the end, by 
 gentleness," said Mrs. Cortlandt. " A few years 
 hence she will look back to this period as a wild 
 dream." 
 
 " Yet in those few years, Mary," said the hus 
 band solemnly, " she may call down on herself 
 the curse of offended Heaven. She shall not 
 lay up for herself future retribution if I can 
 help it. The undutiful child cannot be blessed 
 even in this world, not to speak of that eternal 
 ruin for which such unnatural conduct is a meet 
 preparation." 
 
 "You do not know Belle, yet," said the 
 mother earnestly. " She is ungovernable, but 
 she is generous and affectionate, as you soon 
 will see. Do not be harsh with her." 
 
 Mr. Cortlandt looked into the sweet face that 
 pleaded for the erring child, and his displeasure 
 
16 , :, ,,.;. BELLE; OK, 
 
 increased. "To be unkind and undutiful to 
 such a mother," he exclaimed, " is a fearful sin ! 
 Grod grant the poor child may no longer call 
 down on herself the punishment so repeatedly 
 threatened in Scripture to such offenders. This 
 career must have a sudden close, or it may end 
 in woes temporal and eternal." 
 
 Mr. Cortlandt left the room with a decided 
 step, and a determined air. 
 
 The hours passed on ; the mother was not 
 alone, for she was holding communion with an 
 ever-present Friend. Earnestly she prayed for 
 her wayward child, and implored the influence 
 of the Spirit of grace to soften that proud, un 
 repentant heart. 
 
 Belle would have cast down her book, and 
 thrown her arms about her mother's neck, if 
 she could have seen that mother on her knees 
 pleading for her ; if she could have heard the 
 words of deep, tender, unselfish affection in 
 which blessings were invoked on her unworthy 
 head. The daughter stifled the voice of con 
 science which bade her " repent and return," 
 and no supernatural power opened her eyes to 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 17 
 
 behold the scene that would have melted even 
 her proud heart. 
 
 When Mr. Cortlandt returned at noon he 
 had a long and earnest conversation with his 
 wife. While she still tenderly pleaded for the 
 offender, she could not Ibut own the justice 
 and true affection which had made him deter 
 mine to check his child, at once, in a habit 
 of disrespect and disobedience, which, if in 
 dulged, must insure the displeasure of Heaven. 
 
 Belle had eaten the simple meal that had been 
 sent to her, and was beginning to wonder, as 
 the afternoon wore away, how long her confine 
 ment was to last. 
 
 About four o'clock her father entered the 
 library carrying her cloak, furs, and all that 
 she would need to guard her well against the 
 clear, keen air that had followed the sleet of 
 the morning. 
 
 "Get ready, as soon as possible, Belle," said 
 the father soberly, but not sternly, and then he 
 instantly left the room. All traces of the ex 
 citement of the morning had passed away from 
 
 Belle, and she could easily have forgotten the 
 
 2* 
 
18 BELLE; OR, 
 
 whole matter, if no farther notice had been 
 taken of it. Her father's manner, however, 
 roused her pride, and she resolved to obey in 
 silence and ask no questions. 
 
 She was a little startled to find a stage-coach, 
 laden with baggage, at the door, as she stepped 
 forth with her father. 
 
 " Get in, Belle," said the voice of Mr. Cort- 
 landt, and she mechanically obeyed. 
 
 There was a stir among the occupants of the 
 coach, and a place was made for Belle on the 
 back seat, while her father established himself 
 beside an old gentleman in front. 
 
 There was something in that old gentleman's 
 face which might have made a stranger willing 
 to be his fellow-passenger for a time, and his 
 conversation soon showed that it would be safe 
 to choose his companionship, even for eternity. 
 
 Mr. Cortlandt's heart was too sad and agita 
 ted for him to have enjoyed any conversation 
 on ordinary subjects, but the themes touched 
 upon by his acquaintance ever found in him an 
 echo. The prospects of the Missionary cause 
 in China, the best method of reaching the 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 19 
 
 ignorant and degraded in every land, and the 
 motives set before all Christians to join in efforts 
 to spread the Gospel, were the subjects under 
 discussion. 
 
 Belle forgot her father's displeasure and the 
 singularity of her position, as she listened to the 
 interesting remarks made by the old gentleman, 
 and, for the first time, there was stirred within 
 her a wish to do something in the great work 
 of evangelizing the world. She had yet to re 
 alize that her first task was a painful and ardu 
 ous one, nothing less than the bringing her 
 own proud stubborn heart into the gentle spirit 
 of the Gospel of peace. Painful, arduous, 
 and even impossible such a task must have 
 been, undertaken in her own strength, yet, with 
 that unperformed, she was most unworthy even 
 to think of laboring for and with God in the 
 extension of His kingdom on earth. 
 
 Many miles of the hard, rough road had been 
 passed over, when the stage-coach stopped be 
 fore a mushroom hotel, which had lately sprung 
 up by the way-side, fresh with whitewash, and 
 shining with shutterless windows. The whole 
 
20 BELLE; OB, 
 
 party alighted, and Belle was shown into a lit 
 tle room in which the great clumsy bed looked 
 much like a huge animal shut up in a narrow 
 cage. 
 
 Belle took off her bonnet, and did not even 
 notice that the looking-glass was hung too high 
 for her to see her face in it, even if she stood 
 on tip-toes, for matters of the toilet gave her 
 very little uneasiness. 
 
 The great bell summoned the passengers to 
 the tea-table. Again Mr. Cortlandt was occu 
 pied with the old gentleman, and Belle had no 
 opportunity to speak to her father, excepting 
 when he placed the candle in her hand, as he 
 stood beside her in the hall, and bade her good 
 night, with his usual blessing. Then, she felt 
 an impulse to ask his forgiveness and restoration 
 to his favor. Pride made her hesitate, and stop 
 in silence ; and in a moment he was gone ! Res 
 toration to favor was what she -wanted ; she did 
 not yet feel the need of forgiveness, for what 
 seemed to her a trifling offence. 
 
 Belle looked out at the window that graced 
 the head of the bed. The stars flashed in the 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 21 
 
 clear night air, and quiet reigned over hill and 
 frost-browned meadow. But no voice spoke to 
 Belle of Him who has numbered the stars, and 
 fashioned the earth in beauty: it was of her 
 human father she thought, as she said to her 
 self impatiently, "It is of no use trying to ask 
 his forgiveness ; I do not mean to think of 
 it again." 
 
 Mechanically she knelt, and repeated her 
 evening prayer, and then, having put up her 
 travelling shawl as an extempore curtain, she 
 lay down to rest. 
 
 Sleep seemed to fly from her. Of her mother 
 she would not think. With conjectures as to 
 her probable destination she wearied herself, 
 arid on the conversation in the stage-coach she 
 at length fixed her mind. The face of the old 
 gentleman rose up before her, and she was 
 struck anew with the wonderful charm in its 
 pure, placid expression. Through it she dimly 
 understood that old age is not necessarily ugly. 
 Trials impatiently borne, cares struggled with 
 in human strength, and evil passions indulged 
 make the harsh lines which grow and deepen 
 
22 BELLE; OR, 
 
 with increasing years. " I wonder how I shall 
 look when I am old ?" she thought. Conscience 
 would have given her a faithful reply, but she 
 stifled its voice, and soon sank to rest to dream 
 of being an old woman with a hooked nose, 
 living in the little room she now occupied. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 23 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE JOURNEY ENDED. 
 
 THE winding of stage-horns, and the bust 
 ling of hostlers in the yard below her window, 
 roused the young traveller soon after sunrise. 
 She had hardly completed her hasty toilet, 
 when the waiter summoned her to the break 
 fast-table. Her father kindly bade her good- 
 morning, and then was soon absorbed in con 
 versation with his late companions. 
 
 The lumbering stage-coach was at the door, 
 even before the meal was over, but it could 
 wait, and did wait, until the nine inside-pas 
 sengers were fully equipped in such wrappings 
 as the keen air made absolutely indispensable. 
 
 Belle felt grateful, when her father drew her 
 shawl more closely round her, after she was 
 seated, and then placed at her feet a hot brick, 
 which he had thoughtfully provided for her 
 
24 BELLE; OR, 
 
 comfort. These little acts of attention, trifling 
 as they were, aroused, for the first time, a feel 
 ing of real regret that she should have offended 
 so kind and affectionate a parent. 
 
 For another long day nine human beings 
 were shut up together. Shaken and tossed, 
 rocked and tumbled, as they drove over the 
 rough road, until all reserve and stiffness were 
 banished, even from the primmest of the com 
 pany. 
 
 In the various joltings Belle had thrust her 
 elbows unmercifully into a fat country-woman 
 next her, and, by way of making amends for 
 this involuntary attack, she had offered to share 
 the contrivance for warming her feet, which 
 had kept her so comfortable. This little po- 
 literiesr. opened the way for an acquaintance, 
 which ripened with wonderful rapidity. Belle 
 soon felt familiar with " our folks at home" 
 the constant theme of the honest woman's 
 conversation. 
 
 " The children," Belle already knew by 
 name, but as to the individual who was so 
 affectionately and respectfully referred to as 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 25 
 
 "Ae" she was left in doubt. This ambiguity 
 was in a measure done away with, when the 
 coach suddenly stopped before a lane leading 
 to a comfortable farm-house, nestled far away 
 on a hill-side. 
 
 " This aint no wher' what are we stoppin' 
 for?" exclaimed a countryman, who was on the 
 middle seat. 
 
 Belle's stout acquaintance made an impul 
 sive jerk forward, and laid her hand so 
 expressively on the broad strap that shut her 
 in, that the countryman understood her mean 
 ing, and let her out as soon as possible. 
 
 " There he is ! I do declare, and all the 
 children, too !" exclaimed the good woman as 
 a stalwart farmer came up to give her a hearty 
 welcome. A large covered wagon, which had 
 been but a moment before filled with a joyous 
 group, was emptied in a moment. 
 
 " Mother ! mother I" was repeated from 
 mouth to mouth, as lips were put up to be 
 kissed, and warm greetings were exchanged on 
 all sides. 
 
 "Mother" that sound sent a pang to the 
 3 
 
26 
 
 heart of Belle, it was spoken with such true 
 affection, such tender respect. When might 
 she speak that word? How great was to be 
 the distance that would separate her from the 
 mother she had so little valued ? These ques 
 tions were occupying the mind of the young 
 girl, when they were not very agreeably echoed 
 from without, by the slender, eager-looking old 
 woman who was now at her side. 
 
 "I spose you'll be gettin' out soon, eh?" 
 was interrogatively urged on Belle's attention ; 
 but she affected to be watching the party 
 establishing themselves in the great covered 
 wagon. 
 
 "Where are. you going, miss?" persisted the 
 questioner. " I stop ten miles above, at Allen- 
 ville. You aint goin' there, I take it?" 
 
 Belle was truthful and frank, and her im 
 pulse was to say at once, "I don't know 
 where I am going," but shame checked her, 
 and crimsoned her expressive face. 
 
 Her father saw her embarrassment, and said 
 promptly, " We are going to Sanders, only 
 two miles further on." 
 
THE PEOMISED BLESSING. 27 
 
 At these words Belle's heart throbbed with 
 strong feelings. " Sanders I" She had never 
 even heard of the place. "What was it like? 
 To whose house was she going?" 
 
 A boarding-school suggested itself to her 
 mind, and that this was her destination she 
 fully concluded. 
 
 Belle was fond of young companions, and 
 the idea of being among girls of her own age 
 was rather pleasing, even under her present 
 disagreeable circumstances. 
 
 When the stage-coach made its next stop, 
 her inquiring look towards her father was 
 answered by a nod of assent, and she pre 
 pared to alight. . 
 
 She looked about her for some great build 
 ing, with a staring announcement of "Young 
 Ladies' Seminary," or " Female Institute," 
 posted in a conspicuous place. No female 
 seminary, no house of any kind was in sight, 
 but a narrow cross-road wound away around a 
 hill, and seemed, by its freedom from the deep 
 ruts of the main road, to be but little used. 
 
 Belle heard her father say, "Carry the 
 
28 BELLE; OK, 
 
 trunk on to Sanders ; it will be sent for." Then, 
 taking up their travelling bags, he started for 
 ward on the cross-road, desiring her to do the 
 same. 
 
 In silence they walked on together. Belle 
 longed to speak, but there was something in 
 her father's sad and somewhat stern expression 
 that seemed to paralyze her tongue. Though 
 that member was quiet, her eyes were doing 
 double duty, looking eagerly, on all sides, for 
 some trace of the point towards which they 
 were tending. 
 
 After a long walk, a sudden turn in the 
 road brought them in sight of a small frame 
 house, with a long brick wing, and a porch 
 large enough to have accommodated a patri 
 archal family. The house stood in a large 
 yard, dotted with fruit trees, through which a 
 wide pavement made a straight line from the 
 gate to the door-step. 
 
 In no very enviable frame of mind, Belle 
 followed her father until he stopped in the 
 porch, and made the shining knocker an 
 nounce their arrival. The door was opened 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 29 
 
 bj an old man, with his hat on, who looked 
 at the strangers with every mark of astonish 
 ment. 
 
 "Is Miss Hansy at home?" asked Mr. Cort- 
 landt. The old man had not time to answer 
 before Mr. Cortlandt stepped forward, saying, 
 " There she is 1" and then advanced to shake 
 hards with the person in question. 
 
 Miss Hansy's tall, slender figure was envel 
 oped in a dark brown dress, and a simple 
 muslin cap was on her head. Belle did not 
 observe her dress ; at first sight she could 
 only notice the strange contrast between the 
 clear, wide-open, hazel eye that beamed on 
 one side of her face with gentle sweetness, 
 and the tightly closed lid on the opposite side. 
 
 Miss Hansy smiled, and looked surprise 
 and welcome with her one eye, as she heartily 
 shook Mr. Cortlandt's offered hand, and ex 
 claimed, " Why, Harry Cortlandt ! I did not 
 expect to see thee here! This must be thy 
 daughter. She shows her father in every fea 
 ture." 
 
 "It is my only daughter," said Mr. Cort- 
 3* 
 
30 BELLE; OR, 
 
 landt, soberly, "and after I have had a little 
 talk with you, you shall make her acquaint 
 ance." 
 
 " She must go up-stairs and lay off her 
 things," said Miss Hansy. " She will find a 
 fire in the spare room, as the doctor was here 
 to-day from the city." So saying, Miss Hansy 
 led the way to a bedroom in the front of the 
 house, and there left Belle to herself. 
 
 " Who is Miss Hansy ? Where am I ?" 
 thought Belle, as she looked round the small 
 room into which she had been ushered. Every 
 thing in it was scrupulously neat, but there 
 was a plain and strangely old-fashioned air to 
 all the furniture. The white-curtained bed 
 was so high that a pair of steps had been 
 placed beside it to make it accessible. The 
 mahogany dressing bureau was dark with age, 
 though the brass lions' faces, that had held 
 the rings to the drawers for so many years, 
 were as bright as if they had been fastened 
 on the day before. Belle could hear the hay, 
 strewed under the carpet, rustle at every step, 
 as she moved about to survey the premises. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 31 
 
 " Where am I ? " she again questioned. 
 There was no stir of boarding-school life in 
 the quiet house; no ringing of bells and cho 
 rus of young voices. The old man, who 
 opened the door, had looked as much sur 
 prised to see them as if he had been a her 
 mit disturbed in his cell. 
 
 Belle had time enough to wonder and ask 
 herself questions, to which she could find no 
 satisfactory answer. More than an hour had 
 passed in this manner when there was a slow, 
 uncertain footstep in the hall without, and a 
 knock at the door. Amos, the old man who 
 had acted as porter, appeared, as Belle an 
 swered the knock, with his arm stretched out 
 at full length, holding a small tray, on which 
 were a cup of tea, some sandwiches, and a 
 candle. 
 
 "She sends good-night to the young lady, 
 and says she better go to bed early," said the 
 old man, and then disappeared. There was a 
 choking in Belle's throat, as she understood 
 that she was to be left to her loneliness, and 
 she put the tray down on the table, and 
 
32 BELLE; OR, -v^ 
 
 turned towards the fire. The young travel 
 ler had had a long fatiguing ride since dinner, 
 and the white bread looked very tempting. 
 After a few moments of painful thought, 
 Belle, half reluctantly, drew towards the small 
 round table, and began her simple meal. At 
 the taste of the food, her healthy, natural 
 appetite returned, and tea and sandwiches dis 
 appeared before her in a way that would have 
 shocked a sentimental miss. 
 
 Belle was of a cheerful, lively, -natural dis 
 position, and although she felt her father's 
 altered manner, and was most anxious to 
 know something of her present abode, she 
 looked about her, after supper, in quite a 
 pleasant mood. " I wish I had a book to 
 read," she said to herself, as she took a seat 
 on a low chair beside- the fire. 
 
 She had hardly been seated a moment when 
 there was a greater stumbling in the hall than 
 before, and then the broad-shouldered old man 
 again appeared, laden this time with Belle's 
 trunk, which he deposited in silence, and then, 
 taking up the tray, left her again to herself. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 33 
 
 The key was in the lock, and Belle was 
 glad to have the occupation of looking over 
 the contents of the trunk, and drawing from 
 them some inference as to the life in store for 
 her. An ample supply of clothing had been 
 placed there, by whose hand she could not 
 doubt. She knew her mother's care for her 
 comfort, shown at every moment of unpack 
 ing. Of the little articles for the toilet, not one 
 was missing. There, too, were her slippers 
 and her wrapper, and there were many little 
 keepsakes, which it had been her pleasure to 
 see about her room at home. There was her 
 favorite desk, newly furnished with a store of 
 writing materials, and there she found a new 
 Bible and Prayer-book, the only books the 
 trunk contained. 
 
 Belle took up the former, and opened it. 
 On the fly-leaf was quoted the beautiful Col 
 lect, "Blessed Lord, who hast caused all Holy 
 Scriptures to be written for our learning, 
 grant that my dear child may in such wise 
 hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly di 
 gest them, that, by patience and comfort of Thy 
 
' * 
 
 34 BELLE; OR, 
 
 Holy Word, she may embrace and ever hold 
 fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which 
 Thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus 
 Christ." This was written in her father's 
 hand, while below her mother had tremblingly 
 traced " The Lord bless thee, and keep thee, 
 make His face to shine upon thee, and give 
 thee peace for ever more." 
 
 Belle closed the book with tears in her 
 eyes, tears of tenderness towards the mother 
 from whom she was separated, but not tears 
 of penitence for the long-indulged spirit of dis 
 obedience, which had brought about this sepa 
 ration. 
 
 She read no words of the Holy Book, she 
 poured forth no real prayer before she laid 
 her head on the pillow, yet she slept soundly, 
 to wake in health ; for the Lord is long-suffer 
 ing and of tender mercy, and for her an earthly 
 father prayed, and a loving mother lifted up 
 her petitions in faith. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 35 
 
 ** r '.'.' 
 
 CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 NEW OCCUPATIONS. 
 
 THE winter sun was high in the heavens 
 when Belle woke from the long, sound sleep 
 which had followed the fatigues of the day 
 before. A bright fire was burning on the 
 hearth, and a note addressed to her, lay on the 
 small, round table beside her bed. She took it 
 eagerly, and broke it open. She did not need 
 to look at the signature "Your devoted fa 
 ther" to know by whom it was written. It 
 began, " My dear daughter : When your eyes 
 fall on this page I shall be far on my home 
 ward journey." " Gone ! without one word to 
 me !" said Belle, as she threw the note angrily 
 down. " That is too bad I" 
 
 Very different would have been her words 
 if she had seen the face of tenderness with 
 which that father had bent over her in the 
 
36 BELLE; OR, 
 
 gray dawn, while lie invoked blessings on his 
 erring child. 
 
 Belle was fairly dressed before she again 
 condescended to look at the note whose open 
 ing sentence had so excited her indignation. 
 
 Strongly and clearly Mr. Cortlandt had ex 
 pressed his sense of the heinousness of the sin 
 that his daughter had so frequently commit 
 ted, that she was quite unconscious of the ex 
 tent to which it had darkened and benumbed 
 her conscience. Tenderly and compassionately 
 he addressed her, as he urged her to begin at 
 once a new and better life, and to profit to 
 the uttermost by the trying discipline to which 
 he felt it necessary she should be subjected. 
 
 With fervent wishes for her best good he 
 closed the long note, which he had written 
 with a trembling hand and a beating heart. 
 
 Belle felt a vague sense of disgrace at being 
 so addressed by the father she revered, though 
 she had as yet but little idea of the real hate- 
 fulness of her fault. " What * discipline ' does 
 he mean ?" she questioned ; but imagination 
 returned only the wildest answers. Belle re- 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 37 
 
 solved to meet boldly whatever might be in 
 store for her, and to put the best possible face 
 on the matter. In this mood she went down 
 stairs, and, notwithstanding her resolution, push 
 ed open, somewhat timidly, the first door to 
 which she came. 
 
 No stern judge, no place of punishment, 
 was revealed to her view ; not even Miss 
 Hansy's one eye looked reproachfully upon 
 her. She stood alone in a small dining-room, 
 where silence would have reigned, but for the 
 noisy singing of a tea-kettle, perched on the 
 old-fashioned ten-plate stove. The breakfast- 
 table was set for a single person, and the sim 
 ple fare was all ready, excepting the fresh eggs, 
 which stood prepared to have the boiling water 
 poured upon them. 
 
 Belle sat down for a few moments in silence, 
 expecting some one to appear, to let her know 
 if these preparations had been made for her. 
 No one came; she began to move about the 
 room, that it might be known that she was 
 stirring. All was quiet through the house, no 
 one seemed even to breathe in the deep still- 
 
38 BELLE; OK, 
 
 ness. Belle looked out at tlie side window. 
 The long brick wing (its windows shaded by 
 a high lattice, for a grape vine) stretched off 
 to the right, but not a murmur came through 
 its closed shutters, though the thin column of 
 smoke, that rose from one of its chimneys, gave 
 signs of its being inhabited. 
 
 After waiting in doubtful and dreary lone 
 liness for what seemed an hour, at least, 
 Belle's appetite overcame her scruples. She 
 took the biscuit from their warm retreat 
 in the open oven, and, boiling the eggs to 
 her taste, made the tea according to her own 
 notions, and sat down to her solitary break 
 fast. 
 
 There was nothing frightful in that quiet 
 room, but Belle felt the silence oppressive, 
 and would have been glad to hear even a 
 rat busy in the walls. 
 
 Silent and solitary as was that morning 
 meal, it was not more so than were the wea 
 ry Hours that followed it. Belle wandered 
 about, no one asking her whither she was 
 going. She ventured to peep into the small 
 
THE PKOMISED .BLESSING. 39 
 
 parlor; all there was neat, and simple, but 
 the room was cold and dark, and displayed 
 no indications of being either occupied or 
 visited. Not a book was any where to be 
 seen, not a picture hung upon the walls, to 
 indicate the taste or pursuits of the inhabit 
 ants, if inhabitants there were, to this noise 
 less home. Belle almost began to think Miss 
 Hansy, with her one eye, and stumbling old 
 Amos, were but phantoms of her disordered 
 fancy. 
 
 "What do I generally do at home?" 
 thought Belle to herself, .as she mentally re 
 viewed one of her ordinary days and its oc 
 cupations. The review was neither very sat 
 isfactory, nor suggestive of expedients for her 
 present diversion. Belle had been much in 
 the habit of idling about, watching her 
 mother's busy fingers, or chatting with "Wil 
 ly. Her school-books had claimed but a 
 small share of her attention, for she was 
 more ambitious of being a favorite among 
 the scholars, than of winning the approba 
 tion of the teacher. 
 
40 BELLE; OB, 
 
 The unconscious idleness, which had been 
 so agreeable when in pleasant company, 
 Belle soon found burdensome, with no other 
 resource than her own thoughts, which were 
 by no means pleasing, when allowed to fol 
 low their own bent. 
 
 The stumbling step of the old man was 
 a welcome sound to Belle when the morn 
 ing had almost worn away, and she was 
 glad to hear his voice, though it was nei 
 ther refined, nor melodious. 
 
 "Miss," said he, "she says you may see 
 to your room, and you'll find the bureau 
 drawers empty for you. She says you'll 
 find things ready for you to clear up in 
 there, too," and he pointed to the dining 
 room. 
 
 Belle mechanically went up-stairs to "see 
 to her room," and she found it looking truly 
 as if it needed some attention. The bed 
 was unmade, the contents of the trunk were 
 scattered in all directions, and, indeed, every 
 article in the room seemed in the wrong 
 place, save the heavy dressing bureau, which 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 4 
 
 stood a monument of stability in the midst 
 of the confusion. 
 
 Mrs. Cortlandt was one of those busy, un 
 selfish persons who promote just the opposite, 
 qualities in those by whom they are sur 
 rounded. 
 
 The indulgent mother had met Belle's 
 heedlessness by her own care, and .had ever 
 ready for her, the apology, " girls at ' school 
 cannot be expected to have much time to 
 spare for home duties." 
 
 Belle felt a sense of discomfort and half- 
 despair as she looked at the scene of dis 
 order before her. It was not the first time 
 that she had left such a room in the morn 
 ing ; but that was quite a different thing 
 from returning to it in the clear light of 
 the noon-day sun. No thoughtful mother 
 had now brought chaos back to order, no 
 neat chamber-maid had laid the bed as with 
 line and plummet, and put aside the in 
 congruous articles that clustered about the 
 looking-glass. 
 
 Hopeless as seemed the task, Belle was 
 
42 BELLE; OR, 
 
 really glad to have something to do, and 
 she set to work, in her own way, to pro 
 duce a change. The bureau-drawers were 
 .soon filled with a variety of articles jumbled 
 together, without regard to any of the ordin 
 ary rules of classification, and the remaining 
 garments were promiscuously thrust into the 
 trunk. This was the result of but a few 
 moments of active exertion, and then Belle 
 looked around her with no little satisfac 
 tion. 
 
 The bed was next attacked, and Belle 
 found it quite a relief to her feelings to box 
 and shake unmercifully the huge mass of 
 feathers, with which custom, in those days, 
 made it necessary to fill the "spare-room 
 bed." When this branch of her new occu 
 pation was completed, it must be confessed 
 that the surface of the bed, was (as the 
 geographers say) "gently undulating," but 
 that was a small matter so the thing was 
 done. Quite in a glow with her recent ex 
 ercise, Belle descended to the dining-room. 
 The neat little tub with its mop and towels 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 43 
 
 near, which she had before observed on the 
 side-table, seemed now to speak directly to 
 her, and she forthwith made the still-sing 
 ing kettle provide the hot water for her 
 new duties. 
 
 Belle was just congratulating herself on 
 her success when, by some awkward chance, 
 she dropped the small, old-fashioned tea-cup, 
 and in a moment it was dashed to pieces. 
 
 At this instant Miss Hansy came in at a 
 side door. 
 
 Belle's confusion was extreme. 
 
 " Thee need not trouble thyself about that, 
 child," said a clear, low voice; "there is no 
 sin in such an accident." 
 
 "I know I am very careless," said Belle 
 ingenuously, as she looked directly into Miss 
 Hansy's single eye. 
 
 "Then thee will try to mend. If thee 
 knows thy faults, thee will not stop there, I 
 hope. I am sorry thee must be left so 
 much to thyself, and will have to do so 
 many things that are strange to thy hands. 
 I can but give thee the home thy father 
 
44 BELLE; OR, 
 
 wishes, for the sake of old times, and thee 
 must make the best of it." 
 
 Belle looked inquiringly into Miss Hansy's 
 face, for she longed to know whether her 
 father, in placing her with Miss Hansy, had 
 explained the cause and manner of her leav 
 ing home ; but in the calm eye, and quiet 
 face, there was no answer to be read. 
 
 Even while she had been speaking, Miss 
 Hansy had been placing 'the simple tea equip 
 age in the small corner-cupboard, and now 
 nearly all traces of it had disappeared, and 
 the remaining articles on the tray were put 
 through a slide in the wall, and then all 
 was in order. 
 
 Belle was making up her mind to say 
 something, she hardly knew what, when Miss 
 Hansy again disappeared, and the young 
 stranger was once more alone. 
 
 The small dining-room seemed dreary, and 
 Belle betook herself to her quiet bed-room, 
 with a sad feeling, that that was already 
 her home. 
 
 Miss Hansy's peculiar use of "thee" was 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 45 
 
 new to Belle, and not at all in accordance 
 with her preconceived ideas of the way of 
 speaking the " plain language," but she did 
 not feel at all inclined to find fault with any 
 thing about her new acquaintance. If Miss 
 Hansy had had two eyes, Belle might have 
 looked upon her in an unfriendly light, as 
 her jailer in this strange abode; but Belle had 
 one of those natures that are softened and dis 
 armed by a personal misfortune, and the ap 
 pearance of that sad, closed lid went right 
 to her heart. 
 
 Strange as it may seem, Belle was really 
 affectionate and warm-hearted, and deeply at 
 tached to her friends. The wild feeling of 
 insubordination and opposition to her mother 
 which had of late been so painfully prominent, 
 was rather a bad habit, carelessly indulged, 
 than a deep-seated determination to pain and 
 try that affectionate parent. 
 
 Once more in her own room, Belle, from 
 very listlessness, took up her Prayer-book, and 
 began to look over the various services, some 
 of which she had never read. This she found 
 
46 BELLE; OB, 
 
 a dull business, and she was glad when the 
 sound of a small bell gave promise of the 
 dinner hour's having arrived. 
 
 The lunch of cold ham and bread was not 
 very attractive, but she lingered over it as 
 long as possible, and then put together the 
 dishes, and ventured herself to thrust them 
 through the slide, into the large pantry, to 
 which it formed a communication. 
 
 That weary day was over at last, and Belle 
 lay down to sleep more sad and subdued than 
 she had ever been in her life. 
 
 How cheerful seemed, in remembrance, the 
 fireside at home ! How lovely looked her 
 mother's face ! How welcome even Willy's 
 teasing, rather than 'the dreary monotony, the 
 unvaried loneliness of the day she had passed ! 
 
 " I wonder if they have missed me ?" she 
 thought ; and she vainly tried to remember 
 some office of kindness, unperformed, by which 
 her mother would be reminded of her absence; 
 some pleasure that would seem less to Willy 
 by not sharing it with her. 
 . The conviction was painfully forced upon 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING-. 47 
 
 her, that her face might be missed at the fire 
 side, but that no kindly actions of late, no 
 efforts for others had made her place at home 
 one that could not well be left vacant. 
 
 Alas ! for those who by idleness and self- 
 indulgence cut themselves off from the sweet 
 household sympathies of those who "bear one 
 another's burdens," and "rejoice with them 
 that rejoice I" 
 
 "I wonder how long I am to stay in this 
 dreary place?" thought Belle, as she laid her 
 head on her pillow. "Life would be a bur 
 den here. I wish I could be sick all by myself, 
 and then how sorry father would feel to think 
 he left me here alone!" she* said aloud. 
 
 " And how would thee feel if that sickness 
 should be unto death?" said a voice in the 
 room, as Miss Hansy entered. 
 
 Belle could not reply, and Miss Hansy con 
 tinued: "I came to bid thee good-night, and 
 did not willingly hear thy wild wish. Grod 
 help thee, child, to come to a better mind ! 
 Thou art never alone ; perhaps in this quiet 
 home thou mayest learn to enjoy His presence 
 
 
48 BELLE; OR, 
 
 who is about thy bed ; who knoweth thy lying 
 down and thy rising up, and is acquainted 
 with all thy ways." 
 
 So saying, Miss Hansy concluded, and to 
 Belle's astonishment, she stooped down and 
 kissed the flushed cheek of the young girl, 
 and then left the room. 
 
 " About my bed, and knoweth all my ways," 
 thought Belle. Rather would she have had 
 the oppressive loneliness of the day, than the 
 strange sense of a spiritual presence that had 
 been thus suddenly forced upon her by Miss 
 Hansy's earnest words. 
 
 The truth that Grod is every where, she had 
 been taught from her childhood ; but now, for 
 the first time, she really believed it, and the 
 strange awe that accompanied that belief long 
 banished sleep from her eyes, but at last na 
 ture triumphed, and she was lost in dreams. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 49 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE WING. 
 
 THE new sense of spiritual things, that had 
 come over Belle in the darkness of night, van 
 ished with the return of day. In the clear 
 light, which brought every material object about 
 her so plainly before her eyes, she no longer 
 realized the invisible presence which had so 
 oppressed her the evening before. 
 
 Another day of loneliness, only cheered by 
 occasional glimpses of Miss Hansy, passed 
 slowly away. Home-sickness, in all its strength, 
 came over the solitary girl, and she sat down 
 and cried heartily, in bitterness of spirit. Once 
 she took out her writing materials to commence 
 a letter, imploring to be allowed to return, and 
 promising perfect and cheerful obedience, but 
 her pride revolted at such a submission to au 
 thority, and she half-reluctantly threw aside 
 

 
 50 BELLE; OB, 
 
 the sheet she had taken up. Her heart yearned 
 towards her mother, and she felt sure if she 
 could only see that sweet face, she could 
 easily beg forgiveness for her fault, but she 
 could not write down her acknowledgment, 
 actually put it on paper, where Willy might 
 see it, or any casual eye might fall upon it. 
 This idea given up, Belle resolved to try 
 her needle as a comforter. She had never 
 been fond of any kind of plain sewing, and 
 the various bits of fancy work she had com 
 menced had not been placed in her trunk. 
 She took up one of the pocket-handkerchiefs to 
 hem, which she found with her working materi 
 als, and sat down, after her solitary tea, to pass 
 her evening in sewing. After sitting at the 
 round table for a time quite industriously, she 
 fancied that it would seem more home-like and 
 cosy if the shutters were closed, and the clear 
 moonlight excluded. She rose suddenly to 
 carry out this idea, and in doing so, she knock 
 ed her thimble from her finger, and saw it roll 
 slowly down the gentle slope of the roof of 
 the porch, and lodge in the leaden trough. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 51 
 
 This thimble was a special favorite with Belle, 
 being a gold one, and, moreover, a late birth 
 day gift from her mother. The thought of 
 losing it was not for a moment to be tolerated, 
 and Belle did not hesitate to step upon the 
 roof, and move slowly towards the spot where 
 it was lying. She had nearly reached it, when 
 her attention was attracted by a stream of 
 light, that poured from a window in the wing, 
 towards which she had looked so wonderingly, 
 and in which Miss Hansy seemed to spend 
 her time. 
 
 From her elevated position Belle could see 
 distinctly into the room, whence the light 
 came, and the scene that caught her eye ar 
 rested her attention and chained her to the 
 spot where she stood. 
 
 Seated in a huge arm-chair was an old 
 man, apparently past sixty years of age. His 
 powerfully-moulded features had a harsh and 
 disagreeable expression, while round his half- 
 open mouth, there was a look of childish 
 imbecility. One of his legs was stretched 
 out upon a chair, and was closely bandaged. 
 
52 BELLE; OR, 
 
 These bandages Miss Hansy was endeavor 
 ing to arrange, while Amos stood by, with 
 his hat, as usual, on his head. Miss Han 
 sy was kneeling, and there was tenderness 
 and gentle care in the very expression of 
 her figure, as she went on with her task. 
 
 Even her skilful fingers seemed to be un 
 able to perform this task to the satisfaction 
 of the sufferer. He suddenly gave an im 
 patient jerk, and raising his arm hastily, 
 strove to deal a blow at his nurse. Miss 
 Hansy saw his intention, and quietly moved 
 aside, while the raised arm dropped power- 
 lessly. The expression that came over the 
 face of the sick man, at this failure, was so 
 full of helpless rage, that Belle turned hor 
 ror-stricken from the sight, but not too soon 
 to catch a glimpse of Miss Hansy's calm, com 
 passionate look, as she met that angry glance. 
 
 Belle had well-nigh forgotten her danger 
 ous position in her eagerness to escape from 
 witnessing any more of the secret proceed 
 ings in the wing. 
 
 She started, as she found herself stumbling 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 53 
 
 on the very verge of the roof, and remem 
 bered at once the object that had brought 
 her into the cool night air. Shivering with 
 cold and agitation, she secured her thim 
 ble and crept back to her room, with new 
 food for thought. 
 
 She was no longer in the mood for sew 
 ing quietly. After wondering long over the 
 scene she had witnessed, she betook herself 
 to bed. 
 
 Belle had not closed her eyes when Miss 
 Hansy entered, in her usual quiet way, to 
 say good-night. Belle looked at her, to see 
 if there were no traces of recent excitement 
 on her face, but all was serene and calm, 
 and her one eye looked forth as kindly as 
 ever. 
 
 Miss Hansy was not a little surprised at 
 the glance of affectionate interest which Belle 
 bestowed on her, but being a woman of few 
 words, she asked no questions. "I am glad 
 to see thee has been sewing ; the needle is 
 
 a great blessing; but thee looks tired, and I 
 5* 
 
54 BELLE; OR, 
 
 must bid thee good-night," said Miss Hansy, 
 turning away. 
 
 " Grood-night, dear Miss Hansy," said Belle, 
 with involuntary warmth. 
 
 " Good-night, child ;" was again repeated, 
 and again the unexpected kiss, went to Belle's 
 heart 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 55 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 >^1 - 4r.' v - : / ^^ "-.i: iL; "./'rs . lvj:-' : -| ->i-; ;j "Ju J-^'./. :'. 
 POOR NANNY. 
 
 A LONELY week had passed away, and a 
 stormy Sunday, spent at home in lounging 
 and idle dreaming, had made Belle more 
 dissatisfied than ever with her present life. 
 
 It was a bright morning in February. 
 Winter seemed to have suddenly melted into 
 spring, quite to the surprise of the dull, 
 brown earth and leafless trees. 
 
 Belle was cheered by the pleasant change, 
 and, for the first time since her arrival, she 
 felt inclined to try the fresh air. 
 
 As she walked down the wide pavement, 
 she half-expected to hear a voice calling af 
 ter her, and to learn that she was to be 
 kept a close prisoner in her new home. 
 She hoped Miss Hansy would see her, and 
 know, at least, that she went out boldly, 
 
56 BELLE; OB, 
 
 with no attempt at concealment. But no 
 one observed her, or if so, thought her move 
 ments worthy of attention. 
 
 Along the hard, brown road Belle walked 
 rapidly, feeling fresh exhilaration at every 
 step in the pure sweet air. She had not 
 wished to tread again the same lane over 
 which she had passed with her father, and 
 had, therefore, started off in an opposite di 
 rection. Every thing was new to her, and 
 each object had for her its interest. She 
 had wandered nearly a mile from her pres 
 ent abode, when she overtook a little boy 
 walking slowly along, laden with a heavy 
 basket. 
 
 As Belle passed him, at a rapid pace, he 
 looked up at her with a pleasant glance 
 that arrested her attention. 
 
 " Let me help you," said she, involuntari 
 ly. " That basket seems heavy for you." 
 
 "The basket isn't much, if it wasn't for 
 what's in it," said the little boy laughing. 
 11 There's two pies, a big loaf of bread, and 
 a heap of apples and potatoes ; and they 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 57 
 
 have a right to weigh powerful hard, as 
 they do." 
 
 "Why, you are quite a market man!" said 
 Belle. " It can't be you are taking all that to 
 school for your dinner?" 
 
 "No, indeed," said the boy, laughing; "hun 
 grier mouths than mine will eat it all up soon. 
 Do you see that little brown house yonder? 
 That's where I'm going. Don't trouble your 
 self, miss; I can carry it just that little piece 
 farther." 
 
 Belle had taken hold of the basket, and she 
 did not give it up ; for though her young com 
 panion seemed quite uneasy at the effort she 
 was making, it was very evident that he was 
 weary with his heavy load. 
 
 "Mother said I'd be tired, but I wanted to 
 carry it all myself, so that would be my way 
 of helping," said the boy, " and I aint sorry a 
 bit that I tried." 
 
 " Your way of helping ?" said Belle, inquir 
 ingly. 
 
 " Yes," answered the boy. " Mother says, 
 children have nothing to give away but just 
 
58 BELLE; OR, 
 
 their own strength, and you know we all ought 
 to do something for the poor." 
 
 Belle felt a pang of conscience, as she 
 thought how little she had ever acted on this 
 principle ; but she only said, " so it is a poor 
 person that all these nice things are for?" 
 
 "Why, of course!" said the boy, with a 
 look of surprise. " And if you just stop with 
 me, you'll see the family need it enough." 
 
 They were now at the small gate leading 
 to the brown cottage, to which the boy had 
 pointed. Belle kept hold of the basket, and 
 went determinately on. 
 
 At the door the boy gave a decided knock 
 with his knuckles, and almost immediately the 
 upper half of it was opened, and over the 
 remaining half looked out the thin, pale face 
 of a little girl about six years old. "May we 
 come in, Jany?" asked the boy in his cheer 
 ful, pleasant way. 
 
 " You may, for certain," said the child, her 
 face brightening as she spoke, and then she 
 turned a doubtful glance towards Belle. 
 
 "Oh, she's a nice young lady, that helped 
 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 59 
 
 me along the road with my basket here. You 
 needn't mind her, I'm sure," said the boy. 
 The lower half door was thrown open, and 
 the two put down the heavy basket on the 
 floor of the small room, into which they were 
 ushered. 
 
 A young woman, not more than twenty- 
 three years of age, sat, bolstered up in a stiff 
 old-fashioned chair, in front of the fire-place 
 where a few bits of brush and chips were 
 half-smoking, half-blazing on the hearth. 
 
 In her arms she held a young infant, that 
 looked even more thin and pallid than the 
 scantily-clothed mother. A child, about three 
 years of age, was amusing himself with . stir 
 ring lustily the ashes in the chimney-corner, 
 with a bunch of brush. 
 
 "Why, Master Johnny, are you here again 
 so soon? Your mother don't forget us," said 
 the woman in a feeble voice. 
 
 "She never forgets anybody but her own 
 self," said the boy warmly. " She said she 
 could'nt sleep last night for thinking of you. 
 She put in the basket any thing that came 
 
60 
 
 handy, and she says she'll be down herself 
 this afternoon to see how you are getting 
 on." So saying, the little boy began to un 
 pack the stores in his basket, to the wondering 
 delight of Jany and the younger child, who 
 both willingly lent a hand in the pleasant 
 work. 
 
 Belle, meanwhile, had stood a confused and 
 astonished spectator of the scene before her. 
 Her real kindliness now prevailed over her 
 embarrassment, and she stepped forward, say 
 ing: 
 
 " You look weak, ma'am ; do you think you 
 are quite able to sit up?" 
 
 "Oh yes, miss!" said the woman, with a 
 languid smile ; "I hope soon to be able to 
 work, if I can get any thing to do." 
 
 "What kind of work can you do?" said 
 Belle, with a vague idea of rendering assistance. 
 
 "Well," said the woman, a faint blush 
 tinging her pale cheek, "I was used to farm- 
 work once, and I can sew pretty well. 
 Perhaps you could help me to get work, 
 miss?" 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 61 
 
 "I wish I could, with all my heart," said 
 Belle, warmly; "but I am away from home, 
 and don't know many people about here." 
 The tears filled Belle's eyes as a sense of 
 her own lonely condition, her empty purse, 
 and her helplessness came over her. 
 
 " Don't trouble yourself, miss," said the 
 woman, noticing her expression. " That little 
 boy's mother made acquaintance here yester 
 day, and she seems like a real old friend, 
 and I'm sure I've had more kindness than 
 I deserve since he went away." 
 
 " Where has he gone ?" said Belle, with 
 some curiosity. 
 
 " It ain't no wonder," said the woman, 
 avoiding a direct answer. " He never meant 
 no harm but my being sick, and the chil 
 dren wantin' every thing, and the taste of the 
 bottle ; it just made him wild, and he 
 couldn't stand it here poor fellow ! It was 
 all my fault, our marrying at all ; but I 
 never thought it would come to this I" and 
 the poor woman sobbed violently. 
 
 " Don't I don't cry !" said Belle, tenderly. 
 6 
 
62 BELLE; OB, 
 
 " Perhaps lie will come back, when you don't 
 expect him." 
 
 " No ! no !" said the woman, still sobbing, 
 " he's over the seas, by tbis time. He was 
 a'most wild with wantin' work, and wantin' 
 every thing, and being ashamed anybody 
 should know how poor off we was, and then 
 the bottle, and all. Poor fellow ! he couldn't 
 stand it. It's just what I deserve. Them 
 that goes against their own mothers never 
 comes to good, I've heard say, and now, I 
 knows it's true. I can hear her now, just 
 as if it was yesterday. 'Jane,' says she, 
 'Jane, he's a good enough boy, Jack Bar 
 ker is, but you are too young, child. Let 
 him go out to Ameriky first, and get a 
 start, and then he'll come back for you, 
 and that'll be better for all.' I was wild 
 and foolish, and would have my own way 
 against them that cared the most for me. I 
 left my mother and my old father, without a 
 word of good-bye, and ran off with Jack 
 Barker bad luck to him to have such a 
 /wild, young thriftless wife! "We never pros- 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 63 
 
 pered, and why should we? Them that 
 goes against their own mothers never comes 
 to good. It was all my fault, and poor 
 Jack couldn't stand it." 
 
 The woman's words had sunk into Belle's 
 heart. Was not she herself " one to whom 
 no good could come?" as the woman had 
 simply expressed it. 
 
 " I deserve it all, miss," said the woman 
 with a rneek look. . " I see now, how wrong 
 I was, and if I could only ask her to for 
 give me, I shouldn't mind this growin' thin 
 day after day, and a'most coughin' my life 
 away. I know the children will be cared 
 for; they have a better friend than I have, 
 up there. If I could only see her once more, 
 and beg her pardon on my knees. Some 
 how, it seems to me the gate of Heaven 
 can't open, even for Jesus' sake, to them as 
 turns against their own flesh and blood. 
 Didn't He mind His mother when He knew 
 more than all the world ? Didn't He lean 
 down from that cruel cross, to care after 
 His mother ? What will He say to me, that 
 
64 BELLE; OR, 
 
 never had her blessing since that evil night 
 that I stole away from my home?" 
 
 Belle was much overcome, and full of 
 pity for the pale, agitated sufferer ; but no 
 words of comfort came to her lips. 
 
 "Don't cry," said the little boy, who had 
 been an eager, but unnoticed listener to 
 what had passed. " Don't cry. I know the 
 Lord Jesus, and He is never hard with 
 anybody. Didn't He take Peter back, when 
 he swore he didn't know Him ? Didn't He 
 pray for the wicked men that drove the 
 nails through His hands and feet, and then 
 stood round to see Him die ? The Lord 
 Jesus won't let any thing be laid up against 
 you, if your name is written in His big 
 book. I know that's true, for I have heard 
 mother say so, and she can read and ex 
 plain the good book, a'most the same as a 
 minister. There, don't cry;" and the little 
 fellow put up his tiny pocket-handkerchief 
 to wipe away the tears that coursed down 
 the thin, pale cheek. 
 
 "Bless you, child, for your sweet words," 
 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 65 
 
 said the woman, kissing the earnest face turned 
 up towards her. " It seems to me they must 
 be true, they do me so much good here, where 
 it aches so," and she put her hand to her side. 
 
 "Now do look bright once before I go," 
 said the little boy, "for I can't stay ; I have 
 to get off to school, but I'll come just as often 
 as I can, and mother '11 be here this after 
 noon, and I am sure she can comfort you." 
 
 Only half satisfied with the faint smile that 
 the poor woman conjured up, the boy took his 
 basket and prepared to take leave. 
 
 u Good-bye," said Belle, putting out her hand 
 towards the sick woman, " good-bye; I wish I 
 could say something to cheer you, but I am a 
 poor, wicked girl myself, and I don't know 
 how to teach anybody else what is right, but 
 I will come and see you again, if you will let 
 me." 
 
 Belle's unaffected interest and her frank, 
 kindly manner had made a strong impression, 
 and the poor woman promptly answered, " Oh 
 yes, do come, I shall be so glad to see you 
 
 again." 
 6* 
 
66 BELLE; OR, 
 
 When Belle and her little companion were 
 once more on the road, he looked at her some 
 what shyly, and seemed inclined to leave a 
 wide space between them, as he walked silent 
 ly along. At length he burst forth as fol 
 lows : 
 
 "I thought you were a sweet, kind young 
 lady, but you said you were { wicked ;' have 
 you done any dreadful thing ? Don't you love 
 the Lord Jesus?" 
 
 These were hard questions for Belle to an 
 swer, and she would gladly have passed them 
 by, but the face of the anxious questioner was 
 turned towards her, and involuntarily he had 
 stepped to her side, and laid hold of her dress. 
 
 "I never killed anybody," she said, trying 
 to smile. "You need not be afraid of me." 
 
 " I am not afraid of any thing but sin. 
 Mother says, that is all we need be afraid of," 
 said the little fellow, drawing himself to his 
 full height. "But I thought you were a sweet 
 young lady, and now you don't say you love 
 the Lord Jesus, and I can't help feeling badly 
 about it." So saying, Master Johnny slipped 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 67 
 
 quickly across the road, and kept sedulously 
 along on the opposite side from Belle, now and 
 then casting at her a wondering, pitying look. 
 
 " Here is where I turn to go home, Johnny," 
 said Belle, who was half-amused, half-pained 
 by his behavior. "Here we part; will you not 
 shake hands with me?" 
 
 Somewhat slowly, Johnny put out his hand, 
 and then, as if doubtful whether he had done 
 a good thing, he drew it soon away, and scam 
 pered off as fast as his feet could carry him, 
 while Belle pursued her solitary walk, lost in 
 new and solemn reflections. 
 
68 BELLE; OR, 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A MOTHERLY HEART. 
 
 BELLE had been much, moved by her first 
 sight of real, uncomplaining poverty. The 
 thin calico dress of the young woman, and the 
 small, worn shawl drawn so closely across her 
 sunken chest, lingered in Belle's memory with 
 painful distinctness. She mentally reviewed 
 her own wardrobe, with a vague desire to part 
 with some of its abundance for the poor suf 
 ferer; but each article seemed most inappro 
 priate for that humble home, and were it not 
 so, she felt a doubt as to her right to give away 
 clothing prepared expressly by her mother for 
 her own use. Full of these thoughts, Belle 
 walked up the wide, straight pavement of her 
 new home, without once noticing that Miss 
 Hansy was waiting at the door to receive her. 
 
 "Oh, Miss Hansy I" she exclaimed, as she. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 69 
 
 caught the first glimpse of the sweet, calm face 
 of her hostess, just as she was stumbling over 
 her ; " Oh, Miss Hansy ! I have seen such a 
 poor, unfortunate woman!" and then followed 
 a description of the family in the little brown 
 house, that moved Miss Hansy almost to tears. 
 
 Belle forbore to allude to the woman's self- 
 reproach for the act of disobedience which 
 had separated her from her mother. On that 
 theme she felt disinclined to touch ; but on 
 the physical distress she had witnessed she 
 dwelt with the eloquence of real, hearty in 
 terest. 
 
 " I wonder I have not heard of their being 
 in the neighborhood," said Miss Hansy ; " some 
 thing must be done immediately for the poor 
 things." 
 
 " They have only been here a few days," 
 said Belle. " The little boy I spoke of went 
 to see them with his mother for the first 
 time, yesterday afternoon." 
 
 "Would thee mind going there again?" 
 asked Miss Hansy doubtfully adding, "I 
 cannot well leave home." 
 
TO BELLE; OR, 
 
 "Mind it! That is just what I want," 
 said Belle; "but my clothes are not fit to 
 take to the woman, and she does so need 
 something" and Belle paused and hesita 
 ted. 
 
 "I have some red flannel just fit to make 
 her a wrapper," said Miss Hansy. " If thee 
 can help me, I think we could finish it to 
 day." 
 
 " I should so like it," said Belle, with more 
 real pleasure than she had felt since she had 
 been an exile from her father's house. 
 
 Belle was not lonely that day ; very busi 
 ly she worked on the garment Miss Hansy 
 had cut out, and the thought of doing 
 something herself for the poor woman over 
 came all difficulties, and made labor seem 
 light. 
 
 Although Miss Hansy had the lion's share 
 in the work, yet Belle had not wasted a 
 moment until the time came for her to pre 
 pare for the pleasure of taking the garment 
 herself, to which Miss Hansy was putting in 
 the finishing stitches, in her own room. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 71 
 
 When Belle was ready to start from the 
 door, she was surprised and a little annoyed 
 to see old Amos ready to accompany her. 
 
 Her annoyance passed away in a moment, 
 when Miss Hansy said, "Amos will go with 
 thee to carry the bag. The children must 
 not go hungry." 
 
 The bag, which had been hidden by the 
 figure of the stout, old man, was a welcome 
 sight, and Belle doubted not that it con 
 tained supplies that would be most accepta 
 ble, in spite of the heavily-laden basket that 
 she had helped to carry in the morning. 
 
 Amos kept at a respectful distance in the 
 rear, and Belle walked rapidly on, lost in her 
 own meditations. She soon reached the 
 small house, and was about entering in her 
 eagerness, when the sound of voices within 
 made her take her hand from the latch, 
 and knock somewhat hesitatingly at the 
 door. 
 
 There was a slight stir within, and before 
 she was admitted she distinctly heard the 
 not unfamiliar tones of a strong but pleasant, 
 
72 BELLE; OK, 
 
 hearty female voice, apparently speaking words 
 of comfort to some one sobbing within. 
 
 Jany's little pale face soon appeared above 
 the half-open door, and Belle felt the smile 
 of welcome, with which it greeted her, was 
 well worth having. 
 
 " Why, miss ! I did not look for you here," 
 said a cheerful voice, and an honest right 
 hand was offered to Belle, while the pleasant 
 face of the country-woman, who had been 
 her fellow-traveller, beamed upon her, bright 
 with agreeable surprise. 
 
 Belle shook the offered hand, and, bowing 
 to the invalid, sat down rather awkwardly, 
 while Johnny peered out from behind his 
 mother, looking at Belle a little more favor 
 ably than when they had parted in the morn 
 ing. The warm greeting given by his mother 
 to Belle, seemed to have forced upon him 
 the idea that she might not be altogether un 
 worthy his notice, though so much of a 
 heathen. 
 
 That his mother knew quite as much about 
 her as he did, he was sure, for had he not 
 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 73 
 
 rehearsed to her faithfully every word of their 
 conversation of the morning, and had she 
 not said in reply, " Poor young thing, may 
 God help her to know the better way !" 
 
 Belle's doubt as to how to open the ob 
 ject of her visit was suddenly resolved by de 
 cided action on the part of Amos. The door 
 was thrown open, the great bag was drop 
 ped on the floor, and at the same time 
 seeming to address himself to the ceiling, he 
 said, "Miss Hansy Ware sends this, with her 
 kind wishes to her new neighbor ;" and then 
 he immediately disappeared. 
 
 " I am much obliged to Miss Hansy Ware, 
 whoever she may be," said the young wo 
 man. " I am not worthy to have such friends 
 raised up to me in my distress. How my 
 poor mother would thank you for your kind 
 ness!" and she cast a grateful look towards 
 the country-woman, who had drawn up close 
 to her with a motherly, protective air. 
 
 " Miss Hansy thought you might like a 
 wrapper, as you are not very strong to sew 
 
 for yourself," said Belle, glad to have an 
 
 7 
 
74 BELLE; OR, 
 
 opportunity of using the name of another ? 
 as she produced her parcel, and unrolled the 
 comfortable garment. 
 
 " How very nice ! how thoughtful !" said 
 the poor woman, smiling sorrowfully ; " but 
 who is this kind Miss Hansy?" 
 
 Belle, in her utter inability to answer this 
 question, turned her eyes inquiringly towards 
 her friend of the stage-coach, as if expecting 
 from her the required reply, and she was 
 not disappointed. 
 
 " Miss Hansy "Ware is a stranger here herself. 
 Nobody knows her much except our pastor; 
 she never goes out nowhere, and the sarving 
 man she brought along with her the same as 
 brought the bag there don't put up with hav 
 ing questions asked him. It's like she's shy 
 about visiting, because of her one eye ; but I 
 don't call that the right sort of feeling ; just as 
 if any body would not feel more tender-like 
 towards her for having such a misfortune. 
 They do say she came in a covered wagon in 
 the evening, just on purpose not to be morti 
 fied, seeing strangers in the stage-coach, but lie 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 75 
 
 says lie don't think it's any body's business how 
 she came, and he's sure she's all right, for our 
 pastor likes her, and it's a perfect pattern to see 
 her at church, she's so quiet and so solemn- 
 like." 
 
 Belle listened with great interest to every 
 word spoken by her broad-faced friend, and 
 would willingly have asked further questions 
 about a subject in which she was so much in 
 terested ; but a natural sense of delicacy kept 
 her silent. 
 
 No such motives influenced the invalid, and 
 she exclaimed, "Poor thing! only one eye! 
 well, that is bad luck. Little wonder she don't 
 like to be seen !" 
 
 "She needn't mind showing her face," said 
 Johnny, looking out boldly from behind his 
 mother. " She looks sweeter with her one eye 
 than most folks with two. When I fell on the 
 ice, just by her, two weeks ago Sunday, didn't 
 she pick me up herself, and look at me so kind. 
 I was glad I fell, just to have her turn so kind 
 towards me and say, 'Never thee mind that, 
 my lad ; better thee should stumble many times 
 
76 ii^v .. BELLE; OR, 
 
 like that than fall into ever so little a sin!' 
 Those were the very words she said." 
 
 "Yes, and true words they were, Johnny," 
 said the mother, with a fond, approving glance. 
 
 The little face of the boy expressed a serious, 
 silent assent to what his mother had said, and 
 the young woman responded aloud : 
 
 " Yes, that's true enough ! It isn't easy tak 
 ing back what's done, and that's the worst of it. 
 It's no use thinking of what's past. When 
 you've gone wrong once it's all down-hill after 
 wards," and she placed her hand on her side. 
 
 "Don't say _. that, Nanny," said the stout 
 woman kindly.. " The Scripture says ' return,' 
 and that's what every body ought to set about 
 doing who finds themselves on a wrong way." 
 
 Nanny fixed, her sunken eyes on the face of 
 her visitor, and said earnestly, " Eeturn ? yes, 
 if I only knew how." 
 
 Mrs. Tilden (for that was the name of the 
 honest country-woman) drew her chair closer 
 to Nanny's, side,; Simply and clearly she ex 
 plained the free offers of pardon and eternal 
 happiness made in the Bible, to all who re- 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 77 
 
 pent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 Nanny listened with anxious interest, and eyes 
 full of tears, but not a word escaped her lips. 
 
 "May God help you to take His truth to 
 your heart," said Mrs. Tilden, solemnly. 
 
 Nanny murmured "Amen," and buried her 
 face in her hands. 
 
 Mrs. Tilden quietly rose to take leave, and 
 Belle followed her example. "When they were 
 quite ready, they both approached the poor 
 young woman, whose head was still bowed on 
 her knees. Belle could not hear the words 
 of comfort whispered by her companion, but 
 she saw the upraised face suddenly lighted 
 by hope, as she answered: 
 
 " Oh, if it could be so I May God bless 
 you for your kindness to a poor unworthy 
 creature !" 
 
 "Good-bye, Nanny," said Belle, taking the 
 invalid's hand, kindly. The young girl could 
 not speak words of comfort, but her face, 
 beaming with hearty sympathy, told the in 
 terest she felt. 
 
 "Thank you, thank you, miss: you are all 
 
 Y* 
 
78 BELLE; OR, 
 
 very kind. And thank her, too I mean Miss 
 Hansy, as you call her. The children are 
 provided for now, as long as I shall live, I 
 dare say, and after that " 
 
 " They shall not want friends," said Mrs. 
 Tilden, finishing the sentence. "The orphans 
 God is pledged to take care of them. Ke- 
 member that, Nanny." 
 
 In another moment the door was closed, 
 and Belle stood side by side with Mrs. Til- 
 den in the little yard. 
 
 Johnny looked at his mother doubtfully, to 
 see what course she would pursue under 
 these circumstances. As she stepped on with 
 Belle, he seemed to think it possible his prin 
 ciples might not be compromised by keep 
 ing her company, and they all three walked 
 on together, for a few moments, in silence. 
 
 Johnny was the first to speak. "Oh, moth 
 er!" he said, "do you think she will really 
 die?" 
 
 "Yes, my child," said the mother gently, 
 "I do not believe Nanny has many weeks to 
 live; but I hope she will go to the 'better 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 79 
 
 country,' where sickness and sorrow never 
 come." 
 
 " Oh dear ! I wish every body was good," 
 said the little boy, half-crying. "I feel so 
 badly about Nanny, and a " 
 
 He did not finish, but dropping behind his 
 mother, he rubbed his eyes vigorously with 
 his small pocket-handkerchief, and relapsed 
 into silence. 
 
 Belle could not help thinking that her own 
 acknowledged indifference to holy things was 
 one cause of the little fellow's sorrow, and she 
 was touched by his quiet distress. 
 
 " Don't feel badly, Johnny," she said, step 
 ping back to his side, and, stooping down to 
 him, she added in a low voice, " I mean to 
 try to be better." 
 
 There was real joy in the glance he turned 
 towards her, and an expression of hearty con 
 fidence in the way in which he took the hand 
 which she held out to him. 
 
 "You seem fond of children," said Mrs. 
 Tilden; "have you brothers and sisters of 
 your own ?" It was a common question, but 
 
80 BELLE; OK, 
 
 it brought up to Belle the dear home-circle 
 from which she had been so suddenly ex 
 pelled, and she could hardly command herself 
 enough to answer. 
 
 " I have only one brother, and he is almost 
 as old as I am ; but J am very fond of chil 
 dren, though I have never lived in the house 
 with them." 
 
 "If you love children, you must come to 
 our house ; we have plenty there. It is only 
 a pretty little walk from Miss Hansy's, when 
 you take the lane where we turn off. Won't 
 you come?" 
 
 "I should like to, very much," said Belle, 
 heartily. 
 
 " You can't mistake the road. Follow this 
 lane until you come to the big gate at the 
 end, and then you are at our farm, where we 
 shall always be happy to see you," said Mrs. 
 Tilden, as she came at that moment to the 
 cross-road which Johnny had before taken. 
 
 Pleasant words of parting were exchanged, 
 and then Belle loosed the hand of her little 
 companion, and walked on alone. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 81 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 SOLEMN LESSONS. 
 
 IT was Sunday morning. Belle had risen 
 full of good resolutions, and impatient to be 
 gin upon the thorough reform she meant to 
 commence in her heart and life. She had 
 made up her mind to read a little in her 
 Bible every day, and had taken up the holy 
 book for the purpose. She could not decide 
 where to begin, and was turning over the 
 leaves doubtfully, when there was a gentle 
 knock at the door. 
 
 Belle looked annoyed at the interruption, 
 and rose, somewhat impatiently, to open the 
 door. Miss Hansy's kind " good-morning " 
 banished this feeling, and Belle was glad to 
 see her sit down, as if she had something to 
 say. 
 
 " "Would thee like to go to church this 
 morning?" asked Miss Hansy. 
 
82 BELLE; OB, 
 
 "Yes, indeed! Are you going?" said Belle, 
 eagerly. 
 
 " I can not go," said Miss Hansy, sober 
 ly ; " but Amos will show thee the way, if 
 thee would like it. Thee must be ready to 
 start by half-past nine. I shall not see thee 
 again before that time. May the blessing of 
 the Lord find thee on His own day !" Hav 
 ing uttered these last words with the earnest 
 ness of a prayer, Miss Hansy gave Belle 
 one of her unexpected kisses, and went out 
 quickly. 
 
 Belle did not again take up her Bible, for 
 her mind was filled with new topics of thought, 
 and she forgot the occupation in which she had 
 been interrupted by Miss Hansy's visit. 
 
 " Was she going to a Quaker meeting ? How 
 long was the walk ? What should she wear ? 
 Why could not Miss Hansy go ?" These ques 
 tions, and many others, filled the mind of Belle, 
 while she took her solitary breakfast and pre 
 pared for church. 
 
 At the appointed hour, Arnos was in attend 
 ance hat on, and stick in hand. Acting as 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 83 
 
 guide, he stepped on before Belle, passed the 
 lane that led to Tilden farm, and went steadily 
 forward until he came to the humble home of 
 poor Nanny. Here, to Belle's astonishment, 
 he turned, and before she could speak to him, 
 for she was at some distance behind him, he 
 entered the house. 
 
 When she came up to the little gate, he 
 was there again, and ready to go on before her. 
 " How is Nanny this morning ?" asked 
 Belle, impatiently. 
 
 " She thanks Miss Ware, and is more com 
 fortable." 
 
 These words Amos seemed to let unwillingly 
 out of his mouth, and made amends for their 
 utterance by unbroken silence during the rest 
 of their walk. He kept himself out of the 
 way of further questions by walking at such 
 a rapid pace as to leave Belle constantly some 
 yards in the rear. 
 
 Belle soon had enough to occupy her atten 
 tion, for she found herself drawing near the 
 little village of Sanders. 
 
 A few neat white houses, with gardens 
 
84: BELLE; OR, 
 
 about them, were clustered near a post-office 
 and a blacksmith's shop, while a little apart, 
 with its grass-grown cemetery around it, stood 
 the village church. A cheerful bell was giv 
 ing out its call to prayer, and the worshippers 
 were already gathering. 
 
 Amos walked up the steps, and up the. mid 
 dle alley to the second pew, and threw open 
 the door without once looking behind him. 
 
 Belle mechanically took her seat, and then 
 glanced timidly around her. That glance 
 brought a flush of pleasure to her cheek, 
 for it convinced her that she was at home, 
 where she could worship God u after the man 
 ner of her fathers." 
 
 Kneeling down, she repeated a short prayer, 
 in .which she asked that the services might 
 be blessed to her, and that she might not give 
 way to wandering thoughts, or suffer mere 
 worship of the lips to take the place of true 
 devotion of the heart. These words she had 
 spoken from Sunday to Sunday, since in child 
 hood her mother had taught them to her, but 
 now there was much real earnestness in her 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 85 
 
 petitions. She had begun to desire those spir 
 itual blessings, to which she felt she was a 
 stranger. 
 
 From distant farms and humble way-side 
 homes the worshippers slowly gathered. Belle 
 watched them coming in, and felt a sense of 
 loneliness stealing over her, as strange faces 
 began to look out from the seats about her. 
 A large square pew near her was still vacant ; 
 but even its ample dimensions seemed hardly 
 capacious enough to hold the family that now 
 entered the church. Father and mother, stout 
 and comely, were followed by children of all 
 sizes, from the brown - cheeked son, able to 
 handle the plough, to the rosy two-year old 
 child in his father's arms. 
 
 Belle felt a smile of recognition pass over 
 her face as she perceived Mrs. Tilden and 
 Johnny in the little group, though quite unob 
 served by them. 
 
 The children were soon ranged in orderly 
 rows, and then Belle could not help noticing 
 one pale, sorrow-marked little face in the midst 
 of the glowing health and cheerfulness around. 
 
86 BELLE; OR, 
 
 Yes ; she was not mistaken she had seen those 
 sad eyes, and those thin cheeks. Even in her 
 new and 'comfortable clothes, Belle recognized 
 Nanny's little Jany, in the midst of Mrs. Til- 
 den's own bright group. Belle had been so 
 busy watching her friends in the square pew 
 that she had not observed that the clergyman 
 had entered the chancel. The congregation 
 suddenly rose, and a deep voice uttered the 
 words " I will arise and go to my Father, and 
 will say unto Him, Father, I have sinned 
 against heaven and before Thee, and am no 
 more worthy to be called Thy son." 
 
 The words thrilled through the heart of 
 Belle, as if she alone had been addressed ; and 
 conscience whispered of repentance and return 
 to her earthly father, and suggested the thought 
 of a heavenly parent offended and forsaken. 
 
 The clergyman was no stranger to Belle. 
 That silver hair, that calm and loving face 
 she had watched through those weary days in 
 the stage coach, and had learned from them a 
 lesson not soon to be forgotten. She could 
 not fail to recognize the venerable stranger in 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 87 
 
 whose conversation her father had found such 
 a charm. A long, long time it seemed to Belle, 
 since that first day of leaving home, now that 
 she looked back to it, and she felt that some 
 change had taken place in her, since, cold 
 and proud, she rode, mile after mile, in silence. 
 She felt almost as if the clergyman must have 
 recognized her and known something of her 
 circumstances, so directly addressed to her 
 seemed the earnest words with which he open 
 ed the service : "I will arise and go to my 
 Father." With the exhortation she had been 
 familiar since her childhood, but now it fell 
 on her ears with new force ; she felt herself 
 particularly urged to make a confession of the 
 sins of her youth, and to seek forgiveness 
 where only it could be found. 
 
 In a voice too low for human ears, Belle 
 breathed the words of the confession, in sin 
 cerity and truth, and when the absolution was 
 pronounced, the minister seemed to her a 
 messenger sent of God, to declare unto her 
 pardon and peace. 
 
 With a solemn consciousness of the presence 
 
88 BELLE; OB, 
 
 of the Lord to whom she had really spoken, 
 Belle rose from her knees. She joined in the 
 chants and listened with attention during the 
 lessons; but when once more in the attitude 
 of prayer, her mind wandered far away from 
 the holy thoughts with which it should have 
 been occupied, and it was not until the text 
 was given out, that she once more realized 
 the presence of God in His own temple, and 
 the unworthiness of such a worshipper as her 
 self. 
 
 " The heart is deceitful above all things and 
 desperately wicked," said the earnest voice of 
 the clergyman. These faithful words of Scrip 
 ture he so brought home to his congregation, 
 that many a head was bowed in shame, and 
 many an eye full of tears. For the first time 
 in her life, Belle had a faint idea of the sin- 
 fulness of her own heart, and the deep rebel 
 lion of her past life. 
 
 The tender mercy and loving kindness of 
 the God against whom the human soul op 
 poses itself, to its own destruction, were dwelt 
 upon by the earnest speaker, till Belle was 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 89 
 
 overwhelmed with shame and contrition, at 
 the base ingratitude which she had shown to 
 such a heavenly Father such a Saviour. No 
 one watched the changing expressions as they 
 were marked on her uplifted face, no one read 
 the secret of her heart, save the Eye which 
 beholds but to pity, and chastens but to save. 
 
 Yet Belle's presence at church had not es 
 caped the notice of the pastor, and he took 
 pains to give her a welcome among the mem 
 bers of his flock. His voice sounded kindly 
 in her ear as she was passing through the 
 porch, and his hand was outstretched, as he 
 said, "Miss Cortlandt, I believe. I am glad 
 to have you under my peculiar care, and I 
 shall not forget that you belong to me. I 
 should have called upon you at Miss Ware's 
 long ere this, had I not been suddenly sum 
 moned from home the day after we parted in 
 the stage-coach." 
 
 Meanwhile, old Amos stood by, evidently 
 quite ready to be moving, yet not unwilling 
 to claim some small share of the clergyman's 
 
 attention. 
 
 8* 
 
90 BELLE; OB, 
 
 " Well, Amos, you are as regular as the 
 church bell," said the old gentleman. "I 
 should hardly know, now, what to think of a 
 Sunday when you were not here. Present my 
 particular regards to Miss Ware, and tell her 
 I have been away from home a couple of 
 weeks, but shall try and see her to-morrow." 
 
 "Miss Hansy will be most partikler glad to 
 see Mr. Heber," said Amos, with a significant 
 look. " Things haven't gone just right," and 
 having added this remark, his mouth shut 
 suddenly, as if he feared that he had said too 
 much. 
 
 Belle had food enough for thought during 
 her solitary walk homeward. Most unworthy 
 she felt to share even the common mercies 
 showered so abundantly by her heavenly Fa 
 ther. The sunshine and the clear, bracing air 
 seemed more than she deserved, after so many 
 years of thanklessness arid rebellion. 
 
 Belle was walking slowly and unconsciously 
 past the cottage of poor Nanny, when she was 
 suddenly arrested by loud cries of " Stop ! 
 stop, miss ! Mother ! mother ! Come ! come 1" 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 91 
 
 In a moment Belle was at the bedside of 
 Nanny. She found her lying faint and pant 
 ing, while Jany, in her neat Sunday attire, was 
 vainly trying to bring back some color to 
 her cheeks some signs of life and interest in 
 what was going on around her. 
 
 Belle was inexperienced in the sick-room, 
 but there was a pallor in the face of poor 
 Nanny, and a strange, unnatural sound in her 
 breathing, that forced home the fearful truth 
 that she was dying. 
 
 Belle placed her arm under the head of 
 the poor woman, and strove to raise it. As 
 she sat upon the low bed, supporting the suf 
 ferer, she heard her murmur a few broken 
 words, with the earnestness of one who will 
 soon cease to be heard on earth. 
 
 " Tell her my mother Nanny never saw a 
 happy day after she left her home. Tell her, 
 forgive! forgive! If I could only hear her 
 say, ' never mind, child ; it's all over now.' 
 Tell him there's a world where Jesus takes in 
 the poor and sorrowful, as well as the rich, if 
 they will trust. Tell him to trust in Jesus!" 
 
92 BELLE; OR, 
 
 These words Nanny had spoken unfalter 
 ingly, though almost in a whisper, but now 
 her weak voice trembled, and her eyes, so soon 
 to close in death, filled with tears as she look 
 ed at her little ones, and said, " God help the 
 children ! They'll miss their mother, poor and 
 wicked as she has been ; but they'll never suf 
 fer what I have, goin' against the wishes of 
 the mother that held me on her knee. That's 
 a comfort to think of. God help the poor 
 things ! There, don't cry, Jany. Mother's 
 goin' to the Lord Jesus. Poor and wicked as 
 she has been, Jesus will wash her and make 
 her fit for heaven. Good-bye, Jany. Eaise 
 up little Jack, and let me see him once more." 
 
 The mother tenderly kissed the wondering 
 child, and then strove to turn and take to her 
 breast the helpless babe that lay at her side, 
 but she was not equal to the effort. 
 
 "No! I can't leave the poor things here, 
 alone ; I can't leave my poor babies !" she 
 exclaimed. 
 
 " God will take care of them, Nanny," said 
 Belle, much overcome. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 93 
 
 " Yes ; I leave my little ones to God. I ge 
 to sit low down in heaven, let in for Jesus 7 
 sake! for Jesus' sake Jesus' sake!" murmur 
 ed the poor woman, in a voice still fainter and 
 fainter. 
 
 Belle waited to hear again that earnest 
 whisper " for Jesus' sake ;" but the voice 
 which had spoken was silent in death the 
 soul had gone to its account. 
 
 Even the children were awed into perfect 
 stillness, as they looked for a moment on the 
 rigid face of their mother ; then rose a cry of 
 distress, such as only comes when childhood 
 feels the strong grief of an older heart. 
 
 Little Jany flung herself on the bed, be 
 side her mother, and screamed in her bitter 
 distress, while Jack joined his baby lamenta 
 tions for a loss he as yet could little under 
 stand. Belle strove in vain to comfort the chil 
 dren; at length she said desperately, "Where 
 is Mrs. Tilden?" 
 
 " She rode away, and took Lucy the girl 
 who staid here this morning too. 0, I wish 
 they were here!" 
 
94 
 
 . Amos had made sure of Mrs. Tilden's pres 
 ence where he saw she was so much needed, 
 by starting on briskly after the great wagon, 
 which he 'saw,- in the distance, turning down 
 the lane that led to Tilden farm. His loud 
 calls sounded out on the Sunday stillness, 
 and soon brought little Johnny's indignant 
 face to the rear of the wagon, where he would 
 have administered a rebuke if old Amos had 
 been within hearing of his young voice. 
 
 " Making such a noise, Sunday ! It's a shame, 
 indeed !" said Johnny. " It's a shame, mother, 
 and I hope you'll tell him so." 
 
 Mrs. Tilden spoke quickly, but it was to 
 utter no word of blame. " Turn, husband, 
 turn quickly ! There must be something 
 wrong to bring Amos at such a pace." The 
 long wagon was soon at Amos's side. 
 
 "She's a dying, the woman there is!" said 
 Amos, then wheeling round, he started off for 
 Miss Ware's at the same rapid pace as before. 
 
 Mrs. Tilden soon stood beside the bed 
 where Nanny was lying cold and stiff in 
 death. Susan, the girl who had been entrust- 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 95 
 
 ed with the care of Nanny during the morn 
 ing, followed wild with fright and astonish 
 ment. 
 
 "She did sit up uncommon, only an hour 
 ago, Miss Tilden, as I told you! I don't see 
 what's took her!" said she. 
 
 "Silence, Susan!" said Mrs. Tilden solemn 
 ly, as she drew the weeping children to her 
 side, and then with her arm round each of 
 them, she knelt beside their mother. Belle 
 followed her example. Mrs. Tilden spoke to 
 the God, into whose keeping the soul of the 
 mother had passed, and besought Him to 
 watch over with peculiar care the motherless 
 little ones, now left to the charge of strangers. 
 She asked that all present might be made 
 " deeply sensible of the shortness and uncer 
 tainty of human life," and so live as not to 
 fail of a final entrance into the kingdom above. 
 
 Deeply solemnized, Belle joined heartily in 
 this earnest prayer, and, for the first time in 
 her life, fully realized that she, too, must soon 
 lie down in death. 
 
 Jany and little Jack clung to Mrs. Tilden 
 
96 BELLE; OK, 
 
 as if she bad some strange power to comfort 
 them. She led them gently from the room, 
 and placed them in the great wagon among 
 her own rosy children, who looked with 
 wonder and pity at their swollen, sorrowful 
 faces. 
 
 " Don't cry, please don't," said Johnny, 
 producing his own ever-ready pocket-handker 
 chief. " Don't cry, and I'll tell you about 
 Jesus." 
 
 " Jesus,' 7 said Jany, looking up, " that's 
 where mother said she was going." 
 
 Johnny forbore expressing any pious hor 
 ror at her mistake, and drawing close to her 
 side, he began to talk in his own little earnest 
 way, about the Saviour whom he had learned 
 to love. 
 
 Mrs. Tilden slipped away, and in a few mo 
 ments returned with the poor, weak baby in 
 her motherly arms. 
 
 "Husband," said she, "you must take the 
 poor wee thing home yourself. You've a ten 
 der hand for the little ones, bless you !" 
 
 The sturdy farmer reached down from his 
 
; 
 
 THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 97 
 
 seat, and took the infant gently in his arms, 
 while tears stood in his brown eyes. 
 
 " Poor baby !" he said, as he wrapped her 
 in his heavy overcoat, and buttoned her next 
 to his heart. " Grod do so to me, as I stand 
 friend to this one !" he murmured, and then 
 dashing away his tears, he gathered up the 
 reins, much to the relief of the strong and 
 restive horses, and drove off towards the 
 farm. 
 
 " This is no place for the young lady," 
 said Mrs. Tilden, turning to Belle. " Susan 
 and I can do all that is necessary. Some 
 one will do the same for us one day." 
 
 " I should like to help you," said Belle, 
 quietly. 
 
 " Miss Hansy Ware, no doubt, will give you 
 a way to help us at home," said Mrs. Tilden. 
 "You had better go on now, child. May 
 what you have seen be blessed to you! Good 
 bye, dear." 
 
 Miss Hansy did provide work for Belle, on 
 which she sewed with many solemn, prayer 
 ful thoughts. 
 9 
 
98 BELLE; OB, 
 
 Belle earnestly desired to be "led into all 
 truth," and the (rod who orders every cir 
 cumstance of our lives, was opening her eyes 
 to see the way which leadeth unto eternal 
 life. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 99 
 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 LETTERS. 
 
 THE remains of poor Nanny had been laid 
 in the village church-yard, and her helpless 
 family had been welcomed to the plenty and 
 cheerfulness of Tilden farm. 
 
 Nanny had passed from the weary scenes 
 of earth to the eternal home, which she hum 
 bly entered "for Jesus' sake." 
 
 Meanwhile the soul of Belle had passed 
 through a change as important, and over 
 which, perchance, there was equal joy in 
 heaven. 
 
 The sheet of paper which she had so often 
 drawn out to write a confession of her fault, 
 was no longer kept blank by pride and an 
 evil heart. It had been covered with words 
 of deep penitence and humble petitions for 
 
100 BELLE ; OK, 
 
 pardon, and was now far on its way to her 
 distant home. 
 
 It had cost Mrs. Cortlandt a severe strug 
 gle to suffer quietly the separation from her 
 daughter, which her husband had deemed 
 necessary. Full of love and forgiveness for 
 the absent one, she longed for her at her 
 side, and about her daily walk. 
 
 Mr. Cortlandt, though not less affectionate, 
 was of a more determined spirit, and he was 
 resolved to leave Belle where he knew her 
 to be surrounded by influences calculated to 
 produce the right effect upon her, while he, 
 at the family altar and in the closet, ceased 
 not to implore the divine blessing on his 
 dear, but erring child. 
 
 Day after day had passed away, and yet 
 no letter had arrived from Belle, though 
 Miss Hansy forwarded frequent accounts of 
 her welfare, and expressed her growing at 
 tachment to her young charge. 
 
 11 A letter from Belle!" shouted Willy, 
 triumphantly, one morning, as he entered 
 the breakfast room. " A letter from Belle I 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 101 
 
 I should knew her Ms and Cs in Australia." 
 Mr. Cortlandt tore open the envelope, while 
 his wife bent over him. 
 
 Devout thankfulness filled the hearts of the 
 parents, as they read, not only expressions of 
 deep regret for disrespect and disobedience to 
 them, but a hearty acknowledgment of sin 
 against God, and an humble hope of forgive 
 ness through the blood of Christ. 
 
 Willy saw with astonishment their deep 
 emotion, for he was ignorant even of the 
 cause of his sister's sudden departure from 
 home. The whole was explained to him 
 when the little family knelt together that 
 morning, and the Lord above was thanked 
 for the penitent child, not only brought home 
 in heart to her earthly parents, but made, in 
 truth, to draw near to her Father in heaven. 
 
 Belle had not long to wait for a reply to 
 the letter which had cost her so many tears. 
 It came, full of love, pardon and encourage 
 ment. Three precious sheets the advice she 
 needed from her father, the outpouring of 
 
 her mother's tender sympathising heart, and 
 9* 
 
102 BELLE; OR, 
 
 a note from Willy all his own expressing 
 more affection for her than she had ever 
 dreamed it possible he should feel for her. 
 
 Belle was sure that she was once more re 
 garded with approval, and looked uptfn with 
 confidence, and the thought was very sweet 
 to her ; but, as she read the last line of her 
 long letters, she felt disappointed, that there 
 was not one word said of her return to the 
 home she loved, and the parents she now so 
 anxiously desired to honor. She shed a few 
 bitter tears, and then her better feelings tri 
 umphed. 
 
 " I deserve it, I know I do. I will try 
 and improve where I am, that they may find 
 me really altered, really fit to be with them 
 by-and-bye," she said, and strengthened her 
 resolution with prayer, without which the 
 best resolutions are as easily broken as the 
 wreath of mist that divides in the morning 
 sunlight. 
 
 She set herself forthwith to study earnest 
 ly what her father had written, after first 
 expressing his free pardon for her past offences, 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 103 
 
 and hearty joy at her having learned in whom 
 to trust. It was as follows : 
 
 ADVICE TO A YOUNG CHBISTTAN. 
 
 " Having entered the heavenly path, it is 
 important to obtain a thorough knowledge of 
 the "Word of God, which is a * guide to the 
 feet, and a lamp to the path.' It is better 
 for those to whom spiritual life is new, to read 
 often in the Holy Scriptures, than to strive 
 to read much at a time. Have four fixed 
 seasons, during the day, devoted to the Bible : 
 a psalm in the morning, a few verses in the 
 Gospels at noon, a few verses from the Epis 
 tles before tea, and a passage from the Pro 
 phets before retiring. On Sunday, read the 
 historical portions of the Old Testament in 
 course, in addition to your usual daily read 
 ing. Never read the Word of God without 
 prayer for the Holy Spirit to open your eyes, 
 and enlighten your understanding. Do not 
 read as a form ; go to your Bible as to a 
 friend for counsel and for comfort, and you 
 will learn to find them there. 
 
104 BELLE; OB, 
 
 " Do not spend much time thinking of your 
 past life, or of your own character, or you 
 will be dispirited and discouraged. 
 
 " Through Christ your sins are all freely 
 forgiven, and, unworthy as you now are, God 
 is willing to own you as His dear child, for 
 the sake of His crucified Son. Thus pardon 
 ed and received, you are free to go forward 
 cheerfully as a follower of Christ. A follower 
 of Christ, keep your Guide ever in sight, His 
 humbly bearing the cross, His sinlessness in 
 the midst of temptation, and His purity. His 
 forgivingness and immeasurable love will, if 
 watched and studied, make your way easy 
 and your burden light. 
 
 " Speak to your Guide freely and frequently, 
 and you shall find your prayers answered by 
 Him who is a faithful promiser. 
 
 " Make no great plans for usefulness ; be 
 content to do, day by day, the little humble 
 duties your Master allots as your task. Be a 
 faithful Christian in the narrow sphere now 
 given you, and you will be prepared for greater 
 duties, when Providence shall open to you the 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 105 
 
 way. Do not slight the promptings of con 
 science, even about matters that seem most 
 trifling. Kegard the motions of that inner 
 guide, and God will make it unerring in point 
 ing you to the way of truth. 
 
 "In conclusion, trust Christ, love Christ, 
 live with Christ, be Christ-like !" 
 
 Belle took down her Bible and carefully ar 
 ranged marks in the different places where she 
 was to read, and then, having asked for the 
 blessing of Grod, she read a part of the first 
 chapter of John, with deep interest.. 
 
 She was lost in the thoughts which these 
 words aroused, when Miss Hansy came in, to 
 summon her to the dining-room, to see a guest 
 no other than the pastor, Mr. Heber. After 
 giving Belle a kindly greeting, Mr. Heber told 
 her that he had come on business, as well as 
 to pay a friendly visit. Belle half rose, and 
 looked significantly at Miss Hansy, to know 
 if she should withdraw. 
 
 " My business is with you, Miss Belle," 
 said Mr. Heber, smiling. "You are to be 
 
106 BELLE; OR, 
 
 my pupil, so says your father, in a letter I 
 received from him this morning. You are to 
 come to me to recite for two hours, three 
 mornings in the week: what days shall we 
 fix upon ?" 
 
 "Oh, that will be so very pleasant!" said 
 Belle, with great animation. " Any days will 
 suit me. You had better consult your own 
 convenience, sir." 
 
 "Well, then, Monday must be one day, of 
 course, and Wednesday another; and I think 
 we must take Friday for the third. Will that 
 do?" 
 
 "Yes, indeed," said Belle; " but what shall 
 I study?" 
 
 "Oh, we can agree upon that when you 
 have passed your examination," said Mr. 
 Heber, smiling. 
 
 The conversation now turned upon Nanny, 
 and the hearty kindness with which her little 
 ones were treated at Tilden farm. Miss 
 Hansy began to grow uneasy, and at length 
 said, "If thee will excuse me a moment, I 
 will see if all is ready for thee in the wing." 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 107 
 
 " Certainly !" said Mr. Heber, with a com 
 passionate look. "I want your help, in the 
 Sunday-school, Miss Belle," he added, as Miss 
 Hansy left the room. 
 
 Belle colored deeply, and did not reply. 
 
 "I want you to take a class of little girls," 
 continued Mr. Heber. "We are in want of 
 teachers, for our school grows rapidly." 
 
 " I am not fit for a Sunday-school teacher," 
 said Belle, with her usual frankness. 
 
 " I can hardly believe that, Miss Belle, with 
 such parents as you have. You must, like 
 Timothy, have been trained in the knowledge 
 of the Scriptures. I hope your heart has not 
 rejected the truths, with which I am sure you 
 are well acquainted," said Mr. Heber, soberly. 
 
 " I have been all wrong, all wrong, always," 
 said Belle, the tears springing to her eyes; 
 "but, indeed, I am trying to do differently." 
 There was an earnestness in Belle's manner 
 that could not be mistaken, and Mr. Heber's 
 face was bright with a pure joy, as he felt 
 assured that his young friend was turning her 
 feet heavenward. 
 
108 BELLE; OR, 
 
 A long, frank conversation followed, which 
 was most welcome to Belle, and in her heart 
 she rejoiced that God had sent her such a 
 friend and adviser. 
 
 "The conversation had been so interesting 
 to Mr. Heber that he had not remarked Miss 
 Hansy's protracted stay. 
 
 An unusual noise in the side hall attracted 
 his attention, and he opened the door sudden 
 ly. Amos was stumbling along the passage, 
 staggering under the burden of Miss Hansy's 
 tall figure. Her pale face was thrown back 
 over his arm, and her long brown hair was 
 streaming down almost to the ground. 
 
 "What has happened? Tell me, quickly!" 
 said Mr. Heber, anxiously. 
 
 "He's dealt her another, almost as bad," 
 said Amos. "If he don't go to the hospital 
 this time, it's a sin." 
 
 "I am not much hurt," said Miss Hansy 
 feebly, as she struggled to rise. "For shame, 
 Amos, to speak so of your master." 
 
 The indignant blood had rushed to the 
 cheeks of Belle at the announcement Amos 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 109 
 
 had made, but it faded away as Miss Hansy 
 spoke. 
 
 "Where are you injured?" said Mr. Heber, 
 anxiously. 
 
 "I believe I sprained my foot in falling," 
 said Miss Hansy, feebly. 
 
 The ankle, which was rapidly swelling, now 
 became very painful, and Belle began promptly, 
 under the direction of Mr. 'Heber, to make 
 
 some efforts for Miss Hansy's relief. 
 10 
 
110 BELLE; OR, 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE injury so soon done was not so 
 easily relieved. For many days Miss Hansy 
 was confined to the sofa, on which she lay. 
 Patient as she was under her own sufferings, 
 there seemed some anxiety on her mind which 
 she could ndt overcome. 
 
 She had frequent private interviews with 
 Amos, and even before Belle she sometimes 
 gave orders which evidently were intended to 
 promote the comfort of some unmentioned 
 person. 
 
 That this nameless one, so thought of and 
 so cared for, could be the miserable sin-mark 
 ed old man whom she had seen, Belle could 
 hardly believe, and yet, by degrees, this con 
 viction was forced upon her. Who was he, 
 - and what tie bound the pure spirit of Miss 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. Ill 
 
 Hansy to such a being? With questions like 
 these Belle, in vain, wearied herself, but they 
 were to be suddenly and unexpectedly an 
 swered. 
 
 The physician from Sanders had, on the 
 fifth day after the accident, pronounced Miss 
 Hansy quite unfit for exertion, and doomed 
 to at least a week longer of quiet rest. The 
 sentence seemed a hard one to the patient, 
 and she pleaded to be allowed to go just a 
 few steps every day, but the doctor was de 
 cided in his refusal. After his departure, Miss 
 Hansy fell into a fit of silent thought, from 
 which Belle did not feel inclined to rouse her. 
 It was broken, in upon by a visit from Mr. 
 Heber, who had daily made his appearance 
 since the accident, and had already commenced 
 a course of study with Belle. 
 
 She was now anxious to improve, and these 
 opportunities seemed to her very precious. 
 The hours flew rapidly by, while she sat iD 
 the room with Miss Hansy preparing her les 
 sons, and she had quite lost the feeling of 
 loneliness with which she had been oppressed. 
 
112 BELLE; OB, 
 
 Miss Hansy lay quite still during Belle's 
 recitation, and, at times, seemed for a moment 
 interested in what she had heard, arid then 
 the sad, thoughtful look would again appear 
 on her face. 
 
 The lessons over, Mr. Heber turned again 
 toward Miss Hansy, as . if he would know 
 her wishes. She understood the appeal, and 
 spoke as follows: 
 
 "Amos tells me I am sadly missed he 
 sinks for want of amusement, he wants to 
 be read to, he wants to hear a woman's voice, 
 he thinks it would ease his pain. Perhaps, 
 perhaps Belle would be willing. Tell her all, 
 and ask her if she will try for a day or two 
 to do something to cheer a sufferer." 
 
 Belle's blood tingled at the very thought. 
 She approach that horrid old man! She 
 could not think of it; and her lips opened 
 to speak her thoughts, but Mr. Heber drew 
 her gently away. 
 
 She let herself be conducted into the quiet, 
 unfrequented parlor. There Mr. Heber sat 
 down beside her, and was for a moment 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 113 
 
 silent. Belle nerved herself to hear some tale 
 of horror, but of what nature she could not 
 imagine. 
 
 Mr. Heber began by describing a luxuri 
 ous home in a distant city, where a father, 
 richly endowed in mind and body, lived with 
 his wife and baby-child. He told of the an 
 guish of the devoted wife as she saw the 
 husband she loved fall a prey to temptation, 
 and sink at last into hopeless dissipation. He 
 dwelt on the respectful tenderness of the wife 
 towards him who was no longer worthy of 
 respect, and of the habits of filial duty in 
 which she trained her only child. He paint 
 ed the sudden death of that mother, and her 
 last parting words to her daughter. "Be 
 kind, be patient, be faithful unto death! Ee- 
 member he is thy father! Eemember the 
 Commandment with promise !" 
 
 Belle listened with wonder and admiration, 
 and almost with remorse, as she heard how 
 the young and attractive girl had devoted 
 herself to a parent so unworthy; how she 
 
 had spent her best years in trying to make 
 10* 
 
BELLE; OR, 
 
 home pleasant to one on whom disease was 
 already wreaking the punishment for sin. No 
 irritability, no tumults of insane rage, on his 
 part, could ruffle her "peace, passing under 
 standing." When a missile, thrown by him 
 in a paroxysm of causeless rage, put out the 
 light of one of her calm eyes, the other shed 
 no tears for its loss, but was lifted in prayer 
 for the father who had smitten his child. 
 
 When the worldly possessions of the un 
 worthy parent had been squandered, and, pros 
 trate with years and infirmity, he would 
 have been homeless and houseless, she spent 
 her little all, received from her mother, to 
 build for him a home in the country, where 
 he could end his days in quiet, and none 
 would point at him as the wreck of his for 
 mer self. 
 
 With the help of Mr. Heber, the wing to 
 this little country house had been built and 
 fitted up for his comfort, and hither, in the 
 darkness of night, Miss Hansy had come, with 
 faithful Amos, to devote her life to the ful 
 filment of the Commandment with promise. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 115 
 
 She admitted no prying menials to find out 
 the secrets of her little sanctuary. With the 
 help of humble Anios she carried on her 
 simple establishment, little caring that the 
 villagers attributed her seclusion to a mor 
 bid regret for the loss of the eye, that had 
 left to her face the. beauty which would last 
 eternally its pure heavenly expression. 
 
 Belle wept as she listened to the story 
 which Mr. Heber told, with the earnestness 
 of one who knows himself to be speaking 
 only faithful facts. Her tears were in sym 
 pathy for the sufferings of Miss Hansy, and 
 in admiration of her self-denying constan 
 cy but, mingled with these, were many bit 
 ter ones, as she thought of her own disrespect 
 to her noble father, and wilful, inexcusable 
 unkind ness to her lovely mother. The lesson 
 sank deep, and bore with it the blessing of 
 heaven. 
 
 " Miss Hansy has become a necessary part 
 of her father's existence, and, broken down 
 as he is now, in mind and body, he suffers 
 much from her absence, and is, as Amos says, 
 
116 BELLE; OR, 
 
 and as I have seen myself, failing for lack of 
 the sweet music of his daughter's voice. He 
 has quite forgotten the blow he would have 
 dealt her, and in escaping which she occa 
 sioned the injury from which she is now suf 
 fering. He calls out for her and moans after 
 her, like a child. She thinks your voice, 
 which she has learned to love, may soothe 
 him until she can be again beside him. She 
 reads to him the Bible only, or hymns, with 
 which he was long ago familiar, by which 
 she hopes to touch some chord that may 
 rouse him to better things. Will you try, 
 Miss Belle? There is no danger. He can 
 not leave his seat, and you need not approach 
 him." 
 
 An indignant negative rose to the lips of 
 the young girl, but she thought of Jesus, 
 ministering to a suffering, sinful world ; she 
 thought of, Miss Hansy's years of patient de- 
 votedness, and of the gentle glance of her 
 single eye, and answered, though faintly, " I 
 will." 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 117 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 THE DAUGHTER'S REWARD. 
 
 BELLE was not timid ; she had seldom 
 known what it was to suffer from embarrass 
 ment, yet she trembled as she stood at the 
 door of the invalid's sitting-room, and paus 
 ed a moment before giving a feeble knock. 
 
 A hoarse voice called out, " come in," and 
 she slowly obeyed. 
 
 A nearer view of the face which had made 
 such an impression upon her at a distance, 
 did not take away from the hearty dislike 
 she had conceived, and she stood for an in 
 stant in hesitation, half-inclined to withdraw 
 and give up the undertaking. 
 
 " Sit down !" said the voice, in a tone of 
 command. 
 
 Belle mechanically dropped upon the near 
 est chair. 
 
118 BELLE; OK, 
 
 " Amos says thee will read. I doubt if 
 thee knows how. Begin !" said Mr. Ware. 
 
 Belle opened her Bible, and commenced the 
 first psalm. 
 
 She was but a poor reader, at the best, 
 and now her voice was choked, and her man 
 ner confused. 
 
 She was interrupted before she had finish 
 ed the psalm by an impatient u psha," and 
 the words, " Shut the book ! I'd rather 
 hear a broken hand-organ. Can you sing ?" 
 
 Belle's spirit was thoroughly roused by 
 this uncourteous treatment, and she answered 
 boldly, " I can try !" 
 
 Her voice was naturally strong and clear, 
 and she had been accustomed to singing from 
 childhood. She had never sung better than 
 now, and her listener looked at her with sur 
 prise and pleasure. She had begun the hymn, 
 " where shall rest be found," in no very 
 fitting frame of mind, but as she went on, 
 the sacred words made their impression on 
 her t and before she closed there was an anx 
 ious desire, on her part, to bring home the 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 119 
 
 truths of the hymn to the heart of her audi 
 tor, that told in the feeling tones in which 
 she sang. 
 
 " Sing again !" said Mr. Ware, in a more 
 softened voice. 
 
 Belle sang again and again, each time 
 urged on by an approving nod. At last there 
 was no sign from the old man. He sat in 
 perfect stillness, his eyes closed, and his clasp 
 ed hands lying on his lap. Belle thought that 
 he had fallen into a quiet sleep, and she rose 
 to leave the room. As she did so, she saw 
 tears rolling from under the closed lids, and 
 turning away, she went out silently. 
 
 ~Day after day Belle spent a half-hour in 
 the room of the invalid. It cost her much 
 effort and many prayers to go to this try 
 ing duty, but she was rewarded by a con 
 sciousness of her divine Master's approval, 
 and by the sweet kiss of gratitude with $' 
 which Miss Hansy welcomed her on her re 
 turn. 
 
 To these visits Miss Hansy kad but once 
 alluded, and then, only by saying, " My 
 
120 BELLE; OR, 
 
 mother sang, ok ! so sweetly, but I have no 
 voice." 
 
 A week had passed since Belle's first in 
 terview with Mr. Ware, when she found, one 
 morning, on coming down to breakfast, that 
 Miss Hansy's place on the sofa was vacant, 
 and she heard her uncertain footsteps, as, 
 assisted by Amos, she moved down the pas 
 sage leading to her father's room. 
 
 Amos left her at the door, and Miss Han- 
 sy entered alone. 
 
 '" How art thou, father ? I have been so 
 anxious to get to thee !" said Miss Hansy, 
 in her kindest manner. 
 
 "Ill enough, Hansy, ill enough! I'm glad 
 to see thee back again. Hansy, I don't want 
 to be bad to thee any more ; I don't, indeed," 
 and the old man began to cry. " Thee has 
 taken care of me many, many years, and I 
 thank thee for it." 
 
 "It has been a pleasure, father," said Miss 
 Hansy earnestly, as she knelt by his side, her 
 face bright with joy, and her heart full of 
 deep gratitude. Her life of patient forbearance 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 121 
 
 seemed to have met its full reward. To hear 
 such words as these, seemed to be too blessed 
 to be real. 
 
 " Bead, child," said the father, " read." 
 
 Miss Hansy did read words of peace and 
 comfort from the blessed Gospel she loved, 
 and her father really listened. 
 
 Miss Hansy's absence had produced an im 
 pression which her years of devotion had 
 failed to do. What she had been to his daily 
 life, and how unworthy he had been of such 
 kindness, made its way to the shattered mind 
 and dull heart of her father. 
 
 That heart once softened, Miss Hansy strove 
 with redoubled efforts to sow there the good 
 seed that " springeth up into eternal life." 
 As the months flew by, the mind of her father 
 grew gradually weaker and weaker ; but with 
 the remnants of its remaining strength passed 
 away the paroxysms of rage and the wearing 
 irritability, between which he had alternated 
 for years. 
 
 " Helpless and dependent as a child, he was 
 
 as submissive. He learned to obey Miss 
 11 
 
122 BELLE; on, 
 
 Hansj's slightest word, and to look up to her 
 with a kind of affectionate reverence. No 
 longer fearful that he would disgrace himself 
 by acts of violence, Miss Hansy rejoiced to 
 see . him sitting on the porch in the pleasant 
 summer air, or being rolled in his great chair, 
 by Amos, up and down the wide pavement. 
 Ever as he moved, his eyes followed the fig 
 ure of his daughter, and at each turn he look 
 ed to catch her kind smile. He loved to listen 
 as she talked to him, and the answers he made 
 in his childish way often filled her heart with 
 hope. 
 
 She had been pointing out the gilded clouds 
 on a summer evening, and telling him that 
 the glory of the western sky was not half as 
 beautiful as the brightness of heaven, where 
 Jesus would be with those that love Him. 
 
 " I don't think I'm fit to go there, some 
 how ; I can't remember why," said the old 
 man, sorrowfully. " You'll go, I know, Hansy, 
 and then what will become of me ?" he added, 
 and then sobbed like a child. 
 
 "We are none of us fit to go to heaven," 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 123 
 
 said Miss Hansy, speaking very slowly, as if 
 she wished to be sure of being understood. 
 "Jesus suffered for us. He suffered that we 
 might be happy. If we are sorry for what 
 we have done, and trust Jesus, and try to 
 love Him, we shall be forgiven for all that 
 is past, and made welcome in heaven." 
 
 " I am sure I am very sorry," said the old 
 man weakly. " I want to love Jesus, you 
 talk so much about ; but somehow I can't 
 think" and he put his hand to his troub 
 led head. 
 
 "If you really want to love Jesus, He will 
 help you, father," said Miss Hansy, tenderly. 
 "Don't try too hard to think about it, but 
 just let yourself love Him." 
 
 " I do want to," said the poor father. " Per 
 haps in heaven it will all be clear again; 
 but, no ! I don't want to remember. No, no ! 
 It's all bad ! You love me, Hansy, don't 
 you ?" 
 
 " Yes, yes ! dear father, I do !" said Miss 
 Hansy, warmly and truly. 
 
 "Perhaps Jesus will love me too, if He is 
 
124 BELLE; OR, 
 
 so good ;" and the old man looked up with 
 a bright smile. 
 
 Miss Hansy's heart was too full of hope 
 and thanksgiving for her to speak one word, 
 but her face beamed a reply. 
 
 In his weakness and darkness the poor 
 old man seemed to grope after the hand of 
 his Saviour, led by his daughter's voice and 
 accompanied by her prayers. 
 
 We may not know the secrets of the eter 
 nal world ; but God loves to hear the prayers 
 of those who keep His commandments and 
 continue in His love ; and we may hope that 
 a blessing was poured out on the unworthy 
 father, in answer to the life-long petition of 
 the daughter, who lived near to Grod and kept 
 His Commandment with promise. 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 125 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 SUNDAY SCHOLARS. 
 
 SEED-time and harvest had passed away, 
 and autumn tints began here and there to 
 brighten the forest trees, and make gay the 
 wild vines in the hedges. 
 
 While the busy farmers had cared for the 
 tender blade, watched the ripening grain, and 
 gathered the fruits of toil into their store 
 houses, Belle Cortlandt had not been idle. 
 For her the summer had been a season of 
 real spiritual growth, and of walling exertion 
 in her Master's cause. She had struggled 
 faithfully to bring her strong will into obedi 
 ence to the law of Christ, and had rejoiced at 
 each sign of self-conquest. She had aided Miss 
 Hansy in her ministry of love to her weak 
 and humbled parent, and had labored earnest 
 ly for the best good of the little girls who 
 11* 
 
126 BELLE; OR, 
 
 formed her Sunday-school class. Reluctant as 
 she had been at first to take upon herself the 
 office of a teacher, she soon felt great pleas 
 ure in her new duties. The children entrusted 
 to her care were poor and ignorant, and she 
 found that, unworthy as she was, she could yet 
 be of great service to them. Among the little 
 circle who met her so warmly every Sunday 
 morning, no face brightened with a sweeter 
 smile than that of little Jany, whose cheeks 
 were now somewhat rounded by the plenty of 
 Tilden farm, and yet a look of sorrow still 
 lingered on her delicate features. 
 
 It was one of Mr. Heber's rules that the 
 teachers in his Sunday School should visit 
 each scholar at home once a month, and 
 from this practice, faithfully adhered to, he 
 had seen much good flow. 
 
 To Belle, these visits were at first exceed 
 ingly trying. Several of her children lived 
 near a factory, a mile beyond Sanders, and 
 it cost Belle a great effort to find her way to 
 their homes. Her frank, kindly manner soon 
 won her a welcome among them, and she 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 127 
 
 was often amused at the free, familiar way in 
 which she was treated, and at the apparent 
 satisfaction taken in her visits. She tried to 
 make her conversation useful to the mothers 
 of the children under her charge, but often 
 she was forced to take leave with the con 
 viction of failure on her mind. It was as 
 Jany's Sunday-school teacher that Belle first 
 made her appearance at Tilden farm. She 
 was cordially greeted, and at once made at 
 home. She soon found that here she became 
 a learner, and she felt that the position suited 
 her well. There was a hearty sincerity in 
 Mrs. Tilden's piety, a matter-of-fact, confident 
 belief in spiritual things, that was a great 
 help to Belle. She never left Tilden farm 
 without being better able to realize the con 
 tinual presence of God as a loving friend, 
 and the certainty of the heaven in store 'for 
 His children, through Christ. 
 
 It became a custom with Belle to finish 
 the afternoon spent in visiting her scholars 
 by taking tea at Tilden farm. On these oc 
 casions little Jany never forgot that the visit 
 
128 BELLE; OR, 
 
 was especially to her, and she felt privileged 
 to keep close to the side of her teacher and 
 give her an occasional caress, which she 
 might not otherwise have dared to offer. Mrs. 
 Tilden encouraged this freedom, and seldom 
 failed to manage to leave Belle a few mo 
 ments alone with her pupil that she might 
 have an opportunity of winning her confi 
 dence, and giving her a word of advice. 
 
 It was a bright afternoon early in October. 
 Belle had started out full of energy, and in 
 tent on doing good. She really enjoyed the 
 long walk across the fields, between Miss 
 Ware's quiet home and the bustling vicinity 
 of the factory. 
 
 She had not now to seek out the humble 
 dwellings of her little charge; to them she 
 easily made her way as to a familiar spot. 
 There was no lack of cordiality in the greet 
 ing she received. The children gathered 
 round her, and the stout mothers sat down 
 by her side and told her freely of their cares 
 and interests. 
 
 One had a son so wild and troublesome, 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 129 
 
 that, to use the mother's own words, "He 
 almost set her crazy," and she wanted to 
 know what she should do with him. 
 
 Another was tired with a leaky roof which 
 the landlord was in vain implored to mend. 
 
 A third, by her own account, was a victim 
 to every disease and pain under the skies, 
 and could' find no relief but in "a bit of 
 whiskey now and then, or some sich like, jist 
 to ease the misery." 
 
 Belle tried to advise and comfort to the 
 best of her ability, but she felt young and 
 inexperienced before the assurance and vol 
 ubility of her humble friends. She tried 
 to think of some way of giving an improv 
 ing turn to the conversation some way of 
 bringing the great Friend of the poor, and 
 the only eternal riches, before their minds; 
 but no words came, her brain seemed barren 
 and her mouth dry. 
 
 Belle was too young in the religious life 
 to have words of spiritual counsel flow freely 
 from her lips. It was yet only by constant 
 effort that she was able to keep before her, 
 
130 BELLE; OR, 
 
 in any measure, the truths in which she be 
 lieved. It is only those who have learned to 
 live with Christ as with a familiar friend, and 
 who are in the constant habit of communion 
 with Him, who can so speak of him natur 
 ally and conscientiously, and fix the attention 
 of those to whom He is still a stranger. Belle 
 did not know this fact, and, sure of her own 
 anxious desire to be useful, she wondered at 
 the constraint which kept her silent when 
 she would have borne the message of love. 
 
 Somewhat disheartened, she closed the last 
 visit she had to pay in the vicinity of the 
 factory, and turned her steps towards Tilden 
 farm. 
 
 'Once beyond the smoke, and dust, and stir 
 every where around the tall chimneys that 
 made work for so many men, her spirits began 
 to revive. In the green fields again, she 
 could realize the presence of the Father of all, 
 and she felt that if she had the children there, 
 she should not be so shy of naming the best 
 of subjects, and she even thought that under 
 the blue skies she might have spoken to the 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 131 
 
 talkative mother, of that world where sorrow 
 and care never come. 
 
 Still dissatisfied with herself, though some 
 what soothed by the sweet and holy influ 
 ence God has given to nature, she drew near 
 to the gate that marked the entrance to Til- 
 den farm. 
 
 She did not need to lift the heavy latch, or 
 throw open the wide gate. A loving hand, 
 if not a strong one, made her entrance easy. 
 Little Jany had been watching for a half 
 hour for the pleasure of letting her in, and 
 that duty once performed, she slipped her 
 hand into Belle's and walked by her side, 
 the very picture of quiet content. 
 
 "How pleasant it always is here!" said 
 Belle, as they moved along the lane under 
 the wide-spreading maples. " It seems to me, I 
 feel happier as soon as I step inside that gate." 
 
 "And I am so glad when you come," said 
 Jany in her quiet way. "And and I want 
 so much to thank you." 
 
 "Thank me!" said Belle, smiling. "What 
 for, Jany?" 
 
132 BELLE; OR, 
 
 "Oh, I should wish to lie down and die 
 sometimes, like poor mother, if I did not think 
 about what you have taught me," said Jany, 
 half crying. 
 
 " Why, Jany I" said Belle, " I thought you 
 were very happy; I am sure you ought to be 
 in such a pleasant home." 
 
 " I can't forget about poor mother, and 
 father, far away on the sea," said little Jany, 
 dropping down on a great stone, and sob 
 bing as if her heart would break. " Every 
 body is kind, even the boys, though they do 
 play so rough sometimes. Everybody is 
 kind, but there are so many here, and all so 
 very happy, and I try to be happy too, and 
 I do laugh, sometimes, and then I go away 
 and cry all by myself. I think I should 
 quite give up then, if I did not think about 
 the beautiful heaven you tell of, and the 
 dear Lord Jesus who loves little children. 
 Dear Miss Belle, do you think He loves 
 me ? If I was quite sure of that, I would 
 not mind." 
 
 Belle put her arm round the little girl, 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 133 
 
 and said, very tenderly, "Jany, Jesus cares 
 even for those who do not care for Him, and 
 I am sure He loves you, if you want to love 
 Him." 
 
 "I do love Him," said the child, earnestly. 
 "I do, and I hope to go to Him some day. 
 When I am very patient, and cheerful, I 
 don't mind ; but, Miss Belle, I feel so heavy 
 sometimes, that I must just sit down and 
 cry, and then I think perhaps Jesus is angry 
 with me, and then I feel more sorry, and cry 
 more." 
 
 "Jesus wept himself, Jany. He cried to 
 think of the wicked city, Jerusalem, that 
 would have to be punished, and He cried 
 when He saw Martha and Mary so sorrow 
 ful at the grave of Lazarus, their brother. 
 He will not be angry with your tears, little 
 Jany ; but if you think more about Him, and 
 how He is always with you, and how He 
 has taken your mother to His happy world, 
 you will not be so sorrowful. Will you try, 
 darling ?" 
 
 "I will, Miss Belle," said Jany, in her 
 12 
 
134 BELLE; OB, 
 
 usual quiet way, " I will. I did not mean 
 to tell you all, but somehow it all came out, 
 just when I went to thank you. You are so 
 very kind to me." 
 
 " And you are a great comfort to me, 
 Jany," said Belle, affectionately. "Just this 
 very afternoon, I was thinking, I was of no 
 use to any one, and that I could not make 
 any one wish to do right, even if I tried." 
 
 " Oh, Miss Belle I" said Jany, her eyes full 
 of astonishment. " Don't say such a word as 
 that ; the scholars all love you, and try to 
 do as you say. Poor Becky White, who was 
 so bad, says she never goes to bed now 
 that she does not ask the Lord Jesus to 
 make her a better girl; and that I know 
 will please you." 
 
 Belle's heart was too full to answer ; she 
 pressed little Jany's hand, and they walked 
 on in silence. Belle felt humbled, yet grate 
 ful, to find her poor efforts in her Master's 
 cause were not in vain, that the seed sown 
 in weakness was winning a blessing from the 
 Lord of the harvest. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 185 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 TILDEN FARM. 
 
 WHEN Belle reached the house, the wide 
 porch was full of young faces ready to wel 
 come her, and, standing on the steps, was 
 Mrs. Tilden, with outstretched hands. 
 
 " We were afraid you were not coming," 
 said Johnny, pressing forward, " and then 
 we might as well have had no supper at all." 
 
 " Supper !" said Belle, "am I so late as 
 that?" as through the open door she saw 
 the long table spread with the usual profu 
 sion of good cheer, and evidently awaiting 
 her arrival. 
 
 " Better late than never !" said Mrs. Til- 
 den, heartily. " He's just come in, so you 
 are not much out of the way after all." 
 
 It took a little preliminary washing and 
 brushing before Mr. Tilden was ready to 
 
136 BELLE; OR, 
 
 give his guest a welcome, and to sit down 
 at his table, like Jacob of old, with his 
 twelve about him. That Jacob's God was his 
 Friend and Father, no one could doubt who 
 heard the simple, solemn words of prayer and 
 thanksgiving which he uttered before sitting 
 down to his evening meal. Little Johnny's 
 lips moved, and almost unconsciously his 
 young voice kept his father's company, while 
 the rest, even to the youngest, seemed to join 
 him in silence. 
 
 The blessing over, the children quietly 
 took their places, and put on for themselves, 
 and for each other, pinafores, white as snow, 
 and evidently fresh for the occasion. 
 
 "Bring baby," said Mr. Tilden to Susy, 
 who was in attendance. 
 
 The " wee helpless thing" poor Nanny 
 had left to the care of strangers was now 
 a- hearty child, more than six months old, 
 and beginning, by its pretty winning ways, to 
 give some return for the tender care it had 
 received. 
 
 While Susy was taking the baby from its 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 137 
 
 cradle, where it quietly lay, though wide 
 awake, Mr. Tilden occupied himself in pre 
 paring the bowl of bread and milk, which 
 he thought a judicious supper for the child. 
 Mr. Tilden would rather have gone hungry 
 to bed, after a heavy day's labor, than to 
 have taken his own food before he had satis 
 fied the child of his adoption. 
 
 Mrs. Tilden thought, sometimes, this pro 
 ceeding broke in somewhat upon her ideas 
 of order and regularity at meals, but she 
 consoled herself by saying, " It's his notion, 
 he ought to have his way in his own house." 
 
 In fact, it soon became a pleasant sight to 
 her to see the strong-built, kindly -looking man 
 feeding the poor infant so carefully, and 
 smacking his lips at every mouthful she 
 swallowed, as if it did him more good than 
 it could possibly do the child. Mrs. Tilden 
 did not think her husband's course with re 
 gard to the diet of the baby altogether judi 
 cious, but she forebore discussion, and saw 
 with wonder that little Nan thrived and grew 
 
 fat, in spite (or in consequence) of the liber- 
 12* 
 
138 BELLE; OR, 
 
 al allowance of good cheer bestowed on her 
 by her foster father. 
 
 "God bless the baby!" said Mr. Tilden, 
 heartily, as he restored her, satisfied and 
 smiling, to Susan, to be replaced in the cra 
 dle, while the knives and forks kept on their 
 busy work at the table. 
 
 Belle was no epicure, and her simple ap 
 petite of youth and health was always satis 
 fied with the plain and almost uniform fare 
 of Miss Hansy ; yet, it must be confessed 
 that she thoroughly enjoyed Mrs. Tilden's 
 good cheer, and did ample justice to it. She 
 loved to ,see the happy faces round the ta 
 ble, and to hear the kind, motherly words 
 and respectful answers coming and going. 
 
 These monthly visits were Belle's only 
 glimpses at family life, and they were very 
 precious to her. 
 
 After supper the children scattered away, 
 some to the orchard in search of choice ap 
 ples to fill the bag that was sure to be ready 
 for Amos, when he came for Belle in the 
 evening ; and some to finish their various 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 139 
 
 tasks for the day. Mr. Tilden withdrew to 
 the porch and sat in quiet content, looking 
 on the scene, while his wife busied herself 
 about the table, and Belle sat and watched 
 her active hand, and lent her some slight as 
 sistance. 
 
 " How busy you always are, Mrs. Tilden," 
 said Belle ; " I wonder that you can ever think 
 about any thing but this world and all you 
 have to do in it." 
 
 "That same thing gave me a great deal of 
 trouble when I was first a mother and a 
 housekeeper," said Mrs. Tilden. " Though I 
 had such a little family then, it seemed to 
 take me all my time to keep things in order, 
 and I could hardly get a moment' to read my 
 Bible and fall on my knees ; I really got 
 quite unhappy about it, thinking I was just 
 a 'mother,' and nothing better, 'cumbered 
 with much serving,' instead of sitting at the 
 feet of Jesus ; and yet I did not know how to 
 do my duty, and make the matter any bet 
 ter. One day he came in, and found me 
 looking just as I felt, all troubled and flus- 
 
14:0 BELLE; OR, 
 
 tered, and just ready to cry, because I had so 
 much on my hands that I really could not 
 stop for any thing that was good. I just 
 burst out crying, (I was young then,) and I 
 told him all about it. Then he explained to 
 me, in his own way, how, when the Lord 
 Jesus was here on earth, those who wanted 
 to hear His holy words must leave all their 
 earthly business and sit at His feet, but that 
 would not do for Christians every where and 
 always, so there was a better way 'Now,' 
 says he, 'Jesus is not in any one house or 
 any one room only, but all may be " diligent 
 in business," and yet have the Lord with 
 them. Think of that, dear,' said he, 'and 
 then you will do Martha's work with Mary's 
 spirit.' Those words did me a great deal of 
 good; and now it seems quite natural to be 
 working, with the Lord's eye on me every 
 where. But, Miss Belle, while I have kept 
 you here talking, there's Johnny waiting out 
 side with a big apple in his hand, that I am 
 sure he means for Miss Ware." 
 
 The mother was right; Johnny wanted to 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 141 
 
 give particular directions that no one but Miss 
 Hansy should have the beauty of the orchard 
 he had chosen with such care. 
 
 Meanwhile, the other boys had filled the 
 bag which little Jack was making a great 
 show of lifting, as three or four of them bore 
 it along. 
 
 " Come," said Johnny, " let us put it on 
 the wheelbarrow, and take it down to the 
 gate, and that will save old Amos some 
 thing." 
 
 The proposal was heartily agreed upon, and 
 the boys set off in high glee, Johnny acting 
 as grand marshal, though it must be confessed 
 the labor fell on the older boys. It was all 
 their own fault, for they would have it so, 
 and little Johnny was not to blame. 
 
 "Amos has gone off with the apples and 
 left you, Miss Belle," said Johnny, as, after a 
 short absence, he re-entered the porch, all out 
 of breath with the run he had had. 
 
 "Gone and left me!" said Belle, starting up 
 with astonishment; "What can that mean?" 
 She caught up her bonnet and shawl, and 
 
142 BELLE; OK, 
 
 said hastily, " Then I must go as soon as 
 possible, and some of you, boys, will have to 
 take Arnos's place." 
 
 " Ho, indeed !" said Johnny, with a merry 
 laugh. "Look, Miss Belle!" 
 
 Belle did look, and saw her own father 
 stepping up on the wide porch, his little es 
 cort of boys having fallen back, to let him 
 meet his daughter alone. 
 
 Belle threw herself on her father's neck 
 and wept violently, while he was little less 
 moved than herself. 
 
 It was no time for an open expression of 
 feeling, but each knew what the other would 
 say, and Belle felt that the kiss which her 
 father bestowed on her was the seal of his 
 perfect forgiveness, and her heart was full of 
 deep joy. 
 
 Mr. Cortlandt needed no introduction to the 
 cheerful . circle at Tilden farm, for Belle's fre 
 quent letters had made him thoroughly ac 
 quainted with each member of the family, 
 from the kind-hearted father to little Nan, the 
 pet of the house. He was soon quite at 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 143 
 
 home among them, and all felt it a privilege 
 to listen to his wonderful tales of foreign 
 lands, where Jesus is not known; and several 
 of the young lads, among whom was our 
 friend Johnny, mentally resolved to do some 
 thing more to earn money for the mission 
 aries, who were willing to go among these 
 poor, ignorant people, and teach them the way 
 of truth. 
 
 Jany felt particularly honored when Mr. 
 Cortlandt drew her tenderly to his side, and 
 told her she was almost like a little grand 
 daughter to him, since Belle had taken so 
 much interest in her. Little Jany's face was 
 very bright all the evening, but it was sud 
 denly overshadowed, when Mr. Cortlandt rose 
 and said, " It was time for his pleasant visit to 
 be over." 
 
 Several of the children sprang to get Belle's 
 bonnet and shawl, but Johnny was successful 
 in the race, and bore them back in triumph. 
 
 "Won't you stop for the coming hymn?" 
 said Johnny in a low voice, as Belle stooped 
 to take the things from him. " Oh, yes !" said 
 
BELLE; OR, 
 
 Belle, " I am sure father would like it." Mr. 
 Cortlandt did indeed enjoy the hymn of praise 
 in which the whole family joined with real 
 heartiness and much taste. Mr. Cortlandt lent 
 his aid, and Belle's voice, too, was heard with 
 deep feeling in its sweet clear tones. After 
 the hymn, there was a general shaking of 
 hands, and then Belle and her father set out 
 for their long walk. 
 
 Many, many inquiries Belle had to make 
 about matters at home, and much she heard 
 which could not be crowded even into the 
 long and frequent letters she had received. 
 She asked all questions, and approached all 
 subjects freely, but one, and that was almost 
 constantly on her 'mind. At last her father 
 himself named the subject of her thoughts. 
 
 " Belle," he said, " your mother is most 
 anxious to have you at home again, and Willy 
 says he really pines for your society. I need 
 not say how I should love to have you with 
 us once more. Will you go home with me 
 now, or wait until a few months later ? Do 
 you think you are sufficiently established in 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 145 
 
 your new principles to meet old temptations, 
 and the power of old habits, which you know 
 is very strong ? If you feel that it is safe to 
 make the experiment, most gladly shall I take 
 you with me. Remember, that a failure in duty 
 now will give you real remorse and a bitter 
 ness of self-reproach of which you, perhaps, 
 have no idea. You need not decide now," he 
 added, as they drew near the house. " You 
 shall tell me your choice in the morning. 
 Meanwhile, be sure that your father feels 
 that you are as welcome to his home as to 
 his heart, and that he does not doubt the deep 
 sincerity of your new resolutions." 
 
 Miss Hansy was waiting in the now occupied 
 parlor, when they entered the house. She 
 was a little surprised to find Belle grave and 
 thoughtful, instead of radiant with joy at her 
 father's return ; but she prudently forbore re 
 marking on the subject. 
 
 Mr. Cortlandt immediately led the con 
 versation to the family at Tilden farm, with 
 whom he had been charmed. 
 
 "There seems such a tone of cheerfulness 
 13 
 
146 BELLE; OK, 
 
 \ 
 
 and unaffected piety there, that it is really 
 delightful," he said. "But your pet Jany, 
 Belle, she does, not look quite happy." 
 
 " She feels the loss of her mother deeply 
 yet," said Belle. " Knowing such sorrow so 
 early seems to have made a deep impression 
 upon her, and I think she finds it hard to 
 keep up with the cheerful, busy spirit at Til- 
 den farm. She is a dear child, and tries hard 
 to be bright and uncomplaining, and is very 
 grateful for the kindness shown her." 
 
 "A more quiet home would suit her bet 
 ter," said Mr. Cortlandt, thoughtfully. "She 
 is hardly fit to stand the rough-and-tumble 
 among such a family of hearty, healthy young 
 sters, who do not mind a little rough play, 
 I dare say." 
 
 " No, indeed !" said Belle, " they make what 
 seems to me a perfect bedlam sometimes ; but 
 a word from Mrs. Tilden quiets them in a mo 
 ment. I love to hear them even say ' mother,' 
 they have such a way of speaking the word." 
 
 Here Belle fell into another quiet fit, and 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 147 
 
 Mr. Cortlandt again thought it best to take 
 the lead in conversation. 
 
 "How is it, Hansy," he said, "that you 
 have kept up your Quaker thee and thou, and 
 that plain cap, too, when you have so long 
 been a member of the Episcopal Church ?" 
 
 " I lead such a quiet life," said Miss Hansy, 
 smiling, "that it is of very little consequence 
 how I dress at home, and then I seldom speak 
 to any strangers who would take note of an 
 occasional thee, which I use from habit. "When 
 I go to church, which cannot be very often, I 
 wear a bonnet about which nobody in our 
 plain congregation would ask any questions ; I 
 don't ihink even you could tell what to call it, 
 if you wanted to buy a match to it for Mary 
 Cortlandt. But seriously, Harry, I believe I 
 love to wear this cap and speak the plain lan 
 guage, because my mother always did, and I 
 know it is pleasant to my father." 
 
 " I did not think Mr. Ware would have 
 recognized me, it is so many years since we 
 met, yet he called me by name almost imme 
 diately." 
 
148 BELLE; OK, 
 
 "Yes," said Miss Hansy, brightening, "and 
 he seemed so much pleased to see you. ' Tell 
 Harry I shall want to see him in the morning,' 
 were his last words before bidding me good 
 night." 
 
 "Speaking of bidding 'good-night,' that is 
 just what we ought to be doing," said Mr. 
 Cortlandt; "I have a busy day before me to 
 morrow ; among other things, Belle, I am to 
 go among your factory people, so we must not 
 sit here chatting any longer." 
 
 Yery sweet to Belle was Miss Hansy's affec 
 tionate kiss at parting ; but sweeter were her 
 father's embrace and his fervent blessing. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 149 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 LITTLE JANY. 
 
 As the months had passed rapidly by, 
 Belle had become more and more sensible 
 of the deep guilt of the fault which she had 
 allowed herself so constantly and so thought 
 lessly to commit, and which had finally led 
 to her expulsion from the home she really 
 loved. By her daily study of the Scriptures 
 this impression was, in a great measure, pro 
 duced. The burning words of condemnation 
 and the fearful threatenings there written 
 down against the undutiful, unnatural child, 
 went home to her heart, like pointed arrows 
 from a skilful archer. 
 
 Even for these wounds there was balm in 
 Gilead, comfort in the Word of God. There 
 she read of the welcome of the repentant 
 
 prodigal, and of the strength promised to 
 13* 
 
150 BELLE; OK, 
 
 all those who struggle against a besetting 
 sin, in the name of Jesus. 
 
 After much thought over her sad misdo 
 ings in former days, and many prayers, Belle 
 decided upon her course in reference to her 
 father's proposal. Her decision once made, 
 her natural cheerfulness returned, and even 
 buoyant with gladness she went down to the 
 breakfast table. 
 
 Miss Hansy, as usual, was with her father, 
 and Belle and Mr. Cortlandt were tete-a- 
 tete. 
 
 " Well, my daughter," said the father, af 
 ter bidding her good-morning, " am I to take 
 you with me to-morrow ?" 
 
 " Father," said Belle, her eyes filling unex 
 pectedly with tears, " father, I may do wrong 
 again, but I will try and trust in Grod to 
 help me. Life is uncertain, and if I put off 
 my return, I may never have an opportunity 
 to be what I ought to you and dear mother. 
 This thought decides me, and then I do so 
 want to be with you all again. May I go ?" 
 
 " Yes ! I say yes, with all my heart !" 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 151 
 
 said the father, warmly, nor did he add one 
 discouraging word to check the joy that 
 shone through the tears of his daughter. 
 
 When Miss Hansy came in, after break 
 fast, she was heartily sorry to hear how soon 
 she was to part with her young friend, and 
 Belle felt real pleasure at the sincere expres 
 sions of attachment which Miss Hansy let 
 fall in her surprise. 
 
 "I do not think I can get on without 
 some young person here now," said Miss 
 Hansy. " Belle, how shall we make your 
 place good ? Father will so miss your sing- 
 ing." 
 
 Belle's face grew suddenly bright, as with 
 an idea that pleased her. " Jany has a sweet 
 little voice of her own, Miss Hansy. Father, 
 how would that do?" she said with much 
 animation. 
 
 "I think you would like, Hansy, to take 
 the motherless child to your heart. She 
 needs more fostering care than she can get 
 where she is one of twelve," said Mr. Cort- 
 landt. 
 
152 
 
 " I am afraid the little thing would be 
 lonely here, and yet my heart yearns to 
 wards her," said Miss Hansy. 
 
 " You might at least try it for awhile," said 
 Belle. " I think Jany would be happier here, 
 with you, than she is among so many." 
 
 The sound of wheels, stopping at the gate, 
 arrested the attention of the speakers, as it 
 was not a common occurrence at Miss Ware's 
 quiet home. 
 
 There was soon a decided rap, low down 
 on the front door, which proved to have 
 proceeded from Johnny's hard little knuckles. 
 He had come full of glee to say, " Brother 
 Tom has brought down father's gray horse 
 and the buggy, and father wants Mr. Cort- 
 landt to just use them to-day as if they were 
 his own." 
 
 "I shall do so, right gladly," said Mr. 
 Cortlandt. " I thought I had more walking 
 before me than I could conveniently do, but 
 now I shall have an hour to spare, to come 
 and see you all again. You must tell your 
 father I shall try and look in upon you to- 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 153 
 
 day at twelve, as I want to see you all to 
 gether. I suppose that is your dinner-hour?" 
 
 " Yes, that's the hour, sir, and mother 
 never varies from it five minutes, by the 
 clock. I don't see how she can hit it so 
 every day," said Johnny. 
 
 " Well, master Johnny, we will try and be 
 as punctual. Don't forget to thank your 
 father for thinking about the horse." 
 
 " You are quite welcome, I am sure," said 
 the boy, with a parting bow, and then away 
 he ran to tell his more diffident brother about 
 the promised visit. 
 
 Belle was delighted to be able to accom 
 pany her father, though she had very little 
 idea as to what his business could be in the 
 vicinity. 
 
 She was seated comfortably beside him in 
 the buggy, and he was just gathering up the 
 reins, when Miss Hansy came stepping down 
 the wide pavement, at a more rapid pace than 
 was her wont. 
 
 " Harry," she said, " thee may bring the 
 child away with thee from the farm, if the 
 
154 BELLE; OR, 
 
 little thing is not afraid of an old maid like 
 me, and the Tildens can trust her with me. 
 I want a young face to look at, and so does 
 father, he says." 
 
 " We'll bring you Jany towards evening, 
 I think," said Mr. Cortlandt, smiling. " Never 
 call yourself an old maid, Hansy, or I will 
 tell about old times." 
 
 Miss Hansy blushed, and turned away sud 
 denly towards the house. 
 
 " Do tell me about old times and Miss 
 Hansy," said Belle, as the buggy left the gate. 
 
 " Miss Hansy shall keep her own secrets, 
 though I know much of her past life that 
 would deeply interest you. She was a model 
 of filial devotion when her beauty was in its 
 freshness, and her heart warm with the affec 
 tions of youth. Mr. Heber could tell you 
 even more than I of her early days. It was 
 through my chance, or rather providential, 
 meeting with him, that I learned where she 
 had fixed her home that sad day, last winter." 
 
 " Did you. know Mr. Heber, too, before ?" 
 asked Belle, with surprise. 
 
"**> . 
 
 - ,' 
 
 THE PROMISED BLESSING. 155 
 
 " Yes, Belle, and to him I owe the deepest 
 gratitude that one human being can feel for 
 another. It was he who first taught the wild 
 and headstrong Harry Cortlandt to look up 
 ward and trust in his God." 
 
 Thus chatting, the time passed pleasantly 
 away. Belle had never before felt so near to 
 her father so able to understand him and his 
 noble aims and wishes. His confidence drew 
 out her own, and much was said that day by 
 the roadside which He who walked with the 
 disciples to Emmaus no doubt heard and ap 
 proved. 
 
 As they approached the cluster of buildings 
 collected round the tall chimneys of the fac 
 tory, Mr. Cortlandt checked the strong horse, 
 and taking his purse from his pocket, he said : 
 " Here, Belle, here is your accumulated pocket- 
 money. It has grown to quite a sum since 
 you left home. You may do what you please 
 with it." 
 
 " I have not felt the need of it at all, father, 
 except except when I wanted something to 
 give away. I think I had got too much in the 
 
156 
 
 lutbit of spending money for nonsense, without 
 any thought, but now I shall try to do better." 
 
 " Well, daughter, I shall leave you here at 
 the store ; I know you will want some keep 
 sakes for your Sunday scholars, and you can 
 be busy selecting while I go into the office." 
 
 Belle was a very bright-looking customer 
 when she entered the store, and the slender 
 clerk sprang promptly forward to know her 
 wishes. 
 
 " I don't know what I want yet," she said, 
 smiling, as she looked round upon the ludi 
 crous variety of articles collected upon the 
 shelves and ranged along the sides of the little 
 building. 
 
 The clerk turned away in despair before 
 Belle made up her mind even what to look 
 at. She first took a private survey of her 
 funds, and then mentally tried to make a satis 
 factory division of them among the various 
 claimants upon her generosity. She must care 
 for her poor Sunday scholars first ; but she 
 would like some token of remembrance for 
 Miss Hansy and the Tildens, and then there 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 157 
 
 was Mr. Heber, and then old Amos should not 
 be forgotten. 
 
 A second survey of the small shop-keeper's 
 stock in trade made Belle reluctantly conclude 
 to confine her purchases to gifts for the chil 
 dren and old Amos, as there was a plain absur 
 dity in giving calico, flannel, and earthen-ware, 
 by way of remembrancers, to her old friends. 
 
 Having procured a comfortable Sunday dress 
 for each of her scholars, and some small work 
 ing implements for the field and the house for 
 the little Tildens, she was superintending the 
 putting up of her packages, when her father 
 came in." 
 
 "Well, Belle," he said, cheerfully, "are you 
 ready for your visits? I can go with you 
 now." 
 
 Belle was a little startled at the idea of 
 having her father for a spectator to her dis 
 comfiture before the strong, voluble mothers of 
 her children; but she looked at her packages, 
 and thus armed, she hoped she should do bet 
 ter than usual. 
 
 Mr. Cortlandt put the various purchases in 
 14 
 
158 
 
 the buggy, and in a few moments Belle found 
 herself among the homes of her little friends. 
 Mr. Cortlandt was pleased to observe the 
 cordial manner in which Belle was greeted, 
 and she felt strengthened and supported by 
 her father's presence. He at once engaged the 
 mothers in conversation, and thus gave Belle 
 the opportunity of talking with the children, 
 and distributing her gifts unobserved. Belle 
 could not help wondering at the ease with 
 which her father met the murmurs of the wo 
 men, and the kindly but direct way in which 
 he pointed out their own share in bringing 
 about the evils they suffered, and the only sure 
 and lasting relief for all sorrow and trial. He 
 had a simple remedy to propose for the body 
 racked with pain, a course of treatment to 
 suggest for the unruly son, and a promise to give 
 to one and all of more comfort in their homes 
 and more interest in them on the part of their 
 employers. At each cottage he announced the 
 weekly opening of a vacant ware-room, for a 
 service for the men and women, and obtained 
 a promise of influence and attendance. Little 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 159 
 
 by little, Belle discovered that her letters on 
 the subject of the condition of the factory peo 
 ple had led her father to see the too busy city 
 owner of the property, and obtain from him 
 a permission to have all grievances redressed, 
 and a direct effort made for the spiritual good 
 of the people laboring to multiply his gains, as 
 well as to earn their daily bread. 
 
 There was a general lamentation among 
 the children when they heard that this was 
 to be their last meeting with their teacher, 
 and Becky White, who had once been the 
 most troublesome member of the class,' cover 
 ed her face to hide her tears, as she said 
 " Oh, Miss Belle, I can't have you go and 
 leave me, just when I am beginning to try to 
 be better." 
 
 " Jesus will never leave you, Becky ; pray to 
 Him and He will help you," whispered Belle. 
 
 "I will," said poor Becky, with deep earnest 
 ness, and Belle felt, as she shook hands with 
 the tall, coarse-looking girl, that she was real 
 ly parting with one she cared for, one drawn 
 near to her in Christian bonds. 
 
160 BELLE;! OR, 
 
 Belle and her father had much to talk of as 
 they rode from the factory to Tilden farm, 
 and her heart was full of gratitude on learning 
 that through her humble efforts for her poor 
 scholars, they had been brought into notice, 
 and would doubtless reap much good, both 
 temporal and spiritual. 
 
 As the gray horse stopped instinctively at 
 the wide gate with which he was so familiar, 
 Mr. Cortlandt said, " Not yet, old fellow, you 
 must wait a moment here." 
 
 The "bonny gray" grew quite impatient 
 before he was permitted to tread the green 
 lane. Mr. Cortlandt had his own large par 
 cel to open, which he had that morning 
 placed in the buggy himself. It contained 
 a handsome set of engravings of scenes from 
 Scripture. Belle admired the beauty of the 
 scenes and approved the neat frames, and was 
 heartily delighted when her father told her he 
 had brought them for her to present as a 
 parting gift to the family who had treated her 
 with such frank kindness, and from whom she 
 had learned so many valuable lessons. 
 
'U 
 
 THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 161 
 
 
 After dinner was over at the farm, Belle 
 had the pleasure of seeing the general satis 
 faction with her gifts, and of witnessing the 
 hanging of the Scripture scenes in the large 
 parlor, Mr. Tilden and all the children assist 
 ing at the ceremony. 
 
 When this important matter was attended 
 to, Mr. Tilden took Nan and stepped out up 
 on the porch to give the baby her usual after- 
 dinner ride in his strong arms. Mr. Cort- 
 landt followed, and said, " I came partly on 
 business to-day, Mr. Tilden; I want to know 
 if you can spare Nanny's little girl, to com 
 fort Miss Hansy when Belle is gone." 
 
 "Never, while I live!" said Mr. Tilden, and 
 he pressed the babe more closely to his heart. 
 
 Mr. Cortlandt saw by this gesture, and the 
 glance at the baby, that his meaning had been 
 mistaken, and hastened to say, "I do not mean 
 your pet there, but little Jany." 
 
 " Jany !" said Mr. Tilden with an air of 
 relief, "Jany, I should not like to spare her 
 either she is welcome to stay at Tilden farm, 
 
 as long as we have a roof over us." 
 14* 
 
162 BELLE; OR, 
 
 "I do not doubt that, but you have a 
 houseful of your own, and Miss Hansy has 
 but a little family at the best, and few to care 
 for. That poor old man can not last long, 
 and then what a comfort it will be to her to 
 have a young heart to turn to. What say 
 you ? may Jany go ?" 
 
 " If that's her choice ; but she shan't go 
 against her will. And her home is here, here 
 always, when she is not with Miss Ware. 
 That must be understood," said Mr. Tilden, 
 almost bluntly. 
 
 Mrs. Tilderi's consent was not more easily 
 gained. 
 
 She was in no hurry to part with the 
 motherless little one to whom she had open 
 ed her heart. 
 
 On Belle the task devolved of finding out 
 the wishes of Jany ..herself. 
 
 At first it was hard to discover what the 
 child wanted, for she would only cry and cling 
 to Belle, saying she could not part with her 
 sweet young lady ; and she was quite too 
 sorrowful to think of any thing else. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 163 
 
 After much comforting and coaxing, the 
 child was calmed and ready to give her at 
 tention to the proposal made. 
 
 She caught at the idea of being useful to 
 Miss Hansy, which Belle put forward as the 
 great inducement for changing her home. 
 
 It was now that Jany showed the full 
 strength of her gratitude to those who had 
 sheltered her in her helplessness. " They 
 have cared for all three of us, and Mrs. Til- 
 den has many steps to take. Jany is glad 
 to go and do something for herself," said the 
 little thing at length, " and by-and-by, when 
 Jany knows more, and is a better girl, and 
 all the others are grown up and gone away, 
 Jany will come back to take care of Papa 
 and Mamma Tilden, and live with little Nan. 
 That will be the way, won't it, Miss Belle ?" 
 
 " Perhaps so, Jany," said Belle, trying to 
 encourage her. 
 
 In this spirit, Jany saw her little wardrobe 
 packed and stowed away in the buggy, and 
 cheerfully took her seat on the small trunk 
 which contained her valuables. 
 
164 BELLE; OR, 
 
 Belle was glad when the parting with her 
 kind country friends was over, and her heart 
 was too full to talk as her father drove ra 
 pidly towards Miss "Ware's. 
 
 Miss Hansy gave little Jany one of her kind 
 kisses, and led her gently up the steps to her 
 new home. 
 
 The atmosphere seemed to suit Jany at once. 
 "It is sweet and quiet here, and I like it," 
 she whispered to Belle, as she bade her good 
 night. " I think I shall learn to be good 
 here, and that is best." 
 
 Twenty-four hours after Jany was establish 
 ed in her new home, Belle had bidden adieu 
 to Miss Hansy, heard Mr. Ware's feeble words 
 of regret at parting, and was far on her jour 
 ney. 
 
 Mr. Heber was again among the passengers, 
 and his presence seemed to make Belle doubly 
 alive to the change in her views and charac 
 ter since they were before shut up in the 
 same stage-coach. 
 
 To the conversation between the old cler 
 gyman and her father, she was no longer 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 165 
 
 an idle listener, half interested and half for 
 getful of its progress. The subjects of which 
 they talked had become dear to her, too, 
 and when they spoke of the factory people 
 and their improvement, she became so much 
 absorbed that, had the coach moved at rail 
 road pace, she could not have seemed to pass 
 more rapidly onwards. 
 
 As they drew near her own dear home, 
 on the second day of their journey, Belle 
 grew sad at the remembrance of all her past 
 misconduct, and almost afraid to trust herself 
 in the midst of old temptations. " Though 
 they fall, they shall not be utterly cast down," 
 thought she, and in the comfort of this 
 promise she put aside her fears, and gave 
 way to the pleasant musing on the delight 
 of being once more at home. 
 
 When she had been clasped in her mother's 
 arms, warmly welcomed by Willy, and was 
 again at the pleasant tea-table, she felt as if 
 she were too happy, too much blessed, even 
 to suffer a cloud to cross her brow or a mur 
 mur to enter her heart. 
 
166 BELLE; OR, 
 
 CHAPTER XT. 
 
 OLD TEMPTATIONS. 
 
 BELLE CORTLANDT had been at home a 
 whole month, and the days had flown by as 
 in a happy dream. Not a word of reproof 
 had fallen on her ear since her return, and 
 none indeed had been merited. It had been 
 the daily effort of the repentant daughter to 
 spare her mother every unnecessary care, and 
 to minister to her comfort and pleasure. Belle 
 had not been irritated by the continual teas 
 ing to which she had formerly been subjected, 
 for Willy had made his own good resolu 
 tions. He had suffered much in secret from 
 the thought that some mischief on his part 
 had put Belle out of temper on the morn 
 ing of her sudden exit from home, and he 
 was determined to forbear the malicious pleas- 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 167 
 
 ure he had in seeing her dignity cast down, 
 and her serenity ruffled. 
 
 Mr. Cortlandt watched with daily thankful 
 ness the pleasant state of things under his 
 roof, and rejoiced that he had had firmness 
 to persevere in the plan that had been of 
 such incalculable benefit to his daughter. 
 
 Willy Cortlandt, though a well-meaning, af 
 fectionate boy, was not guided by fixed prin 
 ciples, or accustomed to strict self-government. 
 By degrees the respect he felt for Belle, after 
 her long absence wore away, and in the fa 
 miliarity of daily life he began to forget his 
 good resolutions. Belle bore his renewed at 
 tacks with wonderful composure, and tried to 
 answer him playfully, even while her color 
 heightened, and her figure involuntarily 
 straightened with rising indignation. 
 
 One morning Willy had exhausted, in vain, 
 all the artillery that once was so effective. 
 Belle, when no longer able to command her 
 self had recourse to perfect silence. Willy, 
 on his part, became irritated at last, and said, 
 angrily, " I don't see any use in persons pre- 
 
168 BELLE; OR, 
 
 tending to be so good all on a sudden. I do 
 hate a hypocrite, above all things." 
 
 " A hypocrite !" said Belle, indignantly, 
 " that is too bad ! Willy, you are the most 
 provoking boy I ever saw in my life." 
 
 " See the saint ! see the saint !" said Willy, 
 dancing round Belle, and making wild leaps 
 in the air, as he continued to shout, " See the 
 saint !" 
 
 Belle was confused by the uproar, and 
 thoroughly angry. She rose hastily to leave 
 the room. Willy stood in her way, continu 
 ing his capers and shouts. Belle pushed 
 him rudely aside with all her strength, and 
 passed out. 
 
 As she was crossing the hall, she met her 
 mother, who said to her, " Go dress yourself, 
 quickly, Belle ; there is a visitor in the par 
 lor, and I want you there." 
 
 " I cannot come, now !" said Belle rudely, 
 as she passed on. 
 
 " Stop, Belle !" said the mother, authorita 
 tively, "stop!" 
 
 " I say I cannot come, now !" said Belle, 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 169 
 
 resolutely keeping on her way, as she mut 
 tered, "I wish I could ever be let alone!" 
 
 Not many minutes after Belle had uttered 
 these angry words, she heard a carriage drive 
 from the door, and when she again came 
 down stairs the house was still and deserted. 
 Willy was away at school, and her father 
 and mother, she understood, had gone into 
 town with their guest, to pass the day. 
 
 That long day was one of bitter repentance 
 to poor Belle. Her resolutions had been bro 
 ken, the feelings of her dear, forgiving mo 
 ther again outraged, and Willy had received 
 cause for believing that the new principles 
 professed by his sister were indeed but an 
 idle pretence. 
 
 NOT was this all. Belle bitterly remembered 
 that the meek and gentle Saviour, who forgave 
 His enemies on the cross, had been a grieved 
 witness of her downfall. On her knees she 
 sought His pardon, with a sorrow those only 
 can know who have so sinned against their 
 Redeemer and disgraced Him whom they 
 
 would serve. 
 15 
 
170 BELLE; OR, 
 
 When "Willy came home to dinner, he ex 
 pected to find Belle sullen and silent. He had 
 hardly entered the dining-room when she went 
 up to him, and taking both of his hands in 
 hers, she said 
 
 " I was impatient and rude to you this 
 morning, Willy ; will you forgive me ?" The 
 tears in her eyes attested the sincerity of her 
 regret, and her brother was at once touched. 
 
 " Forgive you, Belle !" he said, warmly ; "/ 
 was the one in the wrong, and I thought I 
 should never be so foolish again. Belle, I do 
 not believe you are a hypocrite. There's some 
 thing real in a religion that could make you 
 own up to a fault in that way. I know it goes 
 hard with you. I love you better now than I 
 ever did in my life!" 
 
 "It is indeed something real, Willy," said 
 Belle, earnestly. "And I do wish you would 
 try to know more of it yourself. I know I 
 am not fit to advise anybody ; but indeed I 
 am far happier than I used to be, before I even 
 tried to do right." 
 
 "And a great deal better and sweeter, I 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 171 
 
 say," said Willy, really moved by the humil 
 ity of manner so unnatural to his sister's proud 
 character. " Come, Belle, sit down to dinner, 
 and I will try never to tease you again." 
 
 "And will you not try to be all I want 
 you to be?" said Belle, earnestly. 
 
 " Perhaps," said Willy smiling ; but in his 
 heart he felt her tender appeal. 
 
 The afternoon seemed long to Belle, and 
 when the night came on, dark and misty, 
 Willy found it quite impossible to keep up 
 his sister's spirits ; she was impatient to beg 
 the forgiveness of the mother whom she had 
 disobeyed, and to own her entire unworthi- 
 ness of all the tenderness and kindness she 
 received. 
 
 The hours passed on, and in the darkness of 
 the night there was no sound of wheels or 
 trampling of hoofs. At last a slow and heavy 
 tread was heard along the road that wound 
 among the trees at Oakside. 
 
 Belle seized a light and ran to the door, and 
 out into the misty air. 
 
 A sight met her eyes that filled her with 
 
172 BELLE; OR, 
 
 anguish. Stretched upon a litter lay her mo 
 ther, pale and silent, while her father and Mr. 
 Heber, sad and anxious, walked beside the 
 strong men who carried her so carefully 
 along. 
 
 On they bore her to her quiet room, and 
 laid her gently on the bed. The physician 
 who had accompanied them staid at her side, 
 and himself attended to administering the rem 
 edies he had prescribed. 
 
 Belle felt the tender, trustful manner in 
 which her father spoke to her as a constant 
 reproach. She well understood that her lov 
 ing mother had forborne mentioning the rude 
 ness which had so grieved her in the daughter 
 whom she had taken anew to her heart. 
 
 Mr. Heber had no time to ask Belle why 
 she had not come in to enjoy the surprise 
 her mother had intended for her in the morn 
 ing. In the short interview he had with Belle, 
 he had only time to tell her how the horses, 
 affrighted by a sudden flash of lightning in 
 the darkness of the night, had plunged down 
 a steep bank, and how, under the broken re- 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 173 
 
 mains of the carriage, Mrs. Cortlandt had been 
 found maimed and senseless. 
 
 It were useless to try to describe the anguish 
 of Belle during the long night that passed, in 
 which her mother's eyes never opened and 
 her hands never stirred. Only the faint beat 
 ing of her heart gave signs of continued life, 
 and encouraged the anxious watchers at her 
 bedside to make efforts for her restoration. 
 
 Firmly, with prayer, poor Belle resolved if 
 she should ever hear that mother's voice again, 
 never to allow herself, under any temptation, 
 to speak to her one word which she should re 
 member with pain when parted forever. She 
 realized now the fearful truth, that there is but 
 a step betwixt life and death, and the angry 
 words that spring to the lips may be the last 
 we are to speak to those we love. 
 
 The morning came, and with it slow signs 
 of returning life. Belle longed to linger at 
 her mother's side, but she feared the sight of 
 her face might so strike her mother with pain 
 
 as to send back to the heart the blood that 
 15* 
 
174 BELLE; OR, 
 
 was now beginning faintly to tinge the pallid 
 cheek, and warm, the death-like fingers. 
 
 As unworthy to minister in the sick room, 
 Belle shrank away. Her father sought her 
 out, and found her weeping bitterly. She con 
 fessed to him the fault she now so deplored, 
 and prepared to meet his displeasure, as a part 
 of her punishment. 
 
 "Poor child!" he said tenderly, as he took 
 her to his arms, "you did but reap what you 
 had sown. Your old habits sprang up and 
 triumphed over you. God grant that it may 
 be the last time you are so punished for the 
 past!" 
 
 "But will she ever, ever speak again?" 
 said Belle, anxiously ; " shall I hear her call 
 me 'dear daughter' once more?" 
 
 "Take comfort, child," said the father, 
 striving to speak cheerfully; "Doctor Taylor 
 gives us much encouragement. Come, and 
 do what you can for your dear mother. She 
 will but remember that you are her daughter 
 whom she tenderly loves." 
 
THE PKOMISED BLESSING. 175 
 
 Poor Belle came humbly back to the sick 
 room, and gladly went to and fro all day, 
 never thinking of weary foot or trembling 
 hand while she could do something for her 
 own dear, living mother. 
 
176 BELLE; OR, 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 DAYS and weeks passed by, as slowly, very 
 slowly Mrs. Cortlandt began to recover. 
 Belle was ever at her side, ministering to her 
 wants with skilful tenderness, and nursing 
 her with the judgment of one of riper years. 
 
 Mr. Cortlandt, who was obliged to be much 
 from home, felt his dear wife quite safe in the 
 hands of his now self-governed and affection 
 ate daughter. 
 
 As the winter wore away, Mrs. Cortlandt's 
 strength in a measure returned, but she was 
 no longer the active, busy head of the house 
 hold, who had spared others all care, and 
 anticipated their every want. It was now 
 Belle's turn to assume domestic cares, and 
 make home comfortable, and she often felt the 
 value of the homely knowledge she had learn 
 ed at Miss Ware's and amid the comfort of 
 Tilden farm. 
 
THE PROMISED BLESSING. 177 
 
 She loved to hear her father praise the 
 neatness of his home and the good manage 
 ment of his daughter, but most of all, she 
 loved to hear her mother say, " Belle, where 
 is Belle? Come, daughter, I want you near 
 me, to feel quite happy." 
 
 Belle had arranged her mother's easy-chair 
 in the warmest corner, one winter evening. 
 Side by side they had sat talking of the " bet 
 ter land " in store for all who are faithful- un 
 to death. 
 
 Willy had seemed an indifferent listener 
 to their conversation in the dim firelight, at 
 least he had sat in perfect silenqe, with his 
 face turned from the speakers. 
 
 " Willy," said the gentle voice of the 
 mother, at length, "shall we not be a family 
 in heaven ? will not my only son be there ?" 
 
 "I hope so, I believe so," said Willy, 
 softly. 
 
 Belle put her arm tenderly around her 
 brother, as she murmured, "Oh Willy, I am 
 so full of joy." 
 
 " And you well may be," he answered : 
 
178 BELLE, ETC. 
 
 i 
 
 " for, under Christ, to you I owe my hope 
 of heaven. Your gentle words, the day of 
 mother's accident, first touched me, and, O 
 how I thank you!" 
 
 Belle was too much moved to speak, but 
 she looked upward with deep thankfulness and 
 an humble though rejoicing heart. 
 
 ""We shall be a family in heaven," said 
 the mother, earnestly. 
 
 ".Yes," said Mr. Cortlandt ; "yes, thank 
 God! Then laying his hand on the head of 
 his daughter, he added, " Yes, choice bless- 
 ings both in this world and the next must 
 
 o 
 
 descend on her who has learned so lovingly 
 to keep the Commandment with promise." 
 
 THE END