ut she neither concealed
nor made light of them; she simply confessed herself in the wrong and
began again in the strength which comes from above.

So the term passed, and Ruth, who believed that her school-days were
nearly over, began to take a mournful pleasure in thinking, "This is the
last time I shall ever do this or that," and drew many plans for her
future life.

Miss Elgin said that it was a pity for her to leave school when she was
learning so much and making such satisfactory progress; but Ruth
somewhat propitiated her by saying that she would work hard and keep up
her studies at home.

But how little we know what the future will bring!

Just before the holidays, Ruth received a letter which contained the
alarming news that one of the younger children was ill with scarlatina,
and that she would be obliged to postpone her return home for at least a
few weeks. She was anxious to go at once and help her mother in her work
of nursing, but her parents would not allow her to run the risk of
entering the infected house.

It was disappointing, more especially as she had just gained a handsome
prize, which was indeed fairly hers by right of industry and patience.

Yet after all it was no great hardship to go to the sea-side again with
her aunt and cousins to spend the summer holidays. The reports from
Cressleigh were not encouraging. Letter after letter brought the news
that another of the home-birds had been stricken with fever, and for a
week they were all in terrible anxiety about Daisy, the youngest child
and pet of the household. But her life was spared, and she began to
recover slowly.

The summer days passed quickly at the sea-side, and when September came
Ruth cherished a faint hope that she might be allowed to return home. A
letter from her father, however, dispelled any such idea. He said that
although the invalids were going on well there was a great deal of fever
in the neighbourhood, and the doctor did not consider that it would be
safe for her to return for several months. He thought, therefore, that
she could not do better than accept her aunt's kind offer that she
should return with her to Busyborough, and continue to attend Addison
College until Christmas, or even Easter.

Ruth was again disappointed, but she knew that useless murmurs would be
a poor return for her aunt's kindness. So she put a brave face upon the
matter, and wiped away the tears that would come. Like David of old, she
encour