ey offered them
in blood and flame to Jupiter or the like of him. Martha was God's child
and He took her, and I must say, thou gave her up to Him in a varry
grudging way."

"Mother, I am going to do better. Forgive me."

"Nay, my dear lass, seek thou God's forgiveness and all the rest will
come easy. It is against Him, and Him only, thou hast sinned; but He is
long-suffering, plenteous in mercy, and ready to forgive." And then
these two women, who had scarcely spoken for years, kissed each other
and were true friends ever after. So good are the faithful words of
those who dare to speak the truth in love and wisdom.

As it generally happens, however, things were all unfavorable to Jane's
resolve. John had been impeded all day by inefficient or careless
services; even Greenwood had misunderstood an order and made an
impossible appointment which had only been canceled with offense and
inconvenience. The whole day indeed had worked itself away to cross
purpose, and John came home weary with the aching brows that annoyance
and worry touch with a peculiar depressing neuralgia. It need not be
described; there are very few who are not familiar with its exhausting,
melancholy dejection.

John did his best to meet his wife's more cheerful mood, but the
strongest men are often very poor bearers of physical pain. Jane would
have suffered--and did often suffer--the same distress with far less
complaint. Women, too, soon learn to alleviate such a cruel sensation,
but John had a strong natural repugnance for drugs and liniments, and it
was only when he was weary of Jane's entreaties that he submitted to a
merciful medication which ended in a restorative sleep.

This incident did not discourage Jane in her new resolve. She told
herself at once that the first steps on a good or wise road were sure to
be both difficult and painful; and in the morning John's cheerful,
grateful words and his brave sunny face repaid her fully for the
oblivion to which she had consigned her own trials and the subjection
she had enforced upon her own personality.

This was the new battle-ground on which she now stood, and at first John
hardly comprehended the hard, self-denying conflict she was waging. One
day he was peculiarly struck with an act of self-denial which also
involved for Jane a slight humiliation, that he could not but wonder at
her submission. He looked at her in astonishment and he did not know
whether he admired her self-control and ge