to-day. She gave her the best she
could. Her words, however, constantly carried hurt and healing together
to her mother's mind. But when Nettie went on to repeat softly the verse
of a hymn that follows, she was soothed, notwithstanding the hinted
meaning in the words. So sweet was the trust of the hymn, so unruffled
the trust of the speaker. The words were from a little bit of a book of
translations of German hymns which Mr. Folke, her Sunday-school
teacher, had brought her, and which was never out of Nettie's hand.

"'As God leads me so my heart
In faith shall rest.
No grief nor fear my soul shall part
From Jesus' breast.
In sweet belief I know
What way my life doth go--
Since God permitteth so--
That must be best.'"

Slowly she said the words, with her usual sober, placid face; and Mrs.
Mathieson was mute.

For some weeks, as the spring breathed warmer and warmer, Nettie
revived; so much that her mother at times felt encouraged about her. Mr.
Mathieson was never deceived. Whether his former neglect of his child
had given him particular keenness of vision in all that concerned her
now, or for whatever reason, _he_ saw well enough and saw constantly
that Nettie was going to leave him. There was never a wish of hers
uncared for now; there was not a straw suffered to lie in her path, that
he could take out of it. He went to church, and he read at home; he
changed his behaviour to her mother as well as to herself, and he
brought Barry to his bearings. What more did Nettie want?

One Sunday, late in May, Nettie had stayed at home alone while the rest
of the family were gone to church, the neighbour down stairs having
promised to look after her. She needed no looking after, though; she
spent her time pleasantly with her Bible and her hymns, till feeling
tired she went to her room to lie down. The windows were open; it was a
very warm day; the trees were in leaf, and from her bed Nettie could
only see the sunshine in the leaves, and in one place through a gap in
the trees, a bit of bright hill-side afar off. The birds sang merrily,
and nothing else sounded at all; it was very Sabbath stillness. So
Nettie lay till she heard the steps of the church-goers returning; and
presently, after her mother had been there and gone, her father came
into her room to see her. He kissed her, and said a few words, and then
went to the window and stood there looking out. Both were sile