ived half the time on porridge; all the provision
they dared make of other things being quite consumed by the three hearty
appetites that were before them at the meal. And Nettie's appetite was
not at all hearty, and sometimes she could hardly eat at all.

As the summer passed away it began to grow cold, too, up in her garret.
Nettie had never thought of that. As long as the summer sun warmed the
roof well in the day, and only the soft summer wind played in and out of
her window at night, it was all very well; and Nettie thought her
sleeping-chamber was the best in the whole house, for it was nearest the
sky. But August departed with its sunny days, and September grew cool at
evening; and October brought still sunny days, it is true, but the
nights had a clear sharp frost in them; and Nettie was obliged to cover
herself up warm in bed and look at the moonlight and the stars as she
could see them through the little square opening left by the shutter.
The stars looked very lovely to Nettie, when they peeped at her so, in
her bed, out of their high heaven; and she was very content.

Then came November; and the winds began to come into the garret, not
only through the open window, but through every crack between two
boards. The whole garret was filled with the winds, Nettie thought. It
was hard managing then. Shutting the shutter would bar out the stars,
but not the wind, she found; and to keep from being quite chilled
through at her times of prayer morning and evening, Nettie used to take
the blanket and coverlets from the bed and wrap herself in them. It was
all she could do. Still, she forgot the inconveniences; and her little
garret chamber seemed to Nettie very near heaven, as well as near the
sky.

But all this way of life did not make her grow strong, nor rosy; and
though Nettie never told her father that she wanted anything, her
mother's heart measured the times when it ought to be told.

CHAPTER IV.

THE BROWN CLOAK IN NOVEMBER.

November days drew toward an end; December was near. One afternoon Mrs.
Mathieson, wanting Nettie, went to the foot of the garret stairs to call
her, and stopped, hearing Nettie's voice singing. It was a clear,
bird-like voice, and Mrs. Mathieson listened; at first she could not
distinguish the words, but then came a refrain which was plain enough.

"Glory, glory, glory, glory,
Glory be to God on high,
Glory, glory, glory, glory,
Sing his praises thr