tched feelings. She was not selfish
and ungrateful.

She would be her old self again when she grew better.

Yes; but would she ever grow better? and when? and how? Never in the
school. She knew now that she had been doing too much for her
strength,--that the longing to get away from the noise and turmoil did
not arise from dislike of her work, but from inability to perform it.
And yet, what could she do even now? Her aunt was not able to take her
old place in the school. Must it be given up? They needed the small
sum it brought in as much as ever they had done, and more. Archie was
fast outgrowing the clothes so carefully preserved, and where could he
get more? And there were other things, comforts which her aunt needed,
which must be given up, unless the school could be kept on.

She could not go to service now. She could not leave her aunt. If she
could only get something to do that could be done at home. Or if she
could only be a herd-girl, like Elsie Ray, or keep the sheep of some of
the farmers, so that she might come home at night. Then she would soon
get strong, and, maybe, have the children again after the harvest. Oh,
if she only had some one to tell her what to do! The thought more than
once came into her mind to write to Dr Gordon; but she did not. He
could not advise her. He could help them in no other way than to send
them money. No: something else must be tried first. Oh, if she only
knew what to do!

It would not have solaced Lilias much to know that the very same
thoughts were hourly in the mind of her aunt. None of Mrs Blair's
friends knew the exact amount of her yearly income. None of them knew
how small the sum was that the widow's little family had to maintain
them, or imagined the straits to which they were sometimes reduced.
Mrs Blair blamed herself for not having done before what now seemed
inevitable. She ought to have asked assistance, alms she called it,
before it came to this pass with them; and yet she had done what she
thought was for the best. She had hoped that her illness would not last
long,--that when spring came all would go on as usual again.

But this could not be now. She had watched Lilias with great anxiety.
She had seen the struggle which it had sometimes cost her to get through
the days; and she knew that it could not go on long. Her own strength
came back, but slowly. She could not take Lilias' place; and the
children must go. Some change must be