king such preparations as the
impending change in her position in life rendered necessary. Part of
these preparations, all cheerfully performed, consisted in packing a
small trunk with her clothes, and in other procedures of a similar kind.
In this employment her mother endeavoured to assist her, but was too
much affected by the sadness of the task to afford any very efficient
aid, although her daughter did all she could, by assuming a
light-heartedness which she could not altogether feel, to assuage the
grief to which her mother was every moment giving way.

'Why grieve yourself in that way, mother?' she would say, pausing in her
operations, and flinging her arms around her parent's neck. 'I assure
you I am happy at the prospect of being put in a way of doing for
myself; I consider it no hardship--not in the least. I will take a pride
in discharging my new duties faithfully and diligently; and I hope that,
even in the humble sphere in which I am about to move, I shall contrive
to make myself both esteemed and respected.'

'_That_ I dinna doubt--that I dinna doubt, my dear lassie,' replied her
mother; 'but, oh, it goes to my heart to see you gaun into the service
o' ithers. I never expected to see the day. Oh, this is a sad change
that's come over us a'!' And again the poor woman burst into a paroxysm
of grief.

'Mother,' said the girl, 'you will dishearten me if you go on in this
way.' Then smiling through the tears of affection that glistened on her
eye, and assuming a tone of affected cheerfulness, 'Come now, dear
mother, do drop this desponding tone. There's better days in store for
us yet. We'll get above all this by-and-by. In the meantime it is our
duty, as Christians, to submit to the destiny that has been decreed us
with patience and resignation. Come, mother, I'll sing you the song you
used always to like so well to hear me sing.' And, without waiting for
any remark in reply, or pausing in her employment, the girl immediately
began, in a voice whose richness of tone and deep pathos possessed the
most thrilling power:--

'A cheerfu' heart's been always mine,
Whatever might betide me, O!
In foul or fair, in shade or shine,
I've aye had that to guide me, O!

When luck cam chappin' at my door,
Wi' right goodwill I cheered him, O!
And whan misfortune cam, I swore
The ne'er a bit I feared him, O!'

'O lassie, lassie!' exclaimed Jessy's mother, here interrupting her, an