"

"Yes. This morning he called to see Mrs. Elder, and found her in a
very low state. In fact, she died while he was there."

"Edward! Died?"

"Yes, died; and her only child, a sweet little girl, not five years
old, is now a friendless orphan."

"How very sad!"

"Sad enough, Edith, sad enough. Mr. Jasper, who has no taste for
scenes of distress, wished me to look after the funeral arrangements;
so I went to the house, and attended to matters as well as I could. Ah
me! It has cast a gloom over my feelings that I find it hard to cast
off."

"Did you see the child?" inquired Mrs. Claire, the mother's impulse
giving direction to her thoughts.

"Yes; and a lovely child it is. Poor thing!"

"There are near relatives, I presume?"

"None; at least, so Jasper says."

"What is to become of the child?"

"Dear above knows! As for her legal guardian, she has nothing to hope
from his humanity. She will naturally find a home somewhere--a home
procured for money. But her future comfort and well-being will depend
more on a series of happy accidents than on the good-will of the
hard-hearted man to whose tender mercies the dying parents have
committed her."

"Not happy accidents, Edward," said Mrs. Claire, with a tender smile;
"say, wise providences. There is no such thing as chance."

"As you will, dear," returned the husband, with a slight change in his
tone. "I would not call that providence wise by which Leonard Jasper
became the guardian of a friendless child."

"This is because you cannot see the end from the beginning, Edward.
The Lord's providence does not regard merely the external comfort and
well-being of his creatures; it looks far beyond this, and regards
their internal interests. It permits evil and suffering to-day, but
only that good, a higher than earthly good, may come on the morrow.
It was no blind chance, believe me, my husband, that led to the
appointment of Mr. Jasper as the guardian of this poor child. Eternal
purposes are involved therein, as surely as God is infinitely wise and
good. Good to one, perhaps to many, will grow out of what now seems a
deeply to be regretted circumstance."

"You're a happy reasoner, Edith. I wish I could believe in so
consoling a philosophy."

"Edward!" There was a change in Mrs. Claire's voice, and a look
blending surprise with a gentle rebuke in her countenance. "Edward,
how can you speak so? Is not mine the plain Christian doctrine? Is it
not to be found everyw