At nine o'clock Mr. Morven came in, and, with a few pleasant and
earnest words, presented the little girl with a beautifully bound Bible,
to the purchase of which every one present had contributed a little.

"I trust," said he, "that our little Katie will make this book 'the man
of her counsel, and the guide of her youth,' in the new life upon which
she is entering, and that, as the Saviour to whom she has consecrated
herself will surely keep his promise 'never to leave or forsake her,'
she will be faithful 'in all her ways to acknowledge him,' and grow in
grace as she does in knowledge."

Then, calling his little congregation to join with him, the good pastor
prayed that the dear Lord would guide and guard this lamb of his through
"all the chances and changes of this mortal life, and finally bring her
to his heavenly kingdom."

And so, with loving kisses, and gifts, and solemn words of prayer, they
sent Katie Robertson out into the world to meet its responsibilities.

The next morning, in the early dawn, she and her brother set out with
their uncle for the schools in which they were to be fitted for their
life-work. And as these schools were a long way off, and the journey
thither rather expensive, it was many months before Squantown saw them
again.

CHAPTER XXVI.

CONCLUSION.

And now we must draw our story to a close. The reader has become
acquainted with its characters, and knows about the agencies for good
which are at work in the manufacturing town of Squantown, as well as the
influences brought to bear upon the Christian development of our boys
and girls. The machinery is all adjusted, the power is applied, the
wheels are in motion--nothing can hinder continued and beneficent work,
except the possible weariness in well-doing of any of the parts, and the
failure to look to God in faith for his promised strength, thus cutting
off the connection with the source of all good things. So long as
manufacturers and operatives, teachers and scholars, pastors and people
continue in all their ways to acknowledge God, this will not be the
case; and the manufacturing village will realize the scriptural idea:
"Happy is that people that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people
whose God is the Lord."

We may expect to look ahead and see the boys and girls with whom we are
acquainted, growing up into good, useful, and happy men and women.
Bertie Sanderson will, little by little, overcome her natural and
acqu