n? Has she found out God, and
begun to walk patiently in that path which is lit by a holy light and
leads to rest?

She has _begun_; and though her footsteps often falter, though she
sometimes turns aside, and, impatient of the narrow way, gives the rein
to her old irritability, she is yet but a child, and there is a
foundation for hopefulness in the sincerity of her good intentions, and
the depth of her contrition when wrong has had the mastery. Emily has
taught her where to place her strong reliance, and Gerty looks to higher
aid than Emily's, and she leans on a mightier arm.

How much Gerty had improved in the two years that had passed since she
first began to be so carefully instructed and provided for, the course
of our story must develop. We cannot pause to dwell upon the trials and
struggles, the failures and victories, that she experienced. It is
sufficient to say that Miss Graham was satisfied and hopeful, True proud
and over-joyed, while Mrs. Sullivan, and even old Mr. Cooper, declared
she had improved wonderfully in her behaviour and her looks.

CHAPTER XII.

AN ADVENTURE AND A MISFORTUNE.

One Saturday evening in December Willie came in with his French books
under his arm, and, after the first salutations, exclaimed, as he put
the grammar and dictionary on the table, "Oh, Gerty! before we begin to
study, I _must_ tell you and Uncle True the funniest thing that happened
to-day; I have been laughing so at home, as I was telling mother about
it!"

"I heard you laugh," said Gerty. "If I had not been so busy, I should
have come in to hear what it was that was so very droll. But do tell
us!"

"Why, you will not think it's anything like a joke when I begin, and I
should not be much amused, if she hadn't been the very queerest old
woman that ever I saw in my life."

"Old woman!--You haven't told us about one!"

"But I'm going to," said Willie. "You noticed how everything was covered
with ice this morning. How splendidly it looked, didn't it? I declare,
when the sun shone on that great elm-tree in front of our shop, I
thought I never saw anything so handsome in my life. But, there, that's
nothing to do with my old woman--only that the side-walks were just like
everything else, a perfect glare."

"I want to hear about your old woman," said Gerty.

"I was standing at the shop-door, about eleven o'clock, looking out,
when I saw the strangest-looking figure coming down the street. She had
on some k