something else. Now how are we going
to get the cap down?"

For the lamp hung high, having been pushed up out of reach for the
day. The St. Clair ran off, and Miss Macy followed; but the two others
consulted, and Lansing ran down to waylay the chambermaid and beg a
broom. By the help of the broom handle my cap was at length dislodged
from its perch, and restored to me. But I was angry. I felt the fiery
current running through my veins; and the unspeakable saucy glance of
St. Clair's eye, as I passed her to take my place in the procession,
threw fuel on the fire. I think for years I had not been angry in such
a fashion. The indignation I had at different times felt against the
overseer at Magnolia was a justifiable thing. Now I was angry and
piqued. The feeling was new to me. I had been without it very long. I
swallowed the ground with my feet during my walk; but before the walk
came to an end the question began to come up in my mind, what was the
matter? and whether I did well? These sprinklings of water on the
flame I think made it leap into new life at first; but as they came
and came again, I had more to think about than St. Clair when I got
back to the house. Yes, and as we were all taking off our things
together I was conscious that I shunned her; that the sight of her was
disagreeable; and that I would have liked to visit some gentle
punishment upon her careless head. The bustle of business swallowed up
the feeling for the rest of the time till we went to bed.

But then it rose very fresh, and I began to question myself about it
in the silence and darkness. Finding myself inclined to justify
myself, I bethought me to try this new feeling by some of the words I
had been studying in my little book for a few days past. "The entrance
of thy words giveth light"--was the leading text for the day that had
just gone; now I thought I would try it in my difficulty. The very
next words on the page I remembered were these--"God is light, and in
him is no darkness at all."

It came into my mind as soon, that this feeling of anger and
resentment which troubled me had to do with darkness, not with the
light. In vain I reasoned to prove the contrary; I _felt_ dark. I
could not look up to that clear white light where God dwells, and feel
at all that I was "walking in the light as he is in the light."
Clearly Daisy Randolph was out of the way. And I went on with
bitterness of heart to the next words--"Ye _were_ sometime darknes