s the blessings suited to their special needs. As they
left the church at the close of the service, and Lucy glanced at her
cousin, whose delicacy was made more perceptible by the deep black of
her dress, she thought that, notwithstanding the loss of bloom and
brightness, the expression of serene happiness that now rested on her
face gave it a nobler beauty than she had ever seen it wear before.

Before the stay of the cousins at Ashleigh came to an end, Lucy and
Bessie had the great pleasure of meeting once more their old teacher,
Mrs. Harris, who had come to pay a short visit to her former home.
What a pleasant meeting it was, and with what grateful gladness Mrs.
Harris found out how well her old scholars had followed out their
watchword, may easily be imagined; as well as the interest with which
the story of poor Nelly's changeful life and steady faith in the
Saviour, of whom Miss Preston had first told her, was narrated and
heard.

Lucy did not forget to visit Nelly's stepmother, whose circumstances
remained much the same as in former times. She did not seem much
gratified by Lucy's praises of Nelly's good conduct. She had always
predicted that Nelly would "come to no good," and she did not like to
have her opinions in such matters proved fallacious. Lucy, however,
rather enjoyed dilating upon Nelly's industry and usefulness, that
Mrs. Connor might feel the mistake she had made, even in a worldly
point of view, by her heartless conduct.

When the heat of the summer was subsiding into the coolness of
September, Lucy and Stella prepared to return home,--not, however,
without having revisited all the spots which had been the scenes of
former excursions, and, in particular, the scene of the "strawberry
picnic," where every little event of the happy summer afternoon, now
so long past, was eagerly recalled.

"And do you remember, Lucy," asked Stella, "how hateful I was about
poor Nelly, when we discovered her here? Oh, how wicked and heartless
I used to be in those days! And I don't believe I should ever have
been any better if you hadn't come to live with us!"

Her physical health had been very much benefited by her sojourn in the
country, under the kind, motherly care of Mrs. Ford, who had fed her
with cream and new milk till she declared she had grown quite fat.
That, however, was only a relative expression. She was still very far
from being the plump, blooming Stella of former times.

But the chief benefit she