ple often lose sight of--that God so
arranges the work of all His children who will do what He gives them
to do, that while some may seem to have more leisure than others, all
have their appointed work, of the kind best suited to discipline, and
fit them for the higher sphere of nobler work, in which will probably
be found much of the blessedness of eternity.

Before Bessie went down to her unwelcome task, she recollected that
she must put her pretty card safe out of the children's way; so with a
strong pin she fastened it up securely on the wall, on which it formed
a tasteful decoration. As she did so, the motto brought back to her
memory what Miss Preston had said about "looking unto Jesus" in every
time of temptation, great or small, as well when inclined to be
discontented or impatient, as in greater emergencies. The evil
principle in her nature rose against her doing so now, but the other
power was stronger; and perhaps for the first time in her life, though
she regularly "said her prayers," Bessie really asked Jesus to help
her to be more like Himself. Then with a new, strange happiness in her
heart, that was at once the result of her self-conquest and the answer
to her prayer, she ran down cheerfully to do her work, singing in a
low tone the first verse of her hymn:

"I long to be like Jesus,
Meek, loving, lowly, mild;
I long to be like Jesus,
The Father's holy child."

Jenny and Jack came running in to help her--small assistants, whom it
required a good deal of patience to manage, neither allowing them to
hurt themselves or anything else, nor driving them into a fit of
screaming by despotically thwarting their good intentions; and
Bessie's patience was not always equal to the ordeal. But on this
occasion Mrs. Ford was left to pursue her dairy avocations in peace,
without being called by Jack's screams to settle some fierce dispute
between him and his sister, whose interference was not always very
judiciously applied.

The tea was soon ready,--not, however, before Mr. Ford and his two
eldest boys had come in, accompanied by Bessie's younger brother Sam,
next in age to herself, who ought to have been at Sunday school, but
had managed to escape going, as he often did. His mother being on
Sundays, as on other days, "cumbered with much serving," and his
sister generally remaining with some of her friends in the village
during the interval between the morning service and Sunday school, it
wa