rlour,"
and Aunt Debby hurried from the room.

Nellie found the cold water very refreshing, and made her appearance
downstairs with a much brighter, cleaner countenance. She found Miss
Deborah already seated before the urn, sugaring the cups and adding
cream with a very liberal hand; while Aunt Judith lay back on a low
rocking-chair looking dreamily into the glowing embers. Both started
as the girl entered, and Miss Latimer, rising, placed a chair before
the table and bade Nellie be seated, patting her niece's head gently in
her slow, kindly fashion, ere she sat down herself and prepared to
attend to the young traveller's wants.

Nellie, though tired and home-sick, felt very hungry, and did ample
justice to the savoury meal, greatly to Aunt Debby's delight; for that
good lady had spared no pains, and had burnt her merry, plump face over
the fire, in order to make the supper a success.

Neither aunt troubled her niece with questions, but each talked quietly
to the other; and thus left alone, as it were, Nellie found sufficient
time to study both faces, and jot down mentally her opinion of each at
first sight. One glance at Miss Deborah's rounded contour and
twinkling eyes was quite enough; but Miss Latimer's peaceful
countenance fascinated the young girl, and seemed to hold her
spell-bound. Yet, from a critical point of view, Aunt Judith's was not
a pretty face. It was defective in colouring and outline, and there
were lines on the quiet brow and round the patient lips; but the look
in the eyes--Nellie never forgot that look all her life--it seemed as
if Miss Latimer's very soul shone through those dark blue orbs, and
revealed the pure, spiritual nature of the woman. A keen physiognomist
might have traced the words "I have lived and suffered" in the calm,
hushed face with its crown of silver-streaked hair; but Nellie, only a
simple child, merely gazed and wondered what it was that made her think
Aunt Judith's the most beautiful face she had ever seen.

"Now, dear," said the object of her thoughts, smiling kindly and
turning towards her when the dainty repast was over, "I think we shall
send you to bed, and after a good night's rest you will be refreshed
and ready for school-work to-morrow. Don't trouble removing the
plates, Debby; we shall have worship first, and that will free Nellie."

Aunt Debby rose from her chair, handed Miss Latimer the old family
Bible, and placing a smaller one in Nellie's lap, reseat