ty.

"You are like her at this moment, for you have gone where you believed
great danger was lurking, trusting in my promise of protection and
safety,--trusting in me, who am almost a stranger to you."

Helen's heart glowed within her at his approving words, and she rejoiced
more than ever that she had obeyed his will. Her sympathies were
painfully awakened for the blind child, and she asked him a thousand
questions, which he answered with unwearied patience. She repeated over
and over again the sweet name of Alice, and wished it were hers, instead
of Helen.

At the great double gate, that opened into the wood-yard, Arthur left
her, and she hastened on, proud of the victory she had obtained over
herself. Mittie was standing in the back door; as Helen came up the
steps, she pointed in derision at her soiled and disordered dress.

"I couldn't help it," said Helen, trying to pass her, "I fell down."

"Oh! what nice strawberries!" exclaimed Mittie, "and so many of them.
Give me some."

"Don't touch them, Mittie--they are for mother," cried Helen, spreading
her hand over the top of the bucket, as Mittie seized the handle and
jerked it towards her.

"You little, stingy thing, I _will_ have some," cried Mittie, plunging
her hand in the midst of them, while the sweet wild flowers which
Arthur's hand had scattered over them, and the shining leaves with which
he had bordered them, all fell on the steps. Helen felt as if scalding
water were pouring into her veins, and in her passion she lifted her
hand to strike her, when a hollow cough, issuing from her mother's room,
arrested her. She remembered, too, what the young doctor had said, "that
it was harder to keep from doing wrong, than to do what was right."

"If he saw me strike Mittie, he would think it wrong," thought she,
"though if he knew how bad she treats me, he'd say 'twas hard to keep
from it."

Kneeling on one knee, she picked up the scattered flowers, and on every
flower a dew drop fell, and sparkled on its petals.

They had a witness of whom they were not aware. The tall, gray figure of
Miss Thusa, appeared in the opposite door, at the moment of Mittie's
rude and greedy act. The meekness of Helen exasperated her still more
against the offender, and striding across the passage, she seized Mittie
by the arm, and swung her completely on one side.

"Let me alone, old Madam Thusa," exclaimed Mittie, "I'm not going to
mind _you_. That I'm not. You always take he