e sure. Does n't it seem as if there was a kind
of Injin look to 'em? She'll be a lively one to manage, if I know
anything about childun. See her clinchin' them little fists!"

This was when Miss Silence came near her and brought her rather severe
countenance close to the child for inspection of its features. The
ungracious aspect of the woman and the defiant attitude of the child
prefigured in one brief instant the history of many long coming years.

It was not a great while before the two parties in that wearing conflict
of alien lives, which is often called education, began to measure their
strength against each other. The child was bright, observing, of
restless activity, inquisitively curious, very hard to frighten, and with
a will which seemed made for mastery, not submission.

The stern spinster to whose care this vigorous life was committed was
disposed to discharge her duty to the girl faithfully and
conscientiously; but there were two points in her character and belief
which had a most important bearing on the manner in which she carried out
her laudable intentions. First, she was one of that class of human
beings whose one single engrossing thought is their own welfare,--in the
next world, it is true, but still their own personal welfare. The Roman
Church recognizes this class, and provides every form of specific to meet
their spiritual condition. But in so far as Protestantism has thrown out
works as a means of insuring future safety, these unfortunates are as
badly off as nervous patients who have no drops, pills, potions, no
doctors' rules, to follow. Only tell a poor creature what to do, and he
or she will do it, and be made easy, were it a pilgrimage of a thousand
miles, with shoes full of split peas instead of boiled ones; but if once
assured that doing does no good, the drooping Little-faiths are left at
leisure to worry about their souls, as the other class of weaklings worry
about their bodies. The effect on character does not seem to be very
different in the two classes. Metaphysicians may discuss the nature of
selfishness at their leisure; if to have all her thoughts centring on the
one point of her own well-being by and by was selfishness, then Silence
Withers was supremely selfish; and if we are offended with that form of
egotism, it is no more than ten of the twelve Apostles were, as the
reader may see by turning to the Gospel of St. Matthew, the twentieth
chapter and the twenty-fourt