s we are punished. We should
have taken the advice of old James, who was an experienced man and
never approved of this match when it was talked of. I well remember
every word he said on the subject, and I have thought of it many a
time. Do you remember," said he to his wife, "our having said that ten
thousand florins make a handsome sum. 'A handsome sum!' said James,
'no; for the flowers you see in your garden are a thousand times more
beautiful. Perhaps you mean to say it is a large and heavy sum. I will
acknowledge that. He must have good shoulders to bear it without being
bowed down to the earth, and without becoming a poor wretch, unable to
lift his head to heaven. Why then do you wish for so much money? You
have never wanted anything; you have always had more than sufficient.
Believe me, too much money produces pride. Rain is a useful and
necessary thing, but when too much falls there is danger of it
destroying the most healthy plants of the garden.'

"These were exactly the old friend's words we have lost," said the
farmer, "and I think I still hear him. And you, my son, once said to
him of your wife, 'She has a charming person, and is beautiful and
fresh as a rose.' 'Flowers,' answered James, 'have not beauty only;
they are good and pretty at the same time. They make so many rich
presents. The bee sucks in pure wax and delicious honey. Without piety,
a beautiful face is merely a rose upon paper, a miserable trifle
without life or perfume. It produces neither wax nor honey.' Such were
the reflections that James frankly made before us. We would not listen
to him--now we know how to appreciate his advice. That which appeared
then to us so great a happiness is now to us the height of misfortune.
May God give us grace to bear our misfortunes with patience!" Thus the
old couple and their son used to talk together.

Poor Mary had much to suffer also. The back room which she and her
father had occupied was given up to the old couple, and, although there
were two empty rooms in the farmhouse, the young farmer's wife, who
disliked Mary, gave her the most miserable apartment in the house;
beside which, she ill-treated her in every possible way, and loaded her
with abuse and fault-finding from morning to night. According to her,
Mary did not work enough and did not know how to do anything as it
ought to be done. In short, she made it very plain to the poor orphan
that she was despised and considered troublesome.

The old