elpfulness began to show themselves above
the ground in the almost empty garden of her heart. I will tell you
how they grew and blossomed; and as strangers came to see her real
flowers, and to look in at the conservatory windows from the cold city
street, instead of winter to see a bit of imprisoned summer, so friend
after friend came to find there was another garden in her own heart,
and Miss Sydney learned the blessedness there is in loving and giving
and helping.

For it is sure we never shall know what it is to lack friends, if we
keep our hearts ready to receive them. If we are growing good and kind
and helpful, those who wish for help and kindness will surely find us
out. A tree covered with good fruit is never unnoticed in the fields.
If we bear thorns and briers, we can't expect people to take very great
pains to come and gather them. It is thought by many persons to be not
only a bad plan, but an ill-bred thing, to give out to more than a few
carefully selected friends. But it came to her more and more that
there was great selfishness and shortsightedness in this. One
naturally has a horror of dragging the secrets and treasures of one's
heart and thought out to the light of day. One may be willing to go
without the good that may come to one's own self through many
friendships; but, after all, God does not teach us, and train our
lives, only that we may come to something ourselves. He helps men most
through other men's lives; and we must take from him, and give out
again, all we can, wherever we can, remembering that the great God is
always trying to be the friend of the least of us. The danger is, that
we oftenest give our friendship selfishly; we do not think of our
friends, but of ourselves. One never can find one's self beggared;
love is a treasure that does not lessen, but grows, as we spend it.

The passers-by seemed so delighted with some new plants which she and
John had arranged one day, that as she was going out in the afternoon
to drive, she stopped just as she was going to step into the carriage
and said she thought she would go round and look at the conservatory
from the outside. So John turned the horses, and followed. It was a
very cold day, and there were few people in the street. Every thing
was so cheerless out of doors, and the flowers looked so summer-like!
No wonder the people liked to stop, poor souls! For the richer, more
comfortable ones lived farther up town. It was not i