A few will give you
wholesome counsel, and a smaller few wholesome silence, and you must
take them as they come, and carry them one and all to His feet, and
there's no fear of you."

The minister said nothing. Clifton looked curiously at his grave face
over his sister's shoulder.

"Wholesome silence! It's not much of that he is likely to get in
Gershom," said he.

"But," said Mrs Fleming earnestly, "you are not to put on a grave face
like that, or I shall think your visit hasna done you good, and that
would grieve me. You have no call to look doubtfully before you. You
have the very grandest of work laid ready to your hand, and you have the
will to do it, and I daresay you are no just that ill prepared for it.
At least you are prepared to learn in God's school that He has put you
in. And you have His promise that you cannot fail. It is wonderful to
think of."

"Who is sufficient for these things?" said the minister gravely.

"Him that God sends He makes sufficient," said Mrs Fleming, cheerfully.
"Put your trust in Him, and take good care of yourself, and above all,
I would have you to beware of Mrs Jacob Holt's Yankee pies and cakes
and hot bread, for they would be just the ruination of you, health and
temper, and all. But you needna say I told you."

Elizabeth and Clifton laughed heartily at the anticlimax. Mr Maxwell
laughed too, and hung his head, remembering Mrs Jacob's dainties, which
he had not yet been able to do justice to. Mrs Fleming might have
enlarged on the subject if time allowed, but they had a long walk before
them.

"I hope you'll no be such a stranger now that you have found your way
back again," said Mrs Fleming, as Elizabeth was putting on her shawl.
"I mind the old days, and you have ay been kind to my Katie, who is
growing a woman now, and more in need of kindness and counsel than
ever," added she, looking wistfully from the one to the other. For
answer, Elizabeth turned and kissed Katie, and then touched with her
lips the brown wrinkled hand of the grandmother.

"God bless you and keep you, and give you the desire of your heart,"
said Mrs Fleming, "if it be the best thing for you," she added, moved
by a prudent after-thought, which came to her to-night more quickly than
such thoughts were apt to come to her. "I'm no feared for you or Katie.
Why should I be? You are both in good keeping. And if you are no
dealt with to your pleasure, you will be to your profit, and that is th