ution; and, last, and best of all, God
usually gives his children some great blessing before a severe trial,
and the close relationship between the two makes them almost one in
effect. She could now say with real appreciation:

_A little trial often tries,
But proves a blessing in disguise.
Just as the rough rock holds the gem,
The trial holds my diadem_.

But a still greater trial was awaiting her. Bessie had a thirst for
knowledge. She was doing well in school and wanted to do better. Instead
of taking exercise during the daily intermissions, she often spent them
in hard study. Her system, naturally frail, could not stand the strain.
She contracted a fever and for three months despaired of life. In the
third month dropsy of the chest set in; and, on account of smothering
spells, she had to be bolstered up in bed with pillows.

One day as Mrs. Worthington stood beside her child she felt that God
wanted to heal her. Kneeling beside the bed, she prayed, "Dear Lord,
heal my child, and grant that she may be spared to work for thee." From
that time Bessie began to improve. She had no more smothering spells,
and before long she was well and strong.

Bessie found a blessing even in this trial. She saw that, had she been
able to push ahead as she had desired, she might have lost sight of
Jesus, and she now understood that her Savior cared for her body as well
as for her soul.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE SURPRISE PARTY.

As soon as Bessie was strong enough to go out, she was invited to stay
all night with a friend. She supposed she was to be the only guest, but
found that a surprise had been planned for her. A goodly number of her
friends and schoolmates were present.

The young folks spent a few hours very pleasantly in playing games, and
Bessie enjoyed that part of the evening very much. But late in the
evening some one proposed dancing, and the boys began to choose their
partners. A very strange feeling came over Bessie when some one asked
her to dance. She shook her head and said, "No; I do not know how to
dance." Several urged her to try, but she said, "No; I would rather
not."

She was the only one that did not dance. As she sat watching the others,
she wondered if it were right for boys and girls to act as these were
acting. She had never heard that it is wrong to dance, but it did not
look or seem right to her. She decided that on reaching home she would
ask her mother.

When Bessie got hom