or thy plan has been so much more successful than mine that I would
fain try it next year.' The other monk said only, `I prayed God to make
my tree flourish, and left it to Him to send what weather He saw good.'"

"He has sent a bitter blast from the north-east," answered Clarice, with
trembling lips.

"And a hedge to shelter the root of the tree," said Heliet, pointing to
Rose.

"Oh, my little Rosie!" exclaimed Clarice, kissing the child
passionately. "But if God were to take her, Heliet, what would become
of me?"

"Do not meet trouble half way, dear," said Heliet, gently. "There is no
apparent likelihood of any such thing."

"I do not meet it--it comes!" cried poor Clarice.

"Then wait till it comes. `Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof.'"

"Yet when one has learned by experience that evil is perpetually coming,
how can one help looking forward to the morrow?"

"Look forward," said Heliet. "But let it be to the day after
to-morrow--the day when we shall awake up after Christ's likeness, and
be satisfied with it--when the Lord our God shall come, and all the
saints with Him. Dear, a gem cannot be engraved without the
cutting-tools. Wouldst thou rather be spared the pain of the cutting
than have Christ's likeness graven upon thee?"

"Oh, could it not be done with less cutting?"

"Yes--and more faintly graven then."

Clarice sobbed, without speaking.

"If the likeness is to be in high relief, so that all men may see it,
and recognise the resemblance, and applaud the graver, Clarice, the tool
must cut deep."

"If one could ever know that it was nearly done, it would be easier to
bear it."

"Ay, but how if the vision were granted us, and we saw that it was not
nearly done by many a year? It is better not to know, dear. Yet it is
natural to us all to think that it would be far easier if we could see.
Therefore the more `blessed is he that hath not seen, and yet hath
believed.'"

"I do think," said poor Clarice, drearily, "that I must be the worst
tried of all His people."

"Clarice," answered Heliet, in a low voice, "I believe there is one in
this very castle far worse tried than thou--a cross borne which is ten
times heavier than thine, and has no rose-bud twined around it. And it
is carried with the patience of an angel, with the unselfish
forgetfulness of Christ. The tool is going very deep there, and already
the portrait stands out in beautiful relief. And that cross will never