ted her pastor in such sorrow and perplexity. She had read and seen
and thought more and more of the wonderful love of our heavenly Father
in surrounding her with so many blessings and in sending his only Son to
be her Saviour and friend. She looked back upon the life of
self-pleasing she had so long led with sorrow amounting to disgust. How
could she have been so ungrateful? How could she have failed to love One
so altogether lovely? She was learning now to find pleasure in prayer,
and the Bible, which had been to her such a dull book, began to be more
interesting than any story which she had formerly devoured. And she was
trying, faintly and with many relapses, it is true, to take up her
neglected duties, especially those which had been most distasteful to
her, and perform them steadily "as unto the Lord." Out of all this was
springing up in her a desire to do something for Christ--something which
would be, if not a return for his favors, at least a token of her
gratitude to him. To-night just such an opportunity as she had desired
came to her hand.

If Etta had only known it, the dwellings of the operatives at Squantown
were palatial compared to those into which the working-classes are
huddled in cities; for here the many windows opened upon pure fresh air
and green fields, the little yards were scrupulously clean, and vines
clambered up the sides of the doors and windows, even to the roofs. The
fare, plain as it was, was not tainted by exposure in a city market, or
by being hawked about the city streets, and the price of living was no
higher than the wages received in the mill enabled the people to pay.

The young teacher had the number of the house at which her scholar
boarded written down in her class-book, and at that number she at once
knocked. No one came for some time, but at last repeated raps brought
the woman who kept the house, and who might perhaps be excused for her
want of greater promptitude on the ground of having so many dishes to
wash after the boarders' tea.

In answer to Miss Etta's inquiries the woman answered civilly enough,
for it would not do to offend one of "the family," that Gretchen's room
was the back garret; that she believed the girl had been sick for a day
or two, but she had not had time to look after her, though she had sent
her little boy up with her meals. The child couldn't have eaten much,
for the tray came down almost as it went up. She had been trying to find
time to go upsta