s journey -- a sure
friend and a strong one; a home ready at the journey's end;
the name and the love of forgiven children, instead of the
banishment of offenders; a clean heart and a right spirit in
place of this sickly and sin-stricken nature! -- a Saviour and
a Father instead of a Judge."

It was impossible to forget the reddening eyes and trembling
lips which kept the words company. Elizabeth found her own
quivering for sympathy; why, she could not imagine. But there
was so much in that face, -- of patience and gladness, of
strength and weakness, -- it was no wonder it touched her. Mrs.
Landholm's eyes fell to her work and she took up her stocking
again and went on darning; but there was a quick motion of her
needle that told how the spirits were moving.

Elizabeth sat still and did not look at her book. Miss
Cadwallader hugged herself in her wrapper and muttered under
her breath something about "stupid."

"Are your feet warm?" said Elizabeth.

"Yes."

"Then come! --"

Within their own room, she shut the door and without speaking
went about with a certain quick energy which she accompanied
with more than her usual dignified isolation.

"Who are you angry with now?" said her cousin.

"Nobody."

"Yes you are, you are angry with me."

"It is of no sort of use to be angry with you."

"Why?"

"Because I believe you could not be wise if you were to try."

"I think it is my place to be angry now," said Miss Rose;
giving no other indication of it however than a very slight
pouting of her under lip. "And all because I said 'stupid!'
Well I don't care -- they _are_ all stupid --Rufus was as stupid
this afternoon as he could be; and there is no need, for he
can be anything else. He was as stupid as he could be."

"What _have_ you to do with Rufus?" said Elizabeth stamping
slightly.

"Just what you have to do with Winthrop -- amuse myself."

"You know I don't!" said Elizabeth. "How dare you say it! I do
not _choose_ to have such things said to me. You _know_, if that
was all, that Winthrop does not amuse anybody -- nobody ever
sees him from meal-time to meal-time. You find Rufus very
amusing, and he _can_ talk very well, considering; but nobody
knows whether the other one can be amusing, for ho never
tried, so far as I know."

"I know," said her cousin; "they are a stupid set, all of
them."

"They are _not_ a stupid set," said Elizabeth; "there is not a
stupid one of them, from the father down. They