o pray that her cousins, who so
little appreciated its treasures of divine counsel and consolation,
might yet be led to know them for themselves. But the fatigue and
excitement of the day had thoroughly tired her out, and almost as soon
as her head sank on the pillow she was fast asleep, dreaming of the
happy times past, and the dear friends now so far away.

X.

_New Experiences._

"I need Thy presence every passing hour;
Who but Thyself can foil the tempter's power?
When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, Lord, abide with me!"

Lucy could hardly understand where she was when she awoke the next
morning. She had scarcely ever been absent from home in her life; and
the strange and unfamiliar aspect of everything around her quite
bewildered her, till little Amy's gentle touch recalled the events of
the preceding day. Her home-sickness returned for a time; but the
strength came for which she prayed, and she was able to go down to
breakfast with a cheerful face.

Sophy and her father were the only ones who appeared at the nominal
breakfast hour. Stella had always been late for breakfast at Ashleigh
in summer, so it was not surprising that in winter she should be one
of the last to appear. But it did not apparently matter much, for the
different members of the family seemed to come to the breakfast table
just as it suited them, and the meal could scarcely be called a social
one. Neither Sophy nor her father talked much, he having his newspaper
open before him. Lucy was too shy as yet to talk without
encouragement, which Sophy did not give; and she felt it a relief when
Stella, with her unfailing loquacity, made her appearance.

"You see it's Saturday morning, so one can have a little more sleep,"
she said, yawning as if she had not had enough yet.

"Then why don't you go to bed sooner at night, my dear, if you want
more sleep?" asked her father.

But Stella quickly turned the conversation to another subject, and
kept up a full stream of talk till Mrs. Brooke and Ada appeared, and
soon afterwards Edwin sauntered in.

"Lucy," said her aunt, as she left the breakfast table, "you must let
me see your dresses this morning; I am sure you'll want some new
things, and you must get them at once."

"Aunt Mary thought I had all I should want for the winter," said Lucy,
colouring, for it was a point on which she was sensitive, not wishing
herself to spend any more on he