ould
be best to try?"

"Well, poor Nelly can't read a word, you know, and I am afraid her
stepmother would not spare her to go to school. But suppose you were
to get her to come to you for half an hour a day. I think her mother
might be induced to let her do that. And a short reading-lesson every
day would soon bring her on."

Lucy was a little disappointed. It seemed such common-place drudgery
to drill an untaught child in the alphabet and spelling-book. Her
vague idea of "work for Christ" had been of a more exalted nature. But
her friend added: "I don't mean that you should not teach her better
things also. You could, little by little, teach her a good deal about
Christ in the course of your daily lessons. But sometimes we may serve
Him best by doing His commonest work. And think what you will do for
this poor child by putting it in her power to read the Bible for
herself, and have access at all times to our Saviour's own words!"

Lucy willingly promised to try, and then Mrs. Harris, as Miss Preston
was now called, bade her an affectionate farewell, before going to
exchange the parting words with the members of her own family. Lucy
watched by the gate till she saw the carriage drive off, and then,
overcome by the reaction from the excitement of the occasion, hurried
home through the quiet shady lane, and disregarding Stella's call,
never stopped till she reached her own room.

There the astonished Stella found her lying on her bed, crying
bitterly, and asked in alarm the cause of her distress. That the
parting from a Sunday-school teacher, a friend so much older than
herself, could have called forth such emotion, Stella could not
comprehend; and it was difficult for Lucy to explain it to so
unsympathetic a listener.

"Why, I'm sure I shan't cry so when Sophy is married and goes south, a
great deal farther away than Miss Preston. Now tell me how she was
dressed."

"Oh, Stella! I can't just now," sobbed Lucy, whose crying was partly
the result of nervous excitement, as well as of her realizing for the
first time Miss Preston's departure. And Stella, finding her attempts
to soothe her unavailing, returned to her story-book, until the
arrival of Mrs. Steele, whom she found more communicative.

"And where is Lucy?" inquired her aunt, after satisfying Stella's
curiosity. "She must have slipped away very quietly."

"Oh, she's in her own room. She was crying so, it was no use to speak
to her. I don't know what for.