the prayer I've offered up
at the throne of grace for you! "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust
also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass!" Maybe you've come to the
end of your own ways by this time--will that be it?'

'Judgment has come on me. I was so sure, so certain of my plans. I
frustrated every difficulty, I forced some against their will to assist
me in carrying them out; and yet all this last year your verse has
haunted me. I was determined to be independent of God. I was so
self-assured, and my pride and spirit carried me through all, that I
laughed at the idea of failure; and then when the blow fell, it crushed
every atom of self-confidence and spirit out of me! I am a poor,
miserable, broken-down creature, Nannie; what can you say to help me?'

Nannie gently withdrew her hands, and leaning forward, placed them on
Gwen's shoulders. Then in a tender, solemn tone she said, '"Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!"'

There was dead silence for a few moments, and then Gwen bowed her head
in her old nurse's lap, and tears came thick and fast.

Nannie let her cry on, but her lips moved in prayer. 'Dear Lord, Thou
hast smitten to heal; Thou hast broken to mend; let her meet with Thee
now, and get Thy blessing!'

'I have never shed a tear until now,' uttered Gwen at last, looking up
at Nannie with almost a pathetic look in her tear-dimmed eyes. 'I felt
my trouble was too great for tears. I was turning to stone until I saw
you. Oh, Nannie, if you knew all, you would be sorry for me!'

Will you be telling it to me, Miss Gwen?'

'Yes, indeed I will.'

Gwen gave a rough sketch of her life for the first month with her
brother. She told of the bitter blow it was to find him about to be
married; and then told Nannie of Mr. Montmorency's arrival, and the
pressure put upon her brother to sell his farm, and join him in his
quest for gold.

'I gave him no rest, Nannie, until he promised to do as I wanted. I
even went to the girl he was going to marry, and coaxed and entreated
her to add her persuasions to mine. She was bitterly disappointed,
poor little thing, at their marriage being postponed, but she was
thoroughly unselfish, and only thought of Walter's good. Mr.
Montmorency worked hard too. He wanted more capital, and said Walter
must do his share in getting it, if he was to be a partner, so I worked
with all my might and main to get it for him. I persuaded Meta Set