foot in the house again. Jane
thinks Mrs. Fairfax was beside herself at the time, and must have
insulted him fearful. Anyhow, it all came to an end. It's a world of
trouble, Mrs. Duff. But I feel very sorry for Miss Nesta. The other
ladies hardly ever leave the house or grounds, and they would like to
keep Miss Nesta in as well; but she comes across to me and has a chat,
and she reads a chapter and has prayers with grandfather. She's a very
good young lady, and no one would think, to look at her, what she have
come through.'

'Has she come through tribulation?' asked Betty, looking up suddenly.

'Well, I never did! To think of that child a-taking it all in!'
ejaculated Mrs. Crump. 'What do you know about tribulation, little
missy?'

'It means trouble or distress, I know;' and Betty's face was very
wistful as she spoke.

'Run along and play with the others,' said nurse quickly, 'and don't
worry your head over other people's troubles. There is plenty of it in
the world, but your time hasn't come for it yet.'

'I wish it would come,' said Betty softly, 'and then I could put myself
in that text.'

But only Prince heard the whispered words, and he wagged his tail in
sympathy.

It was that night that Betty added another clause to her evening
prayers. She generally said them aloud at nurse's knee, but it was not
the first time that she had said, 'I want to whisper quite a secret to
God'; and nurse always let her have her way.

'She is a queer little thing,' she told her brother; 'sometimes
naughtier and more contrary than all the rest put together, and
sometimes so angel-like that I wonder if she won't have an early death.
But there's no knowing how to take her!'

Betty's secret was this,--

'And please, God, forgive Prince his sins and take him to heaven when
he dies, and let me come through great tribulation, so that I may be
like your people in heaven.'

When haymaking commenced at Brook Farm the children's delight knew no
bounds. Every moment of the day they were out in the fields; and as
the great cart-loads of hay were driven off, they felt proud and
pleased with having helped in the work. Prince enjoyed it as much as
any one; but he never left his little mistress's side for long. One
evening, as the tired haymakers were resting, after having placed the
last load on the wagon, Betty, dancing by the cart, was inspired to
ascend the ladder which had been left against it.

'Come on,' she shout