The nurse was a kind-hearted woman, as well as an efficient attendant,
and was as ready to teach the duties of a sick room as Ella was to learn
them.

"It is a cold day, Miss Ella, you must keep the fire up," she said one
day before retiring for her afternoon rest. "Do not wait till the fire
has gone down, but put more coal on when this seems nearly burnt
through. Many nurses will tell you that you should have some coal
wrapped in paper, ready to lift on to the fire without making any noise,
but I do not like that way myself, the paper makes such a dirty fire. So
look here, miss, I take care to have plenty of pieces of coal of a nice
size in the scuttle, and then I keep this old pair of gloves by the side
of the fire (I will leave them there for you to use), and I slip them on
and lift the pieces of coal up with my fingers; I don't make noise
enough to wake a baby that way, and can lay each piece just where I want
it too."

Ella felt very nervous at first, when she was left alone in charge of
the sick room, but gradually she became accustomed to the darksome
silent room, and rejoiced in finding herself less awkward and stupid
than she had imagined herself to be. At home it was Kate who was always
at hand when anyone was ill, Kate who entertained callers, and Kate who
always knew the right thing to do or say; while Ella believed herself to
be by nature awkward and devoid of tact. She was finding out now,
however, that it was only the opportunity to make herself useful, not
the ability, that had been lacking, and though her want of experience
caused her some difficulties which might have been avoided, she soon
found that prayerful patience and careful thought enabled her to
undertake duties which astonished herself.

The first disturbance of the general peace was occasioned after she had
been only a few days at Hapsleigh, by the nurse's objection to take her
meals in the kitchen with the servants. She had never been expected to
do so before, she said, and she really must ask to have her meals
prepared comfortably. The servants were offended at this slight upon
their kitchen and their company, and retorted that "they had had enough
of her stuck-up ways," that "they were every bit as good as she was,
only they did not give themselves such airs," and so on; all of which
greatly dismayed poor Ella, when the disturbance reached her ears. She
thought the matter over, and had decided that nurse should have her
meals in the