reconcile herself to
living without the hope of his return; it was hard to convince herself
that she must never look forward to receiving a letter from him again.
But she knew it must be accomplished, and the effort would help to make
a noble woman of her.

As she sat there in the dim room, with only the fire to light it, she
wondered whether anything could make of her as noble a woman as was her
"Aunt Isabel." In her heart she felt not. Aunt Isabel was simply
perfect in the girl's sight, and if she could ever have been brought to
doubt her perfection, why, there was Delia to prove it with her
emphatic:

"No, ma'am! There ain't no one in this world like her. She is the
best, the generousest, the most self-sacrificin' soul on earth--that
she is, and I've known her ever since she was a child. If any one was
to ask me the name of the woman I've most call to honor an' love, I'd
say 'twas Isabel Blake Severance an' never stop a minute to think it
over."

And both Nan and Delia had long ago decided that while other women
might be more beautiful, no one could have softer, sunnier hair than
Aunt Isabel, nor truer, tenderer eyes, nor a prettier nose nor a
sweeter mouth. And Nan was quite confident that if one hunted the
whole globe over one could not find dimples more entirely winning nor
hands whose touch was so absolutely soothing and soft.

But Miss Severance could never be brought to admit these important
facts, though Nan often sought to convince her of their truth. She was
too busy a woman to have time to think whether she were beautiful or
not.

"Good is the thing," she would say, in her brisk fashion. "If I can
look in the glass and see the reflection of a good woman there, I have
no right to regret that she is not a beautiful one."

Just now she was upstairs, busied with some matter of mysterious
importance from which Nan was excluded. She and Delia had been shut
into her room all the afternoon. Nan had ample time and opportunity
for the manufacture of her own Christmas gifts, Aunt Isabel being so
much occupied, behind closed door, with hers.

For quite a time now Nan had been forced to station herself in the
regions below stairs, where she would hear the bell if it rang, so that
Delia might be free to give all her attention to Miss Severance.
Evidently great things were in operation above. Nan wondered what it
could all be about.

Christmas had lost much of its joyousness this year, but still ther