oung shoulders!

It would have been impossible to say who rejoiced most heartily in the
reunion, father, mother or children. But every heart leaped lightly, every
face was bright with smiles.

Mrs. Travilla knew she was adding greatly to her cares, and to the
annoyances and petty trials of every day life, in taking Dick and
especially Molly into her family, but she realized it more and more as the
months and years rolled on; both had been so spoiled by Enna's unwise and
capricious treatment, that it was a difficult thing to control them; and
poor Molly's sad affliction caused her frequent fits of depression which
rendered her a burden to herself and to others; also she inherited to some
extent, her mother's infirmities of temper, and her envy, jealousy and
unreasonableness made her presence in the family a trial to her young
cousins.

The mother had to teach patience, meekness and forbearance by precept and
example, ever holding up as the grand motive, love to Jesus, and a desire
to please and honor him.

Such constant sowing of the good seed, such patient, careful weeding out
of the tares, such watchfulness and prayerfulness as Elsie bestowed upon
the children God had given her, could not fail of their reward from him
who has said, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap"; and as
the years rolled on she had the unspeakable joy of seeing her darlings one
after another gathered into the fold of the Good Shepherd;--consecrating
themselves in the dew of their youth to the service of him who had loved
them and washed them from their sins in his own blood.

She was scarcely less earnest and persistent in her efforts to promote the
welfare, temporal and spiritual, of Molly and Dick. She far more than
supplied the place of the mother now almost worse than lost to them.

They had always liked and respected her; they soon learned to love her
dearly and grew happier and more lovable under the refining, elevating
influence of her conduct and conversation.

She and her husband gave to both the best advantages for education that
money could procure, aroused in them the desire, and stimulated them to
earnest efforts to become useful members of society.

Elsie soon discovered that one grand element of Molly's depression was the
thought that she was cut off from all the activities of life and doomed,
by her sad affliction, to be a useless burden upon others.

"My poor dear child!" she said clasping the weeping girl i