med to all her life in her own home.

And now a strange, new life opened before her.

Hitherto she had lived a life of ease and pleasure; with plenty of money
at her command, she had been able to gratify every whim or caprice; in
her luxurious home, servants had waited upon her, and she had been
petted and indulged, and, as a general thing, allowed to have her own
way.

Now she was to serve and be subject to an arrogant and overbearing
child.

She knew that her duties would call for unlimited patience and
self-control, and now that she found the die was cast, she was almost
appalled to think that she had dared to assume so much.

To all intents and purposes, she was alone in the world--separated and
alienated from her sister and her husband; cut off, as she believed, by
death, from her beloved young husband, she had no one to whom she could
turn in any trouble or emergency.

But the varied experiences of the last four months had begun to develop
powers within her, which she had never before dreamed that she
possessed. She had grown strong, resolute, and self-reliant in
character; she had learned to plan for herself financially, and to feel
that life had been given to her for some other purpose than simple
enjoyment and pleasure.

The gayety and impulsiveness which had characterized her previous to her
troubles, had given place to a sweet and quiet dignity, a charming
gentleness and grace which were very attractive, and so, with a brave,
firm heart, and an unwavering trust in the strong Hand, on which she had
begun to lean during her illness in Mrs. Richardson's home and under her
influence, she bravely took up the burden of her lonely life, and
resolved to do her very best in the trying position she had assumed.

But she had many sad hours, nevertheless; the bright past would
sometimes arise, like some alluring phantom to remind her of her former
happy, care-free life, and mock her in her present loneliness and
sorrow, and for the time being the deep waters would seem to roll over
her soul and threaten to swamp her beneath their cruel waves.

But she never yielded to such depression long--her bruised heart would
always rise above her sorrow after a time, and turn with trusting
confidence to the Comforter in whom her faith was every day growing
stronger.

Bertha Lawrence, as has been seen from her father's account, had been an
over-indulged child all her life.

From the hour when he had first discovered the