great trial—your little sister is never likely to be well again; she has been so much injured by her fall that we fear, if her life is spared, it will be a suffering one."

"Do you mean that she will never be well again, never be able to run about as she used to do?" said Kate.

"My dear, I fear she will never be able to walk again; she will probably be a cripple for life."

"Oh, Miss Elwyn, don't say that," said poor Kate. "That would be worse than death; she would never be able to bear it."

"My dear, if it is God's will that she should have such a heavy trial to bear, He will give her the needful strength. It is indeed a very sad thing, and you must not think I do not feel deeply for you in this heavy trial, but we must not look forward too much. Lucy has a bright, cheerful spirit, and that in itself is a gift from God, and will help her to bear whatever suffering He sends. But, my dear child, I do not like to see you sitting idle; have you no work of any kind to do?"

"They won't let me go upstairs to Lucy,

and I have not the heart to do anything down here all alone," said Kate.

"Is there nothing in which you can help your aunt? you know she has so much to think of now, she would surely be glad of a little help in her work from you. Do you know," continued Miss Elwyn, with a half smile, "heroines do not often sit with their hands before them? Joan of Arc, of whom you were speaking the other day, did a great deal to help her mother at home, besides attending to her flocks."

Kate blushed and hung her head with shame as Miss Elwyn said this. "Oh, Miss Elwyn, I shall never be a heroine! Did you not see how badly I behaved last Monday? My dreams are all useless, I am afraid."

"Dreams generally are useless, but hands are not," said Miss Elwyn. "Go to the kitchen and help the maid-servant in whatever she is about, and you will be of much more use than you would be if you had the most beautiful dreams possible."

Kate felt that what Miss Elwyn said was quite true; so, as she really wished to be useful

and to make up as far as she could for her selfish conduct, she conquered her natural shyness to go to the kitchen, and offer to help Anne.

Anne, who was a good-natured country girl, and rather given to hysterics herself, pitied Kate very much, and gave her some easy work to do, with a view to her amusement; but she soon found that Kate was by no means so hopelessly useless as everybody had imagined, and the employment did her so much good, that by the time she had polished up the teaspoons and pepper-pot till they shone again, a little of their brightness seemed to have passed into her face, and something very nearly approaching a smile might have been seen playing on her lips.

Her aunt's pleased look when she came down to tea, leaving Anne to sit in Lucy's room meanwhile, did Kate good; and she mentally resolved that from that day forth she would try to forget all about being a heroine, and try to be of some use in the world.

As

CHAPTER VI

THE PRICKING OF THE THORNS

"Not enjoyment and not sorrow

Is our destined end or way,

But to act that each to-morrow

Finds us nearer than to-day"

S Miss Elwyn noted, from day to day, the improvement in Kate's character, under the influence of her sorrow and newlyfound humility, she thought of a very favourite sentence of hers in the beautiful story, "The Old Man's Home:" "The thorn of affliction lies on the path homewards; and, if you have but courage to walk quietly on, there is none that, with greater certainty, will change into a flower." The thorns from which she would formerly have turned aside, she was now treading bravely under foot, and Miss Elwyn knew that if she only persevered in treading them down, eventually the sweet flowers would bloom

Kate was far, very far from being a heroine

yet; she had only taken the first step in the right direction by becoming humble-minded, and even now her feet required constant pricks from the thorns to remind her that she must go on in the path of meekness and lowliness; as to stand still is impossible, the steps must be taken either backwards or forwards.

Not in our own strength must we seek to walk on our way, but through the help of Him Who trod that thorny path for our sakes, and Who gave us an example that we should follow in His steps.

Many days and nights passed, and still Lucy lay in pain and weakness on her bed. The slightest noise seemed to thrill through her whole body, and cause her the most acute suffering.

At times the poor child could not restrain her groans when the anguish was most severe, but in general she bore everything in a sweet uncomplaining manner that was infinitely touching. The sweet smile, with which she thanked her aunt or Miss Elwyn for any little service, was very different from the lighthearted merriment with which she had charmed every one such a short time ago.