Annie E. Bosworth

“ What is the longest life in comparison with eternity, an eternity—according to how you live in this world—of woe unutterable or of such joy as the heart of man hath not conceived? Stay at the Cape—do—and go to church every Sunday, and pray to God to make you all that is pleasing in his eyes. You will be happier, I promise you, than you have ever been while living without God in the world, even though your wages are far less. ”

“ You have often noticed, and so, I know, has Mechie, a certain little cloud, peculiar, I believe, to the Cape, just making its appearance, creeping stealthily, occasionally quite hid, then emerging into view, then doubling round a projection, and turning and twisting, and so on, and over the top of the Table Mountain. You know how very small it generally is in the beginning, seldom larger than a man's hand, and is white and picturesque, and tangible-looking, and seems to select any tiny aperture or division on the mountain brow to glide through. ”

“ But now it needed little more persuasion on Charlotte's part to induce me to proceed. Every step of the way teemed with attractions for me in the shape of flowers, beautiful [Pg 30] and varied to a degree of luxuriance I had never seen before; and thus tempted, I became oblivious alike of dear uncle's advice and of time and path, and heedlessly followed Lotty, who wandered on ahead, every now and then gathering a blossom as its bright hue caught her eye, and as quickly casting it from her when curiosity was gratified. ”

“ The brightness of the sun and the flowers, the scented air, the glad voice of birds and brook, were all now but as a hollow mockery of happiness, and I marvelled how they could look and sound so joyous while I felt so unutterably miserable.
At this instant Blurdon came by with his spade on his broad shoulder, and gave me a quick, defiant glance. Something in my face—the impress, I suppose, of the dreary feeling of woe which possessed my whole being—caused him to look again and almost stop.
"You must find this very hot weather for working," aunt said in her kind, winning voice. ”

“ Reader, whoever you may be, whether boy or girl, if you would be happy and prosperous in this world, if you would enjoy the confidence of your friends, would win the favour of the God above, speak always the "truth in the love of it." Be so honest, so upright in your engagements that all who know you may be able to trust in your good faith, your fidelity to your word. Remember that "it is better not to vow than to vow and not perform," and that the seat of faithfulness is in the heart where God's Holy Spirit dwells, for "the fruit of the Spirit is faith." ”

“ I did not dare to say much more, and it was almost a relief to me when uncle came to take me home. A tear I could not restrain fell upon the wretched man's hand as I rose to go. He noted it, and started.
"Ah, my friend," said uncle earnestly and slowly, "you felt that tear, but I say unto you, there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance." ”

“ I asked her what she meant and where she was going to, but she only answered, 'We will not talk of that now,' and made me finish the account of our evening's adventure; and that's all I can tell you, so good-night!"
"Oh, I wonder you could have forgotten aunt's words until only just now!" said I in a low, unsteady voice.
"There's nothing particular to remember in them that I can see," replied Charlotte, carelessly; "people must be separated sometimes; aunt is going on a visit for a little while, no doubt. ”

“ We did as she desired, and seating herself beside Charlotte, Susan continued: "In just those very words you used, Miss Lotty, lies right and wrong most times. 'In some way,' you said, if you remember. Well, that's just it. Very often it is not the thing itself that's wrong, but the abuse of it; it's the degree it's given way to that makes it either wrong or right. Can't you see that running through almost everything? God has put us here to learn self-control and moderation and obedience to his will. ”

“ We were so near home now that my anxiety about aunt and uncle was considerably allayed, and our present position had, in my opinion, something irresistibly comical in it.
"I see nothing to laugh at," exclaimed Charlotte, pettishly, detecting those signs of merriment in my voice; "it's the most provoking thing in the world, I think. There seems no end of our troubles this evening! I am sure, long as I live, I shall never forget this odious walk!" ”

“ One of the wisest, most merciful arrangements of Nature is that gradual advance toward the completion of her works, and not the least so among them is the ready buoyancy of youth—that happy tendency, the result of the ignorance of inexperience, to turn away from the shadowed to the sunny side of life's path. Were it otherwise, were distress and grief to cling to us in the springtime of our existence as in its autumn, alas! how aged should we prematurely become! ”

“ Never before in my life had I run so fast; on, on, without once looking behind me, and scarce feeling the soft turf beneath my feet—on, till reaching the gate, I threw myself over; and then, as Charlotte and I had before done, I stood grasping a bar, panting heavily and straining my eyes over the Flats. ”

“ Uncle smiled affectionately upon me, his fine, benevolent eyes kindling as he did so.
[Pg 16]
"Bear in mind what I am saying to you, my dear Lotty, when Susan calls you of a morning," he continued, again looking down on Charlotte; "remember that a sluggard in body is sure to be a sluggard in soul; remember that to win that prize which is above all price you must be active and energetic; remember what St. Paul says about those that strive or run to obtain a corruptible crown, and how he speaks of incorruptible. ”

“ Lotty has become! Old Susan used to say that heartfelt holiness made people a deal comelier, and I am sure it was so with Lotty when she put on that most adorning of all robes, the compassionate, self-sacrificing, humble religion of the merciful Redeemer. ”

“ I exclaimed, "I cannot of course prevent you—I can't move you against your will—but you cannot expect me to second such a folly, nor will I. I shall leave you at once and try to find my way back, and then uncle will come and bring you home if I succeed in reaching it myself."
"You will do nothing of the kind," cried Charlotte, passionately. "If you dare, Mechie, [Pg 43] I will never forgive you. How can you think of anything so wicked? I tell you I am tired to death and frightened to death, and quite unable to walk a step farther. ”

“ I had an uncomfortable misgiving in my heart that Charlotte's more than indifference to the expedition, together with her unhappy fit of ill-humour (which, to do her justice, was not a kind of temper of frequent occurrence in her) , would unite in rendering her so careless about coming that the carriage would be at the door before she had even quitted the breakfast-table. So I hurried up stairs and ran to lay the case, with as much consideration for Lotty as it admitted of, before our kind old nurse and good, sensible friend, Susan Bridget. ”

“ What was she alluding to when she said it?"
"Oh, I can't remember that," replied Charlotte, pettishly; to her the matter did not seem one of much interest. "And indeed, Mechie, I wish you would not fly up in that extraordinary manner, just as if I had told you poor, quiet aunty had talked of setting the hotel on fire. Do try and be more rational, and less of an uncontrolled child. At this hour of the night especially your wild behaviour quite worries me. Lie down and go to sleep. Aunty will be sure to tell us all about it to-morrow."
"Oh, Lotty, I can't sleep till you tell me all you know. ”

“ Mr. Rathfelder laughed, saying: "His looks are certainly against him, but, though a worthless sort of fellow, he might not be as really bad, after all, as his face proclaims him to be."
"God, who reads the heart, alone knows," I murmured to myself while pursuing my way to the hotel, feeling, nevertheless, exceedingly comforted by our landlord's assurance of his departure.
So time passed on—tranquil, pleasant days—days whose brightness increased to us all as each one told to advantage on the health of dear Aunt Rossiter. ”

“ I do not know what impression I made upon his darkened soul, or whether any at all; he said nothing, but lay quite still, his glittering eyes sometimes fixed on vacancy, sometimes on my face, though instantly averted if our looks met. As I rose to leave, saying I would, if possible, come and see him again to-morrow, he exclaimed suddenly, in a low voice, 'Are you her father? You speak and look just like her.' Guessing directly to whom he alluded, I told him no, but she was as dear to me as a daughter ”

“ Witness what our disobedience has cost us this evening! If we had attended to uncle's warning not to leave the garden, what [Pg 47] an amount of fatigue, distress and terror it would have saved us!"
"There! don't waste time talking and lecturing, Mechie; what good will that do now?" cried Charlotte, impatiently. "How are we to get over this pitfall of a bridge now that it is so dark? That's the thing to be considered at present." ”

“ And who, pray, minded poor mistress?"
"Oh, I delight in attending to aunty, you know, Susan," I said, "and indeed it was not Charlotte's fault, for I preferred acting as I [Pg 142] did for both of them. My only regret was that I could not by any amount of love or labour make dear, darling aunty better and stronger. But, thank God! she is much better."
"Those are very nice feelings, Mechie," observed Lotty, demurely. "You cannot do more amiably than encourage them. I wish I could increase your happiness, dear, by increasing your labour of love. ”

“ And if we are truthful in small matters, we can never be false and dishonest in great ones; but if we allow falsehood to take even a small lodging-place in our hearts, it will be a plague-spot that will spread and poison the soul and ruin character. ”

“ I declare, I rarely, if ever, do anything pleasant, or wish to do it, that I don't find out that it is in some way wrong, and things I generally dislike you tell me are right;" and Charlotte hid her face on Susan's shoulder.
"It is true, dear, that many besides yourself have that notion about right and wrong, but then they are unthinking, foolish-headed young things like you" (Charlotte did not look particularly flattered by this definition of herself) , "or, if they are older, they are no wiser. ”

“ It was a charming face and figure, and a thoughtful yet bright expression seemed to pervade her whole person, filling it with love and intelligence.
"Oh how pleasant! all day long! how glad Lotty will be! I am sure she will. Dear, kind uncle! he always thinks of something good and delightful for every one," she ejaculated half aloud while speeding up the stairs, then along a wide passage, and finally opening the door of a bedroom at the farther end. ”

“ At this juncture Charlotte gave so loud a [Pg 67] snort in pretended imitation of snoring that it quite startled me.
"Oh, Lotty!" I cried, "how could you?"
"What is it, dear? what's the matter?" cried the naughty thing in a well-assumed bewilderment.
I could not resist laughing a little, exclaiming, "Oh, for shame, Lotty!" Then anxiously I begged her to answer my first question regarding aunt's allusion to going away.
"Dear me, Mechie!" cried my sister; "I do wish you would let me go to sleep! What a pest you are, to be sure, when you get anything into your head! ”

“ The instant the feeling of wrong, or the appearance of wrong, comes up into any pleasant thing, depend upon it that is, as it were, a buoy floating over some hidden danger to the soul. When amusements or feastings begin to bring uneasy sensations to the body, be sure you are going too far—you are passing the buoy! God has given us all things richly to enjoy, but only in moderation and in the way in which he sees best for our temporal and eternal interests ”

“ Instead of living solely to please herself and looking as though she did—a look which no device, no assumed good-nature can conceal or change the character of—she now endeavoured earnestly to obey the divine injunction: "In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than himself," and, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." ”

“ She gains nothing and loses a deal; she spoils the pleasure to herself of almost everything she does by her whimsies and silly tempers, and makes other folks uncomfortable too. She doesn't see how ugly and unpleasant it makes her in the eyes of her fellow-creatures, spoiling her looks and her manners, but more and worse than that, how sinful it makes her in the sight of God."
"I am so afraid," interposed I, "that she does not intend going at all to-day, Susan." ”

“ The bright sunshine, the soft voice of birds, whose songs in that clime, though brief and broken, are peculiarly melodious, the glow and glitter and warm stir of life above, below and on every side, were altogether so little in unison with the sad thoughts which had agonized my mind the previous night that my spirits, buoyant with youth, yielded to these cheering influences, and began to rise again to their own level. ”

“ My lady's-maid duties, however, generally obliged me to curtail my morning walk a good deal in order to be back in time to secure my dear, lazy Lotty's presence at the prayers (which uncle always read while the tea was drawing) ; but so long as that desirable end was effected, I did not regret my shortened walk. I am quite sure our heavenly Father far oftener than mortals in their blind ingratitude, even among the best of us, take account, directs that such trifling acts of self-sacrifice shall work good to the humble Christian. ”

“ Susan, with whom Charlotte was secretly at heart the favourite, warmly returned her embrace, and her eyes filled with tears as she said earnestly, "If I did not love you two children as though you were my own, I shouldn't grieve over your faults so much, nor scold you so much, maybe; but don't you say that, dear—don't encourage them [Pg 150] hard thoughts against the all-wise, all-merciful God, for it is against God we grumble when we murmur at the dispensation of his laws on earth."
"What thoughts, you dear old scold?" and Lotty laid her soft young cheek caressingly against Susan's. ”

“ Poor old nurse looked puzzled for an instant, as well she might, but, coming to the conclusion that this was only some of Lotty's usual nonsense, passed it by, continuing with increased seriousness:
"Many a young person, Miss Charlotte, begins life with laughing at what in after years she is forced to weep burning, heartfelt tears over." ”