Safe at Home
TOM HALE'S health improved greatly under the influence of his native
air. Dr. Allen told him he must never expect to be a very robust man,
but that there was nothing to prevent him from becoming a useful
farm labourer and that outdoor exercise would be the best possible
occupation for him. Sir Herbert Tracy gave him employment on his
estate, and although Tom had everything to learn and felt every day
more and more convinced of his former folly, still he carried a willing
mind to his new work, and soon made progress in it.
His mother was very happy; for Tom showed evident proofs of the change
that God's Holy Spirit had wrought in his heart. His greatest delight
was to spend his evenings in his mother's cottage, reading to her,
and he seemed anxious to meet her slightest wish. On Sundays, it was
a pleasing and affecting sight to see the blind woman, leaning on her
son's arm, and going with him to the house of God. She seemed as though
she could trust herself anywhere under his care.
Mr. Graham spoke to Tom one day, saying how glad he was to see him so
attentive to his mother.
"Don't speak so, please, sir," said Tom; "if I were to live a hundred
years and she to be spared to me all the time, I could never repay her
for all I have made her suffer."
Fanny Price was now a constant attendant at the Sunday school. She and
Katie Lawrence used generally to go together. The good impressions had
been lasting ones, and Mrs. Lawrence had no longer any occasion to warn
Katie against Fanny's society.
Katie also had never forgotten the lesson she had received, and
was become all that her mother could desire. She was not fond of
needlework, and frequently thought she would much prefer going to
service; but she knew how much her mother would miss her at home, and,
like a dutiful daughter, she tried to be contented, and to do her duty
in that state of life in which God had placed her.
Mrs. Lawrence required Katie's help more now than ever; for, as the
summer faded into autumn, dear little Nelly's feeble strength seemed
also to decline. And a physician whom Lady Tracy kindly consulted, gave
it as his opinion that she would not outlive the coming winter. He
said, likewise, that even if spared, her life could never be other than
a life of pain and suffering; and the knowledge of this tended greatly
to lessen Mrs. Lawrence's grief at the thought of so soon losing her
child.
The physician proved right in his opinion. Calmly and peacefully,
without much pain, the stream of Nelly's little life ebbed gradually
away. She had no fear of death. She had been enabled, by God's mercy,
to throw herself entirely on the merits of her Saviour, and felt the
blessed peace-giving assurance that He had borne her sins for her, and
that through His stripes she was healed. Weak and sinful as she knew
herself to be, she had learned to look with the eye of faith beyond
this passing life to that bright abode, where "there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more
pain."
And thus did little Nelly, one fine morning in early winter, peacefully
and happily "fall asleep in Jesus." Loving friends were around her
bed—that good and pious mother who had brought up her children in God's
holy fear, and kind, gentle Mabel Tracy who had so helped, with God's
blessing, to lead her in the right way. Katie, too, more than ever her
sister lately, since she also had learned to love her Saviour; and
good, honest-hearted Ben, and little Tom and Willie.
The last words Nelly uttered were the concluding lines of the hymn she
was always so fond of, and which she repeated almost in a whisper, as
if taking a farewell of all her dear ones on earth,—
"'Oh! that will be joyful,
Joyful, joyful, joyful,
When we meet to part no more.'"
Nelly was buried near her father, in a corner of the quiet village
churchyard. And in the early days of spring, her grave was surrounded
by sweet spring flowers, planted by her affectionate brother Ben.
It was some months after Nelly's death, that one morning Katie had gone
to Hazelbrook Hollow to take home some needlework which she and her
mother had just finished. She was about leaving to return home, when
the housekeeper called her into the room, and told her that she had
heard from a daughter of hers who was a lady's-maid in a large family,
that the lady of the house was in want of a young girl to assist in
the nursery. Mrs. Hall—that was the housekeeper's name—had immediately
thought of Katie.
"It will be a good beginning for you, child," she said; "you will have
eight pounds a year, and many advantages. You had better speak to your
mother at once, and let me know as soon as you can, for I have promised
to write in a day or two."
For a moment Katie's face flushed with pleasure; it was just what
she should like, just what she had so often wished for. But the next
minute, the flush faded from her cheek, and in a low, but firm voice
she said,—
"I thank you very much, Mrs. Hall, but I must say 'No' to your kind
offer."
"You had better think twice before you refuse so good a chance, Katie;
such things are not to be met with every day, I can tell you."
"I know that, Mrs. Hall, and I should like it very much, but it would
not be right of me to leave mother," said Katie. "Dear little Nelly is
gone, and she would miss me sadly; for Esther is as yet quite young,
and there are the two little boys to see to, and mother herself is not
very strong. No, Mrs. Hall, I have quite made up my mind; and please
say nothing to mother about it, for she might think I should be sorry
not to be able to accept so good an offer."
"I believe you are right, Katie, and you'll not lose anything by your
dutiful affection to your mother, depend upon it."
"Don't you think Fanny Price might do for the place, Mrs. Hall?" asked
Katie. "She has not so good a home as I have, and I know she would be
glad to hear of a situation; and Mrs. Graham would recommend her now:
she told her so the other day."
"Send Fanny to me, Katie, and I'll speak to her about it."
Fanny Price got the situation, and prospered in it; and Mrs. Lawrence
never knew of her daughter's generous self-denial.
Katie remained at home with her mother until she was twenty-two years
old, and then only left her mother's roof to be married to Tom Hale,
who was now in receipt of good wages under Sir Herbert Tracy. Granny
Hale had become much more infirm, and needed the help of her son's
wife. Katie made a good wife and a good daughter. There was no neater,
cleaner cottage and no happier home in all Hazelbrook than hers.
"The blessing of the Lord," which "maketh rich, and addeth no sorrow,"
was richly enjoyed by her and her husband. They could both say, in the
words of the wise king, "Good understanding giveth favour: but the way
of transgressors is hard."
_Printed in Great Britain by Hazell, Watson & Viney, Ld._
_London and Aylesbury._