Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-08-28
The Guest Chamber.

almost forgotten, as she hepled her
mother plan how to arrange the furn
iture in the new and smaller house,
how changed all things were with
them. To girl of fourteen moving
is always delightful, even though it
be, as in Lydia's case, from a large
house to a small one. The girl quite
surprised herself as well as her moth
re, by her quickness in adapting
things. 1t was Lydia who made a
cosy little room for the boys out of a
''forlorn looking" hole, as they re-
ported it, in the carriage house OF
barn. 1t was she who, remembering
her mothers little dressing room,
surprised her by arranging almost its
counterpart, only on very limited
scale, by removing few shelves and
and an extra door in the passage way
between two rooms.
Lydh was thinking with no little
satisfaction and pleasure of all this.
and thinking besides of plan she
had which, in this twilight resting
time, sle thought she would talk
over with mamma. So she came
back to the tiredness, and said with
a gentle carress.
care you very tired, mamma
dear?"
"Not too tired to talk to the little
daughter who has saved me so much
fatigue. Is it some new, wonderful
plan, Lylia? 2" said Mrs. Paul, smil
ing at the unconscious energy thai
seemed to start into life in the girl
face.
Eyes. Oh, mamma it's my room
this time, 1 suppose I'm to have
one connecting with yours? 1t ISM
the room exactly-I know which i
is to be-but l want to fix it up will
grandma's old bedstead and hel
worked valance and curtains. | cal
make a lovely room of it; and there
is the high chest of drawers, and my
old book case out of the school room
and
"But, Lydia, which room is to b,
the guest chamber?'
"Oh, mamma ! there is no spare
room. You couldn't put guest VI
in that room by the side of Bridg
cts y
"No, | couldn't-unless there real
ly were no better room. Our CUES
should have our best, | think, whel
we remember who it is we take in. -
"Why, / never thought! Is tina
whv we had three snare rooms. ant
so many people always in them! 2
Lydia spoke in disappointed
tone. She did not want to sleel
next to Bridget.
"Well, mamma," she said, after
moments thought, "we can't hav
even one spare room now: can we /?
This little anxiously.
"Child, whenever 1 am planning /
new home / always seem to hear tha
message the dear Lord sent befor
him when he was on earth: 'Wher
is the guest chamber?' And remem
bering that he has said, 'Inasmuc
as ye did it not unto one of the leas
of these ye did it not unto me-
feel that at any discomfort we shoul
have that room ready, lest he shoul
need it,
Il was going to make it so pref
ty," said Lydia regretfully.
"Why give it up? Are you nc
able to make two pretty rooms @
your odds and ends? The one mex
Bridget's might be your retiring rool
when the Master needs the othel
1t seems to me it would help my he
tempered, impulsive little daughte
to live in the guest chamber that
always kept ready for the Master"
There was silence for time.
was hard for Lydia to answer. Sh
was trying to please the dear Lore
and since papa had been called S
suddenly away she had wished agai
and again that he had known tn;
his little girl was trusting in the say
ior he loved, and over and owe
again she had resolved to "speak
mamma, but any girl of fourtee
can understand how shy she fel
how hard it was to respond to h
mothers words, and what relief
was to have little Carrie and tt
) boys run into the room.
But Lydia though she said nothin,
thought again and again of what 81
should do as to room. She begs
by fixing both rooms, as her moth
had proposed. But somehow all IL
l beautiful things found their way in
what she call from the first ''tl
guest chamber"
, She carried her large engravin
, "Ecce Homo,' up stairs to the lit
$ room, but then the thought cam
V eff it is his room this should
{ there" And so it was with her pre-
tiest vases, her choicest bracket
the little room on the third floor W
pretty little place, but the lar
room on the second floor was
y quaint, bright resting place, Wi
i beautiful reminders of the hidden i
i ner life.
IL No more was said as to who
room this was, and the first mig
a that lydia spent in the new hoI