The herald., 1896-01-26

"HAD I NOT BETTER GO AWAY,
DEAR:"
that thought no evil. Truth came
naked from her lips. She was not as
sertive, but she had shown even in her
childhood that her character was stead
fast and self-reliant. And, above all,
she had joyous temper. She looked as
if she had been born smiling.
Nothing of accidental fortune had
been added to these natural
advantages. She lived in a
small, shabby house. She had no
pretty clothing. And her education, as
far as accomplishments" went, had
been entirely neglected. The minister
had certainly made her acquainted with
the master minds Of English literat ture,
with the history of nations and the
lives of great men, and under his tut
ton she had become a clever mathema-
tician. But of music and singing, of
painting and languages, of needlework
or of any of the trivial feminine arts of
her day, she knew nothing at all. AS
she approached her eighteenth year she
became conscious Of these things, and
perhaps she overrnted her own disad-
vantages and deficiencies.
81 am in the world, but not of it," she
said to her father one day, "and I can
not better myself here. We are so
poor, and you know the chapel trustees
are talking of your age and of getting a
young minister. What can we do, IA
ther?"
eve can trust God. Catherine. He
faileth not"
"But we do not belong to the race of
prophets We have no right to expect
the ravens to wait upon us. Mrs. Lam
bert says she can get me situation as
governess, with forty pounds a year.
They may retire you tomorrow, and
forty pounds would at least give you a
roof and little bread and coffee. 1
should have to leave you, dear, but
what else can we do?" and she stroked
his white hair and stopped to kiss the
slow, cold tears Of age from his cheeks.
1t was crucial moment; he had felt
1t coming for some time. His heart
trembled and sank If he had only then
found the courage to say "Let us re-
main together, Catherine;" this story
might have been a very different one;
might indeed, never have been written
at all. But he could not bear to tell
her how unwise it was to take her des-
tiny out of the hands of God into her
own hands; and that in so doing she
might tangle its threads, and gain sor-
row and lose time. He was afraid she
would think him selfish; and rather
than be so misjudged, he would let her
60. He did not realize how selfish his
unselfishness was; for the touch of her
hand on his head and her lips on his
cheek had put him in that condition
wherein even good men are led by feel
ing only; when conscience is not listen
ed to, and reason not inquired Of. And
so when Catherine asked again: Had
not better go away, DEAR" he drew her
close to his heart, and answered.:
go; and God go with you, Cathe-
rine."
A month after this conversation, Cath
crime Raeburn was living at Otterby
Manor House as goyerness to the little
sons of James Mowbray of Otterby. The
transition had been very pleasantly
made. Mrs. Lnmbert-pleased with the
success of her interferencein in GATHERINGS
life - had done a mothers part TO the
inexperienced girl, in providing her with
a suitable wardrobe, and in giving her
advice and directions concerning the new
circumstances which would surround
her. In many ways, she had made the