Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-10-17
BORN TO SERVE
By Charles NJ. Sheldon,
Author of "IN HIS STEPS, "JoHN KINGS
QUESTION CLASS, - edward
BLAKE, - Etc.
CHAPTER V.-CoNTINUED.

Copyright, 1890, by Charles Nj. Sheldon.)

S1l[AI I-lN v Vs~-SoN CbDs
Barbara found an opening and
moved away. The rest of the even
ing she was conscious of being largely
let alone. There was no coarse or vul-
gar objection to her; but very many of
Mrs. Nane's guests showed their feel
ings in a way, several of them said
afterwards, so that Mrs. Vane would
know how far she had mistaken her
own place in society.
AS the guests began to leave, Bar
bara nervously went to Mrs. Vane to
say good night, and found Mr.. Morton
with the Dillinghams just saying fare
well at the door. Mr.. Morton bowed
gravely to Barbara as he said good
night to Mrs. Vane and went out, Miss
Dillingham; taking his arm as they
passed down the steps.
81 am going to ride" Mrs. Dilling-
ham said to Mrs. Vane, as she waited
in the hall. The carriage is just com
ing around. ! told the young folks to
GO on. 1t is a beautiful evening for a
walk"
Barbara walked back into the sit
ting-room and sat down by the table
of prints and turned them over silent
ly. When the guests were all gone,
Mrs. Vane came in.
"What! you here, Barbara?
thought you had gone"
mo, | wanted to talk with you a
little while" said Barbara, with an
effort.
"Why, I do believe you are almost
Ia oil lnl 1oip
Ing up to her quickly. "Have you had
trying evening? Tell me all about it"
Barbara told her, and added some
thing more that made the sharp eyes
soften and the abrupt manner change
20 one of great gentleness.
"Don't worry, dear. 1t will all come
out right, l know. Just go right on
with your work. 1 understand it all
perfectly. I'm old enough to be your
grandmother, and I've seen more re-
markable things happen. The Lord
takes care of more things than we give
Him credit for. We must trust Him
when we are in all sorts of trouble
And yours isn't the worst, by any
means. But it's too late for you to &C
home now. I'll send William over tc
tell Mrs. Ward, if anyone is up there
that you are to stay here tonight"
So Barbara remained with the great
hearted old soul that night, and in the
morning she went back to her drudg
cry, sobered by the events of that
eventful evening, and trembling a lit
tie because she had intrusted hel
secret even to one so old and so loving
Mps Nann Put bn1
comforted her. Under other circum
stances she would have told no one
but her mother. But Mrs. Clark wa:
nervous and irritable, she did not un
derstand Barbara, and lived a daily
protest against her choice of life
work. To learn now from Barbar;
that she had come to think a grea
deal of the brilliant young minister
of the great Marble Square church
would have seemed to Mrs. Clark lik,
another madness, and what Barbar;
needed at this crisis in her life wa
not reproaches or tears, but encour
agement and good-hearted affection
She was girl who gave her owl
affection quickly. From the day sh
met Mrs. Nane she had understood
her. 1t was the same with Mr.. Nor
ton. 1t is mistake to suppose tha
the greatest feelings must develol
slowly. The feeling that Barbara ex
perienced was not long in point o
time, but she herself was the bes
judge of its strength. 1t is probable
that she was afraid of its develop
ment in so comparatively short time
and one waV She took to aScert ain thI
truth was to talk to Mrs. Vane frankl,
about it. Some things the old lad,
gave her that evening out of her owl
experience reassured her as to he
own heart. Barbara had been afrai,
that her apparently sudden giving u
of her life as it faced this other Iif
was wrong. There was a tremor il
the thought of unseemly haste un
worthy of SO sacred an event
But, as the days went by, she foun
1t was not so. .oAe did not know al
herself, but the experience that ha
come to her lent strength to her re
solve to prove herself worthy of tn
Faith he had said he had in that kim
OF life, the life she had chosen. A
the same time, she faced with d gray
3ty that was making her older tha,
her years, the fact that the very ma
Aure OF her position would make |
Impossible for her ever to realize a,
answer to her own heart from his.
SO it was with mingled feelings O
ambition tnat Barbara took up tn
daily round again. The results of tn