“What a long, long journey hers has been!” remarked Violet; “but she has reached home at last.  And here, mamma,” drawing Grace forward, “is a little pilgrim who has but just passed through the wicket-gate, and begun to travel the strait and narrow way.”

“Is it so, Gracie?  It makes my heart glad to hear it,” Elsie said, taking the child in her arms in a tender, motherly fashion.  “You are none too young to begin to love and serve the Lord Jesus; and it’s a blessed service.  I found it such when I was a child like you, and such I have found it all the way that I have traveled since.”

CHAPTER XII.

Lulu rebels.

Several weeks had passed since the events recorded in the last chapter, during which life had moved on in its accustomed way at Fairview and Ion.

Evelyn was as happy in her new home as she could have been anywhere without her father and mother—­perhaps happier than she would have been anywhere with the latter—­and enjoyed her studies under Mr. Dinsmore’s tuition; for, being very steady, respectful, studious, and in every way a well-behaved child, and also an interested pupil, she found favor with him, was never subjected to reproof or punishment, but smiled upon and constantly commended, and in consequence her opinion of him differed widely from that of Lulu, whose quick, wilful temper was continually getting her into trouble with him.

She was the only one of his scholars who caused him any serious annoyance, but he had grown very weary of contending with her, and one day when she had failed in her recitation and answered impertinently his well-merited reproof, he said to her, “Lucilla, you may leave the room and consider yourself banished from it for a week.  At the end of that time I shall probably be able to decide whether I will ever again listen to a recitation from you.”

Lulu, with cheeks aflame and eyes flashing, hardly waited for the conclusion of the sentence ere she rose and rushed from the room, shutting the door behind her with a loud slam.

Mr. Dinsmore stepped to it and called her back.

“I desire you to come in here again and then leave us in a proper and ladylike manner, closing the door quietly,” he said.

For a single instant Lulu hesitated, strongly tempted to refuse obedience; but even she stood in some awe of Mr. Dinsmore, and seeing his stern, determined look, she retraced her steps, with head erect and eyes that carefully avoided the faces of all present; went quietly out again, closed the door gently, then hurried through the hall, down the stairs, and into her own room; there she hastily donned hat and sacque, then rapidly descended to the ground-floor, and the next instant might have been seen fairly flying down the avenue.

Her passion had slightly cooled by the time she reached the gate, and giving up her first intention of passing through into the road beyond, she turned into an alley bordered by evergreens which would screen her from view from the house, and there paced back and forth, muttering angrily to herself between her shut teeth,