It was indeed a hard choice; but Elsie could not hesitate where the path of duty was so plain.  She seemed to hear a voice saying to her:  “This is the way, walk ye in it.”  “We ought to obey God rather than men.”

“Ah!” she murmured, “I cannot do this great wickedness and sin against God, for if my earthly father’s frown is so dreadful, so very hard to bear, how much worse would be my heavenly Father’s?  But, oh, that boarding-school!  How can I ever endure its trials and temptations?  I am so weak and sinful!  Ah! if papa would but spare me this trial—­if he would only let me stay at home—­but he will not—­for he has said I must go, and never breaks his word;” and again her tears fell fast, but she dashed them away and took up her Bible.

It opened at the fiftieth chapter of Isaiah, and her eye fell upon these words:  “For the Lord God will help me:  therefore shall I not be confounded:  therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.  Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.”

Ah! here was comfort.  “The Lord God will help me!” she repeated; and bowing her face over the holy book she gave thanks for the precious promise, and earnestly, tearfully pleaded that it might be fulfilled unto her.

Then rising from her knees, she bathed her eyes and rang for Fanny to prepare her for her ride.  It was the usual hour for it, her horse was already at the door, and very soon the little girl might have been seen galloping up the road towards the Oaks, quite alone, excepting that Jim, her constant attendant, rode some yards in the rear.

It was a pleasant summer morning; there had been just rain enough the night before to cool the air and lay the dust, and everything was looking fresh and beautiful—­and had the little Elsie’s heart been as light and free from care as would have seemed natural to one of her age, she would no doubt have enjoyed her ride extremely.  It was but a short one, and the place well known to her, for she had often passed it, though she had never yet been in the grounds.

In a few moments she reached the gate, and Jim having dismounted and opened it for her, she rode leisurely up a broad, gravelled carriage-way, which wound about through the grounds, giving the traveller a number of beautiful views ere he reached the house, a large building of dark-gray stone, which stood so far back, and was so entirely hidden by trees and shrubbery, as to be quite invisible from the highway.  Now the road was shaded on either hand by large trees, their branches almost meeting overhead, and anon, an opening in their ranks afforded a glimpse of some charming little valley, some sequestered nook amongst the hills, some grassy meadow, or field of golden wheat, or a far-off view of the sea.