For it was Mrs. Ford’s great complaint of Bessie, that she was so “heedless” and “needed so much minding,” though she would always add, modifying her censure, “But then you can’t put an old head on young shoulders, and the child has a real good heart.”  And being a thoroughly active and diligent housekeeper, she generally found it less trouble to supply Bessie’s shortcomings herself, so that Bessie’s home education was likely to suffer by her mother’s very proficiency, unless she should come to see that to do all things well was a duty she owed “unto the Lord, and not unto men.”

“So, Bessie, you’re going to lose your teacher?” said her father.  “I hear she’s to be married on Thursday.”

“Yes, father, she bade us all good-bye to-day; and she gave us such pretty cards, mother, with a text and a hymn;” and on the impulse of the moment she ran up for hers, and brought it down for inspection.  It was handed round the table, eliciting various admiring comments, and exciting Jack’s desire to get it into his own hands, which being thwarted, he was with difficulty consoled by an extra supply of bread and butter.

“And, mother,” asked Bessie, somewhat doubtfully, “may I go to-morrow and get the things to work a book-mark for Miss Preston?  I’d like to do it for a new Bible the teachers are going to give her.”

“I don’t care,” said Mrs. Ford, “if you’ll only not neglect everything else while you’re doing it.  I don’t believe in girls fiddling away their time with such things, and not knowing how to make good cheese and butter.  But I wouldn’t hinder you from making a present to Miss Preston, for she has been a good teacher to you.”

Bessie looked delighted, but the expression quickly changed when her mother said, as they rose from table, “Bessie, I guess I’ll not go to church to-night.  I’ve had so much to do that I feel tired out; and if I did go, I’m sure I’d just go to sleep.  Besides, I don’t like the way the dun cow is looking; so you’d better get ready and go with father and the boys.”

Now Bessie had expected to remain at home that evening, as she usually did.  She had planned to teach the children for a while, according to her new resolution, and then, when they had gone to bed, to sit down to read her Sunday-school book, which seemed unusually inviting.  Bessie’s Sunday reading was generally confined to her Sunday-school book, for she had not yet learned to love to read the Bible, and regarded it rather as a lesson-book than as the spiritual food which those who know it truly find “sweeter than honey” to their taste.  So it was not a very pleasant prospect to have to hurry off to church again, and she felt very much inclined to make the most of the slight fatigue she felt, and say she was too tired to go, in which case her mother would have willingly assented to her remaining.  But conscience told her she was able to go, and ought to go; and remembering her motto and her prayer, she cheerfully prepared to accompany her father and brothers to church, and she had reason to be grateful for her choice.  The words of the sermon deepened and expanded the impressions of the afternoon, and left an abiding influence on the current of her life.