ANOTHER TRIUMPH.
How different is the importance given on earth and in Heaven to the same events! The famous speech, the brilliant entertainment, the political crisis, which fill columns of "The Times," and are the talk of eager thousands from one end of Britain to another, may seem as much beneath the notice of angels as bubbles floating on a stream; while the bright inhabitants of Heaven may hover over some humble mansion, to watch the struggle between right and wrong in one as lowly as the little servant-maid Norah.
No passer-by would have given a second thought to the girl on her knees, cleaning Mrs. Martin's doorstep in the early morning, yet that poor simple servant had fought a battle, and won a victory, on which angels might look with interest, for the result of such triumphs will last when earth itself shall have passed away.
As Norah went on with her humble occupation, lifting up her heart as she did so in a silent hymn of thanksgiving, her attention was attracted by a small object that lay on the road close to the pavement. Norah rose, and, going to the spot, picked up a small canvas bag, which had probably been dropped there since the previous evening. Norah loosened the string, and opened the bag, to see what might be in it, but she almost dropped it again in her surprise at sight of its glittering contents.
"Sovereigns! All bright, new, golden sovereigns!" exclaimed the astonished Norah.
She hastened into the house, shut the door, dropped on her knees, and emptied the bag into her lap, that she might count over the treasure without fear of being either disturbed or noticed.
"Two, four, six, eight! I had never so much money before in my life! Oh!" cried Norah, clapping her hands, "I shall now be able to buy both the black silk dress and the mangle, and something for Sophy besides, to make her forget last night, for I could not bear that there should be any bitter feeling between us!"
It was not unnatural that such should be the first thoughts that should rise to the mind of Bessy Peele's daughter. It must be remembered that Norah had not been brought up with strict ideas of honesty, that it was but lately that she had put on the breastplate of righteousness, or even desired to have that "holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." * But the young Christian had only swerved from her course for a minute, conscience was still at the helm.
* Hebrews xii. 14.
"What am I thinking of!" cried Norah, still on her knees, with the bright coin lying on her lap. "This money is not my own, I cannot honestly spend it. If I have found it, some one else must have lost it; I must give it back to its owner!"