But still she struggled, and still her guardian child helped; until at last she found herself, all bruised, standing in the narrow ascending path over which hung the star.
“We are in time, Kitsy! we are in time!” the guardian child sang happily, pointing to the star, and again there came on her ear that peal of distant Christmas bells.
“Silly!” hissed the naughty sprite.
“I shall never stray from the right path again—never!” said Kitty, wiping away some repentant tears. “I can’t understand myself liking that silly song. I was really beginning to believe I was quite beautiful.”
And Love’s words came to her mind: “If you put off, it may be easy at first to resume the way; but it becomes more and more difficult, and it might be impossible.”
“No. I shall never leave the right path again,” she repeated, with great emphasis. “Never.”
She hurried along once more. She ran, oh, so fast! It was like a race between the star gliding above the tree-tops and the little feet speeding, hastening along the path below.
“Oh, what a delicious smell!” she suddenly exclaimed, opening wide her nostrils and taking a deep sniff. Then she gave a great start.