But now, as days slid into weeks, and weeks grew into months, Miss Joe heard no more of General Garnet and his promises, nor did she like to take him at his word and apply to him. He ought to prevent that and save her feelings, she said.
As years passed away, however, Miss Joe occasionally wrote to General Garnet in behalf of her little protégée. For the most part, her letters would remain unanswered, but when one did elicit a reply, General Garnet’s epistle would be full of kindness, blessing, encouragement, good advice, and—nothing else.
At last, during a bitter winter, their main dependence, their faithful servant, poor old Pontius Pilate, caught the pleurisy and died. In the midst of this trouble Miss Joe wrote again to General Garnet, and once more, and for the last time, invoked his promised assistance. After the lapse of several days she received a letter from the benignant general, full of condolence, sympathy, and exhortation to hope and patience, and—nothing else! The letter concluded with the assurance that she had nothing to fear—that God never made a mouth for which he had not also provided food. To this letter the long-suffering old lady was exasperated to reply—that though it was true God had made both the mouths and the food, yet the mouths had fallen to her lot, and the food to his.
The general never replied to this last letter, and here the correspondence ceased.
CHAPTER XVI.
ELSIE.
Oh! the words
Laugh on her lips; the motion of her smiles
Showers beauty, as the air-caressed spray
The dews of morning.
—Milman.