"Oh," said Maggie, "I s'pose that was what Aunt Helen meant the other day when she talked about 'blessings in disguise.'"
"Yes," answered Mrs. Stanton; "but do you know what disguise means, Maggie?"
"Yes'm," said Maggie. "It means to dress yourself up so that nobody would know you; and if my going to school is a blessing, I think it is a very disguised one indeed."
Mrs. Stanton could not help smiling a little, though she was sorry to hear Maggie's rebellions tone.
"Grandmamma," said Bessie, "do you think our Father has a purpose in having Maggie go to school?"
"Yes, dear. We may always be sure that whatever He orders for us is for some wise and holy purpose of His own. It may be He sees this will be good for Maggie, or He may have some work for her to do for Him."
"But I know I could work and study a great deal better at home with my own mamma and my own Bessie, than I could in a hateful school with a cross, ugly teacher," said Maggie.
"O Maggie!" said Bessie, "Miss Ashton is not ugly. Don't you know we thought she looked so nice and pleasant? And I don't believe she is cross either, or mamma would not let you go to her."
"No," said grandmamma: "Miss Ashton is neither cross nor ugly; but Maggie is looking at her and at her school through the spectacles of discontent, which hide all that is good, and make all that is bad appear far, far worse than the reality. Take them off, Maggie, and look at things with your own honest, cheerful, eyes. It may be that the great Teacher above has some lesson for you to learn that you do not know of—some special work for you to do for Him."
"I don't see how a little girl like me could do any work for Him in school, except to learn my lessons well," said Maggie, "and I could do that at home."