"You must think you are very good, if you are so sure of going to heaven," said Kitty, with a touch of the old sarcasm in her voice.
"No, indeed," returned Nelly: "Miss Powell told me better than that. Oh, how I did try and try to be good, all by myself! And every day I did something wrong; and I thought, 'I shall never go to heaven at this rate.' So at last I told Miss Powell how I felt; and she told me how God forgives us and helps us and takes us to heaven, not for what we do, but for what his Son has done for us. You don't know how much easier it has seemed to be good since then. It is just the difference between doing things for a task, and doing them for some one who has been good to you."
"I believe you are a real Christian," said Kitty, her better nature getting the upper hand. "I wish I was! but I seem to grow worse every day. But Nelly, I was real sorry I treated you so about your lessons, and about the slate. I never should have sent for it, only Harry came in while I was real angry about something, and I told him to go and get it. You don't know how I felt when he brought it next day; and I would have sent it back, only I was ashamed. Don't you want it now?"
"Mr. Grayson gave me one," replied Nelly; "and I don't need a slate as much, because I do my sums in my head."
"Well, it has all turned out for the best," said Kitty, rising. "Of course Mrs. Caswell can teach you better than I can; but that don't make it any better for me."
"Don't think any more about it," said Nelly. "Every one is cross sometimes; I am sure I am. But I am so glad we are him friends again!"
"Nelly is a real Christian," said Kitty, as she went home. "I wish I was!"
[CHAPTER IX.]
THE next week the repairs upon the house were all finished, and Mr. Grayson came down to inspect them. It was with no small pride that Nelly showed him all that had been done. She was beginning to consider Mr. Grayson as a friend. The old gentleman looked about into all the holes and corners, inspected the cow-house, and shook his head over some litter by the back door.
"All very nice, Nelly, and a great improvement; and now the main thing is to keep it nice. Unless you do that, you might live in the finest house in town, and never have it either neat or comfortable. Do you know what dirt means, Nelly?"