"She looks so sober," said Nelly; "and she hardly spoke to me all day yesterday."
"Is that all?" asked Miss Powell. "You don't consider, Nelly, how much care Mrs. Kirkland has on her mind. She has all her business, in the first place; then she is uneasy about Miss Alice, whose ankle does not get any better; and she has other troubles more serious still. But she is so far from being displeased with you, that I heard her tell Mr. Willson only last night what a comfort and help you were to her. She said you repaid her twice over for all she had ever done for you; for, though you made mistakes sometimes, you were honest and faithful in sight and out of sight: you did not idle away half your time in gossiping or looking out of the window the moment her back was turned."
Nelly blushed high with delight. "I am sure I want to please her," said she, earnestly.
"And you do please her: so you may set your heart at rest about that. And as for the rest, Nelly, do you remember the chant they sung in church yesterday morning before service?"
"Yes, ma'am: it was, 'Cast thy burden on the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.' I thought it was beautiful. I kept singing it all the afternoon."
"But I fear you did not think of applying it to your own case, Nelly. Why don't you do the same thing? Why don't you cast your burden on the Lord, and trust him to sustain you?"
"I don't know," replied Nelly. "I never thought I could."
"Try it, and see. Tell him all about what troubles you."
"What!" interrupted Nelly. "About my puzzles in making change and remembering the prices of things?"
"Yes, to be sure. Why not?"