Very softly she slipped into her aunt's room, and bent for a moment over the bed.
"Auntie, dear auntie, I've come," she said; but despite her efforts at self-control, one hot tear fell on the pallid face as she kissed the soft cheek.
A quiet, feeble voice said, "'The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: blessed be the name of the Lord.'"
No more words were allowed to be spoken then; and Nora, forcing back her blinding tears, turned to look at the babe who had come as a little messenger of comfort into the house of mourning.
But Nora would not rest that night till she had taken one look at Minnie as she lay beautiful in death. A smile seemed to rest on the little lips, and the golden hair still lay in curls round the fair face; and as the girl kissed the cold brow, she fancied she saw it already crowned with the everlasting crown which is fairer far than any earthly one of gold and rubies.
[CHAPTER X.]
A HIGHLAND FIELD-PREACHING.
"We bear you the message, the Lamb's invitation;
The rude world's rude clamour, it floateth above:
Oh join the sweet song, the glad song of salvation,
And rest 'neath His banner, the Banner of Love."
RIGHT down on Minnie's grave in the Highland churchyard the autumn sunbeams were playing, as Nora, some months after her hasty return to Benvourd, stood there wondering, as so many young hearts have done before her, how the sun could shine and all nature look bright when Minnie was dead. Yet inwardly the young girl was glad too, with a great, quiet, solemn joy; for in her heart light and peace had sprung up, and a sunshine, of which the world knows nothing, was filling the chambers of her soul. The doubting and indecision were ended at last; the neutral flag under which Nora had long tried to fight was put aside; and the young girl had taken her stand as one of the followers of the Lord Jesus, and joined the army over which floated the banner of the King of kings.
The long, sad summer after Minnie's death was merging into early autumn, and the birches and oak trees in the lovely pass were beginning to glow in golden and scarlet hues, when up the glen came the news that a field-preaching was to take place at a spot not very far from Benvourd House. The great out-of-door preachings were not so common in that neighbourhood as in many other parts of the Highlands; and partly from the novelty of the thing, partly from the fame of the preacher, the young, noble-hearted minister, William Burns, Nora desired strongly to go, and her uncle willingly agreed to accompany her.