Oh, how this prayer lightened little Rosalie's heart! She rose from her knees comforted. Safe in the Good Shepherd's hand, who or what could harm her?
It was well she had been thus strengthened and comforted, for a few minutes afterwards she heard her father's voice calling her, and, going downstairs, she found him sitting in the parlour with the lady of the house.
'Rosalie,' said her father, with a theatrical bow, 'allow me to introduce you to your lady mother!'
He evidently expected her to be very much astonished, but Rosalie tried to smile, and gave her hand to the lady of the house. And, as she put her little trembling hand in that of her new mother, it seemed to Rosalie as if the Good Shepherd tightened the hold of His hand on His little forlorn lamb.
Her father, after a few heartless remarks about Rosalie having a mother again, dismissed her, and she went up again to her attic.
But the very next day Rosalie saw clearly that Betsey Ann's predictions were likely to be fulfilled.
'Rosalie,' said her stepmother, as soon as she came downstairs, 'I intend that you shall make yourself useful now. I'm not going to have a daughter of mine idling away her time as you have been doing lately. Fetch some water and scour the sitting-room floor. And when you've done that, there's plenty more for you to do! I know how to make girls work!'
Rosalie thought she could very easily believe that.
Her father was standing by, and only laughed at what his wife said.
'It will do her good,' Rosalie heard him say, as she went out of the room; 'she wants a bit of hard work.'