For two or three days little Ellen was too much grieved, by the separation from her father and mother, to show much affection for the new friends around her; but she soon forgot her troubles, and appeared perfectly contented and happy. She was a sweet-looking, happy child, and no one could look in her innocent face without loving her dearly.
Clara devoted every leisure moment to her. The baby-house was at first in constant disorder, but very soon Ellen would try to arrange the playthings as she saw Clara do, and if she did not succeed in putting them in their proper places, she would run to her cousin, and pull her by the frock, saying, “Come, Tara, come.” When all the things were in order, she would clap her little hands, and say, “Pretty, pretty! Ellen happy now.” This pleased Clara very much, and she sometimes told her mother that she loved Ellen more and more every day.
“I can teach her many things,” she said, “but there are some things which she teaches me. I never thought so much about the Lord, and heaven, and the angels, as I have done since Ellen has lived with us. I love to think how the angels watch over her, and try to teach her what is good and true. Sometimes when my lessons trouble me, and I feel idle and cross, if little Ellen comes into the room all these evil feelings go away, and I resolve to be good and happy. I think she brings the angels with her, and this makes me feel better.”
“You must remember that the Lord keeps angels near to you as well as to Ellen, Clara,” replied Mrs. Gray. “The evil spirits are suffered to have more power over you than over her, because you are older, and have learned to distinguish between good and evil. You can easily tell whether the thoughts which come into your mind are right or wrong, and you know that the Lord will always enable you to remove the evil spirits, and suffer the angels to draw near to you, if you sincerely desire it.”
“Yes, mother, I know this; but sometimes I think I should love to be a little child like Ellen, and then I should not so often feel tempted to do wrong. How sweet she looks when she is asleep. When I look at her then, mother, I always feel like praying to the Lord. My heart seems to be raised to Him.”
“It is a good feeling, my dear, child,” said Mrs. Gray, kissing Clara affectionately. “The angels are indeed near to you when your heart is thus raised to your Heavenly Father, and He will always hear your prayer, and strengthen you to walk in the path of goodness and truth.”
Several months had passed since the commencement of our story, and in many respects Clara had considerably improved. “I forgot” was an expression less frequently used than formerly; but still her old habits of heedless forgetfulness were often troublesome, and she was frequently mortified to find that her friends feared to trust her in any important matter, lest she should neglect to perform her duty.
“Why will you never allow Ellen to walk alone with me, Margaret?” inquired Clara of the faithful woman who had charge of her little cousin; “I am sure I am old enough to take good care of her, and she loves me almost as well as she does you.”
“You are very kind to her, and she loves you very much, Miss Clara,” replied Margaret; “but I should fear to trust her in the street with you, because you are sometimes a little thoughtless, and some accident might happen to her. When your aunt parted from the dear child, she begged me, with tears in her eyes, to watch over her night and day, and I shall faithfully try to keep the promise I then made.”
“But, Margaret,” urged Clara, “what accident could happen to Ellen if I took her to walk up and down the street, and kept hold of her hand all the way. I would not leave her an instant.”