Judy's washing had not been very well done, and as Rosa thought best to send back the little frock as soon as possible, she was in haste to have it made clean.
After Lucy had gone to bed, she went to the kitchen with it in her hand. Old Betsy was sitting by the fire, looking very stupid and cross. Rosa was almost afraid to ask her to do what she had intended. She took courage, however, and said, "Betsy, I want you to wash this little frock for a poor boy who has no other to wear but the one he has on. I know you would be glad to do it, if you had seen the poor little fellow lying by his dead mother: he has nobody at home to wash his clothes now."
Betsy had looked very sour when Rosa commenced, but softened as she continued to speak, and when Rosa finished, she took the little frock in her hand, saying, "I suppose I shall ketch something, handling this thing, but I can't say no to you, for you are the image of your mother."
"Thank you, Betsy," said Rosa; "I hope I may be like my mother. You need not do the frock to-night; it will be time enough in the morning. The funeral is not till three o'clock to-morrow afternoon, and I can get Harty to take it down after school."
"I guess Master Harty will not be running for anybody," said Betsy to herself, as Rosa went up stairs; but she was wrong: Harty did go, and took with him, besides, a penny cake, that he had bought for Larry.
CHAPTER XII.
THE VISITOR.
Rapidly, happily, the weeks flew by at Dr. Vale's cottage: there seemed to be a new spirit at work there. Lucy no longer looked sad and drooping: there was always a bright face to welcome her return from school, and some one to listen to her account of the occurrences of the day. If her lessons were difficult, Rosa was always ready to explain them, and to encourage her to more persevering study. By degrees, Lucy was learning to share all her feelings with her sister. Sometimes Rosa found these confidences rather tiresome, but she never checked them, as she Was anxious that Lucy should speak to her without restraint, that they might be able to talk freely on the most important of subjects.
Many of Lucy's fears seemed to have passed away without effort as she became more cheerful; others she had been enabled to conquer by Rosa's kind advice; but the great secret of the new courage that she seemed acquiring, was found in the few words, "God is with me, God loves me," which were seldom far from Lucy's mind.
At first she could not help feeling that when she had done wrong, God had ceased to love her. Then Rosa would read to her passages from the Bible where the Saviour speaks of having come to save sinners, and would remind her, again and again, that she was God's own child.