And temper joy, and soothe distress,
I fear no earthly doom.
“Life cannot give a cureless sting,
Death can but crown my bliss,
And waft me far, on angel’s wing,
To perfect happiness.”
Jessie’s uncomplaining spirit, her readiness to sacrifice her most cherished hopes, and her beautiful, child-like faith in God, shed a sweet and soothing influence upon the fainting and murmuring heart of the mother. A little while after, Henry came in from school, and for a moment looked rather sad, when he was told that the family had got to remove and be broken up, very soon; but he quickly recovered his good spirits, saying:—
“Well, mother, I don’t care much, after all. Let Mr. Todd have the old farm if he wants it—it’s all run out, and we couldn’t do anything if we staid here. I know I can earn my living, if anybody will give me a chance, and one of these days I’ll have a good deal better farm than this—you see if I don’t! Then you and Jessie shall come and live with me, and we’ll all be together again.”
Henry soon found a chance to earn his living, for Mr. Allen agreed to take him into his family at once, and maintain him in return for his services. As to Jessie, everybody said it was too bad to send her off to a mill, and after some little consultation, Mrs. Page proposed a plan by which this might be avoided. Ellen Blake, who had lived with the Page family for some time, was about to return home, on account of the sickness of her mother. It was proposed to let Jessie occupy her place in the family, working for her board, until she should finish preparing herself for a teacher. She was to attend the academy two or three terms more, and when not engaged in her studies, was to render all the assistance to Mrs. Page she could. Her mother was to clothe her, during this period, and it was thought that after the present term she could render some assistance in the lower department, and thus secure her own tuition free. When this plan was proposed to Jessie, she seemed very grateful for the kindness which prompted so liberal an offer, but was unwilling to accept of it, fearing she could make no adequate return for her board. It was only after considerable persuasion that she consented to the arrangement. When the matter was finally settled, Mrs. Hapley concluded to accept an invitation to go to her father’s, in a neighboring town, and make that her home until she could do something for her own support.