Ella Clinton

male teacher engaged for the winter. Poor Ella was greatly distressed at the thought of losing her friend. "O Miss L

ves you very much indeed

She never kisses me, nor tells me she loves me, like mamma used to do, and she's always scold

d to love her in return. She means it all for your good wh

Ella, "how can I ever be

ot, Ellie, just as we

ind, and you seem pleased, an

ld, do you not see that I was right? A desire to please your friends, Ella, is a good motive, but it is not the best. You must learn to do right because it is right, and pleasing in the sight of God. It is easy to deceive our friends and

od when you're gone, Miss

stly desiring to please and glorify God. And if you ask these things with your whole heart, and in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ, God will hear and grant your petitions, for he says, 'Ask and ye shall r

as done for you? Think how he left that beautiful heaven, and came down to our little world, and suffered, and bled, and died, that he might save you and me. O Ella, how can we help loving him

ol again, and seeming to dislike Ella more than ever, was continually trying to get her into trouble. There would have been constant quarrelling between them, had not Mary Young acted as peace-maker, and done her best to keep them apart. Mary tried to take Miss Layton's place to Ella, and did all she could to encourage her to industry and attention; and she often talk

d again she planted flowers on her mother's grave, and went every day to water them and see how they

e in with me, and see how pretty my mother's grave looks; the flowers ar

m, and pulled up all the flowers by the roots, trampled them in the dust, and even cut off the rose-bush close to the ground

ed girl she is! I hate her, so I do; and I hope somebody will go and tea

sorry for you, very sorry indeed; but I did not think you

have touched her flowers, and I'd rather she had spoilt all m

ow that it was Sa

e. Just see! every one of my pretty flowers pulled up, and

ave done to provoke God, than Sallie has ever done to vex and displease you, and how he has never ceased to bless you; and remember the Bible says, 'Whosoever hateth his brother, is a murderer,' and in another place, 'If he love not his brother

was angry and didn't think how very bad it was. Won't

but you must a

pray; sometimes I am almost afraid to sa

is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth,' and I beg God to wash away my sins in his blood, and clothe me in the robe of his righteousness. O Ellie dear, there is no love so sweet, so satisfying

to be a Christian, Mar

ave you, and you have nothing to do but come to him; come now, just as you are, without waiting to

n, Mary? how ca

will do so, there is no danger that you will perish, for

sently she got up from the tomb-stone, where they had been sitting, an

not too late for them to grow. I hope Sallie will not pull them up again; but

xt that Mary had quoted came freshly into her mind, and she felt in her heart that she had not forgiven Sallie. "Then I can't say that," said she to herself, "for it would just be asking God

ast few months, to cause this dislike. Sallie had been continually annoying her in every possible way, and she felt not the least doubt that it was she who had destroyed her flowers-the flowers which affect

reeable, and always doing something to vex me; but then it's very true, what Mary said-I do a great deal more to displease God, than Sallie does to v

t rest. She tossed about for some time, but at length, overcome w

e, for Mary Young had left town for a few weeks on a visit to a friend, and there was no one else whom she dared approach on the subject. At length one night, after tossing on her bed for hours, unable to bear her distress any longer, she threw herself upon her knees and earnestly begged to be enabled to forgive Sallie. This time she prayed wit

r petitions, that morning, which she had never known before. She found it easy now to forgive Sallie and to pray for her, and very pleasant to pray for herself, and she was also conscious of such a desire to be kept from sin, and enabled

orning, where Ella was seated busily engaged with some sewing. Mary's face was beaming with delight, and she lo

aimed Ella. "I'm sure it's something

good news. Miss La

ing her work to clap her hands,

select school she's to have, and so she i

d I hope she'll l

ut, Ella?" asked aunt Prudence,

he is going to teach a select school, and so she will stay all the ti

king if I would take her to board again, and I shall write back that I'll be very glad to have her,

ny of those violent fits of passion now; she was more patient and humble, and though she seemed to care less for praise than formerly, she was more anxious than ever to do right; she read her Bible more-not now as a tas

id to her, "Ellie, what is the matter with you? you have grow

the great love of Jesus Christ in coming down to our little world to suffer and die for us, and I

that God will hear and grant, for he says, 'Ye shall seek me, and find me when ye

, to think about him, and to pray to him; and Oh, I want to

about him; you love the society of his people, and I have noticed for some time that you seem to be trying to do right that you may please God. B

eart is so hard and full of sin. But Oh, I am sure I do love Jesus

over; that everything will now go on smoothly, and she will have no more s

the race; for the Christian life is compared, in the Scriptures, to a race-to a warfare, and we are exhorted to so run that we may obtain, to fight the good fight of faith, to lay hold on eternal life;

t he need not despair, for is he not told, "My grace is sufficient for thee"-"As thy day so shall thy strength be"-"The Lord is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but wil

about her could see that she daily became more patient and gentle, more meek and humble, more Christ-like, more full of love to Jesus. But aunt Prudence would not see that it was religion that had changed Ella so much. She said it was partly beca