with my arms resting on the table and my face buried in my hands. Aunt
Lucinda defended me in her usual sharp positive manner, and was for
proceeding at once to some severe measures; but Mr. Oswald reminded her
that, if such were the case, the truth would in all probability never
come to light.

Good old Grandma Adams rose from her seat and, walking with uncertain
steps to the table were I sat, placed her hands upon my bowed head, and
repeated the following words from the Psalmist: "Commit thy way unto the
Lord, trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass." "And he shall
bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the
noonday." "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, fret not thyself
because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who
bringeth wicked devices to pass." "Though he fall, he shall not be
utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." These
verses from Scripture, repeated as they were by my aged grandmother had
the effect to soothe my mind. It was so like what my own mother would
have done under the same circumstances; and, raising my head I tried
to be hopeful, and trust to time to prove my innocence. With all my
resolves to be patient I found it very hard to bear up as day after day
glided by and nothing took place to throw any light upon the matter. I
could never have borne it, but for Mr. Oswald's assertion that he
believed me innocent. He exercised the utmost vigilance to obtain some
clue to the mystery, but two weeks (which to me seemed two years) glided
by and nothing was gained.

There were two boys among the pupil, named Reuben Mayfield and Thomas
Pierce, they were both older than I and for a long time had evinced
toward me a strong feeling of dislike. From the first Mr. Oswald had
suspected these two boys of having a hand in the affair, but said