hands softly folded, and her eyes lifted up steadily to Stephen's face,
that at last Black Bess burst out into a loud and long fit of crying, and
wept so bitterly that none of them could comfort her, until the little
child herself, who had been afraid of her before, climbed upon her lap
and laid her arms round her neck. She looked up then, and wiped the tears
from her face with the corner of her fine apron.

'I had a sister once, just like little Nan,' she said, with a sob, 'and
she minded me of her. Miss Anne told me she was singing somewhere among
the angels, and I thought she'd look like little Nan. But I'm afraid I
shall never go where she is; I'm so bad.'

'We'll teach thee how to be good,' answered Martha. 'Thee come to me,
Bess, and I'll teach thee the hymns, and the singing, and how to make
pikelets, and keep the house clean on a week-day. I'm going to love my
enemies, and do good to them that hate me; so don't thee be shy-like.
We'll be friends like Stephen and Tim; and weren't they enemies afore
Stephen learned to read?'

That night, as Stephen lay down to sleep, he said to himself, 'I'm glad
Black Bess came to eat pikelets with Martha. My chapter says, "Whosoever
shall do the commandments, and teach them, the same shall be called great
in the kingdom of heaven." Perhaps Martha and me will be called great in
heaven, if we teach Bess how to do God's commandments.'




CHAPTER XIII.