GREATLY as Dora wished to accept the invitation of her new friend, several weeks passed before she had an opportunity of paying a second visit to Miss Lee. Mrs. Grange, who had taken a severe cold, was confined to her room for several weeks, and it was quite late in October before Dora felt herself really free.
When quite ready for her walk, she lingered for a few moments to arrange some chrysanthemums she had gathered in a glass flower-holder near her aunt's chair. Mrs. Grange asked with a smile, "Have you brought all the flowers out of the garden to my room, Dora?”
“Oh no, Aunt Lucy, only just a few of them for you to enjoy their beauty. I wish you could walk round, if only once, just to see the show of chrysanthemums; they are lovely. There are large white ones, I am not sure I know their proper name, but Harry and Eva call them snowballs, and yellow ones looking just like golden balls, while Lady Clair and Queen Mab have put on very beautiful autumn dresses; and there are dear little pompons hardly larger than daisies, but wearing such bright liveries of orange and brown.”
“Thank you, Dora, I almost seem to see the garden through your eyes; but I was going to propose that if it would not take you too long you might gather a large bunch of autumn flowers, and take them with my christian love to Miss Lee.”
“Oh that will be delightful, aunt! How kind of you to think of it. It will not hinder me five minutes to gather the flowers, and I am sure they will give Miss Lee much pleasure.”
Half an hour later, and Dora entered Miss Lees little sitting-room. "I was expecting you, dear," were Miss Lee's first words, as she returned Dora's kiss.
“Expecting me, Miss Lee! Why how did you know I was coming?" Dora asked, with a somewhat puzzled look.
“Well perhaps it was almost too much to say that I was quite sure it was you who were coming; but I felt so much better than usual this morning that I just asked the Lord, if I could be of use to any of His little ones, to please send the one to whom I was to give a word of cheer or comfort here this afternoon, and then you came before my mind. I felt I wanted to see you to know how you were getting on, so that I was really thinking of and praying for you when you knocked at the door.”
“Do you pray about everything, Miss Lee?" Dora asked, almost in a whisper.
“Pray about everything! why yes, dear, of course I do. Is anything that can grieve or gladden a child of God too small a matter for the ear and heart of our heavenly Father?
“Perhaps you have not begun yet to take the small worries, the every-day cares and duties to God in prayer; but you will find, as I have done, the strength and comfort of being very childlike and simple.
“But what lovely flowers! my favorite chrysanthemums, too.”
“They are for you, dear Miss Lee, with Aunt Lucy's Christian love," Dora said, as she placed her flowers in the thin, white hand that was extended to receive them.
Miss Lee was silent for a few moments, but a flush of pleasure lent color to her cheeks and there was a glad light in her eyes as she bent almost lovingly over the blossoms, and seemed to drink in their faint but delicious perfume, then, turning to Dora, said brightly, "How kind of Mrs. Grange, and you too, dear. You do not know how I love chrysanthemums, the last flowers of the year; they always seem to whisper a sweet Bible promise to me. But I see you do not quite understand. Here is my Bible. If you turn to the fourteenth chapter of the prophet Zechariah, and look at the seventh verse, you will see some words underlined in pencil.”
Dora found the place quickly, and read: "At evening time it shall be light.”
“Thank you, dear. Though I know the words refer to a time when God's long-loved people Israel shall return to their own pleasant land, I cannot tell you how day by day the Lord is making the promise good to me now. For it is evening-time with me, Dora, the evening-time of my life. But it is light, and the light of a risen Savior's love seems to grow brighter and clearer every step of the way. But we must have tea now. Will you kindly call Susan, my little maid?”
For months after, the memory of that pleasant visit seemed to cheer and help Dora in doing small duties, and bearing the common every-day trials, that often worry and fret the more, because they are so trifling, not worth, we think, speaking or writing about.
But in the few hours Dora had spent with Miss Lee, she had been reminded of the calm, restful faith of her own loved mother, and if now and then the thought would come in by the way—and it very often would come when Dora had the headache or was feeling more tired than usual—"Mother and Miss Lee would not always find it easy to be gentle and patient if they had to put up with Constance's trying temper or Harry's careless ways"—she would remember that with each the secret of strength lay in the fact that Mrs. Hilton and Miss Lee were learners in the school of Christ; and then Dora would open her Bible—not the one that she had used at Myrtle Cottage, but one that had been a parting gift from her mother, and on the flyleaf of which, in that mother's handwriting, were words Dora often read and re-read: the words of One whom she knew as her precious Savior: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matt. 11:29, 3029Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:29‑30).) And as she turned its pages, very often some inspired word of encouragement or promise would tell her that the daily grace and strength she so much needed might be hers through Christ.
Uncle Edward, too, was a great help and comfort to Dora, though she did not see much of him, as, owing to his business engagements, he was obliged to leave home early in the morning, often returning late in the evening. She knew, too, that the long and severe illness of one of the partners in his firm made it necessary for him to undertake a large amount of extra work, and often Dora, as young she was, could not help noticing from his often weary face and languid step that he was feeling the strain a good deal; yet he never seemed to forget that his wife and Dora had trials, too, though of a different kind to his, and he was always patient and gentle with them.
Sometimes, but not so often as she could have wished, Dora was able to get a quiet talk with her uncle. One such talk was a great help to her.
Dora had been telling Mr. Grange how much she wished to be the means of leading her cousins to Christ. But tears filled her eyes as she continued in a low, grieved voice: "Oh, uncle, I am afraid they will never learn from me, for though Eva will often ask me to tell her Bible stories, and Harry, I believe, really wants to be a christian boy, sometimes I get so cross and ill-tempered, and though I am always very sorry afterward and tell them so, I am sure they take notice of my unlovely ways. And how can I expect them to believe that I do really want to please the Lord Jesus?”
Mr. Grange drew his niece closer to him, and said gently, "I know, Dora, perhaps even better than yourself, how hard it is always to do right; indeed, I believe there is only one way. Shall I tell you what I think it is? BEING right; and the only way to be right is to keep very near Christ, our good, great Shepherd, that we may hear what He has to say to us. (John 10:2727My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27).)
“If at times this seems hard and trying for us, it is always a comfort to remember we are only to take one step at a time. I have known some dark days, Dora; but never one in which I had not light enough to see the next step.
“Tell the Lord all about your desires, and how you fail. Do not keep anything back, or have any secrets from Him. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain thee.' (Psa. 55:2222Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22).) And so resting, so trusting, there will be more glory for your Savior, and more real joy and blessing filling your own soul.”