"_Not_ a year ago," rejoined Ida, "His ways to me were past finding out. I wished to stay here in peaceful seclusion, and He sent me again into the world. The 'silver lining' of the cloud, impervious then, is already visible. Leaving out the experience I have acquired in that time, I should have commenced my residence here under a guardianship, which made interest and appearance the gauge of fidelity; should have missed Mr. Dana's invaluable assistance; have lost an opportunity to forget past grievances, and return good for evil--more than one, indeed. I had not heard then, that you were teaching, and should not, therefore, have thought of you as a co-laborer. Uncle Will would say we 'ought to be happy in the Lord's appointed way.'" "There is no other path of peace," said Emma. "Yet I am foolishly ungrateful sometimes, in misinterpreting what He has done, and peering into the 'shadowy future.'" "That was, formerly, my besetting sin. Now I have to guard against 'looking mournfully into the past.' What a world of meaning in those few words! And how like a trumpet-call to the 'world's field of battle,' sound the inspired exhortations of the same poet-- 'Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant; Let the dead Past bury in dead; Act--act in the living Present! Heart within, and God o'erhead!' I can see the vigorous, upward fling of his arm, as shouting that last line, he shakes out his banner in the morning breeze! It thrills through every nerve, as I recite it." "His is the true Bible philosophy," said Emma, "'living by the day,'--saying, as we fall asleep at night-- 'To-morrow, Lord! is _Thine_, Lodged in Thy sovereign hand; And if its sun arise and shine. It shines by Thy command!' "Dear Lynn!" sighed Ida. "They sung that hymn at his funeral." "'Looking mournfully!'" said Emma, in affectionate chiding. "Yes! yet not repiningly. I was thinking, also, of the sure pleasure we have in the possession of our Father's love. We know that is pure, and cannot pass away; while our most sinless earthly attachments are enjoyed with trembling."