Free from any taint of selfishness or self-seeking, all her thought was for others, for the helpless, the poor, the friendless. Her pity was boundless. There was nothing she could not forgive the blind, no error, no ignorance, no crime. She knew the desolation of their lives, their friendless condition, and understood how they might sink down and down in the darkness because no friendly hand was held out to them. And yet she was unsparing to herself, and a rigid censor of her own motive and conduct. This she could not fail to be, because she believed in her vocation as from God. She never doubted that her work had been appointed for her; she never wavered in her belief that strength given by God, supported her. She knew that she was the servant of God, sent by Him to minister to others. This knowledge was joy; but it made her inexorable and inflexible towards herself. There are but few incidents in her peaceful life. It was torn by no doubt, distracted by no apprehensions, it reached none of the heights of human happiness, and sounded none of the depths of despair. If there were unfulfilled hopes, aspirations, affections, they left no bitterness, no sense of disappointment. A beautiful life and helpful; for who need despair where she overcame and gained so great a victory? The materials for recording the history of Elizabeth Gilbert are scanty, but all that were possessed by her sisters and friends have been placed at my disposal. My love for her, and our long friendship, have enabled me, I hope, to interpret them aright. FRANCES MARTIN. _October 1887._ CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE CHILDHOOD 1 CHAPTER II IN THE DARK 14 CHAPTER III LITTLE BLOSSOM 27 CHAPTER IV WHAT THE PROPHETESS FORESAW 39 CHAPTER V THE PALACE GARDEN 51 CHAPTER VI A SENSE OF LOSS 70 CHAPTER VII THE BLIND MANAGER 82 CHAPTER VIII ROYAL BOUNTY 94 CHAPTER IX REMOVING STUMBLING-BLOCKS 110 CHAPTER X TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS 129 CHAPTER XI REFLECTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 142 CHAPTER XII HER DIARY 150 CHAPTER XIII THE FEAR OF GOD AND NO OTHER 158 CHAPTER XIV EVERYDAY LIFE 175 CHAPTER XV TIME OF TROUBLE 192 CHAPTER XVI THE FIRST LOSS 212 CHAPTER XVII HOW THE WORK WENT ON 221 CHAPTER XVIII BLIND CHILDREN OF THE POOR 238 CHAPTER XIX IN TIME OF NEED 249 CHAPTER XX THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW 259 CHAPTER XXI LIFE IN THE SICK-ROOM 279 CHAPTER XXII TWILIGHT 293 CHAPTER XXIII THE END 304 CHAPTER I CHILDHOOD "Moving about in worlds not realised."--WORDSWORTH.