"The nerve is affected; there is no help for her." "Are you quite sure?" "Quite. I have paid a good deal of attention to the eye, and I assure you a case like hers is incurable." "Then you decline to attempt to do anything for her?" "I do, Mrs. Travilla, because there is absolutely nothing to be done." "Poor girl, how sorry I am for her! blindness must be so terrible," Lucy remarked to her friend after the doctor had gone. "Yes," Elsie answered thoughtfully, "but I do not give up hope for her yet." "Dr. Morton is considered very skilful." "Still he may be mistaken, and I shall not rest till I have made every effort to save her sight." Little Elsie and her sister had already become deeply interested in poor Sally, and were laying plans to help her. "What can we do, Elsie?" queried Vi, in an under tone, drawing her sister aside. "She'll want clothes; she had on a very old faded calico dress." "And not a bow or pin; just an old linen collar around her neck," remarked Gertrude, joining them; "and her dress was ever so old-fashioned and patched besides." "Let's put our pocket money together, and buy her a new dress," proposed Vi. "And make it for her," added Elsie; "it hurts her eyes to sew, and you know Dinah could fit it. Mamma had her taught the trade, and says she fits and sews very nicely." "Oh, what's the use of giving our money?" exclaimed Gertrude, impatiently. "We want it ourselves, and your mamma has such loads and loads of money; hasn't she, Eddie?" turning to him, as he stood near. "I don't know," he answered; "she never told us she had; she never talks much about money, except to tell us it all belongs to God, who only lends it to us." "And that we must give it to the poor and needy," said Vi. "Because 'it is more blessed to give than to receive,'" added Elsie. "Well, I know she has," persisted Gertrude, "for my mamma often says so, and I'm sure she knows." "But even if she has, mamma's money is not ours, and it's a duty and a very great pleasure to give of our own." "Every one to their taste, I haven't a bit more money than I want myself," said Gertrude, walking away with her chin in the air. "Gerty," said Elsie, running after her, "don't be vexed; we weren't meaning to ask you for anything; but only talking about our own duty." "Oh, I can take a hint as well as other folks," said Gertrude, tossing her head. "What's it all about?" asked Kate, coming up to them; but they paid no heed to her, and she went to Vi for the desired information. "Why, I'll help, of course I will," she said; "I guess I've got some money, I'll look after tea; there's the bell now." Elsie seized an opportunity to petition her mother for a longer talk than usual in her dressing-room that evening, and the most of it was taken up in the discussion and arranging of plans for helping Mrs. Gibson and her daughter.