"Come in!" gruffly said a man's voice. This was one of Flora's difficult cases. The man was bed-ridden, and was nursed by a grand-daughter. He was quite willing to accept comfort from Flora, especially when it took the shape of food and medicine; but he would not listen to the Bible. Flora knew that he liked her visits, however; so, with prayers in her heart and the Bible in her hand, she persevered hopefully, yet with such delicacy that the gruff old man became gruffer daily, as his conscience began to reprove him for his gruffness. Thus, from hut to hut she went, with love to mankind in her heart and the name of Jesus on her lip; sometimes received with smiles and sent away with blessings, occasionally greeted with a cold look, and allowed to depart with a frigid "good-day!" Lucy had often wished for some such work as this at home, but had not yet found courage to begin. She was deeply sympathetic and observant. Old Moggy was the last they visited that day. Flora was the only female she would tolerate. "I've been tryin' to say't a' night an' I _canna_ do't!" she said stoutly, as the ladies entered. "You forget the words, perhaps, dear Moggy--`The Lord gave, and the Lord hath--'" "Na, na, I dinna forget them, but I _canna_ say them." So Flora sat down on a stool, and gently sought, by means of the Bible, to teach the old woman one of the most difficult lessons that poor human nature has got to learn in this world of mingled happiness and woe. STORY ONE, CHAPTER 14. A SURPRISE AND A BATTLE. "Here! halloo! hi! Hobbs! I say," shouted Mr Sudberry, running out at the front door, after having swept Lucy's work-box off the table and trodden on the cat's tail. "Where has that fellow gone to? He's always out of the way. Halloo!" (looking up at the nursery window), "Mrs Brown!" Mrs Brown, being deeply impressed with the importance of learning, (just because of Mrs Sudberry's contempt thereof), was busily engaged at that moment in teaching Miss Tilly and Master Jacky a piece of very profound knowledge. "Now, Miss Tilly, what is the meaning of procrastination?" ("Ho! hi! halloo-o-o-o," from Mr Sudberry; but Mrs Brown, supposing the shout is meant for any one but herself; takes no notice of it.) _Tilly_.--"Doing to-day what you might have put off till to-morrow." ("Halloo! ho! don't you hear? hi!" from below.) _Mrs Brown_.--"No, you little goose! What is it, Jacky?" _Jacky_.--"Doing to-morrow what you might have put off till to-day." ("Hi! halloo! are you deaf up there?") _Mrs Brown_.--"Worse and worse, stupid little goose!" _Jacky_, (indignantly).--"Well, then, if it's neither one thing nor t'other, just let's hear what _you_ make it out to be--" ("Hi! ho! halloo! Mrs Bra-a-own!") "Bless me, I think papa is calling on me. Yes, sir. Was you calling, sir?" (throwing up the window and looking out.) "Calling! no; I wasn't `calling.' I was shrieking, howling, yelling. Is Hobbs there?" "No, sir; 'Obbs is not 'ere, sir."