"You are not a dunce, nor a fool either," said Rhoda, warmly. "It doesn't follow that you are a dunce because you can't learn music. A great many people can't. But how do you get on in school? Can you learn your lessons?" "Yes, some of them. We are reviewing, and the girls help me. But you don't know how my head feels. There is a place up the back of it that feels perfectly numb and dead, and some days the feeling goes down my spine and all over me, and I can't sleep at night. I am just doing lessons, lessons all the time. Oh, if I could only run away or do something!" The girls had turned into a shady, quiet street by this time, and were walking slowly along together. "What are you thinking about, Rhoda?" asked Isa, a little impatiently, after a minute's silence. "Why don't you speak?" "Because I want to say something, and I don't quite know how," answered Rhoda. "I am afraid you will think it odd, coming from me, after all that has happened." "I shall think it is just right, whatever it is, I know." "Well, then, Isa dear, you know who it was that said,— "'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' "Why don't you go to him?" "I don't know; I never thought I could. How?" "Don't you know the Bible says— "'...he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him'? "Nobody loves us as our heavenly Father does and if you ask him, I am sure he will find some way to help you." "I shouldn't dare, I am so wicked," said Isa. "I suppose that is only meant for very good people." "No, indeed," answered Rhoda, earnestly. "If it was, I don't know who in all this world would ever dare to come. Why, Isa, don't you read your Bible? Don't you know that Jesus Christ came into the world on purpose to save sinners? Don't you know what he said when the Pharisees found fault with him for eating with them? I thought you read your Bible every night." "Well, I do, but I am so tired and stupid I can't take any sense of it. But, Rhoda, the Bible says very hard things about liars, and I do tell fibs and cheat in my lessons. I should be in disgrace all the time if Kate Collins and Mary Pomeroy didn't do my sums for me or let me copy theirs." "Then I'd be in disgrace," said Rhoda, undauntedly. "Perhaps that would be the best way to make your father understand that you can't learn. Anyhow, Isa, I would pray. I would tell God all about that too, as well as the rest, and ask him to take you out of temptation. He will find some way, I know. He isn't like an earthly friend that can only do very little or perhaps nothing at all." "But, Rhoda—" "Well, what?" "I suppose you must have asked him a great many times to let you get an education?" "Yes, and I am sure he will, if it is best for me," said Rhoda. "Yet he let you get found out and sent away from our house."