"'After visiting our schools and asylums at home, the methods of teaching here appear old-fashioned and deficient in energy. I told Monsieur, I wanted to infuse some of our Yankee ideas into the minds of the children, and wake them up. I wanted to hang up Bible cards and pictures—to introduce a black-board and numeral frame. I wanted to show the little ones, laboring so sluggishly over an old map, the globe, and explain that the earth was round and the countries scattered all over it. You should have seen Monsieur D'Ortey's face while I was talking. It shone like the face of an angel. He put his hand on my head, saying: "'God bless you, dear child.' "'Near the gate we stopped again for another draught from the Golden Spring, which Frank calls his elixir, and with a sudden thought our kind friend sent back to the chateau for a flask so that we could take some home. "'On our way back Frank made me very happy by promising to send to our banker in Paris for a check, to purchase some very simple apparatus for the school. To-day of his own accord, he proposed another ride to the chateau, and we supplied ourselves with flasks for the Golden Spring. As we expected, we met Monsieur there. I went into the girls' school, and talked to them as they worked. I told them about my home across the sea,—about my dear scholars in the Sabbath School,—I told them I loved them and that it would be a sad thought when I left France that I should never see them again. I noticed one little girl put her finger up stealthily to wipe a tear from her eye. I then begged them to love the dear Saviour, who would take them to heaven when they died, and I told them I hoped to meet them there. "'Frank, meanwhile, was outside the chateau with Monsieur. When they came in, I looked at my invalid in surprise. His cheeks were quite rosy with excitement, and there was an air of resolution about him, I have not seen since his sad loss. "'They had been talking about the great trees, which Frank is sure, make the house damp. He offered, not only to pay for having them thinned out, but to ride over every day and superintend the work. Is not this hopeful? I think you may look for me quite early in the spring. For dearly as I love Monsieur and the children, at the chateau, my heart ever turns to that small spot in Now England, which holds my loved ones. "'Before I close my long letter, I must tell you that in consequence of the change of climate, my hair began to fall off, and I was advised to have it cut short. You would be amused to see how girlish I look with my close curls, clustering around my head. In the meantime I have taken pleasure in having some ornaments made of the dissevered tresses. A watch—chain fastened with gold braces, will, I hope, please my pastor; and I think I can persuade aunty and Sybil, each, to wear a ring of the same material." [Illustration] CHAPTER XXII. THE CRASH AT LAST.