Lilian had seen very little of her friend, Miss Trenham, through the
week, though every day she had been the recipient of a note of sympathy
and affection. She came in on Saturday afternoon.
"My dear girl," she began, "so many unusual events have happened to you
that one must needs use both congratulations and condolences. I saw the
newspaper account and it seems like the finger of Providence that you
should have been directed hither and to the arms of your real parents.
Mrs. Boyd looked very poorly the last time I saw her, a month or so ago.
I suppose there is a great deal back of the account----"
"I have wanted to see you so," returned Lilian. "I thought I would come
to the Chapel tomorrow morning. You are the only friend I have made
outside of the school, but Mrs. Barrington has been so sweet and
generous. She had planned to keep me here after mother was gone and
educate me."
The tears stood in Lilian's eyes and her voice broke with emotion.
"There is so much to talk over, and we have gone to our own home now.
Mother and I have been very busy the last four days cleaning and putting
things in order. We spent our Christmas at Mrs. Lane's and had a really
delightful time. We had planned some time ago to have you share it with
us, and now can you not spare us Sunday, if you are not going----"
"The change is to be made on Monday. Oh, Miss Trenham--I can hardly
describe my feelings. I dread it and yet my own mother is an ideal
mother. I hardly dare think of the happiness in store for me, but I
shall go on here at school. I am glad of that. I could not give up my
dear Mrs. Barrington."
"We want to hear all the story--your side," smiling gravely. "So if you
can come and dine with us on Sunday. Oh, there are so many
explanations."
"I will see. Excuse me a few moments." Lilian came back with a heartsome
expression.
"Yes, I can come. I wanted to go to the Chapel in the morning. I suppose
some of my life, at least, will be changed----"
"Yes, but it will be--yes, lovely and advantageous. I never thought
Mrs. Boyd quite the right mother for you, if you will allow me to say
it."
Lilian flushed. "But she loved me with her whole soul. She would have
made any sacrifice to advance me. All these years she has cared for me,
worked for me and I should be an ingrate to forget it. If she had lived
and this had not come, I was planning to work for her----"
"I think you would, without a demur. You would have had an excellent
friend in Mrs. Barrington, but it will be a much wider life, I am very
glad for you. There are people for whom prosperity does very little. You
will not be one of that kind. In spite of her misfortune your mother has
always had a wide and lovely influence, and the home is said to be very
attractive. I think all of Mount Morris rejoiced truly in her
restoration to health, and you will have some of the best of her life.
You will soon learn the sweet lesson of loving her."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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