"All the better for her; she's a steady girl, though she may be getting a little Methodistical; but that's a great deal better than the silly thoughts that seem to fill her sister's mind. A vain, dressy, giddy girl will make a miserable, helpless, extravagant wife for any man who has the misfortune to marry her; and even if the old uncle could give her a good settlement, I should never wish to see that little simpleton daughter-in-law of mine." "Dear, dear, Mr. Ashton, of course not," said his wife; "Henry would never be so foolish." Mr. Harry was saved the necessity of a reply by the entrance of Ellen and Fanny, when he started up to offer his escort home. Whereupon Jane, burning with indignation, threw open the door, and haughtily declined his services. "Whatever is the matter with you, Jane?" exclaimed Ellen, as soon as they had left the house; "I never saw you so rude and disagreeable before." "I am very sorry, I don't wish to be rude or disagreeable," said Jane; "but I do wish I could persuade you to—" "To come and be made a Methodist, I dare say," cried Ellen, angrily; "but you need not expect it, so don't waste your trouble upon me." Jane said no more until they reached their own room, when, putting her arm round her sister, and affectionately kissing her half reluctant cheek, she whispered the conversation she had overheard, so far only as it related to Ellen herself. In vain Ellen would have doubted; she knew that Jane scorned a falsehood; and after a hysterical struggle to exhibit no other feeling than indignation at the impertinence, she laid her head on her sister's shoulder and wept bitter tears of mortification and distress. "Dear Ellen," said Jane, when the disappointed girl was a little calmed, "if you would but trust those who love you, instead of such friends as these, how happy we might be! Will you not hear about Jesus Christ, and let us follow him together? O, Ellen, he is no pretended friend, to laugh at our faults when we are out of sight. He screens them from others, and shows them only to ourselves, that we may confess them, and that he may forgive them. I do feel that this vexatious event has strengthened in me every desire and resolution I ever had to serve and follow him, for he is the faithful and true Friend, and just the one we need to keep us safe from harm and trouble." And if the little girl at the house of mourning had been present to ask again, in her artless tone of wishful inquiry, "Do 'you' love Jesus Christ?" Jane's full heart would have prompted the reply, "'Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.'" CHAPTER III. OBSTINATE ELLEN. MARY DAVIS and her friend Jane were one day in the show-room together, completing some arrangements for the display of fashions, which, at stated periods of the year, brought all the ladies of the neighborhood to inspect Miss Baylis's tasteful and tempting productions.