One Hundred Forty-Seventh Page of Text with Inscription in the 1853 H. G. Bohn Reprint, Version 2

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REPENTANCE AND AMENDMENT.


her neck, and hid her face on her shoulder again; and without raising it she gave her the history of the morning.

“ What has brought about this dreadful state of things ? ” said Alice after a few minutes. “ Whose fault is it, Ellen ? ”

“ I think it is aunt Fox’tune’s fault,” said Ellen, raising her head ;

“ I don’t think it is mine. If she had behaved well to me I should have behaved well to her. I meant to, I am sure.”

“Do you mean to say you do not think you have been in fault at all in the matter ! ”

“ No, ma’am—I do not mean to say that. I have been very much in fault—very often—I know that. I get very angry and vexed, and sometimes I say nothing, but sometimes I get out of all patience and say things I ought not. I did so to-day ; but it is so very hard to keep still when I am in such a passion ;—and now I have got to feel so towards aunt Fortune that I don’t like the sight of her ; I hate the very look of her bonnet hanging up on the wall. I know it isn’t right: and it makes me miserable ; and I can’t help it, for I grow worse and worse every day ;—and what shall I do ? ”

Ellen’s tears came faster than her words.

“Ellen, my child,” said Alice after a while,—“there is but one way. You know what I said to you yesterday ? ”

“ I know it, but dear Miss Alice, in my reading this morning I came to that verse that speaks about not being forgiven if we do not forgive others ; and oh ! how it troubles me ; for I can’t feel that I forgive aunt Fortune ; I feel vexed whenever the thought of her comes into my head ; and how can I behave right to her while I feel so ? ”

“You are right there, my dear; you cannot indeed; the heart must be set right before the life can be.”

“ But what shall I do to set it right ? ”

“ Pray.”

“ Dear Miss Alice, I have been praying all this morning that I might forgive aunt Fortune, and yet I cannot do it.”

“ Pray still, my dear,” said Alice, pressing her closer in her arms, —“pray still; if you are in earnest the answer will come. But there is something else you can do, and must do, Ellen, besides praying, or praying may be in vain.”

“ What do you mean, Miss Alice ? ”

“You acknowledge yourself in fault—have you made all the amends you can ? Have you, as soon as you have seen yourself in the wrong, gone to your aunt Fortune and acknowledged it, and humbly asked her pardon ? ”

Ellen answered “ no ” in a low voice.

“ Then, my child, your duty is plain before you. The next thing after doing wrong is to make all the amends in your power; confess your fault, and ask forgiveness, both of God and man. Pride struggles against it,—I see yours does,—but my child,"God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.'"