Mrs. Minturn visits Hilton.
Everything moved along harmoniously with Katherine
in school. Of course, there was work to be done
and it required diligence, patience and perseverance
to accomplish her daily tasks. But there is always
satisfaction in overcoming difficulties, for such
conquest never fails to strengthen and uplift.
Between Sadie and herself there existed the tenderest
relations. Every day seemed to draw them closer
to each other, for divine Love was now the mutually
acknowledged bond between them. The girl had
provided herself with the necessary books and was doing
more than “looking towards the Light”—she
was really trying to walk in it. She was also
striving to “do her best” during this,
her last year at school, as she had avowed she would,
and was reaping her reward by finding that she was
daily gaining in mental strength and capacity.
Jennie also was making good progress. She did
not love fun and frolic one whit less, but she now
sought it in legitimate hours and ways, and never
allowed herself to “kick over the traces,”
or, in other words, to break rules, and so jeopardize
her record, although, as she once confessed, with
the old mischievous sparkle in her eyes, “the
apples of Sodom did look very alluring sometimes.”
So the Christmas vacation found them, and Katherine
and Jennie went “home” to New York City,
where every day was filled with delightful experiences,
Mr. and Mrs. Minturn having spared nothing to make
these holidays the brightest of the year, especially
for their protegee whose pleasures had been so limited.
There was nothing to mar their enjoyment during the
two “heavenly” weeks. They were like
a pair of happy children, and not the least of their
pleasure consisted in helping Mrs. Minturn distribute
her yearly reminders among those of whom One said,
“The poor ye always have with you.”
And when, on Christmas morning, at breakfast, the
packages beside the various plates were inspected,
there were bright faces and loving smiles, and in
one case almost a rain of tears, in view of the numerous
and lovely mementoes for which the recipient was wholly
unprepared. But it was only a “sunshower,”
and when Mr. Minturn, with a quizzical look, told her
to “take care, for she was losing some of her
pearls,” she laughingly wiped the glittering
drops away and retorted:
“I wish they were real pearls, and I would heap
them upon you all.”
When it was all over and the two girls were rolling
swiftly on their way back to school, Jennie, her face
radiant with delightful memories, informed Katherine
that she had “never had such an out and out
jolly time in all her life before.”
“It is like a diamond to me,” she said,
“for it will glisten and sparkle in my mind
as long as I remember anything about this life.
But, best of all,” she continued, earnestly,
“has been the Science part of it; those lovely
services and meetings! and your mother’s talks!
Oh! Katherine, if I could be with her all the
time I know I should grow to be a good Scientist!”
