THE LESSON OF THE YEARS. No year is perfect in itself: from years Wins upward, questioning look from grovelling eyes, And glorious hope that lies In the far-reaching life untold by years Our The while we think how we have failed to do Lessons we should have learned, unmastered still! Blessings we did not recognise before Save in our musings by an empty place, The blanks made in our households, and to give Ourselves for those who live Within a heart's vast reach. Did we bat link Our lives more with our fellows, we should be No life is perfect in itself, but knit Careful to sow all good and wholesome grain; MERNER MANTON. NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS. THE Editor of the CHRISTIAN WORLD MAGAZINE begs respectfully to intimate to voluntary contributors that she will not hold herself responsible for MSS. sent on approval. Unaccepted MSS. of any great length will be returned, provided the name and address of the owner is written on the first or last page, and provided also that the necessary stamps are enclosed for transmission through the post. Authors are recommended to keep copies of verses, short essays, and minor articles generally, since they cannot, under any circumstances, be returned. Misellaneous contributions are not recuested. THE CHRISTIAN WORLD MAGAZINE. FEBRUARY, 1882. WARLEIGH'S TRUST. BY THE EDITOR. CHAPTER III.-NOTHING TO LOSE, AND ALL TO GAIN! THE first week of Miss Morrison's stay in London had passed; the second week also was well on its way to completion, and still the business which had brought her up to town was unfinished, and required her presence somewhere in the City about every other day. At the end of a fortnight Hilda was reported to be very poorly. She had a bad cold, she complained of her throat, and seemed unusually bilious and cross. Mrs. Marris's heart misgave her when, after three days' assiduous nursing, and the administration of powders cleverly concealed in jelly, the little lady was none the better, but most decidedly the worse. "I do believe there is something of a rash coming out," said nurse on the fourth morning, when Miss Morrison came in as usual to ask after the invalid. "I wonder, now, if she is sickening for the measles? I heard of their being on the other side of the Square ever so long ago. What do you say, Miss Morrison ? " "I will go and look at her," replied Janetta at once. "I ought to know something about infantile maladies, for all the little Skinners have had everything it was possible for them to have since I went to live with them,-scarlatina, measles, hooping-cough, small-pox, even!" And she followed Mrs. Marris into the nightnursery, where, hot and flushed, Hilda tossed about in her pretty little cot. Janetta talked to her for a minute, but failed to excite her interest. The child was evidently very poorly, and needed medical attention. She soon closed her heavy eyes, and the two women went back to the other room to consider what had best be done, for Mr. Willabye was not at home; he had been dining with a friend at Norwood on the preceding evening, and had stayed all night. "Is it measles?" asked nurse anxiously, as soon as the door was closed. "There is no doubt as to the rash now, is there, Miss Morrison ?" "The rash means scarlatina!" replied Janetta. "I have seen it too often to be mistaken. All the symptoms are those of scarlatina, or else scarlet fever-I will go for the doctor myself straight away; I am sure no time ought to be lost in commencing the proper treatment." 66 Oh, thank you! but Susan may as well step across; she has nothing else to do. I had half a mind to send for Dr. Saunders last night, but, master not being at home, I could not quite ma'e up my mind. And, really, the darling was a little better after tea, and played with her kitten. I was half afraid myself that it might turn out to be something worse than measles." But Janetta insisted on going herself for the doctor, and she went accordingly, and "as good as brought him back with her," nurse said, for he followed almost at her heels. And her diagnosis was correct; the child was undeniably down with scarlet fever, though by no means of a dangerous type; she would require careful nursing, of course, and certain precautions must be taken and strict attention paid to orders: there was no need for anything like alarm! The fever, however, would run its course. When Frank came home that afternoon, he was for the first time not sorry to be met by Janetta. He was really glad that some one should be in the house who seemed to have all her senses about her; for Nurse Marris, though devoted to her charge, was not a particularly wise woman, and the cook was already frightened ont of her wits, lest she should take the infection. The housemaid was, on the whole, a capable young woman, but accustomed— on principle, no doubt-to take every care of herself. Disinfectants were already in full use, but Mrs. Marris and Janetta seemed likely to have the nursery very much to themselves. And Mrs. Marris was really thankful that there was some one at hand both willing and able to make herself generally useful. She did not like Miss Morrison-she had never liked her, and she was fully prepared to resent anything like interference or any invasion of her rights. But, when all was said and done, she was only too thankful not to be thrown entirely on her own resources. So Mrs. Marris and Janetta lost no time in turning the nursery apartments into a hospital; with marvellous rapidity they cleared away curtains and carpets, and adopted various disinfecting processes, that would, it was hoped, tend to isolate the fever and prevent its spread. The child was very ill for several days—so ill that Mr. Willabye refused to leave the house, and actually shared the night-watch on more than one occasion; but she was constitutionally healthy and of excellent stamina, so that in due course the disease reached its natural climax, and then quite as naturally began to disappear. In a fortnight from the commencement of the attack, Hilda was about again, though still confined to her own especial territories, and up to a given period she steadily improved; then followed a sort of relapse-a wearisome time, during which the poor child was fretful and miserable and cross, as convalescents usually are when they find themselves, in spite of occasional gleams of returning health, constantly thrown back, and still on the invalid list. There was nothing in Hilda's case to call for anything like alarm; it was not to be wondered at that so spoilt a darling continually felt herself aggrieved when compelled to submit to restraint, and forced, sorely against her will, into necessary discipline, though it was only for her own good," as her nurses perpetually informed her. But certainly she did lead them a life! as Mrs. Marris sorely complained, when she had been roused up at halfpast two in the morning, to tell the story of the little old woman whose pig refused to go over the bridge; and when her best lace cap came to ruin, under the young lady's angry fingers, which were excited to reprisals, after their small owner had been drenched with one of Dr. Saunders' most noxious draughts! Nurse Marris, who was not so young as she used to be," by any means, was sometimes very much put out by Miss Hilda's tantrums, half of which, poor child, were the result of nervous irritability, and the inevitable consequence of a long system of petting and spoiling without stint; but Janetta Morrison never lost her temper! She was always ready to play at "wild beasts"; to tell stories at any hour of the day, or in the middle of the night; to be scratched by Miss Warleigh's exasperated white pussy, which she was frequently required to endue with frills and petticoats; to assist at Liliputian tea-parties; and even to perform as a dancing bear, when it pleased the young lady that such should be the impromptu programme of the nursery! No! Janetta never lost her temper, although Hilda tried it as it had never been tried before. She behaved herself "beautifully," in Mrs. Marris's estimation; she always treated her with the utmost consideration; and while she saved her heaps of trouble, as she confessed to one of her chief friends and allies, "she never forgot herself," and never pretended to be mistress of the situation. Nor were her services in the nursery all. Hilda was still what the doctor called "puling and fractious" when the fever, which everybody hoped had finally taken its departure, showed itself again. The timid housemaid suddenly sickened, and became so dangerously ill that a nurse had to be engaged on her behalf— a nurse who, however capable as a nurse, was so much of a fine lady that she required the continual services of one or more maids at all times and seasons. Then the cook reported herself on the sick list; and though she was not attacked by the fever, she became seriously indisposed, and was ordered to keep her bed until further orders. The parlour-maid was the only efficient servant left, and it was no easy matter to find helpers, either capable or incapable, who were willing to run the risk of infection, or to subject themselves to an illimitable quarantine. One stout young damsel, with red hair and wonderfully strong arms, volunteered, at Dr. Saunders' persuasion, to undertake some of the anomalous duties required on behalf of the stricken household, and she proved herself, like William of Deloraine, "good at need," and altogether trustworthy and satisfactory. To her dying day, Mrs. Marris would never forget the good services of the rough, unkempt, freckled young woman whom at first she regarded with scorn bordering on dislike. But the mainstay of the household all through that critical time was Janetta. She was always ready for action; always knew the best thing to be done, and the best way of doing it; and, as her great admirer and friend, Jane the parlour-maid, remarked, "Miss Morrison never thought nothink of her own trouble! She made herself useful in the kitchen; she looked after cook at the very top of the house; she waited upon the hired nurse, who had no notion of waiting upon herself; she sat up all night with poor delirious Susan; she kept Hilda amused and tolerably contented; she mended the house linen, and interviewed a laundress of more than average impudence, of whose tongue Mrs. Marris was actually in dread; and she was always happy to preside at Mr. Willabye's tea-table or at his breakfast table, provided the imperious little Hilda consented to dispense with her attendance. It was even reported afterwards that Miss Morrison swept the bedrooms and made the beds, when matters were at the worst! and a greengrocer, who called daily for orders, declared that he saw her at the kitchen-window polishing her own boots! There was nothing just then which Janetta demurred at doing, and all honour to her for the doing, so far as her motives were pure and honourable. And yet, withal, Frank felt uneasy, when he reflected that |