own, a portion of the principal must be withdrawn. After some reflection
upon the subject, my mother decided that a good education might prove of
more value to me than money, so a portion of the money was drawn, and we
began the preparations for my departure from home. It was the high
reputation which the school sustained that influenced my mother in her
decision to send me so far from home. There was a lady residing in the
near vicinity of the school who had been a loved school-mate of my
mother in their youthful days. My mother wrote to her upon the subject
and received a very friendly reply, informing her that, owing to their
own early friendship, she would be most happy to fill a mother's place
to me, so long as I should wish to remain at school. I should have been
much elated at the proposed journey had it not been for the thought of
leaving my mother, who had ever been my confidant and adviser. My mother
also felt keenly the coming departure, although she strove to conceal
her feelings as much as possible. I strongly objected to leaving her
alone, but we had as yet been unable to devise any plan to avoid so
doing. My mother would have rented a portion of our dwelling, but it was
not adapted for the convenience of two families, neither could she
endure the disquiet of keeping boarders.

"Clara," said my mother one day, as we sat at work, "I think I will send
for Aunt Patience to come and stay with me during your absence."

She laughed outright at the look of dismay with which I regarded her,
occasioned by the recollection which I retained of a visit she paid us
when I was eight years of age. She was a maiden lady somewhat advanced
in years, possessed of a very kind heart and many excellent qualities;
but the name of Patience seemed to me a misapplication in her case, for
she certainly possessed but a small quantity of that valuable article.
Early in life she had passed through many trials, which might have