Miss Dexie | Page 6

young protégé that he was taken into the
family, and was given an education that enabled him, in later years, to
be of much service to his benefactors.
In looks he favored both parents, inheriting the strong, sturdy frame of
his Scotch father, with the dark features and piercing black eyes of his
mother. At present, he occupied the position of clerk or general
factotum to Mr. Gurney; his quickness and ability to grasp the
requirements of business, with the general activity of his movements,
made him invaluable, and Mr. Gurney trusted him like a son. Amongst
other duties, Hugh frequently attended auction sales, to watch for
bargains in their line of business, and it was at one of these sales that
Mrs. Sherwood met him. She had accompanied Mrs. Nelson to a sale of
bankrupt stock, and wishing to secure some desired articles she asked
Hugh's assistance, and he served her so well that he was asked to call,
and he was received so graciously by more than one member of the
family that the call was often repeated, and he soon had the "freedom of
the house," as Dexie laughingly expressed it.
The English custom of playing at charades or tableaux, was much in
vogue in the Gurney household, and on rainy days the children were
sure to be found in the attic, where a mimic stage had been erected, and
drop curtains of a peculiar style and pattern added to the attractions of
the place. The young neighbors next door were soon initiated into the
mysteries of the "green room," and their added numbers made the
audience seem immense, since it took every available box and board to
construct "opera chairs" for the crowd; but every chair was sure to be
filled when the new "star," Signora Dexina, was announced to appear
before the footlights, and if these latter were but candles left from the
last Christmas tree, what mattered it?
One day while up in the attic rehearsing a new piece, the idea occurred
to them that a private entrance into each other's apartments, by way of
the attic, would be a great convenience, so they eagerly searched the
partition for a loose board. Finding one that was quite broad, they put

forth every exertion, and after much shoving and prying, during which
their fingers received many splinters and bruises, they succeeded in
getting the board loose from the floor. By shoving it aside, they could
squeeze through the opening into the opposite attic, then the board
would swing back to its old position.
The "convenience" of this private entrance only children could explain,
as it seemed hardly worth the exertion to climb three pair of stairs for
the pleasure of entering the house of their next-door neighbor by this
narrow doorway, but the children were delighted with it. In after-years
others, long past childhood, did not scruple to use this doorway, and
silently bless the hands that formed it.
The good old custom of family worship was daily practised in the
Gurney household, and appearing suddenly in the dining-room one
morning, just as the family were about to "take books," Dexie stayed to
prayers, and was so impressed with the charm and simplicity of the
devotions, that she asked permission to come again.
The exercises consisted of reading, verse about, a portion of Scripture,
then a verse or two of some well-known hymn was sung, after which
Mr. Gurney made a short prayer, using simple words within the
comprehension of the little ones. Special mention was made of the
needs of the family. If any of them were ill, they were mentioned by
name, and it gave Dexie a curious feeling the first time she knelt with
the family to hear Mr. Gurney ask for a "particular blessing to rest on
our young neighbor, who worships with us this morning." The charm of
it all seemed to be in the feeling of reality there was about it, the
decorous behavior of the little ones showing that it meant more than
outside form to them. None of the Gurney family was excused from
this morning worship unless sickness made it impossible to appear, and
it soon became a regular thing for Dexie Sherwood to make her
appearance with her Bible when the bell rang for prayers. Dexie
thoroughly enjoyed these exercises, her religious education having been
limited to the little she had learned in Sunday School, for the Bible was
not a very well read book in the Sherwood household, and its treasures
were almost unknown, until they were opened to her eyes by the

Gurneys.
Aunt Jennie was much surprised when she learned the cause of Dexie's
frequent morning visits next door. The evident desire for instruction
which made her niece seek from others what should have