The Carved Cupboard | Page 4

door was a troubled one. She saw the old woman in her
easy chair by the fire; Gwen and the two younger ones making
themselves comfortable round her; and all were talking freely to her of
what had passed downstairs.
'Come along, Agatha; has he gone?'
'Yes,' was the reply; 'and I have come to Nannie to be soothed. All the
way upstairs I have been saying to myself, "Fret not thyself, because of
him who prospereth in his way." But it is hard to see his
self-complacency.'
'Poor old thing! When Agatha is disturbed, it must be something indeed!
Here is a seat. Nannie has been scolding us, and now she shall scold
you.'
CHAPTER II
Four Verses
'In preparing a guide to immortality, Infinite Wisdom gave not a
dictionary, nor a grammar, but a Bible--a book of heavenly doctrine,
but withal of earthly adaptation.'--J. Hamilton.

The old woman looked through her glasses at her four nurslings with a
loving eye; then she said very quietly, 'I have been hearing all about
your plans, Miss Agatha, and I'm thinking you have shown your
wisdom in keeping a home together. Forgive my plain speaking. I
know 'tis an age for young ladies to make homes for themselves,
anywhere and everywhere, but unless a woman is married, 'tis a risky
undertakin'! I've been inclined to fret that my working days are over,
for dearly would I like to have gone with you, and done what I could to
make you comfortable; but 'tis the Lord's will, and my age and
helplessness doesn't prevent me from prayin' for you all! You have the
same psalm in your mind, Miss Agatha, that I have been readin' and
studyin' this afternoon. I would dearly like to give you each a verse out
of it, if you won't take offence.'
'We're in for one of Nannie's preaches!' said Gwen, laughing, as she
placed a large-print Bible before her old nurse; 'but we shan't have a
chance of many more, so we promise to be attentive!'
'Ay, dear Miss Gwen, it isn't a preach! How often you come up here to
have a cup o' tea to refresh your bodies! and 'tis a bit of refreshment to
your souls that I'm now makin' so bold as to offer.' Nannie turned over
the pages of her beloved Bible with a reverent hand, then she looked
across at Agatha.
'My dear Miss Agatha, there are four verses here, with a command and
a promise. I should like to give you each one to think of, through all the
troubles and trials that may come to you. Will you mark it in your own
Bibles, and live it out, remembering it was Nannie's verse for you, so
that when I'm dead and gone you may still have the comfort and
teachin' of it?'
Agatha was touched by the old woman's solemn earnestness.
'Yes, Nannie, give it to me, and I will try and put it "into practice."'
Nannie's voice rang out in the dusky firelit room, as she repeated, more
from memory than by sight,--

'Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and
verily thou shalt be fed!'
'Thank you, Nannie,' said Agatha after a pause, 'I will look it up and
remember it.'
'Now mine, please,' said Gwen, looking over the old woman's shoulder.
'Is it the next verse for me?'
'No, my dear, I think not. It seems to me that this must be the Lord's
word to you: "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He
shall bring it to pass."'
'You have given me that because you think I like choosing my own
way through life, now haven't you?'
'Maybe I have. Choosing our own ways and goin' in them always bring
trouble in the end. Now, Miss Clare, your verse is the beginning of the
one Miss Agatha was sayin': "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for
Him"; and, Miss Elfie, this is for you, "Delight thyself also in the Lord,
and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."'
'And I am the only one that has got a command without a promise,' said
Clare reproachfully.
Nannie looked at Clare, then at her big Bible again.
'You have a promise further on, Miss Clare, "Those that wait upon the
Lord, they shalt inherit the earth."'
'Ah, Nannie, that is too big a promise to realize. If it was to inherit
Dane Hall now!'
'My dear, since you were a little wee child, you have always been
looking for something big. You will inherit more from God Almighty,
if you wait for Him, than ever you could inherit without Him!'
There was silence for a few minutes; then Gwen said, trying to speak