CHAPTER XIII.
THE OLD SHAFT.
Black Bess began to visit the cinder-hill cabin very often.

But there was a fatal mistake, which poor Stephen, in his simplicity and single-heartedness, was a long time in discovering.

Martha herself had not truly set out on the path of obedience to God's commandments; and it was not possible that she could teach Bess how to keep them.

A Christian cannot be like a finger-post, which only points the way to a place, but never goes there itself.

She could teach Bess the words of the hymn, and the tunes they were sung to; but she could tell her nothing of the feeling of praise and love to the Saviour with which Stephen sang them, and out of which all true obedience must flow.