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Chapters (55)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. CONTENTS
  4. Foreword to The Cullen Collection
  5. Introduction to Weighed and Wanting
  6. 1. A Bad Weather Holiday
  7. 2. An Eventful Walk
  8. 3. Hester Alone
  9. 4. The Aquarium
  10. 5. Amy Amber
  11. 6. Cornelius and Vavasor
  12. 7. Hester and Amy
  13. 8. A Beginning in Hester
  14. 9. A Private Exhibition
  15. 10. Vavasor and Hester
  16. 11. The Concert Room
  17. 12. Sudden Change
  18. 13. Yrndale
  19. 14. Down the Hill
  20. 15. Out of the Frying Pan
  21. 16. Waiting a Purpose
  22. 17. Major H. G. Marvel
  23. 18. The Major and Vavasor
  24. 19. A Walk Along the River
  25. 20. An Unpleasant Interview
  26. 21. Corney’s Holiday
  27. 22. A Distinguished Guest
  28. 23. Courtship in Earnest
  29. 24. Calamity
  30. 25. In London
  31. 26. A Talk with the Major
  32. 27. A Scuffle
  33. 28. Gartley and the Major
  34. 29. Further Down
  35. 30. Differences
  36. 31. Deep Calleth Unto Deep
  37. 32. Deliverance
  38. 33. On the Way Up
  39. 34. The Attic Room
  40. 35. Amy and Corney
  41. 36. Miss Vavasor
  42. 37. Mr. Christopher
  43. 38. An Arrangement
  44. 39. Things at Yrndale
  45. 40. The Return
  46. 41. A Sad Beginning
  47. 42. Mother and Son
  48. 43. Miss Dasomma and Amy
  49. 44. The Sick Room
  50. 45. Vengeance Is Mine
  51. 46. Father and Daughter-in-law
  52. 47. The Message
  53. 48. A Family
  54. 49. A Birthday Gift
  55. ENDNOTES

Mark was in many things an exception—a curious mixture of child and youth. He had never been strong and had always been thoughtful. God is the God of little children, and is at home with them.

Saffy was a thing of smiles and tears just as they chose to come. She had not a suspicion yet that the exercise of any operative power on herself was possible to her—not to say required of her. Many men and women are in the same condition who have grown cold and hard in it. She was soft and warm, on the way to wakefulness and action. Even now, when a good thought came she would give it a stranger’s welcome, but the first appeal to her sense would drive it out-of-doors again.

Before the three had done with their ramble, what with the sweet twilight gladness of Mark, the merry noonday brightness of Saffy, and the loveliness all around, the heart of Hester was quiet and hopeful as if waiting in the blue night for the rising of the moon. She had some things to trouble her, but none of them had touched the quick of her being. She was at last beginning to see that it is God who means everything as we read it, however poor or mingled with mistake our reading may be. And the soothing of his presence in what we call nature was now coming to work on Hester, helping her toward that quietness of spirit without which the will of God can scarce be perceived.

14. Down the Hill

—Fourteen —

Down the Hill

When Franks, the acrobat, and his family left Mrs. Baldwin’s garret to go to another yet poorer lodging, it was with heavy hearts. They crept silently away to go down another step of the world’s stair. And yet how often on the steps of this world, when you think you are going down, you are really ascending. I think it was so with the Frankses and the stair they were on.

I think God has more to do with the fortunes of the poor a thousand fold than with those of the rich. In the fortunes of the poor there are many more changes, and they are of greater import as coming closer to the heart of their condition. They have more variations of weather, more sunshine and shade, more storms and calms, than lives passed on airier slopes. Who could think of God as a God like Christ and imagine he would not care as much for the family of John Franks as for the family of Gerald Raymount?