“Godwillrewardyou，Ihope，“repliedtheabbe，gentlyjoininghishandsandraisingthemtowardsheavenasifheweremakingabriefmentalprayer。
So，fromthetimeshewassixyearsoldthelittleorphanlivedunderthereligiousinfluenceoftheabbe，justasshehadalreadycomeundertheeducationaltrainingofherfriendJordy。
Thecaptain，formerlyaprofessorinamilitaryacademy，havingatasteforgrammarandforthedifferencesamongEuropeanlanguages，hadstudiedtheproblemofauniversaltongue。Thislearnedman，patientasmostoldscholarsare，delightedinteachingUrsulatoreadandwrite。HetaughtheralsotheFrenchlanguageandallsheneededtoknowofarithmetic。Thedoctor’slibraryaffordedachoiceofbookswhichcouldbereadbyachildforamusementaswellasinstruction。
Theabbeandthesoldierallowedtheyoungmindtoenrichitselfwiththefreedomandcomfortwhichthedoctorgavetothebody。Ursulalearnedassheplayed。Religionwasgivenwithduereflection。Lefttofollowthedivinetrainingofanaturethatwasledintoregionsofpuritybythesejudiciouseducators，Ursulainclinedmoretosentimentthantoduty；shetookasherruleofconductthevoiceofherownconscienceratherthanthedemandsofsociallaw。Inher，nobilityoffeelingandactionwouldeverbespontaneous；herjudgmentwouldconfirmtheimpulseofherheart。Shewasdestinedtodorightasapleasurebeforedoingitasanobligation。ThisdistinctionisthepeculiarsignofChristianeducation。Theseprinciples，altogetherdifferentfromthosethataretaughttomen，weresuitableforawoman，——thespiritandtheconscienceofthehome，thebeautifierofdomesticlife，thequeenofherhousehold。AllthreeoftheseoldpreceptorsfollowedthesamemethodwithUrsula。Insteadofrecoilingbeforetheboldquestionsofinnocence，theyexplainedtoherthereasonsofthingsandthebestmeansofaction，takingcaretogivehernonebutcorrectideas。When，aproposofaflower，astar，abladeofgrass，herthoughtswentstraighttoGod，thedoctorandtheprofessortoldherthatthepriestalonecouldanswerher。Noneofthemintrudedontheterritoryoftheothers；thedoctortookchargeofhermaterialwell-beingandthethingsoflife；Jordy’sdepartmentwasinstruction；moralandspiritualquestionsandtheideasappertainingtothehigherlifebelongedtotheabbe。Thisnobleeducationwasnot，asitoftenis，counteractedbyinjudiciousservants。LaBougival，havingbeenlecturedonthesubject，andbeing，moreover，toosimpleinmindandcharactertointerfere，didnothingtoinjuretheworkofthesegreatminds。Ursula，aprivilegedbeing，grewupwithgoodgeniusesroundher；andhernaturallyfinedispositionmadethetaskofeachasweetandeasyone。Suchmanlytenderness，suchgravitylightedbysmiles，suchlibertywithoutdanger，suchperpetualcareofsoulandbodymadelittleUrsula，whennineyearsofage，awell-trainedchildanddelightfultobehold。
Unhappily，thispaternaltrinitywasbrokenup。Theoldcaptaindiedthefollowingyear，leavingtheabbeandthedoctortofinishhiswork，ofwhich，however，hehadaccomplishedthemostdifficultpart。