o a bit of
work which while it was in no way connected with war work, still helped
to interest her deeply and keep her thinking along the lines that had
been started while she was with John Cameron.

A quiet, shy, plain little woman, an old member of the church and noted
for good work, came hurrying down the aisle after the morning service and
implored a young girl in the pew just in front of Ruth to help her that
afternoon in an Italian Sunday school she was conducting in a small
settlement about a mile and a half from Bryne Haven:

"It's only to play the hymns, Miss Emily," she said. "Carrie Wayne has to
go to a funeral. She always plays for me. I wouldn't ask you if I could
play the least mite myself, but I can't. And the singing won't go at all
without someone to play the piano."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Beck, but I really can't!" pleaded Miss Emily
quickly. "I promised to help out in the canteen work this afternoon. You
know the troop trains are coming through, and Mrs. Martin wanted me to
take her place all the afternoon."

Mrs. Beck's face expressed dismay. She gave a hasty glance around the
rapidly emptying church.

"Oh, dear, I don't know what I'll do!" she said.

"Oh, let them do without singing for once," suggested the carefree Emily.
"Everybody ought to learn to do without something in war time. We
conserve sugar and flour, let the Italians conserve singing!" and with a
laugh at her own brightness she hurried away.

Ruth reached forward and touched the troubled little missionary on the
arm:

"Would I do?" she asked. "I never played hymns much, but I could try."

"Oh! Would you?" A flood of relief went over the woman's face, and Ruth
was instantly glad she had offered. She took Mrs. Beck down to the
settlement in her little runabout, and the afternoon's experience opened
a new world to her. It was the first time she had ever come in contact
with the really poor and lowly of the earth, and she proved herself a
true child of God in that she did not shrink from them because many of
them were dirty and poorly clad. Before the first afternoon was over she
had one baby in her arms and three others hanging about her chair with
adoring glances. They could not talk in her language, but they stared
into her beautiful face with their great dark eyes, and spoke queer
unintelligible words to one another about her. The whole little company
were delighted with the new "pretty lady" who had come among them. They
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