Mr. Barleydon looked at me in surprise, then
looked at the book and asked kind of funny, 'Do you understand it, boy?'
'No sir!' I told him, 'but somehow I feel it better for not being able
to understand it quite.' And that's how I feel about some of the things
you told us. Do you suppose that's all right?"

"I think, Peri," said Joe soberly, "that is the real understanding."

"Say, you know what a fellow's driving at," cried Periwinkle with
delight. "Jerry, the clown was sympathetic like that. I think that
Jerry, next to you and your dad, is the most Christian person, I know.
Aunt Hetty ain't one though," he finished rather bluntly.

"Why Peri," protested the minister's son, "your Aunt Hetty is one of the
best workers in the church. She belongs--" Joe smiled as he hesitated,
"to our Ladies Aid, the Adult Bible Class, the Ladies Missionary
Society, and if I am not mistaken also to a Temperance Union, an
Anti-cigarette Club and a host of others."

"But she doesn't love her enemies," was Periwinkle's reply.

Joe smiled to see how deep an impression this injunction made on both
children.

"And all the Greys are her enemies," continued Periwinkle, "especially
Mr. Robert Grey. Now I think he is a fine man."

"He is," was the warm rejoinder.

"I guess they were in love once. And then--just because of a pig--I
think it's dreadful, Joe."

The boy had touched on a subject that was a matter of concern with his
teacher and one to which he had given much thought.

"Peri," he cried, "if I had the chance my father has every Sunday, I
would tell them that they are showing themselves to be mighty poor
Christians. But then dad knows best, of course. He's had years of
experience to help him. Only I don't see how he stands it. For three
years he has been trying to bring the Maises and the Greys together and
he is not discouraged, though I can't see any results, Peri--" Joe
stopped suddenly.

"What, Joe?"

"You'll be starting to school soon. There will be Greys and Maises
there. I know that if I speak to them about it--and I will--the Greys
won't pitch into you unless you start something."

"I won't do it. I'd just as lief fight a Maise as a Grey any day. I
ain't--b i g o t e d."

A sudden smile lit up the features of Joe Smith. It shone from his eyes,
parted his lips, lurked in the dimple in his chin, and then slowly died
away. His eyes held it the longest.

That smile had won many a friend for the lad. It made him a fav