t is quite new to me. I don't
know where to read first, but I suppose it makes no difference."

"Indeed it does make great difference," he said, smiling, "and you will
enjoy finding out how to read it. Chautauqua is a good place for such a
study, and the Bible reading this evening is an excellent place to
commence. Are you going?"

"Yes, indeed!" Flossy said, with brightening eyes. "I have been looking
forward to it all day. I can't think what a Bible reading is. Do they
just read verses in the Bible?"

"Yes," he said, smiling. "It is just Bible verses, with a word of
explanation now and then and a little singing. But the Bible verses are
something remarkable, as you will see. It is nearly time for service.
Are you ready? Shall we walk down and secure seats?"

So they went down together it the early twilight, and took seats under
the trees amid the glowing of brilliant lights and the soft sound of
music coming from the piano on the stand.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE SILENT WITNESS.

That Bible reading! I wish I could make it appear to you as it did to
Flossy; Shipley. Not that either, because I trust that the sound of the
Bible verses is not so utterly new to you as it was to her--rather, that
it might sound to you as it did to the earnest-souled young man who sat
beside her, taking in ever; word with as much eagerness as if some of
the verses had not been his dear and long-cherished friends; nay, with
more eagerness on that account.

Do you know Dr. Parsons, of Boston? It was he who conducted that
reading, and his theme was, "The Coming of the Lord."

Let me give you just a few of the groupings as he called them forth
from his congregation under the trees, and which he called "the Lord's
own testimonies to his coming:"

"Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."
"Therefore, be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the
Son of man cometh." "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor
the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." "Take ye heed, watch and pray:
for ye know not when the time is."

Four solemn warnings from the Head of the vineyard. They reached to
Flossy's very soul, and she had that old well-known thrill of feeling
that almost every Christian has some time experienced.

"If _I_ had only been there; if He had spoken such words to _me_, I
could never, never have forgotten, or been neglectful. If I could only
have heard Him speak!" And as if in answer to thi