noon? Turn where she
would they were wiping away the tears; she felt herself as if she could
hardly keep back her own; and yet why should she weep? What had that
song to do with her? _She_ certainly was not a prodigal: she had never
wandered, for she had never professed to be a Christian.

What strange logic, that because I have never owned my Father's love and
care, therefore I am not a wanderer from him!

Ruth did not understand it; she felt almost provoked; had she not
decided this very afternoon and for the first time in her life that it
was fitting and eminently the proper thing to do to unite with the
church, and had she not determined upon doing it just as soon as the
season was over? What more could she do? Why could she not now have a
little peace? If this was the "comfort" and "rest" that the Christians
at Chautauqua had been talking about for a week, she was sure the less
she had of them the better, for she never felt so uncomfortable in her
life. Nevertheless, she adhered to her resolution.

So settled was she that it was the next proper thing to do that she
staid at home from the meeting that evening to write a letter to Mr.
Wayne, the gentleman who you will perhaps remember, accompanied the
girls to the depot on the morning of their departure, and expressed his
disgust with the whole plan.

As this is the first _religious_ letter Miss Ruth Erskine ever wrote,
you shall be gratified with a copy of it:

"DEAR HAROLD:

"I am alone in the tent this evening--the girls have all gone to
meeting; but I, finding it exhaustive, not to say tiresome, to be so
constantly listening to sermons, have staid at home to write to you. I
have something to tell you which I know will please you. I am going to
start for Saratoga to-morrow morning. I think I shall take the 10:50
train. Now don't you make up your mind to laugh at me and say that I
have grown tired of Chautauqua sooner than any of the rest. It is true
enough.

"You know my mode of life and my enjoyments are necessarily very
different from Eurie's and Marion's. Those two naturally look upon this
place as an escape from every-day drudgery; in short, as an economical
place in which to enjoy a vacation and see a good deal of first-class
society; for there are a great many first-class people here, there is no
denying that. Not many from our set, you know, but a great many
celebreties in the literary world that it is really very pleasant to
see.

"I am not