ediately began to fix her side-combs, or if they seemed to
be noticing her dress, she felt her belt and looked down at herself to
see if anything was wrong. Half the time they were not looking at her at
all, and not even giving her a thought. And I've known her to agonize
for days over some trifle, some remark she had made or some one had made
to her, that every one but her had forgotten. She developed into a
dreadful bore, because she never could forget herself, and was always
looking at her affairs through a magnifying-glass.

"Now if you should keep out of Rob's way after this, and act as if you
had done something to be ashamed of, which you have not, don't you see
that your very actions would remind him of what you want him to forget?
But if when you meet him you are your own bright, cheerful, friendly
little self, this morning's scene will fade into a dim background."

Only half-convinced, Mary nodded that she understood, but still
proceeded to wipe her eyes at intervals.

"Then, there's another thing," continued Betty. "If you sit and brood
over your mortification, it will spread all over your sky like a black
cloud, till it will seem bigger than any of the good times you have
had. In the dear old garden at Warwick Hall there is a sun-dial that has
this inscription on it, 'I only mark the hours that shine,' So I am
going to give you that as a text. Now, dear, that is the end of my
sermon, but here is the application."

She pointed to a row of little white books on the shelf above her desk,
all bound in kid, with her initials stamped on the back in gold. "Those
are my good-times books. 'I only mark the hours that shine' in them, and
when things go wrong and I get discouraged over my mistakes, I glance
through them and find that there's lots more to laugh over than cry
about, and I'm going to recommend the same course to you. Godmother gave
me the first volume when I came to the first house-party, and the little
record gave me so much pleasure that I've gone on adding volume after
volume. Suppose you try it, dear. Will you, if I give you a book?"

"Yes," answered Mary, who had heard of these books before, and longed
for a peep into them. She had her wish now, for, taking them down from
the shelf, Betty read an extract here and there, to illustrate what she
meant. Presently, to their astonishment, they heard Mom Beck knocking at
Lloyd's door to awaken her, and Betty realized with a start that she
had been reading