e trees above
them, and their voices as pleasant to hear. Having turned the corner,
they began to meet a company of children, who came along, sometimes in
groups, again in detachments of twos and threes, all clad in white,
with white veils upon their heads and floating about them as they
passed joyously on, as if keeping time to the music of their own happy
hearts. Poor children they were, most of them, with plain, ordinary
faces, but upon which now shone a light that made one think of old
sweet stories,--of St. Ursula and her throng of spotless maidens; of
Genevieve, the child-shepherdess of Nanterre. Who that has ever
witnessed such a scene can forget it!--this flock of fair, spotless
doves amid the dust or mire of the city streets, that by their very
passing bring even to the indifferent spectator a thought above gain or
traffic,--a memory perhaps of guileless days and noble aspirations, as,
looking up at the blue, calm sky, perchance he likens them to the snowy
cloudlets that gather nearest to the sun and are irradiated by its
brightness.

"Why," exclaimed Constance, "here come the first communicants of St.
Joseph's parish! They must be just going home from Mass. How happy
they all are, and how pretty in their white dresses!"

"They do look lovely," assented Lillie, readily. "How could they help
it? And some of the dresses are nice, but surely you see, Connie, that
others are made of dreadfully common material, and the veils are coarse
cotton stuff."

"Well, I suppose they couldn't afford any better," returned Constance,
regretfully.

"I declare there's Annie Brogan, whose mother works for us!--don't you
know?" cried Lillie, darting toward a girl who had parted with several
others at a cross-street and was walking on alone.

As Constance did know, she hastened to greet her, and to vie with
Lillie in congratulating her. "O Annie, what a happy day for
you!"--"What a favored girl you are!"--"I almost envy you!"--"We have
three whole weeks to wait yet!" This is about what they said, again and
again, within the next few minutes; while Annie turned from one to the
other, with an added gentleness of manner, a smile upon her lips, and a
more thoughtful expression in her grey eyes.

Yes, she was happy; she felt that this was indeed the most beautiful
day of her life. To be almost envied, too, by such girls as Lillie
Davis and Constance Hammond! This was almost incredible; and so she
continued to smile at th