g,

"Jesus shall reign where'er the sun
Does his successive journeys run,"

and was at once joined by the others.

"Now, dear friends," said Mrs. Thurston, when the hymn was finished,
"upon this, the only occasion we are all likely to be together, shall we
not unite in asking God to hasten the coming of this glorious time, and
ask for his blessing on our humble attempts to work in this cause?"

Work was dropped and every head bowed, as Mrs. Thurston uttered fervent
words of prayer that the Lord would fill all their hearts with love for
missions, and that he would permit them to do something towards helping
in the work. She prayed especially for the children who were engaged in
missionary work, and asked that they might have grace given them to
devote their whole lives to the service of God.

"Well," said Mrs. Clarkson, as she was leaving, "this has been a right
down pleasant meeting, and I think the last part was just about the
best."

CHAPTER XIX.

THE GARDEN MISSIONARY MEETING.

Two or three days afterwards Miss Fanny, with one of her young friends,
came up to tell the farmhouse people that the box had gone. She said
that Mr. Sims had given them a box, and had also kindly attended to
sending it off.

The day after the meeting, when Hiram went down to the postoffice, Marty
and Evaline had each sent by him a book for the missionary children, and
Miss Fanny said that this prompted some of the children at the hotel to
send books.

During the remainder of the summer there was frequent intercourse
between the hotel and the farmhouse, and the "mission workers,"
particularly, learned to love each other very much. Marty felt very
proud to be numbered among these workers, though she was only a "twig."
She said,

"I'll have a great deal to tell Miss Agnes and the girls when I go
home--sha'n't I, mamma?"

Some new members joined the mountain band, and by the last of August it
numbered twenty-one. Ruth said she wished very much that before Mrs.
Thurston left they might have her meet with the band. She thought they
would all take greater interest in mission work if they could hear
something of it from one who had spent so many years in the midst of it.
Mrs. Thurston said she would be very happy to attend a meeting and talk
with the members. So arrangements were made to have her do so.

It would be impossible for her to reach the grove, as she could not walk
so far, and the drive from the hotel to M