th questions, until Ruth feared she would be worn out, and
said the meeting had better close.

"Oh! I like to talk about my dear India," said Mrs. Thurston with a
tearful smile; "and if it is any help to you all in your work, I am only
too willing to give you the help."

"You have helped us ever so much," replied Ruth, "and we are very
grateful. I'm sure we shall always feel the greatest interest in that
wonderful old India, with its sore need of the gospel."

"Yes," said Almira, "I feel now that every cent of money we can scrape
together should be used for India."

"Unfortunately it is not the only needy place in the world," said Miss
Mary.

"Well," said Ruth, "we must just work hard and do all we can for heathen
lands."

Then they sang several hymns, Hiram and Hugh Campbell having carried
Almira's melodeon out to the garden, and closed by repeating the Lord's
prayer in concert.

During the singing Mrs. Stokes had slipped away, and Mrs. Ashford and
Ruth exchanged smiling glances when they saw her standing by the
garden-gate as the friends passed out, insisting that they should take
some cookies and drop cakes from a basket she held. She would not hear
of the hotel ladies getting into the carriage until they had partaken of
the sliced cake and hot tea she had ready for them on the side porch.

"Ah, this is the way you get around it, Mrs. Stokes!" said Ruth.

"Now, Ruth," exclaimed the good woman, "don't you say a word. I a'n't
going to have these folks go back home all fagged out when a cup of tea
will do 'em good."

"This is another perfectly elegant missionary meeting," said Marty. "I
wonder if Edith and the other girls are having as good a time as I am."

CHAPTER XX.

COUSIN ALICE'S ZENANA WORK.

Mr. Ashford came up to the farmhouse about the first of September, and
spent a week before taking his family home. So Marty did not arrive in
time to be present at the first meeting of the band, but on the third
Saturday of the month she was on hand with her budget of news. She had
much to hear as well as to tell, and it would take a long time to relate
all the missionary experiences of those travelled Twigs. Indeed for
several weeks something new was constantly coming up. It would be, "O
Miss Agnes, I forgot to tell about such a thing." Or, "I just now
remember what I heard at such a place. May I tell it?"

Edith had attended a grand missionary meeting at the seaside, and Rosa
had gone with her mot