amount. The most of them were trying, and the sum was "rolling
up," the treasurer said. Whether or not they would succeed in what they
were aiming at, remained to be seen, but Miss Walsh encouraged them by
saying that they would certainly come much nearer success by making
continual efforts than by making no effort at all.

One morning when the holidays were over, and the little girls were on
their way to school, Edith had a great piece of news to tell.

"What do you think!" she said. "Rosa Stevenson's grownup sister is
going away next month to be a missionary!"

"_Is_ she really?" exclaimed Marty.

"Yes; going to Japan, and Miss Agnes has asked her to come to the
meeting next Saturday and tell us about it."

The news spread, and the next Saturday every one of the Twigs was there,
gazing with wide-open eyes at the fair young girl who was going so far
from home to carry the gospel to her ignorant sisters. Sitting there
with tearful Rosa's hand clasped in hers, she told the girls that when
she was studying in college, God had put it into her heart to carry the
tidings of his salvation to the people who knew him not. She said that
though it was very hard to leave home and friends, she felt it was her
duty and privilege to go, and she was thankful that the way was open for
her.

Then she showed them on the map what city she was going to, and told
them something of the school in which she was to teach. She promised to
write to the band some time, and in closing she earnestly appealed to
them to do all they could for missions.

"Even be ready to go yourself if God calls you," she said. "When I was a
little girl in a mission-band, saving up pennies and learning about
these foreign lands, I never thought that one day I should be going to
teach the girls of one of these countries and try to win them to Christ.
So there may be some among you whom God will call to this work, and I
hope none of you will slight his call, but be ready to do his will in
this matter as in all others."

Marty was very deeply impressed by what Miss Stevenson said. She thought
it would be a grand thing to go away off as a missionary. She wondered
if God would call her to go. She hoped he would. Only she would not wish
to go to such a civilized country as Japan; the very worst part of
Africa or the wildest part of Asia would be what she would choose.

Her mind was so full of the subject that she did not want to talk about
anything else, or to tal