nestly and inquire for it tenderly,
regardless of dirt!

"You're _sure_ it is better, dear little child?"

"Oh yes, ma'am, thank you. I don't feel it at all now. An' it's _so_
nice to feel warm again!"

What a depth of meaning was unwittingly given to the last two words by
the emphasis of the child-voice.--"Warm"--"Again!" The lady almost
burst into tears as she thought of all that they implied. But her
services were required at the harmonium. With a parting pat on Martha's
curly head, and a bright smile, she hurried away to ascend the platform.

The preliminaries of a feast at which most of the feasters are cold and
hungry--some of them starving--should not be long. Full well did Tom
Westlake know and appreciate this truth, and, being the donor,
originator, and prime mover in the matter, he happily had it all his own
way.

In the fewest possible words, and in a good loud voice which produced
sudden silence, he asked God to give His blessing with the food
provided, and to send His Holy Spirit into the hearts of all present, so
that they might be made to hunger and thirst for Jesus, the Bread and
Water of Life. Then the poor people had scarcely recovered from their
surprise at the brevity of the prayer, when they were again charmed to
silence by the sweet strains of the harmonium. You see, they had not
yet become _blase_ and incapable of enjoying anything short of an organ.
Indeed, there were some among them who deliberately said they preferred
a harmonium to an organ!

But no instrument either of ancient or modern invention could drown the
clatter that ensued when enormous mugs of earthenware were distributed
to the company, by more or less rich and well-off "workers"; so the
clatter and the hymns went on together until each lung was filled with
some delectable fluid, smoking hot, and each mouth crammed with
excellent bread and meat. Then comparative quiet ensued, during which
temporary calm Tom read a few verses of the Word of God, commenting on
them briefly in language so forcible that it went right home to many
hearts, yet so simple that even little Martha understood it.

True to her intention, little Martha, although much surprised and
charmed and perplexed by all that was going on around her, did not
forget to pocket something for gran'father. She was met, however, by an
exasperating difficulty at the very outset. Her pocket was not large
enough to contain the huge roll which, with some meat, had