There was a brief period of settling into chairs, some mild squabbling
over two desirable blue ones, a little dispute as to the privilege of
passing the envelope, and at last Hannah found that something definite
was expected of her. The chart showed a brightly-colored shepherd
holding in his arms a weak lamb.

"Say, won't that lamb kick him? They're awful leggy," suggested an
interested youth in the first row.

"I seen a lamb onct," announced his neighbor, rocking perilously on the
two back legs of her chair. "It was a ram lamb and it butted me in my
stomach, it did. Hurt. Hurt awful."

"Huh!" grunted Perdita. "I don't believe it hurt as much as when my
mother sewed my finger in the sewing-machine. Did your stomach bleed?"

"Children," said Hannah desperately. "Don't talk, please. No, Peter, not
another word from anybody. Now who can tell the Golden Text?"

Dead silence.

"Doesn't any one know the Golden Text?"

"Miss Smith doesn't do that way," suggested some one. "She always says:
'Peter, you may tell us the Golden Text.'"

"Very well," agreed Hannah hurriedly. "Peter, you may tell us the Golden
Text."

"Let me," cried Elsmere. "I know 'bout lambs. Mary had a little lamb,
fleeciswhitissnow."

"Elsmere," said Hannah sternly. "I asked Peter to tell us the Golden
Text."

"Mine is a walker," said Peter loudly.

Hannah looked mystified.

"Pooh!" remarked the Hamilton girl loftily. "That ain't this Sunday's.
'Wine is a mocker' was to-morrow's. 'Tain't this Sunday's."

"What is this Sunday's?" asked Hannah hopefully. "Doesn't anybody know?
'I am'--don't you remember? 'I am the good--':

"I am the good--" Peter got so far and then stopped, stolid.

"I know," cried Elsmere once more. "Put in his thumb, pull out a plum,
good boy am I!"

The others snickered, and Hannah bit her lip. "No. 'I am the good
shepherd.' It was Jesus who said it. Now all of you say it together."

Lamblike, they followed her lead, and she succeeded in passing over
several minutes. But they soon grew restive again, and one little hand
pawed the air.

"Well, what is it?"

"The Grahams is coming to our house to dinner."

"That's nice. Now we will talk about the shepherd psalm. How many of you
know it?"

There was a moment of doubt. "Shall not want?" ventured one of the older
ones presently.

"Yes, that's it exactly," said Hannah gladly. "You've all heard it lots
of times. Now I'll recite it for you, and then you can tell m