e
through her face, some finer sight and keener ear that made her see
and hear what was not given to common mortals to comprehend; and
because she sat thus with the light of communion on her face they,
too, sat with respectful hearts and tried to join lustily in the hymns
with their fresh voices.

The minister came down and shook hands with them, welcoming them
kindly. He seemed more human out of the pulpit, and asked quite
interestedly where they were to live and whether he might call. He
mentioned Sunday school and Christian Endeavor, and said he hoped they
would "cast in their lot" among them; and the young people gave him
cold little smiles and withdrew into themselves while their aunt did
the talking. They were willing she should have her Sabbath, and they
would do all in their power to make it what she wanted; but they were
hostile toward this church and this minister and all that it had to do
with. It simply did not interest them. Julia Cloud saw this in their
eyes as she turned to go away, and sighed softly to herself. How much
there was to teach them! Could she ever hope to make them feel
differently? In two short weeks the college would open, and they would
be swept away on a whirl of work and play and new friends and
functions. Was she strong enough to stem the tide of worldliness that
would ingulf them? No, not of herself. But she had read that very
morning the promises of her Lord, "Surely I will be with thee," "I
will help thee"; and she meant to lay hold on them closely. She could
do nothing of herself, but she with her Lord helping could do anything
He wanted done. That was enough.

Leslie turned longing eyes toward the winding creek and an alluring
canoe that lolled idly at the bank down below the inn as she stood on
the piazza after dinner waiting for her aunt; but Allison saw her
glance, and shook his head.

"Better not suggest it," he said. "There are a lot of picnickers down
there carrying on high. She would not like it, I'm sure. If it were
all quiet and no one about, it would be different."

"Well, there are a lot of people around here on the piazzas," said
Leslie disconsolately. "I don't see the difference."

But, when Julia Cloud came with her Bible slipped unobtrusively under
her arm, she suggested a quiet spot in the woods; and so they wandered
off through the trees with a big blanket from the car to sit on, and
found a wonderful place, high above the water, where a great rift of
rocks