and earnest.

"Who told you so?" said Jennie.

"My mamma; and she says we couldn't move nor breathe without Him not a
minute."

"There, I did then!" cried Jennie, taking a long breath; "I breathed way
down ever so far, and I did it myself."

"O, but God let you."

Dotty felt very good and wise, and as she had finished giving her
benighted friend a lesson, she thought she would speak now of every day
matters.

"Look at those little puddles in the road," said she; "don't they make
you think of pudding-sauce--molasses and cream, I mean--for
hasty-pudding?"

"No," said Jennie, tossing her head, "I never saw any pudding-sauce that
looked a speck like that dirty stuff! Besides, we don't use molasses at
our house; rich folks never do; nobody but poor folks."

"O, what a story!" said Dotty, coloring. "I guess you have molasses
gingerbread, if your father _is_ the judge!"

Dotty was very much wounded. This was not the first time her little
friend had referred to her own superior wealth. "Dear, dear! Wasn't it
bad enough to have to wear Prudy's old clothes, when Jennie had new ones
and no big sister? She's always telling hints about people's being poor!
Why, my papa isn't _much_ poor, only he don't buy me gold rings and silk
dresses, and my mamma wouldn't let me wear 'em if he did; so there!"

By the time they reached the school-house, Dotty was almost too angry to
speak. They took their seats with Katie between them (when she was not
under their feet or in their laps), and looked over in the Testament.
The large scholars "up in the back seats," and in fact all but the very
small ones, were in the habit of reading aloud two verses each. This
morning it was the nineteenth chapter of Matthew, and Dotty paid little
heed till her ear was caught by these words, read quite slowly and
clearly by Abby Grant:--

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, that a rich
man shall hardly enter the kingdom of heaven.

"And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

Dolly's heart gave a great bound. That meant Judge Vance just as sure as
the world. Wasn't he rich, and didn't Jennie boast of it as if it was a
great thing? She touched her friend's arm, and pointed with her small
forefinger to the passage; but Jennie did not understand.

"It isn't my turn," whispered she; "what are you nudging me for?"

"Don't you see y