have wandered away,--but for me, I should feel lost out of the Church.
It would be very essential to me. Are there no Church people in the
islands at all?"

"I believe not, mamma."

"And what on earth do you expect to do there, Eleanor?"

"I cannot tell you yet, mamma; but I understand everybody finds more
than enough."

"What, pray?"

"The general great business, you know, is to carry light to those that
sit in darkness."

"Yes, but you do not expect to preach, do you?"

Eleanor smiled, she could not help it, at the bewildered air with which
this question was put. "I don't know, mamma. Do not you think I could
preach to a class of children?"

"But Eleanor! such horrid work. Such work for _you!_"

"Why, mamma?"

"Why? With your advantages and talents and education. Mr.--no matter
who, but who used to be a good judge, said that your talents would give
anybody else's talents enough to do;--and that you should throw them
away upon a class of half-naked children at the antipodes!"----

"There will be somebody else to take the benefit of them first," Mrs.
Caxton said very composedly. "I rather think Mr. Rhys will see to it
that they are not wasted."

"Mamma, I think you do not understand this matter," Eleanor said
gently. "Whoever made that speech flattered me; but I wish my talents
were ten times so much as they are, that I might give them to this
work."

"To this gentleman, you mean!" Mrs. Powle said tartly.

A light came into Eleanor's eyes; she was silent a minute and then with
the colour rising all over her face she said, "He is abundantly worthy
of all and much more than I am."

"Well I do not understand this matter, as you said," Mrs. Powle
answered in some discomfiture. "Tell me of something I do understand.
What society will you have where you are going, Eleanor?"

"I shall be too busy to have much time for society, mamma," Eleanor
answered, good-humouredly.

"No such thing--you will want it all the more. Sister Caxton, is it not
so?"

"People do not go out there without consenting to forego many things,"
Mrs. Caxton answered; "but there is One who has promised to be with his
servants when they are about his work; and I never heard that any one
who had that society, pined greatly for want of other."

Mrs. Powle opened her eyes at Mrs. Caxton's quiet face; she set this
speech down in her mind as uncontaminated fanaticism. She turned to
Eleanor.

"Do the people there wear clothes?"

"Th