ed," I said, "about giving--how much one ought to
give, and how much one ought to spend--I mean for oneself."

"Well," said Miss Cardigan brightly, "we have fixed that. The poor
woman gave _all her living_."

"But one must spend _some_ money for oneself," I said. "One must have
bonnets and cloaks and dresses."

"And houses, and books, and pictures," said Miss Cardigan, looking
around her. "My lamb, let us go to the Bible again. That says,
'whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of
God.' So I suppose we must buy cloaks and bonnets on the same
principle."

I turned this over in my mind. Had I done this, when I was choosing my
chinchilla cap and grey cloak? A little ray of infinite brightness
began to steal in upon their quiet colours and despised forms.

"If the rich are to give their all, as well as the poor, it doesn't
say--mind you--that they are to give it all to the hungry, or all to
the destitute; but only, they are to give it all _to Christ_. Then, He
will tell them what to do with it; do ye understand, my dear?"

Miss Cardigan's eye was watching me, not more kindly than keen. A wise
and clear grey eye it was.

"But isn't it difficult to know sometimes what to do?" I said. "I have
been so puzzled to know about dresses. Mamma is away, and I had to
decide."

"It's no very difficult," said Miss Cardigan,--"if once ye set your
face in the right _airth_--as we speak. My dear, there's a great many
sorts of dresses and bonnets and things; and I'd always buy just that
bonnet and that gown, in which I thought I could do most work for my
Master; and that wouldn't be the same sort of bonnet for you and for
me," she said with a merry smile. "Now ye'll have another cup of tea,
and ye'll tell me if my tea's good."

It was wonderfully good to me. I felt like a plant dried up for want
of water, suddenly set in a spring shower. Refreshment was all around
me, without and within. The faces of the flowers looked at me through
the glass, and the sweet breath of them came from the open door. The
room where I was sitting pleased me mightily, in its comfortable and
pretty simplicity; and I had found a friend, even better than my old
Maria and Darry at Magnolia. It was not very long before I told all
about these to my new counsellor.

For the friendship between us ripened and grew. I often found a
chance to fill my place at the dear little tea-table. Sundays I could
always be there; and I went there