id
notions in time; tell me about yourself, I am sure it will do me good;
you were telling me about how different you felt. Please do go on."

"But are you sure it won't affect you as it did before? I would like to
tell you about it because of what it has led me to do, and because I
would like you to feel as I do, if, as you say, you have never felt it."
And Minnie looked at her with great tears in her eyes, and with a great
pity in her warm generous heart, wishing she could give half her
happiness to her friend.

"Go on, dear," said Mabel, "you don't know how much good it will do me."

"Well, but I must tell you, Mabel, that although I am very happy, it
sometimes troubles me to think how little I am changed outwardly, and
how nobody but yourself would believe anything of all I have told you. I
am sure Mona Cameron wouldn't"--she stopped suddenly, half inclined to
interrupt herself in order to retail to Mabel the incident of the
previous day, but thinking better of it, she resumed--"It does trouble
me more than a little, sometimes, but I'm not going to lot it. I know
about the difference, and you know about it, and better than all, God
who wrought it knows about it, so what can it matter whether the world
knows about it or not?"

"But, Minnie," interrupted Mabel, "I don't see that you are quite right
there; it must be of consequence that we show to the world what side we
are on."--"O, yes, of course," replied Minnie hastily, "I was just
coming to that--I meant the school-girls particularly when I said the
world just now, because I know it will take a long time to convince them
of the reality of this--indeed I am inclined to think they won't be
convinced, it won't suit their ideas--but there, I am again! judging
them just in the very way I am condemning them for judging me. Oh, dear,
what a long time it will take before I get out of my old way of speaking
without thought, for which my new way of thinking rebukes me a thousand
times a day!"

"Patience, dear," recommended Mabel, knowing well what a hard
recommendation it was to follow, but feeling she must say something.

"Yes, Mabel," returned Minnie, "I _am_ learning patience--even I, who
never knew what restraint meant all my life, am learning what true
freedom is for the first time."

Mabel looked down at her wistfully, as if half inclined to say
something, but remembering her danger she remained silent.

"And that just reminds me," continued Minnie, after a m