sible
to restrain a momentary twinkle in return for the solemn wink Billy Barton
bestowed upon him across the aisle. Ten minutes of this decorous demeanor
made it absolutely necessary for him to stir; so he unfolded his arms and
crossed his legs as cautiously as a mouse moves in the presence of a cat,
for Mrs. Allen's eye was on him, and he knew by experience that it was a
very sharp one.

The music which presently began was a great relief to him, for under cover
of it he could wag his foot and no one heard the creak thereof; and when
they stood up to sing, he was so sure that all the boys were looking at
him, he was glad to sit down again. The good old minister read the
sixteenth chapter of Samuel, and then proceeded to preach a long and
somewhat dull sermon. Ben listened with all his ears, for he was
interested in the young shepherd, "ruddy and of a beautiful countenance,"
who was chosen to be Saul's armor-bearer. He wanted to hear more about
him, and how he got on, and whether the evil spirits troubled Saul again
after David had harped them out. But nothing more came, and the old
gentleman droned on about other things till poor Ben felt that he must
either go to sleep like the Squire, or tip the stool over by accident,
since "nestling" was forbidden, and relief of some sort he _must_ have.

Mrs. Allen gave him a peppermint, and he dutifully ate it, though it was
so hot it made his eyes water. Then she fanned him, to his great
annoyance, for it blew his hair about, and the pride of his life was to
have his head as smooth and shiny as black satin. An irrepressible sigh of
weariness attracted Miss Celia's attention at last, for, though she seemed
to be listening devoutly, her thoughts had flown over the sea with tender
prayers for one whom she loved even more than David did his Jonathan. She
guessed the trouble in a minute, and had provided for it, knowing by
experience that few small boys can keep quiet through sermon-time. Finding
a certain place in the little book she had brought, she put it into his
hands, with the whisper, "Read if you are tired."

Ben clutched the book and gladly obeyed, though the title, "Scripture
Narratives," did not look very inviting. Then his eye fell on the picture
of a slender youth cutting a large man's head off, while many people stood
looking on.

"Jack, the giant-killer," thought Ben, and turned the page to see the
words "David and Goliath," which was enough to set him to reading th