bled tone.

"Well," said Marion, "now that question is more easily asked than
answered. It requires an argument."

"An argument is just what I want; I like to have things explained.
Before that, though, one thing that puzzles me is how should Col. Baker
be so familiar with the views of clergymen?"

"That is a curious fact, my mousie; you will find it, I fancy, in all
sorts of strange places. People who are not Christians seem to have an
intuitive perception of the fitness of things. It is like dancing and
theatre-going, and a dozen other questions. It is very unusual to meet
people who do not sneer at Christians for upholding such amusements;
they seem to realize an incongruity between them and the Christian
profession. It was just as plain to me, I know, and I have sneered many
a time over card-playing Christians, and here you are, dear little
Flossy, among them, just for the purpose of teaching me not to judge."

Ruth, for the first time, took up the subject:

"If your statement is true, Marion, how is it that so many professed
Christians indulge in these very things?"

"Precisely the question that I just asked myself while I was talking. By
what means they become destitute of that keen insight into consistencies
and inconsistencies, the moment they enter the lists as Christian
people, is more than I can understand, unless it is because they decide
to succumb to the necessity of doing as other people do, and let any
special thinking alone as inconvenient and unprofitable. I don't know
how it is; only you watch this question and think about it, and you will
discover that just so surely as you come in contact with any who are
active and alert in Christian work, whose religion you respect as
amounting to something, you are almost sure to see them avoiding all
these amusements. Who ever heard of a minister being asked to spend an
evening in social card-playing! I presume that even Col. Baker himself
knows that that would be improper, and he would be the first to sneer."

"Of course," Ruth said, "ministers were expected to be examples for
other people to follow."

"Well, then," Flossy said, her perplexity in no way lessened, "ought we
not to follow?"

Whereupon Marion clapped her hands.

"Little Flossy among the logicians!" she said. "That is the point, Ruth
Erskine. If the example is for us to follow, why don't we follow? Now,
what do you honestly think about this question yourself?"

"Why," said Ruth, hesita