ampuashuh would go in one o' those houses Lois
was tellin' about! and if it got there, I expect they wouldn't give it
house-room."

"The worlds are not so different as you think," Mrs. Barclay went on
courteously. "Human nature is the same everywhere."

"Well, I guess likely," responded Mrs. Marx. "Mother, if you've done,
we'll go into the other."

CHAPTER XXVI.

SCRUPLES.

The next day was Christmas; but in the country of Shampuashuh,
Christmas, though a holiday, was not held in so high regard as it
receives in many other quarters of the earth. There was no service in
the church; and after dinner Lois came as usual to draw in Mrs.
Barclay's room.

"I did not understand some of your aunt's talk last evening," Mrs.
Barclay remarked after a while.

"I am not surprised at that," said Lois.

"Did you?"

"O yes. I understand aunt Anne."

"Does she really think that _all_ the people who like pretty things,
lead useless lives?"

"She does not care so much about pretty things as I do," said Lois
slightly.

"But does she think all who belong to the 'great world' are evil? given
up to wickedness?"

"Not so bad as that," Lois answered, smiling; "but naturally aunt Anne
does not understand any world but this of Shampuashuh."

"I understood her to assume that under no circumstances could you marry
one of the great world she was talking of?"

"Well," said Lois, "I suppose she thinks that one of them would not be
a Christian."

"You mean, an enthusiast."

"No," said Lois; "but I mean, and she means, one who is in heart a true
servant of Christ. He might, or he might not, be enthusiastic."

"And would you marry no one who was not a Christian, as you understand
the word?"

"The Bible forbids it," said Lois, her colour rising a little.

"The Bible forbids it? I have not studied the Bible like you; but I
have heard it read from the pulpit all my life; and I never heard,
either from the pulpit or out of it, such an idea, as that one who is a
Christian may not marry one who is not."

"I can show you the command--in more places than one," said Lois.

"I wish you would."

Lois left her drawing and fetched a Bible.

"It is forbidden in the Old Testament and in the New," she said; "but I
will show you a place in the New. Here it is--in the second Epistle to
the Corinthians--'Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers;'
and it goes on to give the reason."

"Unbelievers! But those, in that day