may be
Christians; but my time is past, I'm afraid. Hollis, do you pray and read
your Bible, regular?"

Hollis gave an embarrassed cough. "No, sir," he returned.

"Then I'd see to it that I did it. That little girl joined the Church
last Sunday and I declare it almost took my breath away. I got the Bible
down last Sunday night and read a chapter in the New Testament. If you
haven't got a Bible, I'll give you money to buy one."

"Oh, I have one," said Hollis uneasily.

"Git up, there!" shouted Captain Rheid to his horses, and spoke not
another word all the way home.

After taking a few slow steps Marjorie quickened her pace, remembering
that Linnet did not like to milk alone; Marjorie did not like to milk at
all; at thirteen there were not many things that she liked to do very
much, except to read and think.

"I'm afraid she's indolent," sighed her mother; "there's Linnet now,
she's as spry as a cricket"

But Linnet was not conscious of very many things to think about and
Marjorie every day discovered some new thought to revel in. At this
moment, if it had not been for that unfortunate pitcher, she would have
been reviewing her conversation with Miss Prudence. It _was_ wonderful
about punctuation; how many times a day life was "wonderful" to the
growing child!

Along this road the farmhouses were scattered at long distances, there
was one in sight with the gable end to the road, but the next one was
fully quarter of a mile away; she noted the fact, not that she was afraid
or lonely, but it gave her something to think of; she was too thoroughly
acquainted with the road to be afraid of anything by night or by day; she
had walked to her grandfather's more times than she could remember ever
since she was seven years old. She tried to guess how far the next house
was, how many feet, yards or rods; she tried to guess how many quarts of
blueberries had grown in the field beyond; she even wondered if anybody
could count the blades of grass all along the way if they should try! But
the remembrance of the broken pitcher persisted in bringing itself
uppermost, pushing through the blades of grass and the quarts of
blueberries; she might as well begin to plan how she was to earn another
pitcher! Or, her birthday was coming--in a month she would be fourteen;
her father would certainly give her a silver dollar because he was glad
that he had had her fourteen years. A quick, panting breath behind her,
and the sound of hurryin