u are right!" exclaimed Corona. "A hermit does it. A hermit is more
truly himself than any other man. He may dwell in a cave and eat
water-cresses, he may live on top of a tall pillar, or he may make his
habitation in a barrel! If a hermit should so choose, he might furnish a
cave with Eastern rugs and bric-a-brac. If he liked that sort of thing, he
would be himself. Yes, I would have all of us, in the truest sense of the
word, hermits, each a hermit; but we need not dwell apart. Some of us
would certainly wish to assert our individuality by not dwelling apart
from others."

"We might, then," said Mr. Archibald, "become a company of associate
hermits."

"Exactly!" cried Corona, stretching out her hands. "That is the very
word--associate hermits. My dear friends, from to-morrow morning, until we
leave here, let us be associate hermits. Let us live for ourselves, be
true to ourselves. After all, if we think of it seriously, ourselves are
all that we have in this world. Everything else may be taken from us, but
no one can take from me, myself, or from any one of you, yourself."

The bishop now rose. He as well as the others had listened attentively to
everything that had been said; even Arthur Raybold had shown a great deal
of interest in his sister's remarks.

"You mean," said the bishop, "that while we stay here each one of us shall
act exactly as we think we ought to act if we were not influenced by the
opinions and examples of others around us, and thus we shall have an
opportunity to find out for ourselves and show others exactly what we
are."

"That is it," said Corona, "you have stated it very well."

"Well, then," said the bishop, "I move that for the time stated we
individually assert our individuality."

"Second the motion," said Mr. Archibald.

"All in favor of this motion please say 'Aye,'" said Corona. "Now let
everybody vote, and I hope you will all say 'Aye,' and if any one does not
understand, I will be happy to explain."

"I want to know," said Phil Matlack, rising, "if one man asserts what you
call his individ'ality in such a way that it runs up agin another man's,
and that second man ain't inclined to stand it, if that--"

"Oh, I assure you," interrupted the bishop, "that that will be all right.
I understand you perfectly, and the individualities will all run along
together without interfering with each other, and if one happens to get in
the way of another it will be gently moved aside."

"