ad she wanted to.

Missy didn't enjoy her dinner as much as she usually did the midday
Sunday feasts when grandpa and grandma came to eat with them. She felt
embarrassed and shy. Of course she had to answer when asked why she
wasn't eating her drumstick, and whether the green apples in grandma's
orchard had given her an "upset," and other direct questions; but when
she could, she kept silent. She was glad Pete didn't talk to her much.
Yet, now and then, she caught his eyes upon her in a look of sardonic
enquiry, and quickly averted her own.

Her unhappiness lasted till the visitors had departed. Then, after
aimlessly wandering about, she took her Holy Bible out to the
summerhouse. She was contemplating a surprise for grandpa and grandma.
Next week mother and Aunt Nettie were going over to Aunt Anna's in
Junction City for a few days; during their absence Missy was to stay
with her grandparents. And to surprise them, she was learning by heart a
whole Psalm.

She planned to spring it upon them the first night at family prayers.
At grandma's they had prayers every night before going to bed. First
grandpa read a long chapter out of the Holy Bible, then they all knelt
down, grandpa beside his big Morris chair, grandma beside her little
willow rocker, and whoever else was present beside whatever chair he'd
been sitting in. Grandpa prayed a long prayer; grandma a shorter one;
then, if any of the grandchildren were there, they must say a verse by
heart. Missy's first verse had been, "Jesus wept." But she was just a
tiny thing then. When she grew bigger, she repeated, "Suffer the little
children to come unto Me." Later she accomplished the more showy, "In
My Father's house are many mansions; I go there to prepare a place for
you."

But this would be her first whole Psalm. She pictured every one's
delighted and admiring surprise. After much deliberation she had decided
upon the Psalm in which David sings his song of faith, "The Lord is my
shepherd; I shall not want."

How beautiful it was! So deep and so hard to understand, yet, somehow,
all the more beautiful for that. She murmured aloud, "I will fear no
evil--for Thou art with me--Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me"; and
wondered what the rod and staff really were.

But best of all she liked the last verse:

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and
I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

To dwell in the house of the Lord forev