Polly sang a solo. It was "One Sweetly Solemn
Thought"--oh, rapture! Polly's high soprano floated up clear and
piercing-sweet. It was so beautiful that it hurt. Missy shut her eyes.
She could almost see angels in misty white and floating golden hair.
Something quivered inside her; once more on the wings of music was the
religious feeling stealing back to her.

The solo was finished, but Missy kept her eyes closed whenever she
thought no one was looking. She was anxious to hold the religious
feeling till her soul could be entirely born anew. And she had quite
a long time to wait. That made her task difficult and complicated;
for it's not easy at the same time to retain an emotional state and to
rehearse a piece you're afraid of forgetting.

But the service gradually wore through. Now they were at the "come
forward and sit at the feet of Jesus." To-night grandpa and grandma
didn't do that; they merely knelt in the pew with bowed heads. So Missy
also knelt with bowed head. She was by this time in a state difficult to
describe; a quivering jumble of excitement, eagerness, timidity, fear,
hope, and exaltation...

And now at last, was come the time!

Brother Poole, again wearing the look on his face as of an electric
light turned on within, exhorted the repentant ones to "stand up and
testify."

Missy couldn't bear to wait for someone else to begin. She jumped
hastily to her feet. Grandma tried to pull her down. Missy frowned
slightly--why was grandma tugging at her skirt? Tugging aways she
extended her arms with palms flat together and thumbs extended--one of
Brother Poole's most effective gestures--and began:

"My soul rejoiceth because I have seen the light. Yea, it burns in my
soul and my soul is restoreth. I will fear no evil even if it is born
again. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my
life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I have been a
sinner but--"

Why was grandma pulling at her skirt? Missy twitched away and, raising
her voice to a higher key, went on:

"I said I've been a sinner, but I've repented my sins and want to lead a
blameless life. I repent my sins--O Lord, please forgive me for being
a spy-eye when Cousin Pete kissed Polly Currier, and guide me to lead a
blameless life. Amen."

She sat down.

A great and heavenly stillness came and wrapped itself about her, a soft
and velvety stillness; to shut out gasp or murmur or stifled titter.

The miracle ha