apClATt/W
 
 STUAKT HOLMES STUDIED THE FACE.
 
 MEMBERS 
 
 BY 
 
 PANSY 
 
 Author of "Chrissy s Endeavor," "The Hall in the Grove," "Mrs. 
 Solomon Smith Looking On," "Little Fishers: and Their 
 Nets," " Judge Burnham s Daughters," " Eighty- 
 Seven," " Miss Dee Dunmore Bryant," "An 
 Endless Chain," and others. 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 D LOTHROP COMPANY 
 
 WASHINGTON STREET OPPOSITE BROMHIELD
 
 COPYRIGHT, 1891, 
 BY 
 
 D. LOTHKOP COMPANY.
 
 STACK 
 ANNEX 
 
 r ^ 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGE 
 SHE IGNORES THEM ..... I 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THEY COMPEL HER ATTENTION ... 15 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THEY INCREASE IN NUMBER .... 28 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 SHE ORGANIZES ...... 41 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THEY APPALL HER ...... 54 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 SHE HOLDS A MEETING , 66
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 SHE ATTEMPTS TO SYMPATHIZE . . . 78 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 SHE IS DISMAYED AND DISCOMFITED . . 90 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 SHE REACHES AFTER THEM . . IO2 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 ONE WALKS AMONG THORNS . . . . 115 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 SHE IS PERPLEXED ON EVERY SIDE . . . 128 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 SHE "ENDEAVORS" IN A NEW LINE . . . 141 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 SHE CALLS LEMON PIE TO HER AID . . . 153 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 SHE AMAZES ONE OF THEM .... l66 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 SHE LAYS SNARES FOR ONE . . . . 178
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THEY SEARCH FOR " REAL THINGS " . . . IQO 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 SHE FINDS AN "ACTIVE MEMBER " . . . 2O2 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 SHE DISCOVERS A " LOOKOUT COMMITTEE" . 215 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 SHE ILLUSTRATES THEOLOGY .... 227 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 SHE RECEIVES, TO ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP . . 240 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 SHE TURNS SURGEON . . . . . 253 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 ONE DISCOVERS HIS OPPORTUNITY . . . 266 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 ONE OF THEM IS AFRAID .... 278 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 ONE ASKS EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS , . 21
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 ONE, LOSES HIS IDENTITY . . . . 304 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 ONE " RE-ENLISTS " . . . . . 316 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 THEY ARE LED BY UNSEEN PATHS . . . 328 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 ONE OF THEM GOES HOME .... 343 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 SHE LOSES THEM EVERY ONE . . . 358
 
 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 SHE IGNORES THEM. 
 
 AT this present time she signs her name 
 "Christine Hollister Holmes," and her 
 visiting cards read " Mrs. Stuart Holmes." I 
 tell you this in order that people who were 
 acquainted with Chrissy Hollister may have no 
 doubt as to her identity. She was sitting before 
 an open window, although in many latitudes it was 
 the season of the year when windows are kept 
 tightly closed, and coal or steam holds sway. 
 There was a suspicion of fire in the open grate, 
 but the air was odorous with burning pine, 
 instead of anthracite, and the breath which came 
 in at the open windows was fragrant with roses 
 instead of being touched with frost.
 
 2 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 The face which looked out into the street 
 below was fair, and, on the whole, sweet, though 
 the brow was somewhat clouded, and there was a 
 look in the eyes which told the close observer 
 something about a disappointment bravely borne, 
 which nevertheless shadowed her face at times. 
 
 Stuart Holmes, lying on a couch outside of the 
 line of the breeze, yet in a position to command a 
 side view of the face, studied it for a moment, 
 then closed his eyes and drew the faintest possi 
 ble sigh. He had a gay afghan thrown over him, 
 and drooped his head among the pillows in a way 
 which suggested debility. 
 
 Mrs. Holmes had turned but a moment before 
 from a small writing-table, whereon lay at this 
 moment a bulky package sealed and addressed to 
 "Mrs. Chess Gardner." Had you been looking 
 over her shoulder while she wrote, you would 
 have understood the situation better ; perhaps the 
 easiest way is to give you a chance to hear some 
 thing of what she wrote to her old-time friend. 
 
 "We are settled at last for the winter," so the 
 letter ran. "We spent only a month at the first 
 stopping place ; the air proved to be too bracing 
 for Stuart, and the boarding accommodations were 
 not pleasant. I was almost glad when it did not 
 suit Stuart, for a more uninviting place, I think, I 
 was never in. There were people enough, young 
 people, too, and I tried to get interested in them ;
 
 SHE IGNORES THEM. 3 
 
 rather, I expected to be interested, as a matter of 
 course. They had some sort of an organization ; 
 the Young People s Club/ I think they called it. 
 Such a dreadful name for a society, I think. But 
 I tried to harmonize with it. I had not been 
 there two days before I sought out the president 
 and secretary, and made an effort to lend a help 
 ing hand. They needed help badly enough, but 
 were in that most deplorable of all states, satis 
 fied with themselves. I found that all in the 
 world they were doing with their organization was 
 having what they were pleased to call a good 
 time. Of course, there were many who were not 
 being reached. In fact, no one had an idea of 
 trying to reach anybody for the sake of help 
 ing him in any way. I talked volumes, Stuart 
 said, with the officers, trying to show them a 
 better way. It was very depressing work ; they 
 had not the least desire to be shown. But this 
 I did not understand at first ; it seemed incredible 
 to me that young people in health, and with 
 average intelligence, would not rather do some 
 thing than nothing, even though their standard 
 was not very high. The place was small, with no 
 advantages ; at least, with no reading-room, and a 
 circulating library which, owing to the miserable 
 selections that had been made, they would have 
 been infinitely better off without. No place for 
 evening gatherings, except the railroad station
 
 4 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 and the saloons. The young men who had no 
 homes, as well as some who had, seemed to have 
 a good excuse for lounging in the aforesaid 
 objectionable places. I talked reading-room earn 
 estly. They said they had no funds with which 
 to buy books or papers. I suggested beginning 
 on a very small scale ; offered to secure a package 
 of books for them, and proposed that each mem 
 ber of the organization should be asked to bring 
 from home the family newspaper, after it had 
 been read. Stuart said that was hazardous 
 advice, because of the selection which some would 
 have made, and that, perhaps, I should be thank 
 ful that my advice was not followed. But I 
 can hardly imagine any worse reading in the 
 daily or weekly average newspapers than the ten- 
 cent paper-covered novels they had chosen. Well, 
 no matter ; they did nothing of the kind. The 
 next objection was that it would be impossible to 
 secure a place of meeting ; there was no suitable 
 room in the village, and, if there were, no money 
 to secure it. But you know my propensity for 
 not giving up a thing. I pushed hard ; canvassed 
 the town ; found an unused store which, with 
 scrubbing and a few dollars spent on cheap 
 curtains and lamps, with a chair donated from 
 each home, would have done very well. The 
 rent was absurdly low, and I was jubilant over 
 my discovery. Thirty dollars would have covered
 
 SHE IGNORES THEM. 5 
 
 the necessary expenses for getting that room 
 ready for use, and paying the rent for six months ! 
 I went to that inane club at their next regular 
 meeting and reported, only to be assured that it 
 would be impossible to raise the thirty dollars. I 
 did not believe it, for, though by no means 
 wealthy, it was not a poverty-stricken town, and 
 I felt sure that those young people spent on 
 nothings, each six months of their lives, more 
 than enough to cover the sum. However, they 
 were beyond convincing. Still, I could not give 
 up the idea. The more I saw of the young men 
 lounging about on disreputable corners, the more 
 important it seemed. Stuart and I talked it all 
 over. He is a young man, you know, and an 
 entire year away from business, with a long illness, 
 followed by a winter s banishment from home, 
 traveling and living as an invalid, are not calcula 
 ted to increase one s resources ; still, of course, 
 we had our " sacred fund," and the only question 
 was to use it in the wisest way ; because it was 
 smaller than usual, we wanted to be even more 
 careful in its expenditure. At last we resolved to 
 appropriate fifty dollars to the starting of an 
 enterprise of the kind we proposed. We made 
 the amount fifty because certain things seemed 
 necessary if one was going to do it alone, which, 
 working together with a committee, all bent on 
 saving, and doing as much as possible with a
 
 6 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 little, we should have voted to get along without. 
 Stuart was not so well that week, and I could 
 only talk with him at intervals, and would not let 
 him shoulder a. bit of risk, of course ; so I went 
 out myself, afternoons when he was taking his 
 rest, rented the building, hired a woman to clean 
 and a man to repair, and, to make my long story 
 brief, spent five days of planning and working 
 with hired helpers, putting it in perfect order. It 
 was very plain, but exceedingly neat-looking when 
 everything was done, and I had great joy in it. 
 I do not believe our lovely rooms on the avenue 
 gave me any greater thrills of delight than did 
 this, which you would have been restrained only 
 by politeness from calling a barn. I do not know 
 what the dear club thought I was about, I am 
 sure ; they never came to see, and showed no 
 interest in the matter. I flattered myself for a 
 time that I was keeping my work a profound 
 secret, until Stuart laughed at me and told me 
 one would suppose I had never spent a season in 
 a small village where everybody knew his neigh 
 bor s affairs. 
 
 "When everything was ready, I wrote a little 
 note to the president, tendering the club the use 
 of the room for the next six months, free of 
 expense, only stipulating that they should have 
 it lighted on certain evenings of each week, if 
 they could not arrange for every evening, and
 
 SHE IGNORES THEM. 7 
 
 have a committee in attendance to entertain any 
 that should come; just as we do at our rooms, 
 you know. Nellie, I hope you are prepared for 
 the result, but certainly I was not. Do you 
 believe that they declined the offer, on the plea 
 that they could not find a suitable entertainment 
 committee, and that the work of caring for such 
 a room, lighting and keeping it in order was too 
 much for them ! I was never so disappointed in 
 my life. Oh, I was more than disappointed ; the 
 thing just overpowered me. For days I could not 
 rise above the humility and bitterness of my 
 defeat. You know I am not used to failing. 
 
 " Stuart tried his best to comfort me, and, 
 because he was so miserable and must not be 
 troubled, I pretended to be comforted often when 
 my heart was in a perfect turmoil. I would not 
 like to tell you how many times I cried about it 
 all. Aside from the pain of failing utterly in an 
 undertaking upon which I had spent so much 
 time and money, there was a sense of being mis 
 understood, and of affording amusement to a 
 certain class of people who had apparently 
 delighted in misunderstanding me. I came to 
 have a feeling almost like humiliation when I 
 would meet one of the club. They looked at me 
 with such queer, almost triumphant smiles, and 
 giggled after I had passed them. I came to 
 understand that they looked upon me as a sort of
 
 8 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 crank, who was bent upon taking leadership, and 
 had been successfully put down. Oh, I will not 
 try to describe to you how I felt. The experience 
 has been too recent. Stuart was as good as gold ; 
 he never once said, or even looked, I told you 
 so, although I could see afterward that he had 
 offered several sympathetic hints to the effect 
 that I must not expect too much of the club ; but 
 I did not understand ; I thought I was expecting 
 very little of them. I honestly thought that they 
 held back because they did not know how much 
 could be done with a little money, and had a 
 horror of involving themselves in financial obliga 
 tions which they could not meet. When Stuart 
 saw how utterly humiliated I was, he wanted me 
 to agree to his trying to open the room himself ; 
 sitting there for an hour or two in the evening to 
 receive such young men as curiosity might induce 
 to drop in. Would it not have been a grand 
 thing if he could have done so? Think what a 
 chance for those tobacco-smoking, swearing young 
 men to have come in contact with a man like him 
 for even a few times in their lives! But of 
 course I could not consent to any such a plan as 
 that after Dr. Douglass warning that I must not 
 let my husband even think what his name was for 
 at least three months. Part of my anxiety was 
 that I had talked so much with Stuart about it 
 as to retard his recovery ; but he was fully as
 
 SHE IGNORES THEM. 9 
 
 anxious as I was to have something done. Well, 
 the conclusion of the whole matter was, that he 
 had a sharp illness of several days duration which, 
 for the time being, put that ill-fated room, with 
 its new whitewash and fresh lamps, entirely out 
 of my mind. After that came the doctor s orders 
 to move on. So one morning, after I had 
 packed our trunks, and Stuart was resting, with 
 the doctor s son on guard to see that he was not 
 disturbed, I went down to the room, packed away 
 the pretty vases and mats and engravings with 
 which I had tried to brighten the place, took 
 down, shook and folded away the pretty imitation 
 Madras curtains, and, leaving every thing in start 
 ling order, locked the door, carried the key to 
 the owner, paid him the rent promised, took his 
 receipt for the same, and his honestly expressed 
 conviction that the young folks in that place were 
 a dumb lot that did not know on which side their 
 bread was buttered, and never would, and went 
 home a wiser and a sadder woman. Not without 
 passing a couple of girls walking the street with a 
 couple of persons whom they spoke of as fel 
 lows, who all indulged in prolonged giggles, I 
 suppose, over the recognized bundles in my hands. 
 So much for my venture on the sea of benevo 
 lence alone in a foreign land. 
 
 "We left by the afternoon train; came to this 
 place, which is called a city, but which seems a
 
 1C HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 mere hamlet when one thinks of home ; and tried 
 to settle down and wait. That is what I have at 
 last resolved to do. Stuart is really better. My 
 heart is jubilant over that, and it is certainly joy 
 enough in itself to sustain me through the winter. 
 I shall give my undivided attention to him, and 
 help him gain faster than man ever did before. 
 And while he sleeps, and drinks in health with 
 every breath of this balmy air, I shall fold my 
 hands. I do not mean to get interested in a 
 human being ; I do not mean to ask their names, 
 or where they go to church, or to think whether 
 they so much as have higher natures which are 
 being stifled. I shall call it a lost winter, so far 
 as outside life is concerned, and wait until I get 
 back to our dear rooms, and our grand girls, and 
 noble, self-sacrificing men, before I take any more 
 flights in the land of Endeavor. There are 
 some places evidently where all one can do is to 
 endeavor to possess his soul in patience, until the 
 time comes for work again. I have been slow 
 to learn the lesson, but I think it is effectually 
 learned. At least, if you hear of me as interest 
 ing myself, during this entire winter, in any 
 thing beyond broths and gruels, and fresh fruits 
 and easy carriages, and pillows and tonics, and 
 the quickest way of restoring wasted physical 
 strength, set me down as a lunatic at once. If 
 I am tempted to think of any other endeavor/
 
 SHE IGNORES THEM. I I 
 
 the memory of those girls in that never-to-be- 
 forgotten club will at once restrain me. Think 
 of my fifty dollars wasted ! How many things 
 you blessed home workers might have accom 
 plished with even that small sum ; and there it is 
 locked up in a vacant room into which the sun 
 light streams all day long, helping to create dust 
 and cobwebs. Never mind, Nellie, my husband 
 is stronger to-day than he was yesterday, and he 
 was stronger yesterday than the day before, and 
 May is only five months away. I shall write 
 you long letters, all about my success as a nurse, 
 and about how I live in the blessed past and 
 hope-lined future, and ignore the present, outside 
 of this boarding-house, which is worthy of being 
 ignored, but we cannot quite compass it. We 
 have been obliged to come to a sort of second- 
 rate place, in order to insure the quiet so neces 
 sary for Stuart. Desirable houses are crowded, 
 but we do passably well here ; they allow me to 
 go into the kitchen to prepare the beef broth 
 and toast the bread, so Stuart s diet will be 
 watched with jealous eyes, and consume much 
 of my time and strength. I did not mean to 
 write you this story, I meant not to tell a living 
 soul of my ignominious failure, but that vacant 
 room stared at me so continuously that I could 
 not help it. I think I shall take up my neglected 
 German again, to amuse myself during the inter-
 
 12 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 vals of nursing and cooking. One must do some 
 thing while one s charge sleeps. Long naps, 
 morning and afternoon, are specialties in Stuart s 
 case." 
 
 This letter, which had really not been written 
 at one sitting, but had consumed the leisure of 
 several afternoons, having been sealed and laid 
 aside, Mrs. Holmes gave her eyes to the street 
 outside and her thoughts to that past which every 
 day seemed more dear to her in contrast with 
 the present. Moreover though she had not 
 put it into words her heart was sometimes busy 
 with that weary question, "Why?" with which 
 we often wear out our hearts. Why, for instance, 
 should a man so thoroughly consecrated as 
 her husband, whose schemes for bettering the 
 world were numerous and successful, be suddenly 
 stricken down in his prime, and brought to the 
 very verge of the grave ? So low, indeed, that 
 after the immediate danger was past, the creep 
 ing back to health and strength was so slow that 
 for days together no improvement could be dis 
 covered, and numerous drawbacks made havoc 
 with the little gain which the weeks developed. 
 Why should all this have come to him, making 
 it necessary for both of them to leave the work 
 to which they had consecrated their leisure hours, 
 and all possible increase over and above their 
 daily living, and go far away among strangers net
 
 SHE IGNORES THEM. 13 
 
 only, but uncongenial ones? Among people, 
 apparently, who had nothing in common with 
 their way of thinking or doing. 
 
 "It is just a lost winter," was the sad mental 
 conclusion to which Mrs. Chrissy was wont to 
 come, when she went over again the story of her 
 recent past: "Stuart needed the rest, I suppose, 
 and the dear Lord knew him well enough to know 
 that he could not get it in any other way, and I 
 am necessary to the entire rest which his body 
 and brain need. Well, for that last I can never 
 cease to be thankful; I must just be content to 
 take my rest, which certainly neither my body 
 nor mind needed, in order that he may the more 
 surely have his. I will count it my lost winter, 
 and fold my hands over it as smoothly as I can 
 and wait." 
 
 But her face, as I said, was clouded. She was 
 not rebellious, but sad ; the days were really very 
 long. Glad, she was, thankful from her inmost 
 soul for her husband s manifest improvement; she 
 sang a thanksgiving hymn in her heart many 
 times each day over it; nevertheless, there were 
 hours in the long day, while her husband slept, or 
 while he lay in a state half-dreaming, half-waking, 
 drinking in health with every breath, but much 
 better entirely undisturbed even by the voice of 
 his wife, when the time hung heavily upon the 
 young wife s hands. It seemed strange, indeed,
 
 14 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 to her who had lived so active a life, giving all her 
 time, of late years, to the service of others, to be 
 laid aside ; yet that she was laid aside from active 
 work as certainly as her husband, was her deliber 
 ate conclusion. 
 
 " I am fitted to work only in certain lines," she 
 told herself. "The Christian Endeavor Society 
 which took such strong hold of me, I can work 
 through ; but remove me from that place, and I 
 am useless. I only make blunders which are 
 injurious to the cause. That giggling club will 
 giggle on and be more silly all their lives, I sup 
 pose, because of my failure among them. I have 
 really done them an injury, when I had a single 
 desire to help ; and I have spent a large part of 
 my treasured tenth for worse than nothing! 
 To think that I imagined I could transform that 
 club into a full-fledged Christian Endeavor soci 
 ety! They could not even endeavor, to say 
 nothing of the word Christian ; and I could not 
 move them in any direction save that of ridicule. 
 Well, wisdom is dearly learned sometimes. I will 
 profit by my experience. I will carefully avoid 
 the young people in this vicinity ; and, judging 
 from the specimens I have seen, it will not be a 
 trial for me to do so."
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THEY COMPEL HER ATTENTION. 
 
 WHILE the letter-writer sat gazing into 
 space with that half-sad, half-retrospect 
 ive look upon her face which at times troubled 
 her husband, he broke the silence. " Chrissy, 
 dear, why do you not take a walk? This sweet 
 air must be more enjoyable outside than in this 
 room." 
 
 She turned toward him quickly with the smile 
 that was always ready for his eyes. "I thought 
 you were sleeping," she said, "and would not 
 move to disturb you. I think I will take a walk, 
 if you are entirely comfortable. I want to see 
 our laundress, and I am going to try to find some 
 juicier oranges for you." 
 
 Bonnet, gloves and small shoulder-cape, the 
 only wrap that the balmy air required, were soon 
 in order, and Chrissy bent before the couch for 
 good-by. 
 
 " I am going first to the kitchen to see that 
 
 5
 
 l6 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 your beef-tea is conducting itself in a proper man 
 ner, and to see if Happy can be installed near the 
 door to answer to your call." 
 
 "I do not require the outside help, I think," he 
 said, smiling; "I am in need of nothing, and 
 have a fund of happiness in my own heart to draw 
 upon till you come back." 
 
 The smile his wife gave him in response had a 
 wistful touch in it. Her husband, lying on his 
 couch utterly laid aside, was so much more will 
 ing to wait than she found it in her restless heart 
 to do. She thought it over as she made her way 
 with careful steps through the long, wide, not 
 overclean passage that led from the front part of 
 the house to the kitchen. At the door, which 
 was ajar, she paused to listen, not to the noise, 
 but to the unwonted stillness. Mrs. Stetson s 
 kitchen was by no means generally a quiet place ; 
 the clatter of pans and kettles mingled with the 
 discord of sharp words at all hours of the day. 
 A most uncomfortable woman was Mrs. Stetson, 
 "out of her sphere if ever a woman was," Mrs. 
 Holmes wrote in her home letters, and added : 
 "The saddest part of it is, one can only wonder, 
 in looking at her, what her sphere could possibly 
 have been ! I cannot think of a spot in the world 
 where she would really fit." 
 
 Such being the situation, not to hear either 
 dishes or voice was ominous of something strange.
 
 THEY COMPEL HER ATTENTION. I? 
 
 Chrissy, waiting for she hardly knew what, softly 
 pushed the door open and looked in. About the 
 stove even more than the usual disorder prevailed. 
 The debris of the long-past dinner was so great 
 that the young woman reflected with satisfaction 
 over the tightly closed jar in which her husband s 
 beef tea was simmering. Beside the window, 
 which commanded a view of the street, sat Mrs. 
 Stetson, doing absolutely nothing, save that with 
 one corner of her soiled kitchen apron she 
 brushed away two or three great tears, which 
 struggled down her sallow, much wrinkled face. 
 Mrs. Stetson actually crying! The sight appalled 
 her boarder. To have seen her frowning, scold 
 ing, tossing pans and brooms or sticks of wood 
 right and left in a frenzy of haste and angry 
 bewilderment would have been a common sight ; 
 but this was a new development. Chrissy stood 
 irresolute. Should she retire ? But the beef 
 tea, perhaps, needed more water in the kettle ; 
 and then where was Happy, whose services she 
 needed ? She finally retired a few steps, and 
 made much noise opening and closing a door, that 
 needed no attention ; having thus heralded her 
 coming, she advanced briskly. The ruse took 
 effect. Mrs. Stetson turned hastily from the win 
 dow, and began to clatter the dishes ; but there 
 were traces of tears upon her cheeks, and Chrissy 
 could not forget them. She lingered even after
 
 1 8 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 her errand was done, albeit her landlady was in a 
 most unpropitious mood. 
 
 "I am sure I do not know where Happy is," 
 she said, sharply ; " stuck away in some corner 
 reading a worthless book, I suppose ; that s 
 where she generally is when she isn t doing 
 worse. If there was ever a more worthless girl 
 than Happy born into this world, I m glad it was 
 not my lot to see her. Yes, she can sit by the 
 door as well as not ; it s all she s good for, and I 
 do suppose she would know enough to answer if 
 your husband called; and it s about all she does 
 know." 
 
 "But I m afraid you need her here," said 
 Chrissy ; "you have so much to do." 
 
 "That s a good reason for not needing her. 
 She isn t worth the salt she eats on her potatoes. 
 When it comes to such work as this, I d rather 
 have her out of the kitchen than in it. No, Mis 
 Holmes, I d rather have the money you pay for 
 her setting by your door doing nothing, than to 
 see her slouching around making believe help. 
 Sally will be back directly and take hold here." 
 
 " It is hard work to take care of so many 
 people, is it not?" said Chrissy, still lingering. 
 Some way the memory of those sorrowful-looking 
 tears held her; she could not be willing to go 
 away without attempting a word of comfort or 
 at least of sympathy.
 
 THEY COMPEL HER ATTENTION. 19 
 
 "It ain t that altogether," said Mrs. Stetson, 
 evasively, and in a voice that told that the tears 
 were still suspiciously near the surface. "There s 
 worse troubles than that in the world, Mis 
 Holmes, and I have mine to bear. I m sick of 
 living." 
 
 "Oh, no," said Chrissy, briskly; "it s a nice, 
 pleasant world ; only see how blue the sky is, and 
 the air smells of roses and yellow jessamine, and 
 I don t know what other sweet things. Why, in 
 my home a terrible north east storm has been 
 raging for days together ! My brother says he 
 has almost forgotten how sunshine looks." 
 
 "Humph!" said Mrs. Stetson, with an unmis 
 takable sniff; "sunshine and roses is all very 
 nice in their way, but it takes more than them 
 to make a world, Mis Holmes." 
 
 Chrissy laughed merrily. She was bent on 
 cheering this woman. 
 
 "That is true," she said; "it takes soups and 
 bread and potatoes, and ever so many other 
 things, and a great deal of hard work, does it not ? 
 That sweet-potato pie was very nice to-day, Mrs. 
 Stetson." 
 
 "I m sure I m glad of it," said Mrs. Stetson, 
 looking not one whit less gloomy. " Liph thought 
 so too, I guess ; he eat a whole one ; Liph can 
 show his appreciation that way as well as the 
 next one. When you get to be an old woman
 
 2O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 like me, Mis Holmes, and have, maybe, a great 
 six-foot boy to think about, you ll know what 
 trouble is, and find out that it takes more than 
 roses and sunshine to make bright weather." 
 
 "Children are a great responsibility, I know," 
 Chrissy said, gently; "but, after all, what would 
 the world be without your one ? If Liph were 
 gone, you would find it hard to realize that the 
 sun shone." 
 
 This sentence was a desperate attempt to find 
 the mother-heart of this ill-disciplined woman, 
 and the speaker was utterly unprepared for the 
 answer she received. Mrs. Stetson laid down the 
 pan she was washing, with such energy that she 
 hit it against another of its own metal, and the 
 sound rang through the room, while she said with 
 an intensity that would be hard to describe : 
 
 "I d be glad and thankful to the ends of my 
 toes, Mis Holmes, if he lay in the grave this 
 minute ! " 
 
 "Oh, dear woman!" cried Chrissy, appalled; 
 "do not say such terrible words! Think how 
 fearfully you may some day regret them." 
 
 Mrs. Stetson dashed the dishwater from her 
 hands with a fierce shake, and spoke with almost 
 more energy than before. 
 
 "I would, Mis Holmes; that is as true> as 
 there is a sun in the sky. You stand there, 
 pretty and smiling, and think life is all made of
 
 THEY COMPEL HER ATTENTION. 2 I 
 
 roses and things ; you don t know nothing about 
 it ; wait till you have a boy of your own, and 
 slave your fingers to the bone to dress him up 
 in a white dress every day, and pretty little shoes 
 with buckles on them, and a blue sash, and all 
 that, and curl his hair over your fingers, and make 
 a fool of yourself, being proud of him because he 
 is handsomer than your neighbor s boy. Then 
 let him grow up and learn to stand around street 
 corners and loaf, and say low words such as you 
 never heard in your life till he brought em home 
 to you, and learn to smoke and chew, and learn 
 to sneer at you for an old woman that doesn t 
 know any thing, and learn by and by to spend his 
 days and half his nights in those low-down pes 
 tiferous saloons, and drink their low-down whiskey 
 till he doesn t know enough not to strike you 
 when he comes staggering home, and you trying 
 to help him to bed. Then you ll talk, maybe, 
 about roses and sunshine, but I don t believe it ! 
 Yes, ma am ; if I could go back over the years 
 and dress him up in his white dress and his pretty 
 shoes, and curl his hair and lay him in a hand 
 some coffin, don t you think I d do it and be glad 
 over it ? I tell you, you don t know any thing 
 about it." And Mrs. Stetson turned away with 
 the bitterest sob Chrissy had ever heard, with the 
 corner of her soiled apron at her eyes again. 
 The intruder looked at her in utter dismay.
 
 22 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 What was she to say to so great a sorrow ? Yet 
 how could she, a Christian woman, turn away 
 from trouble like this without an attempt to com 
 fort ? She went forward until she stood close 
 to the mother, whose hair was prematurely gray, 
 and said in low, pitiful tones : 
 
 " I am very sorry for you ; I wish I could do 
 something to help you." 
 
 "There ain t nothing in life that can help me," 
 Mrs. Stetson said, struggling to regain her com 
 posure. "I ve give up. I ve talked to Liph and 
 scolded him, tried to shame him into being some 
 body ; and I never accomplished nothing, only to 
 make him mad. There s nothing to look forward 
 to now but ruin for him and me, and sometimes 
 I think if I could do something to hurry it along, 
 that would be the best for both of us." 
 
 "God can save Liph." The voice that spoke 
 this brief, important sentence, was low and sweet, 
 but wonderfully earnest. There was no answer 
 ing thrill in the woman s heart ; there was no 
 lifting of the gloom on her face. Even the 
 sacred name had no strong, tender association 
 for her. 
 
 " It is too late for any thing but ruin," she 
 repeated. "I ve known that this good while, but 
 I don t often break down. I m ashamed to have 
 you see me like this, Mis Holmes. I ain t got 
 no call to bother you with my miseries. You go
 
 THEY COMPEL HER ATTENTION. 23 
 
 on and don t mind me. I ll be myself in a few 
 minutes, and I ll send that worthless Happy right 
 straight up stairs, and see that she sits there, too. 
 I ll look out for him myself, Mis Holmes; so you 
 needn t to worry." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes went away with slow step, like 
 one in a dream. What a page of life she had 
 unwillingly looked upon this bright afternoon ! 
 Who would have supposed that Mrs. Stetson ever 
 cried ever did anything, indeed, but struggle 
 with her three meals a day, and her inefficient 
 help, and scold her one boy ? During the two or 
 three weeks of their stay in the house, Mrs. 
 Holmes had scarcely given this boy a thought, 
 save sometimes to sigh and occasionally to smile, 
 when Mrs. Stetson s shrill voice was heard call 
 ing him "a worthless, good-for-nothing, lazy, low 
 lived fellow, not worth the salt which he used on 
 his potatoes." 
 
 She had supposed him to be a half-grown, mis 
 chievous youngster, who did not like to work, and 
 whose mother meant very little of what she said 
 to him. Neither she nor Stuart had ever seen 
 the boy, but Stuart had been amused at some of 
 the phrases that floated up to him occasionally 
 from the rooms below, and had adopted them to 
 the extent that he would sometimes say to his 
 wife: "I m not worth the salt in this beef tea, 
 Chrissy, dear." And they had both laughed
 
 24 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 over it, and had not dreamed that the words were 
 the utterance of a bitter, almost broken-hearted 
 woman. As Mrs. Holmes crossed the street 
 and moved toward the supply store that occupied 
 the furthest corner of the square, she heard a 
 loud voice call, " Look out there, Liph ! that 
 beam will hit you." 
 
 She turned quickly in the direction of the 
 beam, curious to see not it but Liph. He was 
 shambling across the street, dangerously near to 
 the beam of some heavy machinery, which was 
 being let down from a store-room above. Could 
 it be possible that that was Liph, the merry- 
 hearted, lazy, roguish boy, with tangled curls and 
 bare feet and torn jacket, whom she had always 
 pictured when she had heard his mother s voice ? 
 
 A great awkward fellow, towering six feet high, 
 with a shock of unkempt hair ; swarthy of skin, 
 repulsive as regarded dress and manner, with a 
 scowl on his face, and with fierce eyes, which 
 looked at one askance from under heavy eye 
 brows. There was a certain something in his 
 very walk that indicated utter recklessness. Mrs. 
 Holmes moved on rapidly, but she couldn t get 
 away from the sinking of heart that had come 
 to her as she caught a full view of Liph s face. 
 She could not get away from his mother s words, 
 "There s nothing for Liph but ruin." 
 
 It looked only too probable. This young
 
 THEY COMPEL HER ATTENTION. 25 
 
 worker in the Master s vineyard knew nothing 
 at all about the class that Liph Stetson repre 
 sented. Young men in danger, needing wise and 
 patient hands reached out to save them, she knew, 
 or thought she knew, a good deal about. Had 
 she not begun with her own brother years and 
 years ago ? But almost unconsciously to herself, 
 such young men had, in her thoughts, taken the 
 condition of her brother Harmon during those 
 dangerous years of his life handsome, gay, 
 witty, well dressed, fond of society, but scorning 
 any thing like coarseness or roughness. Then, 
 too, she knew about clerks in groceries and 
 drug stores, and the great army of respectably- 
 employed young men that these classes repre 
 sented. Chrissy Hollister s world had lain among 
 them, and in her new home in the city, she and 
 her husband, backed by their grand Christian 
 Endeavor society, had worked faithfully, with 
 blessed results, among many such. Absorbed 
 in her work, Chrissy, at least, had forgotten that 
 there was another, and perhaps even a larger, 
 class, sorely needing help, with which she never 
 came in contact. Liph Stetson brought this fact 
 to her notice in a startling manner. The giggling 
 club, which had made such a lasting impression 
 upon her, was of another class from those to 
 which she had been used ; but they were alto 
 gether unlike Liph.
 
 26 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 She walked on, thinking about him and about 
 his mother. What could be done for either of 
 them ? If only Stuart were well ! But he must 
 not even be told the story. It would excite him 
 too much, he would be so eager to do something. 
 On the whole, Mrs. Holmes, as she walked 
 briskly down the long street toward her washer 
 woman s, broke utterly her resolution to have 
 nothing to do with "the young people in this 
 vicinity," and gave more thought to one young 
 person in that single half-hour than she had given 
 to the entire city before. Still, she did not 
 realize that such was the case. So utterly differ 
 ent was Liph Stetson from her known world, that 
 she hardly recognized him as belonging to the 
 "young people." She reached the door of Mrs. 
 Carpenter s shabby little house without having 
 had a single ray of hope given her concerning 
 Liph s future ; without a suggestion as to how 
 to reach him in any way. 
 
 Mrs. Carpenter was ironing. Upon the two 
 other occasions when Mrs. Holmes had seen her 
 she had been ironing, and as the caller stood for 
 a moment watching the swift passes of the iron 
 over the snowy muslin, she wondered curiously if 
 this comprised the woman s life. Her encounter 
 with Liph and his mother had somehow roused 
 her interest in humanity. She had forgotten to 
 dream about home and wonder what the girls
 
 THEY COMPEL HER ATTENTION. 2/ 
 
 were doing, and what they would do this winter, 
 and what would be said and done that first night 
 when she and Stuart went back to them. She 
 had thought only of Mrs. Stetson and Liph. Now 
 she added Mrs. Carpenter to her list. 
 
 "The woman is young," she thought ; "she can 
 hardly be more than thirty. What hard lines 
 there are on her face ! She must have been 
 pretty once. What a strange impression she gives 
 one that it was a long time ago forty years 
 ago at least ! Yet there isn t a thread of gray in 
 her hair, and her eyes have fire in them. How 
 severely plain her dress is! Just a straight-up- 
 and-downness, Stuart would say, without even a 
 collar to relieve it, and her hair stretched back as 
 straight and as firmly as comb and hairpins will 
 accomplish. But it is smooth, and her dress is 
 clean. Poor Mrs. Stetson could not possibly put 
 herself into such neatness. This woman is of a 
 different type from Mrs. Stetson. Her face does 
 not look happy. I wonder if she, too, has a story."
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THEY INCREASE IN NUMBER. 
 
 E thought closed with a little sigh. Mrs. 
 JL Holmes was certainly dipping into strange 
 chapters of life this afternoon, all unexpectedly. 
 
 Not willing to allow herself to become inter 
 ested in another person, she cut short her reverie 
 by knocking at the door. The ironer raised her 
 eyes for an instant, then dropped them, and delib 
 erately finished the pillow-case she was ironing, 
 folded and hung it on the bars near at hand, and 
 set her iron on the stove, before she came slowly 
 forward, with the slightest possible bend of her 
 head, and waited for the intruder to announce 
 her errand. 
 
 "Mrs. Carpenter," said her caller, "I came to 
 speak about the wrappers. I do not want them 
 starched, please. I forgot to mention it. I hope 
 I am not too late." 
 
 "No," Mrs. Carpenter said, "I have not got 
 28
 
 THEY INCREASE IN NUMBER. 29 
 
 to the wrappers yet, but they would look much 
 better for being starched." 
 
 "I know," said Mrs. Holmes, "but I want to 
 fold them away. They are not suited to my 
 needs here. I find I have half filled my trunk 
 with articles which do not belong to this latitude." 
 
 " I suppose that is because you do not belong 
 to this latitude yourself," Mrs. Carpenter said, 
 with a sort of cold dignity. 
 
 It was a strange thing to say. Mrs. Holmes 
 regarded her somewhat curiously, interested in 
 spite of herself. 
 
 "May I come in and rest a few minutes?" 
 she asked, suddenly. " It is a longer walk than 
 I imagined ; I have driven here before, you, 
 know." 
 
 "Of course," said Mrs. Carpenter, meaning, 
 "Of course, you can rest." 
 
 The words were spoken in the same indifferent 
 tone as before. There was not the slightest pro 
 tense of cordiality. Mrs. Holmes entered, ano! 
 took the seat toward which her hostess motioned 
 It was a wooden-seated chair from which the paint 
 had all been scrubbed away. There were only 
 three chairs in the room, all of hard, uncompro 
 mising wood. Two of them were now doing duty 
 as clothes-bars. The room was very clean and 
 very bare not an attempt at comfort of any 
 sort. The unceiled walls were hung: with several
 
 3O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 articles of wearing apparel, a man s coat with the 
 rest. A small table in the corner had a man s 
 hat resting on it beside a common kerosene lamp, 
 which was perfectly clean. The stove on which 
 the irons busied themselves getting ready for 
 work, had not been blackened for months, appar 
 ently, but had 1 been washed clean that very day, 
 and no litter of ashes or of chips was visible. In 
 short, every thing was in dreary order, and the 
 ntr.nber of articles which comprised the entire 
 furnishing were startlingly few. 
 
 Mrs. Holmes looked about her with pitiful curi 
 osity. The thought that this was actually a home 
 struck her with a sense of chill. Not a picture 
 any where, not a book or paper, not a flower or 
 plant, not a living thing save that white-faced, 
 stern-eyed ironer at the table ! Even the flies 
 seemed to have deserted the place, discouraged, 
 perhaps, by the scrupulous cleanliness and the 
 absence of a crumb on which to feast. Did the 
 woman by the table feel at home ? Was she glad 
 to make every thing so clean the guest wondered. 
 Had she come away to a land of strangers with 
 one for whom to iron and scrub and save were 
 opportunities for which she thanked God ? " I 
 could do it for Stuart," thought the happy wife, 
 "if that were the thing to do; but this woman 
 does not look like it. Perhaps she is a widow, 
 poor thing ! I have never asked a question about
 
 THEY INCREASE IN NUMBER. 31 
 
 her. She looks like an unhappy woman. She 
 cannot have a Liph to mourn over, she is so 
 young. Perhaps, though, she has a grave. Well, 
 if it is a baby s grave, she may have much to be 
 thankful for." And again Mrs. Stetson s words, 
 which had seemed so terrible, occurred to her. 
 The ironer ironed steadily, and stillness reigned. 
 It began to grow embarrassing. Something ought 
 to be said ; the guest could not decide what. 
 
 "Is it hard work?" she asked, at last, watching 
 the swift-moving iron. 
 
 "Did you never do it?" 
 
 The question startled her. It was not the sort 
 of reply she had expected to receive. 
 
 "I do not remember that I ever did," she said, 
 after a moment s hesitation. " I had duties in my 
 mother s home, but that did not happen to be one 
 of them ; and since I have had a home of my owP 
 my hands have been full with other kinds of ser 
 vice. It does not look like hard work, but I sup 
 pose like every thing else which is worth doing, it 
 requires practice in order to be skillful. You are 
 a beautiful ironer, I think." 
 
 " I ve had practice enough," was the cold reply, 
 "and am likely to. One has to live, whether 
 one wants to or not ; and it s my way of 
 living." 
 
 This seemed very pitiful. Mrs. Holmes was 
 unwilling to leave the conversation, now that she
 
 32 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 had once begun, without having some heart put 
 into it. 
 
 "Do you not like to live?" she asked, gently. 
 
 It was not the sentence she had meant to say. 
 It seemed almost to say itself, as well as the gen 
 tle words which followed. " Living is beautiful, I 
 think, especially to-day. The sky is so blue, and 
 the air so full of sweets. I heard a bird, as 
 I came by the park, swelling into a perfect 
 ecstasy of song. I never heard a bird sing in 
 December before. I mean one that was not 
 caged." 
 
 The reply that she received startled her as 
 much as Mrs. Stetson s tears. 
 
 "I hate life; I hate the sunshine and the 
 smells and the birds. I hate every thing! " 
 
 Her guest looked at her with a keen sense of 
 pain. Another phase of unhappy life with which 
 she did not know how to deal. This was worse 
 than Mrs. Stetson s. The very disorder and dis 
 comfort with which that woman was surrounded 
 seemed to take some of the fierceness from what 
 she said, while her tears humanized the appeal. 
 But there were no tears here, the iron was mov 
 ing more swiftly than before, and only a little 
 sterner setting of the lips reminded one that the 
 woman had spoken at all. 
 
 "It is God s world," her caller said at last; 
 "and the sunshine and birds and sweet perfumes,
 
 THEY INCREASE IN NUMBER. 33 
 
 were made to help you. Could you not get some 
 thing from them for your life ?" 
 
 " Yes, I get mockery from them ; something 
 which makes me hate life more every day ; yet for 
 decency s sake I go on living. People who have 
 come from New England will do any thing for 
 decency s sake." 
 
 "Are you from New England?" Mrs. Holmes 
 asked with instant sympathy; "then you are, like 
 myself, far away from home. Did you come for 
 the sake of some one very dear to you?" 
 
 At the risk of probing a terrible wound, she 
 resolved to ask that question. It would be much 
 better for this fierce woman to break down utterly 
 and weep before her than to keep such a pent-up 
 torrent of pain in her heart. 
 
 "It must be a grave over which she is rebell 
 ious," thought her visitor, and she almost expected 
 the iron to cease its swift passes, and to see the 
 ironer s face buried in the garment she was 
 smoothing. 
 
 "I came because I was a fool," was the hard 
 reply, and the iron rushed over the board with 
 redoubled vigor; "and I m a fool to stand here 
 talking about it," was the next outburst upon the 
 dismayed silence. "What s the use of talking? 
 What s the use of asking questions ?" 
 
 "It sometimes helps, to talk," Mrs. Holmes 
 said, at last, very gently ; "when I am homesick,
 
 34 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 I think if I only had some one to tell it to, half 
 the trouble would be gone, but I have to keep 
 very still. I am a stranger here, alone with my 
 husband, and I dare not speak to him, because he 
 is ill and needs all the help and cheer I can give 
 him. I can imagine what it might be to live far 
 away from one s home for years ; quite alone in 
 the world. Have you no friends here?" 
 
 " I have no friends anywhere, and never expect 
 to have ; but I don t know why I am telling you 
 so." 
 
 "Because you are mistaken," Mrs. Holmes 
 said, with quiet assurance. "Every one is mis 
 taken who thinks so. You have many friends, 
 brothers and sisters ; the earth is every day being 
 peopled with those who are kindred in Jesus 
 Christ. I hope you know Him. If you do, you 
 surely know that however sad your life may be, it 
 is not desolate." 
 
 " I don t know any thing about it," said Mrs. 
 Carpenter, doggedly. " I never did understand 
 that kind of talk. When I was a girl in New 
 England it used to be all Greek to me, and it is 
 worse than that now. If you are one of that 
 kind, you d better not waste it on me. Oh, I m 
 not a heathen. I believe in God, and in the 
 Bible, some of it at least ; but it is precious little 
 good it has ever done me, and the time has gone 
 by when I expect it to. I ll have your clothes
 
 THEY INCREASE IN NUMBER. 35 
 
 ready by Friday, as I said, and I think they can 
 be made to suit you." 
 
 Evidently that was a dismissal ; but Mrs. 
 Holmes was desperate. For the second time that 
 day she had come in contact with one to whom 
 the Name above all names was an idle word, 
 bringing no suggestion of help or comfort, 
 though there was sore need of both. Could she 
 go away without another effort to help this soul in 
 peril ? Yet what would help her ? If she only 
 knew what had brought about this condition of 
 rebellion ! 
 
 "I am very sorry for you," she said, with 
 exceeding gentleness ; " I wish so much that I 
 could do or say something to help you. Is your 
 life so hard because you are alone in the world ? 
 Are you a widow?" 
 
 "No." 
 
 Nothing which had been said so dismayed the 
 questioner as that single monosyllable, shot at 
 her from a pair of lips which instinctively com 
 pressed themselves into the hardest lines Mrs. 
 Holmes had ever seen on a woman s face ! Cer 
 tainly she had not said that if she were, her life 
 would be more endurable; yet what did that face 
 imply ? 
 
 The sound of a step was heard outside, and 
 there shambled toward the open door the figure 
 of a man. A man with grizzly gray hair and
 
 36 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 unkempt beard, bleared eyes and soiled linen ; 
 a man in his shirt sleeves, with his old hat pushed 
 to the back of his head, the very abandonment of 
 carelessness ; a man whose clothes, and even 
 beard, were stained with tobacco juice. In his 
 hand he held an old smoke-blackened pipe, which 
 had evidently just been removed from his mouth. 
 
 "Good-day, ma am," he said, nodding his head. 
 To her dismay Mrs. Holmes discovered that the 
 salutation was addressed to her. She arose sud 
 denly, uncertain whether or not to return the 
 courtesy. Was that a drunken man who had 
 strayed into the wrong door? She turned toward 
 Mrs. Carpenter to see if the appearance fright 
 ened her, and caught upon her face a look of 
 utter repulsion, but there was no fear in it. 
 
 "Don t come in here with that pipe," she said, 
 in tones which rasped as a file might upon steel ; 
 "you know better than that." 
 
 "For the land s sake!" said the man, "what 
 hurt can the pipe do when it s out?" 
 
 But he shambled away, and the guest made 
 swift exit, amazed and sick at heart. Something 
 in the woman s manner told her that that man 
 was her husband. 
 
 For several blocks Mrs. Holmes walked swiftly, 
 conscious of an effort not to think at all. Her 
 heart was so full of pain, and indeed almost of ter 
 ror, that it seemed to her she must not think until
 
 THEY INCREASE IN NUMBER. 37 
 
 she was in a quieter mood. What misery was 
 this upon which she had stumbled unawares? 
 Two women in one afternoon, under the curse of 
 sin, with apparently no knowledge of a remedy. 
 But Mrs. Carpenter s case seemed far worse to 
 the young wife than Mrs. Stetson s. She knew 
 nothing about motherhood ; but what mockery of 
 marriage vows was here ! That man to be that 
 woman s husband ! And the idea of a woman 
 speaking to her husband as she had spoken to 
 him ! It was all too terrible to be thought about. 
 What an awful world it was, viewed from some 
 stand-points ! She had heard of such people. 
 The papers mentioned them sometimes. She 
 had even in the city brushed past certain objects 
 who had made her shiver and draw her dress away 
 from contact ; but to come face to face with a 
 respectable woman, clean and neat, and with an 
 air of rigid cleanliness about every thing that she 
 touched, and to discover that she was bound by 
 the holiest ties to such as that, was a contact 
 which this woman had never made before. She 
 found herself trembling in every limb. It would 
 never do to present herself before Stuart in that 
 state; he would think she had been alarmed, 
 insulted perhaps, and would arouse to instant 
 anxiety. She tried to think about the birds who 
 were still singing, and to take in great whiffs of 
 the perfume-laden air, and forget the pictures of
 
 38 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 misery which had made such discord with the day. 
 But it was hard to get away from them. She was 
 glad when her own door was reached, albeit she 
 was reminded that she had by no means got 
 ten away from disagreeable subjects by seeing 
 "Liph" stalking sulkily across the street toward 
 home. He looked more repulsive to her than he 
 had two hours before. She even told herself that 
 he had a worse face than Mr. Carpenter, if it were 
 possible that that man was Mr. Carpenter. 
 
 In the hall above, sat Happy, a paper-covered 
 book in hand, and so absorbed that she did not 
 hear the lady s step. Mrs. Holmes wondered if 
 she would have been aroused by her husband s 
 feeble voice, supposing he had wanted her. 
 
 "You must be fond of reading," she said, close 
 at the girl s elbow. 
 
 Happy started violently. 
 
 "You scairt me half to pieces," she said; "I 
 didn t hear you come, nor nothing." 
 
 "So I observed. What have you here that is 
 so absorbing?" and she bent low enough to 
 read the name on the title-page, "A Loyal 
 Lover." 
 
 The name told her very little; she was not 
 familiar with that class of literature, yet, with the 
 discernment of the cultured woman, she instinct 
 ively gauged the probable merits of the book. 
 What a pity that a girl having intellect enough to
 
 THEY INCREASE IN NUMBER. 39 
 
 read at all, should feed herself upon such material 
 as this. 
 
 "It is an awful interesting story," Happy said; 
 "I was just reading how she couldn t get out of 
 the stone house ; I don t believe she ever will, 
 either." 
 
 "Is that interesting?" Mrs. Holmes asked. 
 
 "Why, yes," said Happy; "what could be 
 more interesting than a girl in a place out of 
 which she could not get ? He is trying his level 
 best to get her, but I don t believe he can do 
 it." 
 
 Who "he" or "she" was Mrs. Holmes did not 
 try to discover. Her thoughts were still revolv 
 ing about the problem which had beset her this 
 afternoon. Just now it was taking a new form. 
 
 "Happy," she said, dreamily, "does your name 
 fit you?" 
 
 "Ma am?" said Happy, staring harder than 
 ever. 
 
 Mrs. Holmes smiled. 
 
 "A girl named Happy should be happy, should 
 she not ? Does yours tell the truth about you ?" 
 
 "Oh!" said Happy. "No, ma am, I ain t 
 happy a bit." 
 
 Not even she, though her face looked so free 
 from thought of any kind ! Mrs. Holmes looked 
 at her narrowly, wondering how deep was her 
 dissatisfaction,
 
 4O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "What would it take to make you quite 
 happy?" she said; "think and tell me." 
 
 < Oh, I don t need to think; I know," and the 
 girl s face gleamed with a radiant smile. "If I 
 had a pink silk dress trimmed with lace, and a 
 fan trimmed with swan s-down, I should be per 
 fectly happy." 
 
 Poor little idiot ! Her questioner could have 
 cried, but instead she laughed. 
 
 "Where did you see a fan trimmed with swan s- 
 down ? " she asked, with her hand on the door 
 knob. 
 
 "She had one," said Happy, inclining her head 
 toward the book still on her lap. 
 
 "Well," said Mrs. Holmes, "I am sorry it is 
 not in my power to make you perfectly happy 
 after your service to me. Has Mr. Holmes 
 needed any thing?" 
 
 " I guess not, ma am ; he s not spoken a word. 
 He walked about the room some, and went out on 
 the piazza once, and I asked if he wanted me, and 
 he said no." 
 
 "Thank you," said the lady, and went in to her 
 husband, thinking, as she did so, of Mrs. Carpen 
 ter and her husband.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 SHE ORGANIZES. 
 
 HAPPY is not at rest, either," Mrs. Holmes 
 said to her husband an hour later, as 
 she sat beside him skillfully manipulating an 
 orange and placing delicious morsels in his mouth. 
 "Although her name is Happy, it does not fit. 
 She needs a pink silk dress trimmed with lace, 
 and a swan s-down fan to give her peace of 
 mind." 
 
 They broke into merry laughter over poor 
 Happy s idea of bliss ; then, after a moment, Mr. 
 Holmes asked : 
 
 "Why do you use that term either ? Are 
 you turning pessimist, dear little wife?" 
 
 "Oh," she said, evasively, "I have seen several 
 persons to-day who seemed to me far from happi 
 ness ; and, indeed, Stuart, do you not think it is 
 unusual to find people who are reasonably con 
 tented ? The world seems full of disappointment 
 and unrest." 
 
 4 1
 
 42 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "It is too true," he said, gravely ; "but the solu 
 tion is plain ; the world is at work trying to find 
 its happiness in that which was never intended to 
 satisfy souls, and disappointment is inevitable. 
 Even among Christians I have often been pained 
 with the thought which troubles you; so few of 
 those who profess to have found the true source 
 of satisfaction carry a satisfied front." 
 
 There was a slight flush on his wife s face as 
 she listened to his words. After a moment of 
 silence, she said humbly : 
 
 "I know it. We do not succeed in impressing 
 outsiders with the fact that we have found rest. 
 But, Stuart, how can commonplace people who 
 live in little worlds of their own, help that ? 
 When their plans go awry they must necessarily 
 feel tried, must they not ? And few people have 
 self-control enough to cover their disappointment 
 from the eyes of others." 
 
 " It is more than self-control which is lacking, 
 I think, dear wife ; it is greatly to be feared 
 that the people who feel a disappointment which 
 amounts to bitterness, or results in continued 
 brooding over the miscarriage of their plans, have 
 not yet learned to trust themselves completely in 
 God s hands, but are planning for their way 
 instead of his ; because, else, they would grasp 
 the fact that all things work together for good 
 to those who love God.
 
 SHE ORGANIZES. 43 
 
 The flush on Mrs. Holmes face deepened ; she 
 did not believe that her husband was talking at 
 her, yet his words fitted. 
 
 "Do you know how different you are from 
 other people?" she asked, after a moment; "I 
 have always thought so, but since your illness I 
 am sure of it. For instance, you are very differ 
 ent from me ; I can join you in trusting, when 
 all goes well, and we are hard at work together 
 in the line which we have planned, but I haven t 
 the grace which enables me to sit patiently with 
 folded hands and wait. It has been wonderful to 
 me to see how patiently you endure it all, and 
 how quietly you wait for to-morrow. I wish I 
 knew how to be like you, but I do not." 
 
 The smile which he gave her was pleasant to 
 see, as he said : 
 
 "The reason for that is obvious, too, my dar 
 ling. Grace sufficient for our day is the prom 
 ise, and I daily thank our Heavenly Father that 
 he has not made it necessary for you to rest ; that 
 your health is strong, and your heart, relieved 
 from anxiety, can take hold of his work as vigor 
 ously as ever ; therefore, of course, you are not 
 prepared for resting or waiting." 
 
 She shook her head. 
 
 "Ah, but, Stuart, that is not quite true; there 
 is health enough ; I never felt better ; but there 
 is no work which I can do. I am forced to wait,
 
 44 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 not needing to, you see. I think, after all, that 
 is what gives me the feeling of unrest which I 
 have sometimes. Not that I am unhappy," she 
 added, earnestly, " or that my heart is not almost 
 bursting with gratitude for His goodness in giving 
 you back to me, but at times the thought of what 
 we were doing at home and of how they miss us, 
 makes me restless for the months to pass. I do 
 not know how to work except in certain grooves." 
 
 It was his turn to shake his head. 
 
 " No, my dear, there is where you mistake. It 
 is the Lord s world down here as well as at home, 
 and the harvest waits for laborers here as else 
 where ; the very fact that you have seen to-day 
 and recognized starving souls trying to feed upon 
 husks, proves that the Master is speaking to you 
 through them. They are his lost ones, Chrissy. 
 Has he sent you down here this winter to find 
 some of them ?" 
 
 The twilight was gathering fast. Mrs. Holmes 
 was glad that her husband could not now dis 
 tinctly see her face ; she knew that a look almost 
 of despair had swept over it. How utterly impos 
 sible it seemed to her to do any thing for people 
 like Mrs. Stetson and Liph, and Mrs. Carpenter 
 and her husband, and poor Happy, with her paper 
 novels and her "pink silk" yearnings. Stuart 
 did not know the sort of people she had seen that 
 day, and she would not run the risk of giving
 
 SHE ORGANIZES. 45 
 
 him a restless night by trying to describe them. 
 However, as if he could read her thoughts, he 
 went on : 
 
 "The longer I live, the more sure I am that the 
 religion of Jesus Christ is the one thing suited to 
 the needs of souls, no matter how high they are, 
 humanly speaking, or how low. It is the one 
 thing which effects results, without regard to sta 
 tion ; that, in itself, ought to mark its divine 
 origin. Think of any other influence capable of 
 reaching at once the palaces and the slums of this 
 world, working transformations equally wonder 
 ful in both ! " 
 
 Was there a power which could transform 
 Mr. Carpenter and Liph Stetson ? Yes, Chrissy 
 Holmes believed, but she could not realize it. 
 Rather, she could not realize the possibility of her 
 being used as a factor in the case. 
 
 " I know only one way of working," she said, 
 humbly ; and she felt very humble, indeed. It 
 was her humiliation, she thought, that she could 
 work in one groove only. 
 
 " I was born in the Christian Endeavor Society, 
 you know, and through that channel I have been 
 able to help; but outside of it I am paralyzed." 
 
 "Yes," he said heartily, "that is true; it is true 
 of all workers the world over, Chrissy; honest 
 endeavor, Christ permeating every thought and 
 movement, is the one hope for the world. There
 
 46 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 was never a grander name chosen for a society 
 than that of Christian endeavor it is at once 
 simplicity itself, and all-comprehensive." 
 
 His words gave Mrs. Holmes heart a thrill. 
 The thought came to her with new power that 
 their society was, after all, simply a band of 
 Christians organized for the purpose of doing to 
 better advantage the work given them. What 
 they did, was what individual Christians should 
 be doing the world over; and there was a sense 
 in which there was a Christian endeavor branch 
 wherever one of God s people tarried. " I am 
 and must be a Christian endeavorer," she told 
 herself, "wherever I am; there is no such thing 
 as resting from it until God lays his hand upon 
 me and bids me rest. But oh, what can I do ? 
 Haven t I tried?" 
 
 The idea of forming the people whose acquaint 
 ance she had made that afternoon into a society 
 floated through her mind with such an utterly 
 ludicrous side to it, that she could scarcely keep 
 herself from bursting into laughter. What if she 
 should attempt so wild a thing? Make Liph 
 Stetson, for instance, secretary, and Mrs. Stetson 
 and Mrs. Carpenter a "lookout committee!" 
 But the thought was not, after all, born of frivol 
 ity. The ludicrous element in it faded before a 
 sudden, solemn thought, chiming in with the 
 thoughts which had just preceded it. Why not?
 
 SHE ORGANIZES. 47 
 
 She was a Christian endeavorer an active mem 
 ber. Why not consider these, and any others 
 against whom she brushed, as associate members, 
 and work toward securing them for active service ? 
 Not in a public organization, of course. To have 
 attempted even an explanation of her hopes and 
 plans to any one of them would have been folly ; 
 but all the same she realized, with a brilliant smile, 
 that there was an organization Jesus Christ, the 
 great Head of the United Society, and she, the 
 "active member," working together. The idea 
 thrilled her, as well it might. She moved about, 
 setting the room to rights, stepping lightly, for 
 Stuart was weary after his long talk, and lay back 
 among the pillows, resting. But as she set back 
 the chairs and folded and laid away papers, there 
 was in her heart a spring of hope and cheer, such 
 as had not been felt for days. A definite purpose 
 was formed. It took no shape as yet, so far as 
 regarded action, but the resolve had quickened 
 her pulses into a healthy glow. She could not 
 help giving Stuart a hint of it as she brought him 
 his glass of milk, just before he slept that night. 
 
 "Stuart, I am not going to force myself to 
 rest ; I shall wait for that, until it is sent for me 
 to do. I shall try again, in some way, I don t 
 how, and in truth the how has been the trouble 
 all the while. Don t you know how I failed, so 
 very lately ? "
 
 48 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "Yes," he said, smiling; "were you ever told, 
 dear wife, that the measure of your responsibility 
 was to be determined by the success you had in 
 his work ? Did you ever think how often Jesus 
 Christ seemed to fail, when he was on earth?" 
 
 She had moved from him to give attention to 
 the lamp, but she turned back and gave him the 
 full view of a radiant face. 
 
 " Oh, Stuart ! I never thought of that ! How 
 wonderful it was! They sneered at Him, and yet 
 He went steadily on ! " 
 
 At the moment she thought, with a blush of 
 shame, of the giggling club. What power they 
 had over her, even in the face of the experience of 
 Jesus Christ ! 
 
 "Thank you," she said, bending down to him 
 for good-night, " I wonder that you have not been 
 almost ashamed of me." 
 
 Plans for aggressive work by no means shaped 
 themselves during the night, as the newly- 
 resolved worker had almost hoped they would. 
 The way looked as bewildering as ever by the 
 next morning s light, but her resolution was 
 unshaken. She had established her husband on 
 the front piazza, with his feet in a flood of sun 
 shine, and his eyes screened from its glare. He 
 had taken his morning walk down the long stretch 
 of veranda, had plucked with his own hand a 
 spray of sweet-scented bloom which had climbed
 
 SHE ORGANIZES. 49 
 
 up to him on the trellis ; had eaten a freshly-laid 
 egg and a piece of toast prepared by his wife s 
 own hands, had finished with an orange or two, 
 and now was resting and looking the very embodi 
 ment of patient gratitude. Indeed, they had both 
 been jubilant over the fact that he had walked a 
 hundred steps further this morning than he had 
 since his sickness, and with less fatigue. There 
 was a song in his wife s heart as she moved about 
 their room, putting the dainty touches here and 
 there which made of it a home, instead of an 
 inclosure with four walls and the bare necessities. 
 "Happy" was blundering with the hearth belong 
 ings letting the shovel fall with a loud clang, 
 letting the ashes escape from her and filter over 
 the matting; doing every thing with as little 
 appearance of skill as was possible, and with an 
 air of farawayness which suggested that her 
 thoughts were still upon the hapless "lovers," 
 whoever they might be. As Mrs. Holmes eyes 
 came back from the picture which she made in 
 her torn and soiled dress of flimsy cotton, much 
 too light and too showily made for the work with 
 which it was associated, her eye was caught by 
 the motto which hung at the foot of the bed. A 
 lovely bit of illuminated lettering, in German text, 
 done by her brother Harmon s hand: "As Ye 
 Have Opportunity." Those were the words 
 which appealed to her with sudden power. She
 
 5O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 had asked for plans, for ways of working, for 
 definite openings. Was this her answer? "As 
 ye have opportunity." Why, of course. What 
 could any worker do but follow that simple rule ? 
 
 Was the girl sitting stupidly among the ashes, 
 the sweeping-brush held absently in a hand dis 
 figured by two or three very cheap rings, while 
 with the other hand she toyed with a tawdry 
 ribbon, the soiled ends of which hung down from 
 her neck was this person an opportunity? What 
 could possibly be done for her now and here ? 
 
 As Mrs. Holmes looked, her heart grew pitiful. 
 Was it not, after all, almost as sad a picture of a 
 wasted life as even Mrs. Carpenter presented ? 
 How easily one could forecast the future for her, 
 and imagine her a careworn, slatternly, fretful 
 woman, mismanaging a dreadful home, misruling 
 some miserable children, unless, indeed, a worse 
 picture might be drawn for her ! Something of 
 this kind, unless some wonderful uplifting power 
 took hold of her. 
 
 What was it Stuart had said? "There is only 
 one influence which is strong enough to reach 
 palace and hovel alike, and transform both." 
 Forever blessed be the name of Him who had 
 revealed such a power in the world. But how 
 could it be made to touch the girl in the ashes ? 
 
 "Happy," said her mistress, suddenly, "have 
 you reconciled yourself yet to your name?"
 
 SHE ORGANIZES. 51 
 
 "Ma am?" said Happy, stupidly, letting fall 
 the brush and scattering a fresh cloud of ashes as 
 she spoke. 
 
 " I am still thinking about your name ; it ought 
 to fit. Why do you not set about making your 
 life so happy that people who hear you called will 
 be sure to feel how wise it was to have named you 
 so?" 
 
 Happy giggled bashfully. 
 
 "I ain t no kind of objection to bein happy," 
 she said, "but I don t know how I could go to 
 work ; not just now. I have as good a time as I 
 can git, but that is saying dreadful little." 
 
 "Oh, but I feel sure you are mistaken in that. 
 People take the strangest ways of having good 
 times ! They are always after happiness every 
 body is but they make mistakes in their plans. 
 Do you know what your name means ? What is 
 the full name ? " 
 
 " It is an awful homely one," Happy said dis 
 dainfully. "I was named for my grandmother; 
 and I m sure I don t know why she wanted to 
 have anybody going around carrying it forever; 
 it s Hepzibah. I never heard such a name. I 
 wouldn t give it to a cat." 
 
 "I am not sure that I would," Mrs. Holmes 
 said, smiling, "but that does not alter the fact 
 that it is a beautiful name for a woman." 
 
 Whereupon Happy sat upright and stared.
 
 52 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 " Now you don t think it is pretty ! " she said, 
 incredulously. 
 
 " It is better than pretty ; it is beautiful, be 
 cause of its meaning. Do you know what it 
 means?" 
 
 "Means!" repeated Happy, in bewilderment. 
 "Why, it means just the name of somebody." 
 
 "Yes, but in olden times, more often than now, 
 names had meanings. That is an old Hebrew 
 word, the language, you know, in which part of 
 the Bible was written, and it means, My delight is 
 in her. Can you think of having a very great and 
 powerful friend, who, whenever he thought of you, 
 or heard your name, would feel its fitness, because 
 he would say to himself, My delight is in her ?" 
 
 Such a look of soft, womanly radiance spread 
 over Happy s silly face, that Mrs. Holmes was 
 almost dismayed ; it was only too apparent that 
 she was giving form and name to the "great and 
 powerful friend," and that her conception was as 
 far as possible from that of the woman who was 
 trying to talk to her. Did she name the friend 
 from the novel which had absorbed her, and did 
 he exist as yet only between wretched paper cov 
 ers, or had he taken visible shape to this silly, 
 ignorant girl ? Mrs. Holmes made haste with 
 her next thought ; albeit she knew not how to 
 present it, and wondered whether this were, pos 
 sibly, a case of "casting pearls."
 
 SHE ORGANIZES. 53 
 
 "I am thinking, Happy, of the verse in the 
 Bible where your name is mentioned. Did you 
 know your name was in the Bible? Thou shalt 
 be called Hepzibah, a prophet once said, for the 
 Lord delighteth in thee. If you lived such a life 
 that the dear Lord himself, looking down and 
 watching you all day, as he does, could delight in 
 you, do you not know that your name would fit, 
 and that, in spite of any thing which could happen 
 to you, you would certainly be happy ? " 
 
 The girl seemed startled, half frightened ; and 
 the radiant look faded from her face. She replied 
 dully, after a moment : " I don t know much about 
 the Bible ; I ain t had no chance to learn. My 
 mother died when I was a little thing, and I begun 
 to live out before I could talk plain. So them 
 kind of things ain t for me."
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THEY APPALL HER. 
 
 THEN she leaned forward, with a half sigh, 
 and began to brush the hearth vigorously. 
 Chrissy looked at her, with an unutterable pity 
 swelling in her heart. What had the girl included 
 in "them things" which were not for her, sweep 
 ing them away as carelessly as she was doing 
 with the ashes ? All the glorious possibilities of 
 life character, and influence, and love, and 
 Jesus, and heaven ! Oh, the pity of it ! Yet she 
 had not been touched. The speaker s words, 
 though intended in utmost simplicity, had been 
 away beyond her range. The thought of it being 
 possible for the Lord to delight in her had not 
 reached the outermost circle of her thoughts ; 
 nay, she was lower down than that. Her con 
 ception of God was not such that the thought of 
 the bare possibility of any human being reaching 
 so high thrilled her. Mrs. Holmes tried again. 
 "Happy," she said, with an earnestness which 
 54
 
 THEY APPALL HER. 55 
 
 arrested the brush once more, " I wish you 
 would enter into an agreement with me. Let us 
 be friends you and me. Do you not think you 
 would like me for a friend ? What if you should 
 take a new start in life this very day, and make 
 a happiness for yourself which no one can take 
 from you ? " 
 
 Happy giggled. " I m sure I don t know what 
 you are talking about," she said. "If I was 
 going to set out to be happy, the very first thing 
 I d have to do would be to run away from this 
 house. I m scolded, Mis Holmes, from morning 
 till night. There s nothing that I do, or don t do, 
 for Mis Stetson, but she will scold about it. I m 
 necessary to her happiness, I do believe, because 
 I don t think she could live unless she had Liph 
 and me to scold." 
 
 There was a hidden fund of humor somewhere 
 about Happy. Her eyes gleamed roguishly for a 
 moment as she said this. Then, apparently 
 attempting to assume a gravity which would 
 become the occasion, she added: "No, Mis 
 Holmes, I m sure it s real nice of you to think of a 
 girl like me, and want things to fit ; but it ain t 
 no use. Some time or other I m going to get out 
 of all this, and have a house of my own, and have 
 lots of things that I ain t got now. I expect to 
 be pretty happy thenj and I guess I ll have to 
 wait till then."
 
 56 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "No," said Mrs. Holmes, earnestly. "Mark 
 my words, if you wait until then, the happiness 
 will not come. Do you not like to surprise peo 
 ple? What if you should surprise Mrs. Stetson, 
 for instance, by doing all your work so nicely that 
 she could not discover any thing to scold about ? 
 Have you any. idea how it would make her feel?" 
 
 This at least, was in a line with Happy s under 
 standing, and she giggled afresh. "I never 
 could," she said, confidently. "You ain t as well 
 acquainted with that woman as I be; she ll scold, 
 anyhow." 
 
 " Ah ! but did you ever try it ? Are you really 
 very careful to do your work just as well as you 
 can ? Those ashes, for instance ; have you been 
 just as neat and as quick about them as you could 
 be?" 
 
 This time there was a little shamefacedness 
 with the laugh. "I don t suppose I have," she 
 said; "and I know I ain t quick, nor over and 
 above neat ; but, after all, what s the use in being 
 so dreadful particular ? I hate all kinds of house 
 work, anyhow," she added, in a burst of confi 
 dence, and with an air which said that such a 
 revelation ought to cover a multitude of sins. 
 
 " That isn t of the least consequence," said 
 Mrs. Holmes, calmly. " I may hate to make this 
 bed, which I have been puttjng in such order for 
 the day, but it does not alter the fact that it is
 
 THEY APPALL HER. 57 
 
 my duty to make it just as neat and inviting-look 
 ing as possible ; and if I fail in it, there is very 
 little use in my trying to find satisfaction in some 
 thing else. I have taught myself not to be satis 
 fied until I have done my best. I am very much 
 interested in you, Happy so much that I hope 
 you will please me by adopting my rule, just for 
 to-day and letting me know how it works. Will 
 you not ? " 
 
 Happy hesitated, blushed and laughed. "Why, 
 I don t know, ma am," she said at last. "It seems 
 dreadful queer ! Let me see. What was it?" 
 
 " Oh, it is a very simple rule to repeat, but not 
 so easy to work by. It is simply doing every 
 thing which you have to do, just as well as you 
 can." 
 
 "Well," said Happy, reflectively, "it s Satur 
 day. That s the meanest day in the whole lot, 
 because there s scrubbing the halls and stairs, and 
 I hate scrubbing. Then there s the table to set, 
 and the lamps to fill and trim (I do just despise 
 lamps), and the potatoes to get ready. My ! 
 there s a lot of hateful things to do ; but I don t 
 mind trying to do the best I can, just to please 
 you, only it won t do no good. She will scold 
 on all the same, and nobody will know the 
 difference." 
 
 " Yes, there will. I shall look at the stairs, as 
 I go up and down, and I shall say: Ah! how
 
 58 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 clean they are ! It is a pleasure to walk over 
 them. And I shall notice whether the table-cloth 
 is laid straight and smooth, and whether the 
 knives and forks are laid neatly, or look as though 
 they had been thrown on. As for the potatoes, 
 if they had neither eyes nor lumps in them, it 
 would be a real comfort to me." 
 
 "Would it now?" asked Happy, with a gleam 
 of interest in her eyes; "well, then, I declare if I 
 won t try at it, just for fun ! " 
 
 "And, Happy, there is a thought which you 
 have left out. Do you not know that One, of 
 much more importance than I, will be glad if you 
 do your work faithfully to-day?" 
 
 "Land! Mis Holmes, I don t see why he will 
 care; he don t eat nothing which I touch; you 
 wipe the plate and glass that you take his things 
 in with your own napkin I ve seen you. I 
 think you are too dreadful nice to him for any 
 thing! I should just think he d like to be sick, 
 to be took care of so." 
 
 It was a question with Mrs. Holmes whether to 
 laugh or cry ; her efforts at helping seemed to fall 
 so far short of her hopes and plans. 
 
 "I did not mean Mr. Holmes," she said, gently, 
 after a moment s thought; "though it is quite 
 true that he would be glad to hear of your doing 
 right ; I was thinking of the great God. It is a 
 wonderful thought, but nevertheless it is true,
 
 THEY APPALL HER. 59 
 
 that he has such constant and patient care over 
 his creatures, as to be glad at any effort upon 
 their part toward right-doing. Did you ever 
 think of that?" 
 
 "No, ma am," said Happy, awed at last, "I 
 never did. Mis Holmes, you can t mean that He 
 cares whether I leave dirt in the corner or not ! " 
 
 " I do certainly mean, my dear girl, that you can 
 not do even so small a bit of work as that with 
 out having the eye of God upon you, and without 
 his approving knowledge if you are faithful." 
 
 It was very strong meat for Happy. Her con 
 ception of God would have startled and dismayed 
 Mrs. Holmes. The two surveyed each other in 
 silence for a moment, each busy with her own 
 somewhat bewildered thoughts. The shrill voice 
 of Mrs. Stetson was heard in the distance, calling 
 to the girl, who shrugged her shoulders and nod 
 ded significantly as if to say: "I told you so. 
 You can tell by the sound of her voice the humor 
 she is in." 
 
 " Well," she said, preparing to move, " I ll try 
 it anyhow, every time I can think of it this day; 
 but I know as well as not that it won t come to 
 nothing." 
 
 " It is as strong a degree of faith as many a 
 Christian gets up for special efforts," Mr. Holmes 
 said, when his wife with many merry touches to 
 lighten the sense of pain in it all, told the story
 
 6O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 over to him. "It is only expressed in a little 
 bolder language than we are in the habit of using. 
 Have you not often been startled to discover that 
 the plain English of your resolves meant, I will 
 undertake it, work at it for awhile, and see if the 
 Lord really means what he says ? Chrissy, have 
 you ever noticed that half-grown man, or over 
 grown boy, I hardly know which, who haunts 
 the corner across the way ? There is something 
 peculiar about his face ; it cannot be said to be 
 attractive ; on the contrary, one almost feels repul 
 sion ; yet I find myself looking at it, and wonder 
 ing about its owner. I am afraid nobody is 
 making the slightest effort to save him from the 
 destruction which is almost inevitable." 
 
 "That," said Chrissy, with a gravity which 
 her husband supposed was born of the present 
 moment, "is Liph Stetson." 
 
 " Our landlady s son ? Impossible ! Why, I 
 thought he was a little fellow." 
 
 "We imagined that from her way of speaking 
 to him ; but it is not so, and he is already far 
 down the road which you fear he is traveling. 
 There is a great deal of undone work in the world, 
 Stuart." 
 
 While waiting for further opportunities Mrs. 
 Holmes resolved not to forget the stairs. She 
 gave them careful attention as she went down to 
 dinner. They certainly presented a better appear-
 
 THEY APPALL HER. 6 I 
 
 ance than they had since she came into the house. 
 There was still room for improvement, but an 
 advance had been made. Slight as it was, it 
 cheered Mrs. Holmes heart to a degree that 
 surprised herself. Had her hopes really taken 
 such hold upon Happy ? 
 
 The dinner table, also, was given a surveillance 
 which a due regard to her own peace of mind had 
 held her from, heretofore. Each knife and fork 
 was laid with the precision of a mathematical line, 
 and the handles were not "sticky." Inviting, the 
 table certainly was not ; poor Happy evidently 
 did not know how to make it so ; but that she had 
 made actual effort in that direction was appar 
 ent. Certain telegraphic communications passed 
 between the two, while Happy, in a somewhat 
 cleaner dress, still much too "smart" for the 
 place, and with a ribbon about the neck brighter 
 in hue and less soiled than she had worn in the 
 morning, waited upon the table. An expressive 
 glance from Mrs. Holmes eyes from her to the 
 table and back again, made her flush with pleas 
 ure, giggle a little, and spill the water which she 
 was pouring into Mr. Arson s glass. The further 
 result of this was an undertone passage of words 
 between those two, not a sentence of which Mrs. 
 Holmes could catch ; yet the bantering tones and 
 loose familiarity upon the part of both gave her 
 infinite anxiety. She knew enough of this evil
 
 62 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 world to be sure that there were more dangerous 
 thoughts for a girl like Happy than those sug 
 gested by dime novels or pink silk dresses. She 
 knew enough already about the girl to be sure 
 that she would be an easy victim to certain forms 
 of temptation ; notably those which had to do 
 with dress and so-called pleasure. As for Mr. 
 Arson, he was a young man with sandy mous 
 tache and eyebrows, who wore very fancy neck 
 ties, and had a general air about him which Mrs. 
 Holmes translated to her husband as "jaunty." 
 
 "If he should speak in that tone to my sister 
 Faye," she told herself, her heart throbbing indig 
 nantly the while, "I would not endure it." 
 
 "But he would not speak so to Faye," was 
 the after-thought, which immediately demanded 
 to be analyzed. Why would he not ? Because 
 Faye would be differently circumstanced, would 
 wear better clothes and know how to wear them, 
 and would be waited upon, instead of serving. 
 Well, was it then to be admitted that the acci 
 dent of what one wore, and the position one occu 
 pied in the dining-room, marked the line between 
 respectability and the other thing? Was a girl 
 who did not know how to dress herself, and who 
 was obliged to serve, at the mercy of any fast 
 young man who chose to address her familiarly ? 
 
 These were some of the indignant thoughts 
 which floated through Mrs. Holmes mind. She
 
 THEY APPALL HER. 63 
 
 could not be said to be considering them; they 
 did not take definite shape enough for that ; and 
 she was aware that there was a marked difference 
 between the neatly-clothed, self-respecting girl 
 who served, and this tawdry, ignorant simpleton ; 
 nevertheless, her sense of decency resented the 
 thought that the simpleton should be in danger. 
 Her mind once roused to the question, she 
 recalled the fact that there had often been low- 
 toned, jesting words between these two, and 
 shy glances, and almost winks, which would indi 
 cate that there was some sort of understanding 
 between them. 
 
 All things considered, she succeeded in work 
 ing herself into a degree of anxiety about Happy 
 which would have bewildered that young person. 
 
 An anxiety not lessened by an episode which 
 occurred that evening. She was standing on her 
 upper piazza, shielded from view by the vines and 
 the darkness. Her husband had retired, and she, 
 after making last arrangements for the night, had 
 come out to the strangeness of balmy December 
 air to get a few breaths of sweetness, and wonder 
 at the contrast between this and the Decembers 
 of her past. Suddenly, mingling with the odor of 
 pines and roses, there floated up to her the sound 
 of voices. 
 
 " Now that I have brought you safely home, I 
 think you might give a fellow a good-night kiss."
 
 64 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 An unmistakable little giggle responded ; then, 
 in a voice which could only be Happy s : 
 
 "I sha n t do any such thing; you needn t to 
 have brought me home; I knew the way." 
 
 "You are very cruel. What harm could it do 
 to reward me after I tore myself away from the 
 news-room on purpose to take a walk with you ? 
 I ll tell you what is the matter. You are afraid of 
 that severe-eyed woman who sits opposite me. I 
 saw her looking at you and making motions of 
 some sort this afternoon. If she sets you against 
 me, I shall hate her; remember that." 
 
 More giggling. 
 
 "You are too funny for any thing! What do 
 you suppose Mis Holmes knows about you ? 
 She ain t never spoke a word about you. What 
 she said was about something else, and wasn t like 
 your kind of talk at all." 
 
 " I presume likely. What has she been saying 
 to you? I wish she would let you alone; I don t 
 want you spoiled. Come now, tell me just what 
 she said. I know it was something about me, 
 because you were in such a hurry to deny it." 
 
 " It wasn t either, and I sha n t tell you a 
 word she said ; it was a secret between her and 
 me." 
 
 The denials were prompt enough, but the tone 
 said, as plainly as words could, that poor, silly 
 Happy was flattered by her companion s evident
 
 THEY APPALL HER. 65 
 
 desire to know about her affairs, and that she was 
 excessively amused by the entire interview. 
 
 "A secret!" repeated the man, whom Chrissy 
 had some time before decided was Mr. Arson. 
 "Who would have supposed that you would have 
 begun already to have secrets which you will not 
 confide to me ! That shows the utter cruelty of 
 a woman s heart, especially a young woman s. 
 Now, you really will have to give me a kiss to 
 atone for this." 
 
 A sort of struggle ensued, to judge by the 
 sound, mingled with much half-stifled laughter on 
 the part of the girl, in the midst of which the 
 listener on the piazza fled in dismay and almost in 
 despair. What had she taken hold of ? What 
 horrid possibilities it involved, and how was she 
 ever to accomplish results ? Yet certainly she 
 must not stand still and see that miserable girl 
 ruined before her eyes ! If only Stuart were well ! 
 It was the refrain which in these days closed all 
 her perplexities.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 SHE HOLDS A MEETING. 
 
 NOT even yet were the experiences of the day 
 concluded. The water in Mrs. Holmes 
 pitcher was low. It was one of Happy s many 
 forgetfulnesscs, this almost empty pitcher. If 
 Stuart should have a restless night, and need a 
 drink of water frequently, as he did sometimes, 
 there would not be enough. She resolved upon 
 going herself in search of a fresh supply. 
 
 The back part of the house was deserted and 
 dark ; Happy had by this time vanished into the 
 far-off regions of the third story, and Mrs. 
 Holmes, slowly feeling her way through the 
 comparatively unknown passage, nearly stumbled 
 against a dark object which was moving along 
 from the other direction. Stifling the inclination 
 to scream, she had decided who the intruder must 
 be before he had drawled out : 
 
 "You needn t be scairt ; it is only me." 
 "And this is only me, Mrs. Holmes," said 
 66
 
 SHE HOLDS A MEETING. 67 
 
 that lady, with a little laugh; "you are Mrs. 
 Stetson s son, I think. Could you help me to 
 fill this pitcher with fresh water? Happy has 
 forgotten it." 
 
 "She s good at that," the boy said, grimly; 
 "better at it than anything else. I don t know 
 why ma don t git rid of her; she s a noosance." 
 
 Several times had. Mrs. Holmes tried vaguely 
 to plan what she should say to Liph Stetson, in 
 case opportunity should be given her to speak to 
 him ; certainly she had never planned that the 
 conversation should take the shape which it now 
 did. 
 
 "Do you know who it was with Happy on the 
 side piazza a moment ago?" she asked, with a 
 sudden hope that she might have been deceived, 
 and the man would prove to be an honest admirer 
 of the silly girl, with possibly a right even to 
 sue for the sort of good-night which he had 
 demanded. 
 
 "Yaas," said Liph, "that was Nick Arson; he 
 boards here ; he is makin believe to be mighty 
 sweet on Happy just now." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes controlled any outward exhibition 
 of the utter repulsion with which she shrank from 
 such coarseness, and merely questioned meekly : 
 
 "What kind of a man is this Mr. Arson?" 
 
 "Oh, he s a clerk in a store here. I don t 
 know much about him; he s quality, you see."
 
 68 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "Liph," said Mrs. Holmes, looking full at the 
 boy by the light of a smoky kerosene lamp which 
 he had produced from somewhere, "is he the kind 
 of man with whom you would like to have your 
 young sister stand and talk, if you had a sister? " 
 
 "Well, he just isn t! You can bet your life on 
 it," said Liph, with sudden energy, pumping 
 fiercely while he spoke. 
 
 "Then, why do you not try to influence Happy 
 not to place herself in such danger? It is true 
 she is not your sister, but God made you both, and 
 will hold you responsible for the influence which 
 you ought to exert over each other." 
 
 Liph held the arm of the pump aloft, and 
 stared in the most profound astonishment. It 
 seemed doubtful whether he could believe his 
 ears ; it was so amazing a thing to hear such 
 words addressed to him. 
 
 "Me!" he said at last, with explosive energy. 
 "What fool kind of talk is that? Have you any 
 notion in life that she would pay any attention 
 to what I say ? And what do I care about her, 
 anyhow ? " 
 
 Over the first part of this sentence Mrs. 
 Holmes reflected. Certainly nothing seemed less 
 probaolc than that Happy would pay the slightest 
 attention to the opinions of this young wreck of 
 humanity ; low in the scale of civilization as she 
 was, she would be sure to put herself infinitely
 
 SHE HOLDS A MEETING. 69 
 
 above Liph Stetson, and the looker-on was obliged 
 to confess that she was correct in her estimate. 
 However ignorant Happy might be, she had at 
 least kept what little sense she had unclouded 
 by the fumes of tobacco or alcohol, and Liph s 
 breath suggested both. But this was not the con 
 clusion to make apparent to him. 
 
 "The point is not what you care about her, 
 but what you ought to be able to do for her. Do 
 you not know that a young motherless girl in 
 your mother s house ought to be able to look to 
 you for protection from outside dangers, for advice 
 as to what is, and what is not, wise for her to do ? 
 And for a dozen other kindnesses, such as a self- 
 respecting young man can offer to a friendless 
 girl under his mother s protection ? " 
 
 Liph s face was a study. There were times 
 when he did not know whether to burst into a vol 
 ley of angry oaths, or to sneer or to laugh over 
 such tremendous words spoken to him. 
 
 He was a "self-respecting" young man! Who 
 had imagined for a moment that such words 
 applied to him ? Happy under his mother s pro 
 tection ! Happy was his mother s drudge; ill- 
 paid, ill-treated, and yet deserving, in his opinion, 
 nothing more than she received. Happy paying 
 the slightest attention to his advice, supposing for 
 the moment he was fool enough to offer her any ! 
 
 "That beats all the talk I ever heard ! " he said
 
 7<D HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 sullenly, filling the pitcher, and pouring a gener 
 ous quantity of the liquid on the floor at the same 
 time; "you ve got hold of the wrong fellow; I 
 ain t one of them kind, and never was. Happy 
 ain t nothing to me, and if she was I couldn t help 
 it. I ve gone to ruin myself; if you don t believe 
 it, ask ma," and for a moment a savage leer 
 spread over his face. "Nick Arson is a gentle 
 man. He goes with the style girls in this town. 
 Ma is always pointing him out to me as an exam 
 ple. But it is true enough for all that, that if I 
 had a sister and cared any thing for her, I d lock 
 her up in the meanest shed in this town, and 
 keep her there, before I d let her go around with 
 him. But she ain t my sister, and I ain t nobody, 
 and that s all there is of it. There s your pitcher 
 of water." 
 
 He did not add, "Take it and be off" at least, 
 not in words, but he turned away, and was sham 
 bling out of sight when Mrs. Holmes found voice 
 again. 
 
 " Liph, wait a moment ; I want to say one more 
 word to you. It is very easy for you to stand 
 there and tell me that Happy is nothing to you, 
 and that you have gone to ruin, and all that sort 
 of thing; but I believe you know, in spite of what 
 you have said, that you are responsible in the 
 sight of God. If Happy should lose her soul, 
 because you did not try to save her, it will not
 
 SHE HOLDS A MEETING. /I 
 
 help you in the least to remember that you have 
 lost your own. If, as you say, you are on the 
 road to ruin, the more shame to you ; a young 
 man has no right to go to ruin. A hundred times 
 over, the only son of his mother, and she a widow, 
 has no right to ruin his life and hers. I don t 
 know that anybody ever spoke such words to 
 you before ; but I cannot help it, they ought to 
 be said. It is folly for you to imagine that 
 because you own yourself worthless, and without 
 influence over those whom you ought to be able 
 to influence, therefore you are free from respon 
 sibility. If you were going to ruin and did not 
 know it, it would be pitiful enough, but not so 
 solemn as to move right along on the same path 
 with your eyes open." 
 
 She was amazed at her words. Thinking them 
 over afterward, they did not seem to be the ones 
 she ought to have said to him. She could not 
 help feeling that many of them were above his 
 comprehension, and that some phrases were, per 
 haps, too like the ones which his mother so con 
 stantly flung at him to be productive of any good. 
 Yet her tone and manner had been most unlike 
 his mother s. She had spoken low, and with slow 
 and solemn emphasis. She had longed to make 
 him think. He had stood still and looked at her 
 in a kind of stupid wonderment. He still stood, 
 after she had traversed the long passage with her
 
 72 HEk ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 heavy pitcher, and glanced back at him ; stood 
 just where she had left him, like one dazed. 
 On the whole, responsibilities seemed thickening 
 around the young woman who had meant to fold 
 her hands so resolutely, and wait. She set her 
 pitcher down softly, so as not to waken the 
 sleeper, and went out on the piazza, in the star 
 light again. Liph and his mother, and Happy, 
 and Nick Arson, and Mrs. Carpenter and her hus 
 band what a world! Six such people to loom 
 up before her mental horizon but the day after 
 she had declared on paper that she knew no one, 
 and meant to know no one, in this portion of the 
 earth. " God s earth," she said to herself softly, 
 "and lost souls, as Stuart said. Can it be pos 
 sible that my Father means me to save them ? 
 He must certainly mean me to try. But what 
 can I do ? " 
 
 Out there in the night and the loneliness, the 
 work looked almost hopeless, the cases desperate ; 
 but Stuart s philosophy in regard to it surprised 
 her a little. 
 
 "My dear, what can you expect?" he asked 
 coolly, when she told him with a horrified face 
 about the sentences she had overheard between 
 Mr. Arson and Happy. " For the man, I grant 
 you, it is despicable enough ; he is undoubtedly 
 what that precious youth, Liph, considers him, but 
 poor Happy may be as innocent as many another
 
 SHE HOLDS A MEETING. 73 
 
 silly victim often is. You say her mother died 
 when she was a child, and it is evident that she 
 has had no bringing up, save that which Mrs. Stet 
 son and dime novels have given her. I think it 
 quite probable that she supposes all fine ladies 
 are treated by fine gentlemen precisely as Arson 
 tried to treat her. You think her instinctive 
 sense of delicacy ought to have come to her 
 aid. It did somewhat, it seems, or there would 
 have been no resistance, unless, indeed, the 
 show of resistance is a part of the dime novel 
 education. 
 
 "What I mean, Chrissy, dear," he said, stop 
 ping with a half-laugh at her horrified face, and 
 then beginning again, "what I am trying to do is 
 simply to reassure you. Happy is not utterly 
 depraved and hopeless because she is ignorant of 
 the commonest proprieties of life. What would 
 be almost hopeless if permitted by a young woman 
 trained as you have been, becomes another matter 
 when a poor girl of that sort is under consider 
 ation. In other words, dear wife, while there is 
 but one standard of right, there are many grades 
 of sin, and the environments and opportunities 
 of the sinning soul will undoubtedly be taken into 
 account. Do not be utterly cast down over poor 
 Happy because she does not know how to conduct 
 herself in the presence of a so-called gentleman ; 
 there is a sense in which it is not any stranger
 
 74 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 than that she does not know how to order her 
 hair or her dress." 
 
 I do not think it can really be said that our 
 young endeavorer was glad that Mrs. Carpenter 
 fell sick, but inasmuch as such was the case she 
 did rejoice over the opportunity which it gave her. 
 The more she thought about that sad woman s 
 life, the more sure she felt that there was a pent- 
 up bitterness of some sort which it would help her 
 to have uncovered. 
 
 "She is rebellious over something," was the 
 thought which always closed Mrs. Holmes talks 
 with her husband upon this subject. "There is 
 a hidden wound which gnaws all the time at her 
 life. If I could only find her heart, perhaps I 
 could help her." 
 
 So I think she heard with even a little sense 
 of relief that Mrs. Carpenter was sick in bed, 
 and could not "do" her clothes that week. 
 
 "I am going to see her," she said promptly to 
 Stuart. " It helps me to think that she will not 
 be ironing. I have associated her so entirely with 
 the swift passes of that inevitable iron that it 
 some way haunts me like an ugly black weight 
 which is a part of her. To think of her as in 
 bed, weak and helpless, seems to humanize her." 
 
 "What sort of a bed has she to lie on?" her 
 husband asked, with an expressive shrug of his 
 shoulders, and added: "The beds of the poor
 
 SHE HOLDS A MEETING. 75 
 
 always impress me as almost the bitterest drop 
 in their cup of poverty ; worse than the eating." 
 
 "The bed will be clean," said Chrissy; "for 
 the rest I cannot answer." 
 
 It was this thought which made her add to her 
 basket of supplies a down pillow in its delicate, 
 frilled whiteness, and a bottle of lavender water 
 surrounded by fine old linen handkerchiefs. She 
 could not imagine herself as daring to offer to 
 bathe that set white face ; but if headache were 
 an accompaniment, it might be possible to accom 
 plish so much in the way of soothing. 
 
 The doctor set her down at the door, lifting out 
 her basket for her, and carrying it to the top step 
 of the small piazza, with a whimsical look on his 
 handsome young face, as he said: "The good 
 Samaritan going in search of a sorely wounded 
 creature who, if I mistake not, will nevertheless 
 refuse the mollifying ointment, and insist upon 
 suffering in grim solitude. I know something of 
 this protfgt of yours, Mrs. Holmes. I consider 
 her as hopeless a case as we have in this little 
 city ; and that is saying a good deal." 
 
 She turned toward him eagerly. "You know 
 her ? Then tell me what it is which has so dead 
 ened her life. Is it only because she has a miser 
 able, worthless husband ? " 
 
 "Oh, no," he said, mockingly; "that is the 
 merest trifle, of course, not worthy of a sensible
 
 / HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 woman s consideration. I am surprised that you 
 should have thought of such a thing ; it is some 
 thing much worse than that." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes laughed a little and blushed, as 
 she answered: "I deserve your sarcasm, doctor, 
 for using the word only in such a connection. 
 It must have seemed very strange to you. Still, 
 with explanations, I mean it. Given even such 
 a sorrow, if there is no self-reproach connected 
 with it, I can conceive of a woman enduring and 
 suffering, yet hoping and praying every hour ; 
 and keeping her heart from hardening, though 
 it may almost break ; but this woman seems to 
 me to have turned to stone." 
 
 Dr. Portland laid aside his mocking tone and 
 regarded her with respect. "I can conceive of 
 such women, too," he said; "but Mrs. Carpenter 
 is not one of them. I do not think she prays 
 any oftener than I do myself. I doubt whether 
 she would know how, any better than I should. 
 Oh, I know very little about her ; nothing at all 
 of her past. Her poor wretch of a husband called 
 me, once, when she was suffering, and I did what 
 I could for her, and offended her, I think ; at 
 least she will not see me now, though a neighbor 
 tried to persuade her into it last night. Her hus 
 band is a miserable scamp ; but, tucked in some 
 where behind the rags and tobacco juice, he has 
 a remnant of a heart ; and really, of the two lives,
 
 SHE HOLDS A MEETING. 77 
 
 I should be almost as willing to stand my chances 
 beside him as her. These stone women are 
 harder to manage than any other. But I must 
 not prejudice you." 
 
 During this conversation they had been stand 
 ing, waiting for Mrs. Holmes gentle knock to be 
 answered. Mr. Holmes, whom the doctor was 
 taking with him for a ride into the country, was 
 sitting back among the cushions of the carriage, 
 reins in hand. His wife glanced toward him 
 anxiously ; this long waiting must be wearying to 
 him. 
 
 "It cannot be there is any one with her," she 
 said, "and she may be asleep. Would you go in, 
 without further ceremony?" 
 
 "I certainly should. After putting your hand 
 to so trying a plow as this, it will not do to draw 
 back. I will take good care of your husband, and 
 bring him home in a state to appreciate your good 
 offices as nurse, since you will probably fail of that 
 part here." 
 
 And with a gay, mocking smile, he lifted his 
 hat and left her. 
 
 She gave him one swift, anxious thought before 
 she went in to the task before her.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 SHE ATTEMPTS TO SYMPATHIZE. 
 
 THIS cultured young physician had been such 
 a blessing to them ! Her heart swelled 
 with gratitude whenever she thought of his steady 
 unfailing care and thoughtfulness. His skillful 
 management of her husband s case had borne 
 testimony to the truth of the recommendation 
 which their own family physician at home had 
 given her in his letter of introduction: "I have 
 not seen my old friend and pupil, Dr. Portland, in 
 several years, but I have kept watch of him, and 
 he is proving to be what I thought him in college 
 a genius in his profession. Do not fear to 
 place implicit trust in his skill and faithfulness." 
 
 It had taken her but a few days to learn to do 
 so. Short as their acquaintance had been, both 
 her husband and herself were learning to regard 
 Dr. Portland as perhaps their only intimate friend 
 in a land of strangers. Yet nothing was plainer 
 than that he had no personal acquaintance with 
 
 78
 
 SHE ATTEMPTS TO SYMPATHIZE. 79 
 
 the Friend who was more to these two than all 
 others. There was a dash of irreverence in all 
 that he said about religious matters, and a vein of 
 mockery often running through the gay language 
 in which he referred to the different phases of 
 Christian work in which they were interested. 
 Here, too, was a field, the Christian woman 
 thought, which ought to be occupied for Christ ; 
 but she felt that she knew less how to reach a 
 man of his stamp than even Liph Stetson, who 
 would answer for the opposite pole of humanity, 
 so far as culture was concerned. " He is not at 
 all like Chess Gardner," she told her husband ; 
 "Chess never really mocked at sacred things. In 
 his sacred heart he respected them ; but Dr. 
 Portland gives me the impression that it is only 
 the environments of propriety which keep him 
 from downright mockery." 
 
 But there was no more time to think of Dr. 
 Portland. She had let herself into the large, bare 
 room, which looked even barer than usual, with 
 the ironing-board hiding its white face against the 
 wall, and the irons standing glum and cold upon 
 the unused stove. Some plain dark calico cur 
 tains, which had hidden something from view on 
 Mrs. Holmes previous visits, were drawn aside, 
 and revealed a dreary-looking bed, covered with a 
 dark calico spread. Underneath this covering lay 
 Mrs. Carpenter, her hair drawn back as uncom-
 
 8O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 promisingly as ever, and her eyes looking larger 
 and colder, if any thing, than they had when she 
 stood and ironed. Plainly she was very far from 
 being asleep, yet she had not chosen to respond 
 to the knock. 
 
 "Good afternoon," ventured Mrs. Holmes. "I 
 took the liberty of coming in uninvited, because I 
 thought you might be alone, and asleep. I am 
 very sorry that you are sick." 
 
 "Are you?" said Mrs. Carpenter; "so am I. 
 I shall have to disappoint all my customers this 
 week, I suppose. I have no doubt they will be 
 sorry for me or think they are." 
 
 She moved her head restlessly while she spoke, 
 and the one small pillow, rolled into a fierce little 
 wad under it, looked so uncomfortable that Mrs. 
 Holmes drew out her down one. 
 
 "Your head aches, does it not and is hot? 
 Let me put this cool little pillow under it. Mr. 
 Holmes thinks it has a soothing effect sometimes; 
 and I brought some lavender water with me, in 
 case you had a headache ; that is very cooling, you 
 know." 
 
 There was a very perceptible shrinking from 
 the small white pillow, as though coming in con 
 tact with it gave the woman positive pain. Mrs. 
 Holmes felt sure she would have refused it utterly 
 if she could have found words soon enough ; but 
 by this time the cool, trained hand of the self-
 
 SHE ATTEMPTS TO SYMPATHIZE. 8 1 
 
 constituted nurse was making swift passes over 
 the hot forehead, leaving a trail of coolness and 
 delicate odor. 
 
 " You are very good," said Mrs. Carpenter, 
 "but it is not necessary to take all that trouble 
 for me. I am not used to it, and it is a waste of 
 sentiment. It ought to be kept for people who 
 know how to be grateful. I do not." 
 
 " Never mind the gratitude," said her nurse, 
 cheerily; "we will give attention just now to the 
 ache, and to some other matters. I think it quite 
 probable that you need some nourishment. What 
 did you have for dinner ? " 
 
 "Spoiled fish-balls, the last dinner I ate," said 
 the sick woman, promptly. "I haven t eaten 
 any in two days. However, they were not more 
 spoiled than most things are which come out of 
 tin cans. We live in tin cans down here, you 
 know, sealed up codfish and milk and every thing 
 even sentiment and if any of it is exposed 
 to outside influences it spoils." 
 
 There was nothing amusing in this sentence. 
 There was not even the slightest attempt to be 
 amusing. Cold, dreary sarcasm was evidently 
 what was intended. The genial woman bending 
 over the speaker felt her heart shiver under its 
 influence. Nevertheless, she controlled herself, 
 and spoke bravely. 
 
 " I should recommend some beef broth for a
 
 82 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 change, and fortunately I put into my basket a 
 bottle of some which I made fresh to-day for my 
 husband. I brought my little spirit-lamp along 
 also, to heat it on, tor the day is so warm I 
 thought you might not have any fire." 
 
 While she spoke she busied herself in getting 
 out the bottle and lamp, and a delicate china cup, 
 tinted in pale blue. Mrs. Carpenter watched her 
 with severe eyes. "Mrs. Holmes," she said at 
 last, "there isn t the slightest need for that, and 
 I wish you wouldn t. If you think you make me 
 more comfortable doing it, you don t. I would 
 much rather be let alone; I m not used to being 
 taken care of ; I have had no care since I was a 
 young girl, and I never expect any again. I 
 don t want it. All I ask of this world is a chance 
 to work, and to be let alone." 
 
 Over the first part of this ungracious sentence 
 Mrs. Holmes had flushed and hesitated. Was 
 there any use in trying to force kindness upon 
 one who refused it with such persistent rudeness? 
 But one thing gave her courage. In the sentence, 
 "since I was a young girl," there had been the 
 slightest perceptible break in the speaker s voice, 
 and there came to the listener a swift knowledge 
 of the fact that some tender memory was stirred, 
 whether the woman would or not. 
 
 " How do I know what dark story has frozen 
 her poor heart ? " she asked herself.
 
 SHE ATTEMPTS TO SYMPATHIZE. 83 
 
 "Now," she said presently, quite as though the 
 woman had not spoken at all, "it is all ready, and 
 I know it will do you good, because Mr. Holmes 
 said it was the best I had made yet ; and he is a 
 judge. Will you let me feed it to you, or would 
 you like to sit up and wait upon yourself?" 
 
 Much as though she were a victim to circum 
 stances over which she had no control, Mrs. 
 Carpenter, with a half-disdainful gesture, raised 
 herself on one elbow and drained the hot liquid 
 with a few rapid swallows. Yet Mrs. Holmes 
 could not be sure whether it was all fierceness, or 
 in part starvation, for the want of proper food. 
 
 " I will give you some more in a little while," 
 she said, as graciously as though the recipient had 
 responded with grateful words and smiles. 
 
 Suddenly there came another knock at the door, 
 followed by the swift entrance of a young woman 
 with a basket in her hand. 
 
 " I beg your pardon," she said, stopping mid 
 way; "I thought, of course, you were alone, and 
 I brought you a little rice ; it was the only decent 
 thing I could get hold of." 
 
 "Come in, Mad," said Mrs. Carpenter, with 
 more show of humanity in her voice than Mrs. 
 Holmes had heard before; "I didn t expect you, 
 because I did not think you would be able to 
 accomplish it ; rice is nourishing, I suppose, and 
 that is what I need to help me get back to my
 
 84 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 work. Great business for me to break down, 
 right in the middle of the week ! I never did 
 such a thing before." 
 
 "Flesh and blood will not stand everything," 
 said the girl ; " though you try hard enough to 
 make them. Will you have the rice now, or"- 
 She glanced hesitatingly at Mrs. Holmes and the 
 china cup. That young woman came forward 
 courteously ; if she must be the hostess on this 
 occasion, she was ready. 
 
 " I gave her a few spoonfuls of quite strong 
 beef tea," she said, sweetly, "all I thought it wise 
 to let her have at first. The doctor has me give 
 it to my husband in small quantities and fre 
 quently ; but I should think a little rice might be 
 good for her, if she would relish it." 
 
 "I detest it ! " said the woman on the bed. 
 
 The two guests looked at each other and 
 smiled ; from that moment they felt introduced. 
 
 "Mad knows I hate rice," said Mrs. Carpenter, 
 "and she knows that I have to eat it ; just as she 
 and I both have to eat and wear and do things 
 all the time that we hate. This is Madeline 
 Hurst, Mrs. Holmes." 
 
 The two, thus introduced, exchanged bows and 
 smiles again. The girl flushed in an embar 
 rassed way. She looked as though she knew 
 what proper introductions were, and might have 
 resented this one had she thought it worth while.
 
 SHE ATTEMPTS TO SYMPATHIZE. 85 
 
 She had bright black eyes, which had twinkled 
 appreciatively once or twice, but which Mrs. 
 Holmes decided could sparkle with another kind 
 of feeling on occasion. She had black hair, also, 
 and the sharp features which indicate intensity of 
 character in some directions. Mrs. Holmes found 
 herself studying the girl curiously. 
 
 "It is another type still," said this bewildered 
 woman to herself; "I cannot help being inter 
 ested in her ; but I cannot place her. What 
 an extraordinary name to call her ! Mad ! I 
 wonder if it is chosen because of its fitness?" 
 
 The girl did not give her much time for study 
 ing character. She bent over Mrs. Carpenter, 
 said a few words in a low tone, went to the little 
 corner cupboard, emptied her basket, and, with 
 a promise to look in to-morrow if she could, hur 
 ried away. 
 
 " Poor Mad ! " said Mrs. Carpenter, looking after 
 her with a gleam of something like sympathy in 
 her face ; " we are kindred spirits in a way, 
 though there is such disparity in our ages and 
 positions; we both live miserable lives, and that 
 makes a sort of bond between us." 
 
 "Who is she?" Mrs. Holmes inquired with 
 interest. 
 
 "She is an orphan, and lives with her brother; 
 he is a pussy kind of man, ruled by his wife ; and 
 his wife is well, she is what a woman can be
 
 86 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 who chooses to be hateful ; and she chooses 
 exactly that, where Mad is concerned. She leads 
 the girl a miserable life. I wouldn t endure it ; 
 I tell Mad so ; I would run away or drown myself, 
 or do something desperate. She isn t bound by 
 any law nonsense, and could go if she would. I 
 hate slavery, though you might not think it." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes shivered visibly. What a thing it 
 was to have the girl, who could not be much over 
 twenty, influenced by this unhappy, disappointed 
 woman. 
 
 "What does the girl have to trouble her?" she 
 asked, gently, with a feeling that it might ease 
 Mrs. Carpenter s own sore trouble to talk about 
 another s pain. 
 
 "Everything that a woman mistress of her 
 house, and hating the other woman who has to 
 make her home with her can produce. If you 
 cannot imagine what sort of a life that would be, 
 you are fortunate. She is sneered at, and mocked 
 at, and bullied that s the only word for it 
 every hour in the day. According to her sister- 
 in-law, she never by any possibility does any thing 
 right. She is complained of to the woman s 
 friends, or to strangers for that matter, if her 
 precious sister happens to get a chance to talk to 
 them. She is declared to be utterly selfish, 
 deceitful and unprincipled in every way. There 
 is not a mean or hateful thing that she is not
 
 SHE ATTEMPTS TO SYMPATHIZE. 8/ 
 
 capable of doing. Why, my life is comfortable 
 compared with that child s ! She is an unutterable 
 fool to stand it. Even I can afford to be sorry 
 for her, and when it comes to that it is some 
 thing ! Mad is no saint, but she is a thousand 
 times better than her sweet sister-in-law would 
 have you to believe." 
 
 "Why does the brother permit such treatment 
 of his sister?" Mrs. Holmes inquired. 
 
 " Because, as I told you, he is a pussy-cat man. 
 Mrs. Hurst arranges all these things. He sits 
 meekly by, and does as he is told. Oh, they are 
 not my kind of people. They are eminently 
 respectable. He is an officer in the church, 
 bless you, and she is a leading member when it 
 comes to fairs and sociables, and such things. 
 They live on one of the good streets in a good 
 house, and wouldn t be seen coming to Mrs. Car 
 penter s door except to get some washing done ! 
 One of Mad s sins is that she has low tastes, and 
 is willing to associate with low-down people, mean 
 ing me. Poor Mad likes to escape over here 
 sometimes. There are times, I think, when she 
 even envies me." 
 
 "There are harder lots in life than yours," said 
 her guest boldly, busying herself with another 
 portion of beef tea while she spoke. " I know, 
 dear madam, that that sounds unsympathetic, but 
 it is true. Think what it would be if you were
 
 88 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 not able to keep every thing clean and neat about 
 you. I feel sure that would distress you, yet I 
 have known women who did not understand how 
 to compass such a state of things, and were mis 
 erable in consequence." 
 
 It was but a poor little crumb of comfort. She 
 could hardly blame the sick woman for letting her 
 lip curl in a hard, sarcastic smile over the thought 
 that there was nothing for her to be glad about 
 but a bare, desolate, clean room ! 
 
 "I know," the comforter went on hurriedly, 
 "what a dreadful disappointment your life must 
 be. Do not think I do not understand, and in a 
 sense appreciate it. To have one s husband"- 
 
 She stopped in unutterable confusion. Cer 
 tainly she was treading on dangerous ground. 
 Nothing but a desperate desire to help, could 
 have made her do it. She would not have blamed 
 Mrs. Carpenter if her face had flushed angrily. 
 But to see, instead, that mocking smile was 
 almost more than she could bear. 
 
 "Go on," said Mrs. Carpenter, still with that 
 terrible smile upon her face; "to see one s hus 
 band a brute, a sot, a miserable, staggering old 
 hulk, who does not know even enough to keep 
 himself decently clean ! Is that what you were 
 going to say ? You see I have spared you the 
 description. I understand the details so well ! but 
 I want to hear the rest. What would you dg
 
 SHE ATTEMPTS TO SYMPATHIZE. 89 
 
 really, do you think, if we were to change places? 
 Do you fancy you would clasp your hands in thank 
 fulness because you were able to scrub your floor ? " 
 
 How was such a question to be answered ? 
 The guest felt her face crimson with shame for 
 the disgrace and horror of it all. To what depths 
 of degradation must a woman have been brought 
 who could speak to a stranger in this way of the 
 husband of her youth ! She resisted the tempt 
 ation to say that however low her husband had 
 fallen, she would try to remember that she bore 
 his name, and had made certain promises concern 
 ing him. This woman was ill, and she wanted to 
 help her. The first step was to be patient with 
 the frenzy which was an outgrowth of her misery. 
 Before she could determine what reply to make, 
 and while Mrs. Carpenter was regarding her with 
 that mocking smile, there came an interruption. 
 A shuffle, rather than a step, was heard outside. 
 
 The whole aspect of the woman changed. She 
 turned her head toward the door in a listening 
 attitude. In place of the hard smile had come a 
 look of intense scorn mingled with disgust. Sud 
 denly she spoke in a half whisper : 
 
 "Bolt that door, quick!" 
 
 In an instant Mrs. Holmes was at the door, 
 her face pale with terror, and had pushed the bolt. 
 Just in time, for an uncertain hand was already 
 fumbling with the knob,
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 SHE IS DISMAYED AND DISCOMFITED. 
 
 THEN a man s voice was heard in expostula 
 tion : 
 
 "Oh, come, Jane, let me in, I m in a dreadful 
 state. I ve had an accident, and am as wet as 
 a drowned rat. I shall catch my death of cold 
 if you don t let me in. Come, Jane ; I won t 
 muss any thing up ; I ll just get something dry, 
 and go out again." 
 
 There was no response from the woman on the 
 bed, and no change on her dark face. 
 
 "You reached the door just in time," she said 
 to Mrs. Holmes; "I m much obliged to you for 
 that at least." 
 
 "Are you afraid of him?" asked Mrs. Holmes, 
 in a frightened whisper. 
 
 "Afraid!" The words seemed to explode from 
 Mrs. Carpenter s lips, rather than be uttered by 
 her. "What should I be afraid of? He wouldn t 
 
 90
 
 SHE IS DISMAYED AND DISCOMFITED. 9 1 
 
 dare touch me with his little finger, even if he 
 wanted to." 
 
 "But he is that is is he not"- and then 
 she stopped in pain and shame again. How could 
 she ask a woman if her husband, who stood out 
 side, pleading for admittance, was intoxicated ? 
 
 "Oh, yes, he s drunk enough," said the woman 
 calmly; "and wet and muddy, and every thing 
 else that s revolting. Faugh ! But he s never 
 ugly, even at his worst ; not to me, at least. He 
 wouldn t dare to be. As to that, I don t think he 
 ever has any wish to be. I will give even him his 
 due. I suppose that is another thing for which 
 I ought to be thankful, isn t it ? " and the shadow 
 of that mocking smile hovered about her face 
 again. " But I m not, I assure you. There have 
 been times when I have thought if he would take 
 me by the shoulder, and turn me out of the 
 house, or kick me out, I could have a touch of 
 sympathy for him. I can understand the devil 
 when he takes hold of a soul in such ways, but 
 driveling idiots are beyond my endurance. I 
 believe in the devil, you see ; if ever a woman had 
 reason to, I have. Oh, you will find me very 
 orthodox, in some respects." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes felt her whole soul shrink away 
 from this terrible woman. The poor wretch at 
 the door seemed more human than she. 
 
 "Why do you not let him in," she asked coldly,
 
 92 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "if you are not afraid ? It may be your duty. If 
 the man is really wet and chilled, a life may be at 
 stake. I will find for him what he needs, if you 
 will direct me, then unfasten the door and retire." 
 
 " But I shall not direct you, and I will not let 
 that drunken wretch into this room to-day ; not 
 if I have to crawl out of bed and fight it out 
 myself. I can do it. I went to bed for pru 
 dence sake, because I knew I should not be able 
 to do your fine ironing very soon unless I did ; 
 but I could get up if I had to." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes answered not a word. The out 
 sider had apparently already abandoned his efforts 
 and staggered feebly away, making, as he went, a 
 sort of dreary whimper, as an ill-used animal 
 might have done. An inexpressible horror filled 
 the soul of one of the listeners ; it seemed to her 
 that she felt afraid, not of the drunken man, but 
 of his wife. She looked toward the bolted door, 
 with an impulse to open it and flee away, leaving 
 this lost soul to herself. Yet the terrible look on 
 the woman s face, and the glare in her eyes, said 
 plainly that she was sick and suffering. 
 
 " She may not know what she is saying," 
 thought her visitor; "half of the horror of this 
 scene may be owing to the delirium of fever. I 
 ought not to leave her alone in such a state; but 
 oh, I wish Dr. Portland had been going to return 
 this way! I should certainly call him in."
 
 SHE IS DISMAYED AND DISCOMFITED. 93 
 
 In silence she poured out and administered the 
 beef tea once more, standing silently by while the 
 contents of the cup were being drained again and 
 pronounced very good. 
 
 " I can feel that it is giving me strength," said 
 Mrs. Carpenter, as she returned the cup; "and I 
 am obliged to you, though I ve almost forgotten 
 how to express such feelings." 
 
 Voice and manner were quieter than they had 
 been. After a moment s silence, during which her 
 visitor was wondering what arrangements could 
 be made for the night, she spoke again in the 
 calm, cold tone which belonged to the ironer at 
 her board : 
 
 "I have alarmed you by my fierceness this after 
 noon, I suppose. I do not often go on in this 
 way, but I have suffered just enough to make me 
 lose self-control ; it made me wild to think of that 
 man coming near me to-night ; when I am well 
 and can go out of the house and sit on the door 
 step, or can draw the chair to the further corner 
 of the room and sit in it, I leave him in peaceable 
 possession of the bed ; but share the room with 
 him to-night I will not." 
 
 The young and happy wife listened with eyes 
 dilating in horror. What a life was that to live! 
 To shrink in loathing from the one whose name she 
 bore, who should have had a right to claim at her 
 hand all that sacred love and tenderness could give.
 
 94 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "And he is your husband ! " she thought aloud, 
 rather than said the words. 
 
 The face on the bed darkened. 
 
 "Yes, he is. Do not remind me of it, if you 
 please ; there is no need ; I never for a moment 
 forget it. Mrs. Holmes, I hate shams of all 
 sorts ; at the risk of horrifying you even more 
 than I have already done, I mean to speak out ; I 
 do not often ; I live in an awful silence, but you 
 have tried to be good to me; that is why I am 
 going to speak. I hate that man who was fum 
 bling like an imbecile at the door a short time 
 ago ; no other word will express the feeling I 
 have for him ; I hate him ! Why I stay and slave 
 for him, and live the life I do, instead of going 
 back where I came from, is owing to my mis 
 erable Puritan training. I have a sort of feeling 
 that it is not respectable for a woman to desert 
 her husband, and go away to what she was before 
 she knew him, if that were possible. I have no 
 near friends, no one in the world for whom I 
 really care, when it comes to that, but I have 
 acquaintances by the score, and the demon of 
 respectability has gotten hold of them and me ; it 
 is more respectable in their eyes, and it always 
 was in mine, to live on in the way one has chosen 
 rather than to desert it. That is why I do it. 
 But I thought it would save you trouble, and me 
 talk, if you understood plainly at the beginning
 
 SHE IS DISMAYED AND DISCOMFITED. 95 
 
 that you could not do any thing for me, and might 
 as well leave me to my fate. I hate it, and him, 
 and always expect to. If it were respectable, I 
 should kill him, but it is not considered so, you 
 know, and I have no fear of doing it." 
 
 Was there any answer which ought to be made 
 to such wild and sinful words ? Mrs. Holmes 
 tried to think, and to steady her heart, so that she 
 might speak quietly. The words which her hus 
 band had spoken about the transforming power of 
 God s Spirit recurred to her, the more forcibly 
 because she began to realize, as never before, that 
 only God s Spirit could transform such lives as 
 this. 
 
 " Do you forget," she said, in a voice of studied 
 quietness, "that there is a possibility of all this 
 being changed ? That there is a Power which 
 could make, not only your husband, but yourself, 
 into new beings; could give you back, indeed, the 
 love and trust which belonged to the early days of 
 your life together? Oh, Mrs. Carpenter, you 
 asked me what I would do if we had to change 
 places; I know how little I can realize what the 
 horror and terror must be, but I do know I would 
 do one thing : if I had never learned to pray, I 
 would make it my first lesson ; then I would pray, 
 pray, day and night that God would take hold of 
 my husband, as his power alone could do, and 
 make him again the husband whom I loved and
 
 g6 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 chose from all the world. Such things have 
 been done, madam, you must know it; and they 
 may be again." 
 
 She had not awakened even a shadow of tender 
 memory, though the woman could not have been 
 married much more than a decade. Instead, there 
 was the horror of that wretched smile. 
 
 "That is very good logic," she said, "with one 
 exception your premises are wrong; there never 
 was any such time as the one to which you so 
 feelingly refer." 
 
 "What do you mean?" asked Mrs. Holmes. 
 
 "I mean that I did not marry for sentiment; in 
 plain English, I did not pretend to love the man I 
 married." 
 
 "Then why did you marry him?" The ques 
 tioner s face was pale and stern ; her life had been 
 sheltered from such women as this. Except in 
 third-rate novels, she had not realized that they 
 were to be found. 
 
 " For a home ! " said Mrs. Carpenter, with a 
 sardonic smile; "for the comforts of life, for the 
 respectability of the married state ! Have I not 
 told you several times that New England women 
 will do any thing for respectability ? Surely you 
 can understand the motive ! Do you not see what 
 a lovely home he has prepared for me and how my 
 life is sheltered ? I needed a protector, you 
 know ; I was a poor lonely girl, drudging in a
 
 SHE IS DISMAYED AND DISCOMFITED. 97 
 
 country school to support myself ; and I was tired 
 of it. There was nobody to care for me, or do 
 for me, if I fell sick. I was at the mercy of aunts 
 and cousins who considered me a nuisance ; and, 
 in short, I did as hundreds of other girls do ; only 
 I never pretended that it was for love." 
 
 "And you profess to hate shams!" 
 
 Perhaps it was the tone, rather than the words, 
 which made Mrs. Carpenter s face flush. 
 
 "Yes," she said, presently, "I do, and am hon 
 est in it. Have I not told you there was no pre 
 tense of any thing but a business transaction ?" 
 
 " Upon the part of both ? " asked Mrs. Holmes, 
 solemnly. 
 
 "No," after a scarcely perceptible hesitation; 
 " I will be honqst in that, too. He thought he 
 preferred me to all the world. I have no doubt 
 he was sincere, and you see how much it has 
 amounted to. What am I, compared to a bottle 
 of whisky, or even to a quid of tobacco ? " 
 
 But the disgust in her face was responded to 
 only by stern dignity on the part of her questioner. 
 
 "Was there, then, no marriage ceremony?" 
 
 The woman on the bed glared on her in such 
 a way that, had she been in less terrible earnest, 
 she might have been frightened. 
 
 "What do you mean?" was the short, sharp 
 question. 
 
 "Just what I say. Was there no marriage cer-
 
 98 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 emony performed by God s appointed servant, at 
 which time you, having called upon God to wit 
 ness, vowed to love and honor the man of your 
 choice until death parted you ? How dare you 
 say there was no deception, when you remember 
 that ? " 
 
 The region where this woman s conscience 
 ought to have been was touched at last. The 
 flush on her face began to die out, leaving a gray 
 pallor, but her voice was as firm as ever. 
 
 "Honor!" she said, in fine scorn; "that is 
 an expressive word to use to me ; remember, 
 there were two to make the promise. What has 
 become of the pledge to love, honor and cherish 
 me ? How could even God expect me to honor 
 such a wretch as he has become? " 
 
 "All that has nothing to do with the question," 
 Mrs. Holmes said, firmly. 
 
 She was amazed at herself. She did not under 
 stand how she had the courage to speak such 
 words ; she knew that in quieter moments she 
 would question the wisdom of having begun this 
 conversation at such a time, but, having begun 
 it, it seemed to her of infinite importance that 
 the woman should hear the truth. 
 
 "That has nothing to do with the question," 
 she said, firmly; "your husband must answer to 
 God, for his broken vows, and so must you ; 
 whether you are able to have the right feeling for
 
 SHE IS DISMAYED AND DISCOMFITED. 99 
 
 him now or not does not alter the fact that, 
 unless you had it then, you took lying words upon 
 your lips, disgraced your womanhood by one of 
 the most terrible shams of which a soul can be 
 guilty. By your own confession, Mrs. Carpenter, 
 the husband whom you despise was less guilty 
 than you." 
 
 The sick woman sat up, and began to twist, and 
 put back into place her long black hair, from 
 which the hair-pins had fallen. The red glow had 
 come back to her cheeks, but her voice and man 
 ner were quiet enough. 
 
 " I wish you would have the goodness to go 
 away," she said, with cutting dignity; "go away 
 and leave me alone; you mean well, but you don t 
 know what you are talking about. I saw from the 
 very first that your intentions were commendable ; 
 you meant to try to do me good ; I felt almost 
 sorry for you, because I knew better than you did 
 what a hopeless errand yours was. You haven t 
 succeeded, and never will ; you do not know how. 
 I would advise you as a friend to confine your 
 efforts to the pretty girls, and red-cheeked, well- 
 dressed boys, who are playing at life. You may 
 understand enough about that sort of life to influ 
 ence them, but a hundred years of such talk as 
 you have been giving me would do no good, would 
 do only harm ; not even with the beef tea thrown 
 in, and I don t deny that it was good. But until
 
 TOO HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 you learn that you have no right to go into a mis 
 erable woman s house and insult her, you would 
 do well to keep out of it. All I ask of you is to 
 let me alone. I am glad of the chance to do your 
 ironing, because you pay well and promptly, and I 
 am not afraid that you will run away in the night, 
 leaving an unpaid bill, which is what some of your 
 fine ladies are equal to. I have a higher opinion 
 of you than you have of me, for to that extent I 
 trust you ; but at least I am frank in this, I want 
 nothing more to do with you ; I hope never to see 
 your face again." 
 
 "I beg you to lie down," said Mrs. Holmes, 
 regarding the sick woman with keen anxiety, "I 
 am sorry if I hurt you ; I ought not at this time 
 to have spoken as I did. You are quite right, I 
 have very little experience with sick people ; if 
 you will only lie down and be quiet, I will leave 
 you at once." 
 
 It was evident that her presence was exciting 
 the unhappy woman to a pitch which might per 
 haps be beyond her control. Trembling in every 
 nerve with excitement and terrible disappoint 
 ment, Mrs. Holmes made haste to gather together 
 her belongings, slip the bolt and disappear. 
 
 Once out of the house, she breathed more 
 freely. Surely the sick woman could hardly be 
 so glad to get rid of her as she was to go. Yet 
 she was obliged to assure herself that she had a
 
 SHE IS DISMAYED AND DISCOMFITED. IOI 
 
 long walk to take through one of the main streets 
 of the town, and that she must by no means break 
 down and cry, at least until she reached the shel 
 ter of her own room. What a horrible failure she 
 had made ! How utterly foolish in her to speak 
 as she did to a woman wild with pain and misery ! 
 
 "I should not have noticed what she said any 
 more than I would the ravings of a lunatic," she 
 told herself, yet there was an undertone convic 
 tion that Mrs. Carpenter knew only too well what 
 she was talking about, and had revealed the 
 wretched truth. What was now to be done ? 
 To leave her alone in her helpless state, without 
 even the care of the husband whom she had 
 driven from her, was not to be thought of. Yet 
 who was there that could be summoned to her 
 aid ? There were neighbors, it is true, but Mrs. 
 Holmes knew none of them, and the glimpses she 
 had had of those nearest at hand did not incline 
 her to hope much from their ministrations. 
 
 "She cannot surely stay there alone," said this 
 much-troubled Endeavorer; "her husband may 
 not return to-night, or, if he does, it may be 
 much worse for her in her present state than if he 
 had stayed away. I wonder if there is any thing 
 which that poor Madeline Hurst can do? I 
 passed a house not very far from here with that 
 name on the door; I wonder if it can be where 
 she lives?"
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 SHE REACHES AFTER THEM. 
 
 MADELINE HURST was in the dining-room 
 of her brother s house, standing near the 
 window, book in hand. The table was laid for 
 tea not very neatly, and without much regard 
 to comfort. Madeline had prepared it, so far as it 
 could be said to be prepared. It was not by any 
 means as well as she could have done ; like poor 
 " Happy," she rarely did any thing as well as 
 she could ; and if she had been asked the reason, 
 would have had no better reply than the evasive 
 one, "What s the use?" 
 
 She was quite as much given to having a book 
 in her hand as was Happy. And, while they 
 were of a very different type, so far as regarded 
 literary merit, it cannot be said that they were 
 more helpful to this girl s nature than were Hap 
 py s to her. Nearly always they were written 
 from the standpoint of dissatisfaction with what 
 their authors were pleased to call "the dull com- 
 102
 
 SHE REACHES AFTER THEM. I 03 
 
 monplaces of life," and all references to Bible or 
 church, or to the opinions commonly held by 
 Christian people, contained a covert sneer. In 
 short, they were books such as no living, active 
 Christian could have enjoyed, or even tolerated. 
 Stories they were, of course. Girls of Madeline 
 Hurst s development rarely read much of other 
 forms of literature, better written as regards style 
 than the dime-novel series, but almost as unreal 
 in their way as the most absurd of these, yet the 
 unreality was too subtle for an unformed mind to 
 notice. 
 
 So absorbed was the girl in the volume she 
 held, that she did not hear the door open, and it 
 was only when her sister-in-law was almost at her 
 elbow that she gave a violent start and made an 
 instinctive effort to hide the book ; then, realizing 
 the folly of such an attempt, turned, with it held 
 open in her hand. 
 
 "Yes," said a high-keyed, peevish voice, "I 
 would try to hide it ; only I was rather too quick 
 for ) ou this time ; you will not gain any thing 
 by hiding them ; I know that you spend every 
 moment you can steal in poring over worthless 
 trash. I told your brother so, only last night; 
 the wonder is, that you are not more nearly 
 ruined than you are. When are we to have tea, 
 pray? Must we wait until that three-volumed 
 story is finished ?"
 
 IO4 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "You are at liberty to have it whenever you 
 choose, I suppose," answered the girl, in that sort 
 of irritating calm which natures like hers can 
 assume on occasion ; " I was not aware that 
 I had the management of that matter in my 
 hands." 
 
 " No, and I suppose you were not aware that 
 you were to set the table, nor put the dining-room 
 in order; in fact, if one may judge from your 
 behavior, you are not aware that you have any 
 duty in life but to read novels, and make yourself 
 as disagreeable as possible Why didn t you 
 make some gems for tea?" 
 
 " I did not know that you wished any ; it is the 
 first I have heard of them." 
 
 "The first you have heard! Would a girl who 
 had common sense, and who was in the habit of 
 doing any thinking for any one but herself, need 
 to be told that when bread was scarce and baking- 
 day twenty-four hours off, something else would 
 be needed ?" 
 
 " I am sure, Emily, I did not know that bread 
 was scarce. Why can you not be reasonable 
 about that ? You must certainly remember that 
 you ordered me to let the bread-jar alone, and 
 said it was none of my business whether there 
 was bread in it or not ; after that, how could I 
 be expected to know, without being told, that a 
 substitute would be needed?"
 
 SHE REACHES AFTER THEM. IO5 
 
 " Yes, you harp on that ! Because I told you 
 one day that you needn t meddle with the bread 
 when Nancy was there to attend to it, and that 
 she knew as well as you did when the jar, needed 
 scalding, your Indian nature took offense, and 
 you made a resolve to be as hateful about that as 
 you are about every thing else. I wouldn t have 
 such a disposition as you for any thing in this 
 world ! Treasure up a word that is said to you in 
 haste, as though it was something dreadful ; and 
 make yourself and every one else uncomfortable. 
 I suppose that is the way the heroine acted in the 
 last novel you read ; a sweet creature she must 
 have been if you have been patterning after her 
 all this week ; for I must say you have surpassed 
 yourself, even, in hatefulness." 
 
 The sallow face of the girl grew crimson, 
 and her eyes glowed until they resembled Mrs. 
 Carpenter s. 
 
 "You have no right to speak so to me," she 
 said, coldly ; " but I suppose that will not make 
 any difference. I am not reading a three-volumed 
 novel, and if I were, I cannot see whose business 
 it would be except my own. What do you want 
 for supper, Emily ? " 
 
 " It is a pretty time of day to ask that ! What 
 we can get, of course. Baker s bread, I suppose, 
 which will have to be run after at the time when 
 we should be eating it ; your brother is very fond
 
 IO6 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 of baker s bread, you know ! he will have another 
 proof of his sister s care for his comfort." 
 
 The girl faced around and looked her sister 
 steadily in the face. 
 
 " Emily, what do you mean ? What sense is 
 there in this tirade ? If you had wanted me to 
 make something for supper, was there any thing 
 to hinder your telling me so?" 
 
 " Oh, no, nothing in life ; I might have had old 
 Pete go through the town ringing his bell, and 
 shouting out the valuable information that the 
 Hursts were out of bread, in the hope that the 
 news would fall upon your devoted ears and you 
 would rush home from some of your haunts to 
 attend to us ! How long have you been in the 
 house, pray ? " 
 
 A conscious look came into the girl s face, as 
 she said in a somewhat quieter tone : 
 
 "I have not been away from the house very 
 long, and I should not have gone out had I 
 known that any thing special was wanted of me." 
 
 " Of course not. How could such a stranger 
 as you are in this house be expected to know 
 that Nancy is always out on Friday afternoon, 
 and that we commonly have supper on that day 
 as well as on others ? Why should you have any 
 responsibility in the matter, any way ? Eating is a 
 vulgar occupation ; I presume the fine ladies and 
 gentlemen in your novels live without it."
 
 SHE REACHES AFTER THEM. ID/ 
 
 Madeline turned away with an expressive sigh. 
 
 "You are in worse humor than usual," she said, 
 coldly; "and that is certainly unnecessary. If 
 there is any thing you want me to do, more than 
 I have already done toward getting supper, I 
 advise you to tell me what it shall be without 
 more waste of time." 
 
 What would have been the outcome of this 
 sisterly conference, but for the fact that Mrs. 
 Hurst s attention was diverted, it might be diffi 
 cult to surmise. Fortunately for Madeline, her 
 sister-in-law had not heard the last response, 
 being engaged in watching the slow, uncertain 
 movements of a lady on the other side of the 
 street, who was studying the houses opposite with 
 utmost care, and was apparently in doubt which 
 way to go. Mrs. Hurst, looking on, saw her 
 presently quicken her pace and cross the street ; 
 a moment afterward the watcher uttered an excla 
 mation of surprise. 
 
 "I declare if she isn t coming here? What in 
 the world can that be for? And I am not 
 dressed ! Mad, run to the door while I fix my 
 hair a little ; it is that new boarder at Mrs. Stet 
 son s. I can t imagine what she wants. I have 
 never called upon her; she looked too stuck up 
 for me. But go along, do ; she won t want to be 
 kept waiting all night. Look in at the parlor as 
 you pass, and see if it s in any kind of decent
 
 IDS HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 order. If you would spend one third of the time 
 you give to novels in keeping that room respect 
 able, I needn t be in a panic every time the bell 
 rings." 
 
 It was quite Mrs. Hurst s habit to plunge into 
 new topics of interest without regard to any thing 
 which she might have been saying before ; so 
 Madeline was not surprised, and, without a word 
 in reply, moved toward the door, glancing in at 
 the parlor as she went, and wondering scornfully 
 what particular good her sister-in-law thought it 
 would do to "look in upon" a disordered room on 
 her way to receive a visitor! The room was not 
 in order, and she knew it ; the dust lay thick on 
 some of the mantel ornaments, and the few books 
 on the pretentious little center-table were in wild 
 confusion. Madeline knew that she ought to take 
 better care of the parlor, but her conscience had 
 long since grown callous to that simple word 
 "ought." She had few friends and almost no 
 visitors ; nevertheless, she was occasionally called 
 upon to blush for the condition of the room. It 
 was with a heightened glow, therefore, on her 
 dark cheeks that she opened the door to Mrs. 
 Holmes. 
 
 "Oh, it is you," that lady said, with a relieved 
 air. "I am glad; I was not sure that the name 
 on the door had any connection with your family. 
 May I come in and speak with you a moment ? "
 
 SHE REACHES AFTER THEM. IOQ 
 
 and she entered the disorderly little parlor, seat 
 ing herself with that courteous air of unconscious 
 ness in regard to all disorder which the well-bred 
 know how to assume. 
 
 "I am distressed about Mrs. Carpenter, as to 
 how she is to be taken care of during the night. 
 Surely she ought not to be left alone, or at the 
 mercy of her drunken husband. I meant to ask 
 her if she had any friends or acquaintances who 
 would come, but unfortunately I offended her, 
 and she would not permit any further effort upon 
 my part." 
 
 "You offended her?" asked the girl, with a 
 touch of surprise in her voice. Then immediately 
 added : " Poor thing ! Of course you did. An 
 angel from heaven could offend her when she is 
 in one of her moods. Indeed, madam, I do not 
 know what can be done ; she has no friends in 
 town, and no acquaintances except the people for 
 whom she works. That poor wretch of a husband 
 would take care of her if he happened to be sober, 
 and she would let him, but I am afraid she would 
 drive him away." 
 
 "She has already done so," said Mrs. Holmes. 
 " Is he ever unkind to her ? " 
 
 Madeline laughed. 
 
 "Oh, no; he would not dare to be. Mrs. Car 
 penter is mistress of the situation always. It is a 
 dreadful house, Mrs. Holmes. I was attracted to
 
 IIO HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 them by the very peculiarity of their misery ; so 
 unlike drunkards homes which one reads about." 
 
 "How well the girl talks, and what a brilliant 
 color she has!" was Mrs. Holmes mental com 
 ment; "she has the elements of a strong charac 
 ter, capable of accomplishing good or ill, accord 
 ing as she is swayed. I wonder how much that 
 poor woman s story about her home is to be relied 
 upon ? " 
 
 Partly because of her desire to investigate this 
 question, she made her next effort. 
 
 "Then you do not know of any person to 
 whom we could appeal ? Perhaps your sister 
 would advise us." 
 
 Madeline shook her head with a quick flash of 
 eyes which might mean several things. 
 
 "Oh, no! Mrs. Hurst does not know the 
 woman, and she has nothing to do with such mat 
 ters. I am sure I do not know what can be done. 
 I would be very willing to spend the night with 
 her, but I am afraid my brother" She hesi 
 tated painfully, and Mrs. Holmes made haste to 
 her rescue. 
 
 " I understand perfectly, my dear girl ; you are 
 much too young for night work of this sort ; your 
 brother would not permit it, of course." 
 
 How little she understood only Madeline knew. 
 But she was grateful for the escape from explana 
 tion, and began again.
 
 SHE REACHES AFTER THEM. I I I 
 
 "There are one or two women, either of whom 
 I think would go there out of kindness ; but the 
 trouble is Mrs. Carpenter would not have them ; 
 she is very peculiar. There is a woman living 
 on the next street who takes care of the sick for 
 pay, but I am afraid" and again she stopped 
 in embarrassment. Mrs. Holmes caught at the 
 word "pay." 
 
 "Oh, if there is some one who would be accept 
 able, I should be very glad ; she should certainly 
 be paid. Can we get word to her, and arrange 
 it ? I will pay whatever the woman is in the 
 habit of receiving. I think she should stay for 
 a few days and give Mrs. Carpenter a chance to 
 rest. I do not know but it is rest that she needs 
 more than any thing else. Is this woman one to 
 whom we could make a little explanation take 
 into a sort of confidence? Because I am afraid 
 Mrs. Carpenter is not just now in the mood 
 to receive even ordinary kindness at my hands. 
 Perhaps, Miss Hurst, you could join me in a little 
 bit of diplomacy ; let the poor woman think that 
 the sin of engaging the nurse rests with you." 
 
 Madeline shook her head with a pitiful smile 
 on her face as she spoke : 
 
 "It would not work, dear madam; Mrs. Car 
 penter knows that I have not a cent of money to 
 do any thing with, and never have. But we can 
 manage it with the woman, if you will be so kind.
 
 112 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 She has common sense and a good enough heart, 
 only she is poor, and cannot afford to spend her 
 strength without being paid for it." 
 
 "She shall be paid," said Mrs. Holmes again, 
 much relieved. "That is the very simplest part 
 of doing for others the device of shirkers, I 
 often think. There are people who have no 
 trouble at all in getting out their pocket-books, 
 but who shrink from personal work." 
 
 Madeline laughed. 
 
 "I do not know," she said; "I never had a 
 chance to try any of their ways, but I know 
 people who never think of putting their hands 
 into their pockets for such things ; it is strange 
 that you should be willing to do so, when Mrs. 
 Carpenter was rude to you." 
 
 " That does not change the obligation in the 
 least, you know," Mrs. Holmes said, quietly, "nor 
 was the poor woman entirely to blame. I think 
 I was as injudicious as possible in saying what I 
 did. I wonder if I can get you to manage the 
 securing of the nurse for me ? I would not ask 
 it, but I have been long gone now from my sick 
 husband, whose sole nurse I am day and night." 
 
 "I will attend to that," said Madeline, though 
 as she spoke she wondered what Mrs. Holmes 
 would think if she knew how hard it was for her 
 to compass even so small a matter. 
 
 "Thank you," replied Mrs. Holmes, sweetly,
 
 SHE REACHES AFTER THEM. 113 
 
 "though you have better thanks than human lips 
 can speak. He recognized even a cup of cold 
 water, you know, if given in his name. I hope 
 you work for his regard ? " 
 
 Her voice was very sweet. Despite her efforts 
 at self-control, it brought a rush of tears to the 
 eyes of the lonely girl. 
 
 "I do not know," she said; "or, that is, I do 
 know only too well that I do not do any thing 
 nowadays from a right motive. I used once to 
 think that I belonged to Him, but I have given 
 all that up long ago." 
 
 " My dear girl, what a strange thing to give up ! 
 Do you not remember that there is nothing in 
 life which lasts but that ? " 
 
 "Well," dashing the tears away, "I suppose I 
 am wrong to say I gave it up. I mean, rather, 
 that I never had it. I only thought I had. It was 
 a miserable mistake, like all the rest of my life." 
 
 "But mistakes of that kind can be remedied, 
 my friend," spoken with a bright, glad smile; "if 
 I did not belong to the Lord yesterday, it is all 
 the more reason why I should make haste to see 
 to it to-day." 
 
 She had risen, and was moving toward the door 
 while she talked. In her heart was a burning 
 desire to get back to her husband, whom she 
 feared was at home and in need of her; but 
 surely this was the King s business.
 
 114 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 Madeline shook her head and struggled to 
 speak with dignity. 
 
 "Thank you, ma am; you are good to think 
 any thing about me, but you do not understand." 
 
 "No," gently; "that is true, but there is 
 another truth that offsets it, my friend. The 
 Lord Jesus Christ knows every turn of the way, 
 and every brier and thorn which grows on it ; take 
 them to him, dear soul, and his word for it, all 
 shall be well." 
 
 She was on the steps by this time, but she 
 held out her hand cordially. 
 
 "Will you not come and see me as soon as 
 you can ? I do not leave my husband very often, 
 but I have long, lonely hours while he sleeps ; I 
 should be glad to have you come. May I expect 
 you?" 
 
 "You are very kind," murmured Madeline. It 
 was all that at that moment she could trust her 
 voice to say.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 ONE WALKS AMONG THORNS. 
 
 WELL," said Mrs. Hurst, confronting Made 
 line at the dining-room door, " why in 
 the name of all that is extraordinary didn t you 
 come and call me? Didn t you know enough 
 to understand that that was your place ?" 
 
 She had not only brushed her hair, but had 
 exchanged her dress for a pretty evening one, and 
 had evidently been waiting in a fever of expect 
 ancy for her summons. Madeline gave a start of 
 dismay at the sight. She had forgotten her 
 sister-in-law ! 
 
 "She did not ask for you," she said, coldly; 
 "her call was upon me." 
 
 " Oh, indeed ! I was not aware that she had 
 the honor of being acquainted with Your High 
 ness. She is no lady, any how, with all her fine 
 airs, or she would have known enough to ask for 
 me. Pray what did she want of you?" 
 
 Madeline struggled with the desire to say,
 
 Il6 HER. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "something which does not concern you," and 
 answered hesitatingly: 
 
 " She wanted to consult me about some one to 
 stay with Mrs. Carpenter, the woman who did 
 your curtains ; she is sick." 
 
 "Consult with you!" There was surprise and 
 intense scorn in the tone. "What in the name 
 of wonder did she think you would know about 
 such things ? or did she come to hire you to take 
 care of the woman ? Is that the reputation you 
 are acquiring among your chosen associates?" 
 
 A wicked smile spread over the girl s face as 
 she said : 
 
 " No, she did not ask me to go ; she spoke of 
 you." 
 
 The moment the words were uttered she would 
 have given much to have recalled them. It was 
 not only that they conveyed a wrong impression, 
 but they were so utterly out of accord with what 
 had just been said to her! Poor Madeline knew 
 that her sister-in-law stirred up all the evil there 
 was in her. She honestly believed that it would 
 be impossible for her to live a Christian life so 
 long as she stayed in her brother s house. 
 
 "Little she knows about the thorns!" she told 
 herself, bitterly, yet even then came the memory 
 of the sweet reply she had received : "The Lord 
 Jesus Christ knows every brier and thorn upon 
 the road,"
 
 ONE WALKS AMONG THORNS. I I/ 
 
 Meantime, Mrs. Hurst was regarding her with 
 angry eyes. 
 
 "Mad Hurst," she said, "if you are not the 
 most exasperating girl that ever lived in this 
 world, then I hope I may be saved from seeing a 
 worse one ! What do you mean ? " 
 
 "I simply mean that she asked me whether 
 you knew of some one who could be secured to 
 stay with Mrs. Carpenter; and as I knew you did 
 not, I told her so." 
 
 " And what business had you to do any such 
 thing? What right have you to decide what I 
 know, or do not know ? That is all of a piece 
 with your mean, selfish disposition ; you were so 
 afraid I would have a chance to speak to a lady 
 once in awhile that you took pains to cheat me 
 out of it, even though I was asked for, it seems ; 
 and then told a falsehood, and declared I was not 
 asked for ! If you think I am going to stand 
 every thing from you, you are mistaken. If I 
 don t tell your brother all about this, it will be 
 because I can t ! " 
 
 This threat neither dismayed nor angered Mad 
 eline. Frequent repetition had caused it to lose 
 its sting. Complaint she well knew there would 
 be, poured out in torrents ; but she knew, also, 
 that the utmost her brother would do would be to 
 sigh and say : 
 
 " It seems a great pity to me that two women
 
 I 1 8 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 who have nothing to do all day but stay at home 
 and keep house, cannot live in peace." 
 
 There was a certain degree of sympathy which 
 Madeline had for her brother that often kept her 
 from speaking the words she wanted to. He was 
 an overworked, weary man ; forever struggling 
 with the problem of how to support his family in 
 a style which his business did not warrant ; for 
 the truth may as well be told about this Hurst 
 household. One demon which had as much to do 
 with disturbing their peace as any other was 
 named "Appearance." To make as good a show 
 as their neighbors, in dress and furniture, was 
 Mrs. Hurst s ambition in life. For this she 
 stinted the kitchen and starved the appetites of 
 her family. She kept a girl, not because her 
 sister and herself would not have been equal to 
 the entire work of her household, had it been well 
 ordered, but because in the society in which she 
 moved, and especially in the society in which she 
 was forever struggling to move, "they" never did 
 their own work. But she kept a miserable, slat 
 ternly, ill-taught girl, dull of comprehension, and 
 with no desire to learn ; one who managed, in one 
 way or another, to break and waste material 
 enough to support a small family ; and who cre 
 ated an atmosphere of discomfort wherever she 
 turned. No matter, she was a girl, and Mrs. 
 Hurst, when she paid her round of visits among
 
 ONE WALKS AMONG THORNS. 119 
 
 her friends, could talk as glibly as the best of 
 them about the "trials connected with servants." 
 
 Mr. Hurst, who, left to himself, or acted upon 
 by other influences, would have cared little for 
 such things, had allowed himself to be so warped 
 by his wife s ideas, as to join with her in the 
 weary strain to keep up appearances, until the 
 tempers of both had been worn nearly threadbare. 
 Given such a state of things, and you can readily 
 understand what a storm of angry objections 
 would greet Madeline s ears if she hinted at her 
 wish to be independent and earn her own living. 
 Not that they would have objected to her doing it 
 in a genteel way, but the trouble was, that, in 
 their judgment, no genteel way was open to her. 
 She frankly assured them that she did not know 
 enough to teach ; that she had no talent for plain 
 sewing, and that the one thing which she felt sure 
 she could learn to do and be a success in, was 
 light house-work ! 
 
 It cannot be said that the girl herself was really 
 anxious to take up any such work. Her training 
 had been too false for that. She now held the 
 belief that she would make a decided descent by 
 doing so ; but life in the only home she knew 
 was so miserable that at times she almost believed 
 herself ready for even that. At least, she had 
 been ready to hold it over her indignant sister s 
 head as the awful thing which she might be
 
 I2O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 driven to do. Of late, however, she had not 
 cared to mention such a possibility, having dis 
 covered that her sister-in-law had fallen into the 
 habit of entertaining a few of her most intimate 
 friends, by whispering to them her awful fear that 
 Madeline had inherited low tastes from some far 
 away ancestor, which, as she grew older, were 
 cropping out in unexpected ways, her passion 
 for sensation being even such that she actually 
 hinted, at times, of her longing to indulge it by 
 going out to service! "We really live in terror 
 of being disgraced as a family by some wild esca 
 pade of this sort." This was the style of sen 
 tence with which the confidence was apt to close. 
 Mrs. Hurst was not slow in discovering disagree 
 able things, and in making what she could out of 
 them. Thus, when Madeline had by accident 
 come in contact with Mrs. Carpenter, and been 
 painfully drawn to the fierce and suffering woman, 
 Mrs. Hurst sneered at what she was pleased to 
 call the "intimacy" between them, and on occa 
 sion produced it as a proof that the girl had low 
 tastes. 
 
 All things considered, it will readily be believed 
 that the Hurst family did not sit down to a very 
 comfortable table that evening. Mrs. Hurst was 
 in her most disagreeable mood ; even the presence 
 of her three children did not succeed in quieting 
 her tongue.
 
 ONE WALKS AMONG THORNS. 121 
 
 "Where is the rice which was left from din 
 ner?" she asked, glancing with a glum face over 
 the scantily-furnished table; "since we cannot 
 have any thing else to eat, perhaps we may be 
 allowed to have the remains of the dinner." 
 
 A swift look of dismay flashed over Madeline s 
 face. 
 
 "There was very little left," she said, "after 
 Nancy had finished her dinner." 
 
 " So much the worse for us, but what there is 
 I suppose we can have, since we must do without 
 bread." 
 
 "No," said Madeline, trying to speak quietly; 
 " I did not suppose so small a dish of it would be 
 needed, and I took it to Mrs. Carpenter, because 
 she is ill, and I knew would have nothing suitable 
 for a sick person to eat." 
 
 Mrs. Hurst looked savagely triumphant. 
 
 "Oh, you did! You see how it is, George. 
 As long as we have to support Mad s particular 
 friends, we must expect to have our grocery bills 
 enormous, as you are always saying they are." 
 
 For some reason the unwomanly sarcasm hurt 
 Madeline more than usual. It was of no use for 
 her to struggle with the rising tide of mingled 
 pain and indignation which threatened to choke 
 her. As yet, she had not eaten a mouthful, and 
 rising suddenly, she said : 
 
 " Since you are so troubled, I will save you the
 
 122 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 expense of my supper for to-night, at least. That 
 will perhaps atone for the saucerful of rice which 
 I took to a sick woman." 
 
 In another moment the door closed after her 
 with a bang, which but faintly expressed the 
 tumult that was raging in her heart. Mr. Hurst 
 looked annoyed. 
 
 "I don t see why you could not have let her eat 
 her supper in peace," he said ; "a spoonful of rice 
 doesn t cost so much that there need be a fuss 
 made about it." 
 
 "Oh, of course, you take her side," Mrs. Hurst 
 said; "you always do; before the children, too, 
 which makes it pleasanter for me! If you don t 
 mind having the food given away, I m sure I 
 needn t ; only I do hope you will not consider it 
 necessary to grumble at me about expenses, when 
 the grocery bill is due." 
 
 By this time poor Madeline was in her stuffy 
 little back room up stairs, her head buried in her 
 one small pillow, and she shedding some more of 
 the bitter tears with which she almost nightly wet 
 it. Contact with the sweet-voiced, gentle woman 
 she had met that day seemed but to have added 
 to her pain ; life was becoming almost intolerable 
 to her. She had gone over so often the possible 
 avenues of escape from it, that they were all 
 almost equally offensive to her. She knew only 
 too well her sister-in-law s scheme for disposing of
 
 ONE WALKS AMONG THORNS. 123 
 
 her. Mrs. Hurst belonged to the class of women 
 who believe that the one aim of a young woman s 
 life should be to marry, as early and as satisfacto 
 rily as possible, provided one did not, by what she 
 called being "too particular," lose valuable oppor 
 tunities. Such an opportunity was, in her judg 
 ment, being held out now to Madeline. 
 
 "A better chance," she assured her husband, 
 speaking vehemently, "than I ever expected Mad 
 to have, I am sure ! What the girl is thinking of, 
 to hang back in the way she does, and run the 
 chances of losing him, I can t imagine. I don t 
 see why you don t speak to her, and help her 
 come to her senses. She acts as though she 
 could marry the President of the United States 
 by saying the word." 
 
 " I don t want to order her to marry any body," 
 the brother would say, walking restlessly up and 
 down the room, "it looks too much like turning 
 her out of the house ; and I am sure that is the 
 last thing I want to do." 
 
 "Oh, now, George," his wife would respond, 
 with a contemptuous sniff, "don t go to getting 
 sentimental ; you don t know how to do it ; and, 
 if you did, it would be wasted on Mad ; there is 
 nothing in life that she longs for more than to be 
 rid of us all." 
 
 "Why doesn t she take the man, then, and be 
 done with it?" would the brother growl, being
 
 124 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 sure that he was very much vexed with somebody, 
 and not being quite certain whether it was sister 
 or wife. 
 
 "That is just what I don t understand; I 
 thought she would jump at the chance. I m sure 
 I was never more astonished in my life than when 
 I found out he actually meant business. I 
 believe it is all because of her reading so many 
 novels ; she has too high-flown ideas for common 
 people wants somebody better than he." 
 
 Consistency was not a marked trait in Mrs. 
 Hurst s character. It was not an unusual thing 
 tor her to advance, on the same evening, the 
 theories that Madeline was entirely above her 
 station in life, and looked higher than the 
 remarkably nice young man who had honored her 
 with his attentions ; and that she had low tastes 
 and interests, and would disgrace her family yet by 
 some alliance utterly beneath her; if this were 
 not the case, why did she run to that Carpenter 
 woman s, who lived in one room, in an alley, and 
 supported her drunkard husband by taking in 
 washing ? Nice associates, those, for a Hurst ! 
 
 But it just showed the girl s make-up. 
 
 ****** 
 
 From her interview with Madeline Hurst, Mrs. 
 Holmes made all speed homeward, in great fear 
 lest the doctor should have returned before this, 
 and her husband be in need of her, As she
 
 ONE WALKS AMONG THORNS. 125 
 
 turned the corner and saw the doctor s carriage 
 standing before the door, she almost broke into a 
 run and dashed up the stairs, at last, in a way to 
 make her nearly breathless. Dr. Portland regarded 
 her with his gay, half-mocking smile. "Deborah 
 returned from service, weary but triumphant ! " 
 he said, as he drew a chair for her, "or was it 
 Dorcas ? I m a trifle mixed in biblical history, I 
 fear. I have so little time to read up, especially 
 on the days when I have to add the duties of 
 nurse to those of my regular profession." 
 
 " Have you been long here ? Have you needed 
 me, Stuart ? Have you had any refreshment?" 
 
 "Been here for ages," said the doctor, promptly, 
 "and he fainted three times, when he found you 
 had not yet returned. As for refreshment, he is 
 probably quite beyond eating any thing by this 
 time, after such long waiting." 
 
 "Doctor," said Mr. Holmes, smiling, "have you 
 no respect for truth and veracity which needs 
 guarding ? Chrissy, my dear, I am entirely com 
 fortable. Not nearly so tired as you look at this 
 minute. We have not been long here, but long 
 enough for the doctor to evlove a glass of fresh 
 milk, and some very choice crackers from some 
 where, on which I have feasted ; and the ride has 
 done wonders for me, I think." 
 
 "Outwitted ! " said the doctor, throwing himself 
 back in his chair, as one who had failed ; " of
 
 126 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 course she will believe him rather than me; it is 
 to be expected." 
 
 Satisfied as to her husband s comfort, Mrs. 
 Holmes thoughts reverted at once to her recent 
 experiences. And in answer to his question, she 
 began to tell, at first only little bits, about Mrs. 
 Carpenter; but, growing excited with her subject, 
 was in its very depths before she realized it. 
 
 "I ll tell you what will have to be done," inter 
 rupted the doctor, suddenly; "you will have to 
 reform that wretch of a husband. I don t know 
 any thing which will bring Mrs. Carpenter to her 
 senses like the shock of the discovery that her 
 husband is really made of better stuff than her 
 self ! I believe it. But the difficulty is in con 
 vincing her, or, in fact, any other decent person, 
 of it just now; but if you will engage to reform 
 him, the thing will be done." 
 
 It was the merest babble of words with him, 
 and the merry mockery in it jarred almost pain 
 fully on Mrs. Holmes tired nerves ; but her hus 
 band regarded the speaker very gravely and 
 thoughtfully. 
 
 "There is truth in what you say, doctor. God 
 pity the soul who, failing in love, cannot have 
 even a show of respect for her husband. If only 
 he could be made, before her eyes, into a God 
 fearing, God-serving man, it might be the means 
 of saving her soul as well as his."
 
 ONE WALKS AMONG THORNS. I2/ 
 
 The doctor bestowed upon him a look of puz 
 zled wonder, then burst into laughter. "I beg 
 your pardon," he said, when he could control him 
 self, "but I really believe you think the thing 
 feasible. Imagine it, Mrs. Holmes ! The fact is, 
 he has not seen poor Joe, and we have him at a 
 disadvantage. Only fancy Joe Carpenter made 
 into a respectable member of society ! " Where 
 upon he indulged in another outburst of laughter.
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 SHE IS PERPLEXED ON EVERY SIDE. 
 
 MR. HOLMES face expressed only calm 
 thoughtfulness. 
 
 " Have you never really seen any exhibition of 
 power of that sort, Doctor?" he asked, after a 
 moment s silence. 
 
 " Of what sort, my dear fanatic ? " 
 
 "The sort which God uses when he transforms 
 a soul. Is it possible that you have never known 
 a character acted upon by a power manifestly 
 outside of itself, to the degree that what it loved 
 before, it learned to turn from with fear and 
 hatred ? In other words, do you not know what 
 a Christian means when he speaks of the con 
 version of a soul ? " 
 
 A sudden gravity, such as often overtook this 
 man, shone for a moment in his eyes as he said : 
 
 " I know there are forces at work in the world 
 which we common mortals do not understand ; 
 yes, I will be entirely frank ; I have seen their 
 
 128
 
 SHE IS PERPLEXED ON EVERY SIDE. I2Q 
 
 power." Then, turning to the lady, he resumed 
 his gay tone: "Mrs. Holmes, my horses will be 
 firm disbelievers in home missionary effort after 
 to-day ; I feel sure of it. Their supper-time must 
 be long past. What is that about a merciful man 
 being merciful to his beast ? I wonder what the 
 effect is when the chief character is a woman ?" 
 
 His eyes danced with merriment ; it did not 
 seem possible that they could have been almost 
 dimmed with tears but a moment before over 
 some tender memory. The lady marveled over it, 
 while he said his parting words to her husband. 
 Having departed by way of the western piazza, he 
 looked in almost immediately to say : 
 
 "Mrs. Holmes, it will be quite worth your while 
 to come out and get a view of this marvelous 
 sunset ; nothing in your frozen North was ever 
 seen to approach to it in beauty. No, my friend," 
 as Mr. Holmes made a movement to accept the 
 invitation, " I did not say it would be worth your 
 while. Your manifest duty is to take no more 
 steps to-night, except those from that easy-chair 
 to bed. No sunsets for you, if you please ! " 
 
 Once outside, he ignored the sunset, although 
 it was a marvel of crimson and gold, melting away 
 into a tender glory formed of both, and began to 
 speak rapidly. 
 
 " Mrs. Holmes, I am deeply interested in your 
 home missionary efforts, or should they be called
 
 I3O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 foreign ? Do you feel as though you were a 
 pilgrim and a stranger, far from home ? You may 
 not think it, but I have a keen interest in even 
 Mrs. Carpenter, to say nothing of old Joe. Will 
 you not take me into a sort of partnership? 
 There are more than these two to look after; I do 
 not know their names, but I feel sure that you 
 do; and you will find others I see it in your 
 eyes. What I am after, is to be counted in ; con 
 sulting physician, you know, or friend ; I like that 
 word better. I shall require to know all the 
 minute details of each individual case, the unpleas 
 ant features, as well as the pleasant ones, of 
 course ; and, between you and me, I am fully 
 aware that the unpleasant ones will predominate. 
 I am ready for them, but I want no rivals, if you 
 please. You are to save all the particulars for 
 me; if I am entered as an advisory member, I 
 shall expect you not to forestall me by giving 
 them first to somebody else." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes regarded him curiously. It was 
 not always easy to understand this man, who was 
 sometimes grave when he meant the merest non 
 sense, and sometimes, under the guise of non 
 sense, gave her grave advice. The undertone of 
 earnestness which she now detected in this whim 
 sical speech roused her anxiety. 
 
 "What do you mean ?" she asked, quickly. 
 
 "Nothing very alarming," still speaking lightly;
 
 SHE IS PERPLEXED ON EVERY SIDE. 131 
 
 "I was only offering to be sympathetic and help 
 ful to the best of my humble ability." Then, 
 more gravely : " Mrs. Holmes, it is perfectly nat 
 ural for you to return from your missions of 
 mercy with your heart full of the sights and 
 sounds which have confronted you ; it is also 
 extremely probable that you will feel like talking 
 them over; what I am after just now, is to give 
 you a word of caution. Your husband is keenly 
 alive to any thing which interests you, to say 
 nothing of his own unaccountable interest in 
 other people s sorrows and burdens, and he is not 
 strong enough physically to bear the strain. He 
 is doing wonderfully well, but his pulse goes to 
 bounding like a caged animal over the stories 
 which you tell him. Do not be alarmed, you have 
 done no harm ; I am only guarding against the 
 future. Save all the bright places for him the 
 whimsicalities, the grotesque features, of which 
 there must be many ; people with over-tired 
 nerves often need resting by some such means ; 
 as for the heart-aches, if you will allow me to try 
 to aid you in helping, where help can be offered, 
 and in shouldering whatever end a clumsy fellow 
 unaccustomed to the business can carry, I shall be 
 honestly glad. I have a corner about me some 
 where which responds faintly to the needs of 
 humanity, upon occasion, and I would like to be 
 useful."
 
 132 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 She thanked him with her lip quivering a little. 
 She felt like a hopeless bungler. What, for 
 instance, had she been able to accomplish that 
 afternoon ? In point of fact, she had been turned 
 away from Mrs. Carpenter s door with orders 
 never to come again ; and now in her zeal she had 
 actually injured her own especial charge! 
 
 However, she was comforted somewhat, upon 
 her return to her husband, with the thought 
 that neither she nor the doctor understood him 
 perfectly. 
 
 "Chrissy," he said, his eyes bright with feeling, 
 "God is very good. While I wait, resting, he 
 lets my little wife go out and do her work and 
 mine. Did you notice how much interested the 
 doctor was in your description of that poor 
 woman ? It occurs to me that the road to his 
 heart may be through the trials of others ; and 
 that his faith in God might be developed through 
 becoming interested in humanity, enough to watch 
 and discover what God is daily doing for it. He 
 has been so good to us, dear, I wish we might 
 repay him by turning his thoughts toward the 
 source of all good." 
 
 "He is less troubled than the doctor supposes," 
 thought the favored wife, "because he rests the 
 world s burdens where he does his own, upon 
 the mighty Arm, of which Dr. Portland knows 
 nothing."
 
 SHE IS PERPLEXED ON EVERY SIDE. 133 
 
 Nevertheless, she resolved to be more cautious 
 in future. Her strange experience with Mrs. 
 Carpenter had overbalanced her prudence for a 
 time. 
 
 " You are not to think about any poor woman 
 save this one before you," she said, gayly, "and 
 she is going at once to make you a slice of per 
 fect toast with a whole tablespoonful of crearn on 
 it. I have found a place where they will let me 
 have a gill of cream a day. What do you think 
 of that ? " 
 
 Meantime, Happy had somewhat broken the 
 level of her life with spasmodic efforts at doing 
 her work as well as she could. It is true that as 
 yet her efforts at reform had not been so marked 
 as to surprise her employer. In fact, Happy had 
 been almost gleeful over her assured reputation as 
 a prophet when she said to Mrs. Holmes : 
 
 " I told you so ! It didn t do a mite of good, 
 not a mite. She never so much as noticed the 
 stairs that day, nor the table, nor nothing, and she 
 scolded why," waxing eloquent in her earnest 
 ness, " I really b lieve she scolded more that Sat 
 urday than she has all the other Saturdays put 
 together this fall." 
 
 Happy s rhetoric was striking, but her meaning 
 was plain. 
 
 "Never mind," Mrs. Holmes had said, cheerily; 
 "you had even a higher object than to please her,
 
 134 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 you remember. And beside, she might have been 
 pleased, although she said nothing about it ; peo 
 ple do not always speak what they think about 
 such matters." 
 
 "She speaks all she thinks when things ain t to 
 suit her," said Happy with a sagacious nod of her 
 head; "or, if she doesn t, she must have an awful 
 lot of room for her thoughts. But I don t care ; 
 you noticed the stairs, Mis Holmes, and that done 
 me more good than though Mis Stetson had sot 
 down on each particular stair and praised it. I 
 done it for you in the first place ; I didn t care 
 nothing at all about her." 
 
 What a very low plane it was on which poor 
 Happy walked ! The Christian woman could not 
 help a faint effort toward lifting her higher: 
 
 " Oh, Happy ! I like to have you want to 
 please me, but have you forgotten what I told you 
 about God, your Heavenly Father? Do you not 
 have a little desire to do right in his sight ? " 
 
 Actually Happy giggled, not in a bold way, but 
 with a sort of shy bashfulness, as she said : 
 
 "Oh, Mis Holmes, I don t know nothing about 
 them things; I don t really." 
 
 "She can waive the entire subject as effectively 
 as Dr. Portland can, if not as gracefully," her 
 questioner thought, as with a sigh she turned 
 away. 
 
 What to do for Happy was a question which
 
 SHE IS PERPLEXED ON EVERY SIDE. 135 
 
 perplexed her perhaps as much as any of those 
 which now haunted her leisure. There had been 
 a little relief from the chief immediate anxiety by 
 the departure of Mr. Arson on a business trip for 
 his firm, but he would be back in a few days, and 
 Mrs. Holmes felt that some decided step ought to 
 be taken to save the girl from his attentions, but 
 she had not the remotest idea how to take it. 
 
 She smiled sadly over the thought of how 
 Stuart s keen brain would take hold of the prob 
 lem, if only she dare consult him, and, remember 
 ing Dr. Portland s offer, smiled again, still sadly, 
 as she felt how powerless he would be to advise in 
 a matter like this. There was no one to advise, 
 and there was every one to worry over. Among 
 others, Liph. Since the night when she had 
 spoken such plain words to him, she had only 
 seen him across the street, and once, face to face 
 for a moment on the piazza, when he attempted 
 an awkward bow in recognition, his face redder 
 than usual the while ; but she heard much of him ; 
 rather, she heard his name often mentioned by 
 his mother, and always in that loud, rasping tone 
 of fault-finding. Such bitter words did this 
 mother use to her one boy that those who over 
 heard could almost find it in their hearts to excuse 
 some of his evil ways. How could a boy help 
 going wrong, when he was daily the subject of 
 such a tongue? Yet Mrs. Holmes remembered
 
 136 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 also those bitter tears. Surely his mother loved 
 him. If only she could be made to understand 
 how steadily she was driving him further down 
 the road to ruin. 
 
 "If I dared tell her so," thought Mrs. Holmes; 
 "if I could only in some way get an influence 
 over her, so that she would allow me to speak 
 plainly." 
 
 This "if," like all others, she took to her one 
 infallible Helper. The answer He sent her was so 
 commonplace, and yet so entirely out of the line 
 of her expectation, that for a little while she did 
 not recognize it as from Him. 
 
 It was Saturday morning again, the day of days 
 in Mrs. Stetson s kitchen. It was constantly a 
 puzzle to Mrs. Holmes how they evolved a break 
 fast out of the confusions which reigned there on 
 all days, but on Saturday the plot thickened. 
 She stood for a full minute with her hand on the 
 knob of the door, unwilling to enter because of 
 the loud voice which rasped the air: 
 
 " I wish you would get out of my way ! I 
 should think that at least you could keep your 
 lubberly feet from staying around, where I have 
 to stumble over em to do my work. Not a stick 
 of wood have you brought me this blessed morn 
 ing, and I ve pumped every pail of water I ve had 
 to use. There s a son for you ! Oh, you re a 
 precious one ; I m proud of you ! When it comes
 
 SHE IS PERPLEXED ON EVERY SIDE. 137 
 
 to smoking and spitting and loafing, there ain t 
 your equal in the whole country round; I m sure 
 of that." 
 
 There was a low-growled reply which the irres 
 olute woman at the door could not catch, and then 
 the mother s voice again : 
 
 "Shut up, do! I won t stand any more of your 
 sass this morning, I declare I won t, not if I have 
 to break a broomstick over your head ! Get out 
 of this room this minute, or I ll pour this kettle of 
 water over you ; I declare I will. Flesh and 
 blood can t stand no more ! " 
 
 This was growing too dreadful ! The woman 
 at the door resolved upon a retreat until quieter 
 times. So did Liph. He came with a fierce 
 stride, his hat drawn over his eyes, so that he did 
 not see the startled form which he almost ran 
 against ; he was muttering fiercely, but his step 
 was not unsteady. Poor Liph was at least "him 
 self," and a miserable specimen of humanity was 
 that self. " It is a worse face than Mr. Carpen 
 ter s, I think," was the verdict once more passed 
 upon it. 
 
 Then, when she could summon courage, Mrs. 
 Holmes made another effort for the cup of which 
 she was in search. 
 
 The confusion was greater than ever before. 
 The boarder had not believed such a thing possi 
 ble, but it was. Dishes, lamps, kettles, pans, tubs
 
 138 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 of dirty water, pails of garbage, empty tin cans, 
 a basket of partially decayed vegetables, any thing 
 and every thing which could add to the sights and 
 smells, seemed to have chosen this moment to 
 appear. Midway across the room Mrs. Holmes 
 stopped in bewilderment. 
 
 "What do you want now?" This from her 
 landlady, in the most ungracious of tones ; there 
 were times when Mrs. Stetson found it hard to be 
 gracious, even to this most courteous of boarders. 
 
 " I am in search of a cup, Mrs. Stetson, one 
 which will fit inside my alcohol-heater, but "- 
 
 " Well, you won t find it," interrupted Mrs. 
 Stetson, "not a clean one ; there ain t a clean dish 
 in this house. If we had five more sets of dishes, 
 that good-for-nothing hussy would have them all 
 out here in messy-rows. It does beat all what I 
 have to stand ! Happy, you everlasting idiot, why 
 don t you find a cup for Mis Holmes, and not 
 stand there gauping?" 
 
 Thus directed, Happy sprang forward with evi 
 dent desire to accomplish ; but, alas for the 
 attempt ! A large hole in her apron, where a 
 patch should have been, seized this opportunity 
 to clutch at the handle of a saucepan, which 
 stretched itself out from the back of the stove in 
 search of mischief. Over went the saucepan, 
 apparently rejoiced at the chance, scattering its 
 greasy contents in all directions, among others,
 
 SHE IS PERPLEXED ON EVERY SIDE. 139 
 
 over the front of the spotless white wrapper which 
 Mrs. Holmes wore. On the top of the saucepan 
 had been a platter, with the remains of fried ham 
 and eggs, and a small plate containing scraps of 
 various sorts. Of course, both platter and plate 
 broke into a thousand pieces. Mrs. Stetson, 
 with an exclamation which her boarder did not 
 want to understand, made a dash for Happy s 
 ears, and succeeded in boxing them soundly before 
 she attempted to speak. 
 
 "I m sure I m sorry for your dress, Mis 
 Holmes, but ladies in fine dresses should not come 
 down to the kitchen ; it is no place for them ; and 
 that is all there is about it." 
 
 "Never mind the dress," said Mrs. Holmes; 
 "it will wash." Happy, even in the midst of the 
 angry tears which she was trying to mop away 
 with her wet apron, could not help stopping to 
 stare at the woman whose voice was low and quiet, 
 and whose next words were : " I am sorry about 
 the dishes, but isn t it fortunate that this pitcher 
 did not break?" And she stooped to pick up a 
 small, round-bodied glass pitcher, which the jar, or 
 the quick steps, or something, had set in motion, 
 and which had seized the opportunity to roll off 
 the stove hearth and skip under the stove. "That 
 is such a pretty pitcher, it would have been a real 
 trial to have it broken. Have you a harder day s 
 work than usual, Mrs, Stetson?"
 
 140 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "I should think I had!" said that woman, in 
 awful grimness. " I declare I don t know which 
 way to turn. I was up half the night with the 
 few stumps of teeth I ve got left. If I could ever 
 get time, and could scrape money enough together 
 to pay the bill, I d go and get rid of them, any 
 how. Then this morning, of all days in the 
 year, Sally must give out, and go to bed with a 
 chill, and a pain, and I don t know what not ; and 
 me having to fuss with her, and leave every thing 
 in the kitchen to that good-for-nothing Happy. 
 And if I d sent her up stairs to read a story-book, 
 I d have been further along with the work this 
 minute. It is enough to use up the patience of 
 two Jobs, the life I have to live. How there is 
 ever going to be a dinner got for eleven people is 
 more than I can see." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes understood her hostess quite well 
 enough to know that when she appealed to "two 
 Jobs," the extreme limit of her endurance was 
 indeed reached. It was certainly a situation cal 
 culated to call forth sympathy, to say nothing of 
 one s personal anxiety as regarded dinner. The 
 boarder thought with satisfaction of the unfailing 
 resource, beef tea and the "gill of cream"; and 
 of the basket of very choice oranges which the 
 doctor brought the day before. Stuart s bill of 
 fare was assured what mattered the rest ?
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 SHE "ENDEAVORS" IN A NEW LINE. 
 
 SHE had secured her cup, not without certain 
 other minor perils of dress and temper, and 
 was back in their room brewing her husband s 
 after-breakfast cup of tea, before it even occurred 
 to her that the unusual state of things in the 
 kitchen might have a remote connection with her 
 wish and prayer for Mrs. Stetson. With the 
 thought came an exclamation of dismay, so out 
 spoken that her husband looked up from the book 
 he was reading to ask: "What is it, dear; any 
 thing happened ? " 
 
 "No," said Chrissy ; "or, that is, a great many 
 things have happened, I suppose," with a little 
 laugh, "and this thing may, but I don t believe it; 
 not yet." 
 
 "A riddle!" he said, smiling; "am I to guess 
 the answer, or is it to be told to me ? " 
 
 "The answer is not made, my dear, but your 
 cup of tea is. Did you think I might have gone 
 141
 
 142 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 to China in search of a new variety ? I have been 
 so long in getting it ready." 
 
 She stood leaning over his chair while he drank 
 his tea, her face thoughtful, a trifle troubled. 
 
 "Are you making the answer?" he asked at 
 last, as he returned the empty cup. 
 
 "No," slowly; "I am afraid the answer is 
 made, and I do not quite like it. There are very 
 disagreeable things that one might feel it one s 
 duty to do, Stuart." 
 
 He laughed at that. 
 
 " Nothing is truer, my dear wife ; I can speak 
 feelingly; I have been placed in such situations 
 myself." 
 
 "Have you?" she said, almost wistfully; "I 
 cannot think it ; you seemed always, to me, to be 
 not only willing, but eager, to do the thing which 
 ought to be done; but I am very different." 
 
 He reached his thin white hand out after her 
 plump one, as he said : 
 
 "You do yourself injustice, my little Chrissy; 
 I have never seen the shirking from duties which 
 seems to haunt you. You must remember, my 
 dear, that since I have had the right to look after 
 you, I have always been obliged to hold you back, 
 instead of urging forward ; in other words, your 
 temptation is to overdo, instead of underdo." 
 
 "Ah, but that is when work pleases me. 
 Don t you know how I have wasted my time
 
 SHE ENDEAVORS IN A NEW LINE. 143 
 
 since we left home? But never mind, you must 
 not think or talk any more ; it is time you were 
 sleeping. Will you take a very long nap, and 
 spare me all the morning ? " 
 
 " I will do my best, dear. But you are not 
 going out for a long walk this morning, are you ? 
 It must be quite warm in the sunshine; there is 
 less breeze than usual." 
 
 She shook her head. 
 
 "I am not going to walk further than the 
 kitchen this morning, Stuart. Some of the mem 
 bers of my Christian Endeavor Society need 
 special help, and the place of meeting is the 
 kitchen." 
 
 The look he gave her was so full of curiosity 
 that she burst into merry laughter. 
 
 "You shall have a detailed account of the meet 
 ing some other time," she said ; "just now you are 
 to sleep." 
 
 He ventured but one question, having watched 
 her with eyes that, had she taken time to look at 
 them, might have told her several things, while 
 she moved about, wheeling his couch into just the 
 right spot, and setting the screen to her mind : 
 
 "Are you going to the kitchen in that dress?" 
 
 "Oh, no, indeed!" It was the delicate white 
 he liked so well, fresh as the rose at her belt. 
 Her first care on coming from her former trip to 
 the kitchen had been to lay aside the one which
 
 144 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 had been soiled there. " I shall attire myself in a 
 manner suited to the needs of the kitchen. You 
 ought to be able to look into it ; or, no, on second 
 thought, I don t believe you ought." 
 
 It was the plainest of prints in which she next 
 appeared, made without a superfluous plait or 
 gather small-figured, dark-colored, but fitting 
 perfectly, and the plainness relieved only by an 
 edge of white at the throat. Happy looked up on 
 her entrance, astonished, but respectful. Plain 
 and dark as the dress was, it had an unmistakable 
 air which the girl recognized. No dress of hers 
 ever looked like that. Happy did not know why. 
 
 Mrs. Holmes moved skillfully through the mul 
 tiplied bewilderments of the kitchen to her land 
 lady s side. 
 
 "Mrs. Stetson, may I come and help you with 
 the dinner ? I know how to do some things, and 
 you can tell me about others if you will." 
 
 Mrs. Stetson let the spoon sink softly and 
 swiftly out of sight into the mixture she was 
 stirring, while she surveyed her visitor from head 
 to foot, amazement plainly written on every 
 feature. 
 
 " You don t mean it ! " she gasped, rather than 
 said, at last. 
 
 "Certainly I do. If Sally is sick, somebody 
 ought to do at least some of the things which 
 usually fall to her. I shall be very glad to help if
 
 SHE ENDEAVORS IN A NEW LINE. 145 
 
 you will let me. Where shall I commence? May 
 I wash the dishes ? " 
 
 " For the land of pity ! " said Mrs. Stetson ; 
 "no, you mayn t. Think of washing dishes in 
 that dress ; you look as though you were going to 
 meeting this minute." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes laughed pleasantly. 
 
 " It is a ten-cent calico, dear madam, bought 
 and made with special reference to work in the 
 kitchen. This dark blue cloth is what is known 
 as oil-boiled goods, and will take almost innu 
 merable washings and come out fresh and bright. 
 Mrs. Stetson, I am sure that Happy and I can 
 reduce these dishes to order in a very short space 
 of time." 
 
 Without more ado she set to work ; it was quite 
 evident that if she was to be of any help to the 
 dazed woman, she must take the initiative. As 
 for Happy, she was quite as bewildered as her 
 mistress, and looked on in a condition of giggly 
 embarrassment while Mrs. Holmes, with skill 
 ful fingers, marshaled the sticky multitude into 
 orderly ranks ; good-naturedly refusing to receive 
 forks with spoons, or cups with glasses, when 
 Happy, in a spasm of helpfulness, plunged some 
 of these miscellaneous articles into her pan. 
 
 " Oh, no, Happy, let us wash and rinse and dry 
 the glasses first, then the silver ; after that the 
 cups and saucers may have their turn ; one can
 
 146 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 work a great deal faster in that way, besides hav 
 ing the dishes nicer. Did you know it ?" 
 
 No, Happy did not know that, nor any of the 
 five hundred little things which go to make the 
 difference between skilled labor and slovenly, half- 
 done service. Mrs. Holmes, as she plunged the 
 astonished glasses into their bath of hot water, 
 moralized over the folly of it all. Why should 
 Happy, for instance, be expected to know the 
 scientific ways of doing these things ? Who 
 would think for a moment of engaging her to 
 teach their children arithmetic or music, without 
 first discovering what degree of training she had 
 had to make her fit for the work ? Yet kitchen 
 girls were supposed to understand their business 
 without having ever so much as had the oppor 
 tunity to learn ! Was it so strange that the 
 majority of them stumbled into the wrong way, 
 and lived on, a trial to their mistresses and a mis 
 ery to themselves ? 
 
 " If I were a philanthropist and had fifty thou 
 sand dollars to give to some important cause I 
 would go through the country establishing cook 
 ing and housekeeping schools." 
 
 Chrissy Hollister in her mother s dining-room 
 had often made some such remark as this ; behold 
 her now in Mrs. Stetson s kitchen establishing 
 her first one ! 
 
 "Without the fifty thousand, too," she said to
 
 SHE ENDEAVORS IN A NEW LINE. 147 
 
 herself, with an amused little smile, while she 
 worked. 
 
 She was no novice playing at reform. Her 
 mother had been a pattern housekeeper in her 
 own way ; and her daughter Chrissy, when she 
 awakened to the fact which always astonishes a 
 sweet-hearted earnest-souled young woman, that 
 she was actually to have a home of her own to 
 order, set about learning the best ways of order 
 ing it, bringing to the work the same untiring 
 zeal and energy which had made her a power in 
 whatever direction she turned her thoughts. 
 
 It is true that she had been especially favored ; 
 for, in addition to her mother s practical knowl 
 edge of all domestic matters, during the last six 
 months of Chrissy Hollister s girlhood there had 
 been set up in the city where she lived, one of 
 those institutions which have recently arisen to 
 bless humanity, a thoroughly well-regulated cook 
 ing-school, where a certain number of young 
 women could, for value received in dollars and 
 cents, go through a systematic course of instruc 
 tion in regard to all the bewildering routine 
 belonging to the kitchen. It was perhaps, then, 
 no wonder that in the pretty home which awaited* 
 her in the great city where her husband lived, 
 she speedily became a mystery and an object of 
 envy to her young married friends because of the 
 skill and ease with which she attacked problems
 
 148 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 which were infinitely worse to them than any in 
 Euclid. 
 
 "I do it," she had said once, in answer to a 
 despairing question from a housekeeper of three 
 months standing, "just as you play at sight one 
 of Beethoven s masterpieces, because I have been 
 taught how. It is a science, my friend, as assur 
 edly as music ; the only trouble is, it is a wofully 
 neglected one." So now she said, in answer to 
 Happy s admiring " Law, Mis Holmes, how do 
 you do it so quick and so nice": "Because I 
 have learned, Happy. In my own house I made 
 a regular study of washing the breakfast dishes. 
 For the first six weeks of my housekeeping I 
 could get no help ; and I used to plan ways of 
 arranging the dishes so that they would come in 
 regular order, the more delicate and least soiled 
 ones first; and I planned where to set them so as 
 to make the fewest moves possible. I changed 
 my arrangements every morning for a week, until 
 I had the matter reduced to perfection." 
 
 Happy chuckled : "It seems awful funny," she 
 said ; " I sh d as soon think of one of the roses 
 off the big bush in the corner out there comin in 
 and washin the dishes, and knowin how; and it 
 seems awful funny to think of your thinkin about 
 it, and planning ways to do it. Why, I don t do 
 that myself; I don t think about them a mite 
 more than I can help ; I keep goin on with the
 
 SHE ENDEAVORS IN A NEW LINE. 149 
 
 last story I read, all the while I am doing the 
 dishes ; I try to plan what he ll say next, and what 
 she ll do, and all of em ; and sometimes I get that 
 busy over em that I forgit what I m about." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes could readily believe it; also, she 
 could have wept over the poverty of poor Happy s 
 life, and her pitiful attempts at making pleasure. 
 "It will not do to let one s mind go much away 
 from one s work," she said, gently, "until the 
 work, in all its details, has been thoroughly 
 mastered, and there is no new thing to learn 
 about it ; then, indeed, some work becomes a sort 
 of habit, and one s fingers can be trusted to carry 
 it out to perfection, while one s thoughts are busy 
 elsewhere. I studied French in that way, last 
 winter." 
 
 " You did ! " said Happy, in unutterable awe 
 and admiration, holding her drying-cloth poised in 
 the air while she stared and admired. 
 
 "Yes. I would not keep those dishes waiting 
 for a moment, Happy; the rinsing-water is too 
 hot for that ; take them out one by one and let 
 them drain ; no, do not attempt to dry them now ; 
 see how wet you will get your cloth almost imme 
 diately ; by the time we have the salver full, those 
 first ones will be almost dry ; they will need but 
 a touch to finish them. Mr. Holmes was teach 
 ing me French; and I lived a very busy life, with 
 not much time for study; so I planned that when
 
 I5O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 I was making my bed and setting my room in 
 order, I would learn a French verb. I fastened 
 the book open on the mantel, and looked at it 
 when I passed that way, and managed very nicely 
 both work and study ; but that was after I had 
 mastered all the details of the room, and knew 
 exactly what needed doing and how to do it. I 
 remember, one week, I wished to change the 
 arrangement of the spread and the pillows on my 
 bed, and I was obliged to close the French gram 
 mar for two mornings and give attention to the 
 new way ; otherwise I would become so absorbed 
 in the study as to forget it." 
 
 "You are an awful funny woman ! " said Happy, 
 with perfect frankness ; " I never see any one the 
 least mite like you before." 
 
 During that busy morning, Mrs. Stetson, to 
 judge from the expression of her face, must have 
 felt the same. Mrs. Holmes worked steadily, 
 skillfully, and with a swiftness unknown to that 
 region, going from one task to another with the 
 air of one who had done such work before, 
 and knew instinctively what would be needed 
 next. 
 
 " I declare for it," said her landlady, at last, her 
 admiration breaking all bounds, "I most wish you 
 was a poor widow, with nothin to do but house 
 work, to earn your living, and I d hire you quicker 
 than a cat can wink, and pay you the biggest
 
 SHE ENDEAVORS IN A NEW LINE. 151 
 
 wages ever was paid in this kitchen ; see if I 
 wouldn t ! " 
 
 Mrs. Holmes could hardly repress visible mani 
 festation of the cold shiver which ran through her 
 frame over that terrible word "widow." She had 
 come too near the shadow of it, not to feel a dart 
 from its quiver of pain. 
 
 "What is the next thing?" she asked, making 
 quick effort to turn Mrs. Stetson s thoughts from 
 herself. "I notice that your bread dough is light. 
 May I mold it into loaves, or do you prefer to do 
 that yourself?" 
 
 "Oh, land!" said Mrs. Stetson, "you don t say 
 you know how to make bread ! Well, I don t, 
 and that s the truth. I ve been feeling my way 
 along with it, and wondering how it was going to 
 come out, and it has hung like a great stone 
 around my neck, all this morning. You see, 
 Sally, she understands it, and always tends to it, 
 and I never sensed the idea that she might get 
 sick. I ve always been in luck having girls who 
 knew how to make bread ; I ve never done it more 
 than half a dozen times myself, and made a failure 
 of it then, pretty much; and since you are so 
 powerful good and kind, and I m sure I ll never 
 forget it of you if I live to be as old as Methu 
 selah which I hope to the land I won t if 
 you will knead it up and get it into loaves, I ll be 
 gladder of that than of all the rest put together."
 
 152 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 The younger woman looked with wondering 
 pity upon this housekeeper of a quarter of a cen 
 tury who yet had not learned how to make the 
 one important article of daily food ! Then, with 
 out more delay, she proceeded to the task of 
 "kneading up" the bread. How glad was she 
 that her own careful hands had washed those 
 bread-tins but a half hour before !
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 SHE CALLS LEMON PIE TO HER AID. 
 
 THE last smooth loaf was receiving its final 
 patting, preparatory to being tucked under 
 covers, while Mrs. Stetson stood at a little 
 distance, soliloquizing ; arms akimbo, tired, wrink 
 led face, with a dab of flour on one cheek and a 
 streak of soot on the other. Such was the picture 
 which she presented to the trim young woman 
 who patted the bread, and looked out at her from 
 the half-open door. 
 
 "What in the name of wonder will I get for 
 dessert?" Mrs. Stetson pronounced the word as 
 though she were speaking of the plains of Sahara. 
 "I wish to the land folks didn t have to have 
 desert every blessed day of their lives ! It hasn t 
 got any reason nor sense in it, to my way of think 
 ing. Eat a good big dinner of roast beef, and two 
 kinds of potatoes, and beans, or something, and 
 pickles and bread and jelly, and every thing they 
 can get, and then begin all over again, with fresh 
 
 153
 
 154 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 plates and all, and swallow down something sweet 
 and sticky I d like to know who first got up 
 such a ridiculous fashion, any way ! But there is 
 no use in talking; folks do it, and so I s pose 
 folks will keep on doing it to the end of time. 
 But I don t know more than the babes in the 
 woods what to have, nor how to make it." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes, hearing this forlorn confession, 
 stepped forward for a better view of the speaker, 
 the better to entertain Stuart with the entire 
 scene. It was impossible not to be amused, but, 
 as she caught a glimpse of the worried face which 
 had grown prematurely old, it was also impossible 
 not to be sorry for her. Mrs. Holmes considered. 
 She had been long gone from her husband, only 
 taking occasional trips to see that he was comfort 
 able. She had been very busy and was growing 
 weary, despite the fact that youth and a perfectly 
 healthful body were her strongholds. Should 
 she? 
 
 A long-drawn, almost hopeless sigh closed the 
 soliloquy in the other room, and decided the list 
 ener. That sigh covered other worries than what 
 should be had for dessert, and she who knew 
 what some of them were, and felt powerless to 
 help, was yet determined to lift where she could. 
 She took thoughtful care for the loaves which had 
 now become her pride, and for which she had con 
 ceived that mingled affection and solicitude which
 
 SHE CALLS LEMON PIE TO HER AID. 155 
 
 every good bread-maker understands ; then turned 
 to the mistress, whose face was still puckered over 
 her problem. 
 
 "Mrs. Stetson, I have been looking at some 
 beautiful lemons while I was at work. Do your 
 boarders all like lemon pie, and do you care to 
 have me make some for dessert ? " 
 
 The instant lifting of the shadows on the worn 
 face would have been answer enough, but Mrs. 
 Stetson broke into another torrent of words. 
 
 " I declare for it if you was an angel come 
 down from heaven, you couldn t do any more than 
 you have this morning, nor half so much! I 
 don t suppose the angels know how to wash 
 dishes, and make bread and pies ; at least, I hope 
 to the land that they don t have to do it where 
 they live. Like lemon pie ? I should say they 
 did. Every last one of them looks as though he 
 had had a fortune left him when he sees a piece 
 coming. And as for Liph well, I never in all 
 my days seen any one so crazy after any thing as 
 he is after lemon pie. I d have it oftener than I 
 do, jest for him, if they didn t all like it so ever 
 lasting well, and want two pieces around, some of 
 em, and boarding-houses can t stand that, Mis 
 Holmes ; not at my prices. But lemons is get 
 ting plenty now, and cheap ; and there s eggs and 
 things plenty, too ; I never thought of lemon pie. 
 But I ll make it, Mis Holmes, and thank you for
 
 156 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 putting me in mind. I can t make as good a crust 
 as Sally, and that s a fact ; but I ain t afraid but I 
 can make one that they ll eat." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes had her own opinion of Sally s pie 
 crust, and if her landlady s was not so good, why, 
 then . She made haste to speak. " I would 
 just as soon make it for you, if you choose. I 
 used to make lemon pies for my mother. It will 
 seem quite like home to make them again. I 
 will just run up stairs and see if my husband 
 needs any thing, then I will attend to the pies. 
 You are tired, and have quite enough to do 
 besides." 
 
 There was a smile on her face, and her step was 
 light as she went away ; she did not feel so tired 
 as she had but a moment before. One sentence in 
 Mrs. Stetson s flow of words gave her hope and 
 courage: "I d have it oftener than I do, jest for 
 Liph." There spoke the mother-heart. It was 
 another proof that Mrs. Stetson had by no means 
 lost her love for her all but ruined boy ; it 
 afforded also a hope that, through the medium of 
 lemon pie, a hint might in some way be conveyed 
 to the mother of a better way than the one she 
 was taking. 
 
 " I am conducting my Christian Endeavor meet 
 ing," was Mrs. Holmes statement to her husband 
 as she held his glass of milk, while he settled him 
 self on the piazza.
 
 SHE CALLS LEMON PIE TO HER AID. 157 
 
 "The subjects before us are dish-washing, 
 bread-making and lemon pies." 
 
 "Capital subjects," he said, returning her merry 
 smile; "there certainly has to be a great deal of 
 endeavoring over the first two; I clon t know 
 about the Christian part of it." 
 
 "I do. There is a great deal of the Christian 
 part needed for those occupations; more than you 
 gentlemen, who never have to endure the trials 
 connected with them, know any thing about." 
 
 " You are mistaken in your premises ; I know a 
 great deal about both. When I was in college I 
 boarded myself, and washed the dishes regularly 
 and thoroughly every Saturday. There were 
 seven of them. I could never understand how 
 there came to be so many, when I used the same 
 plate for each meal, and drank neither tea nor 
 coffee ; but there certainly were. I remember 
 particularly a certain bowl, I think it was, which 
 was always greasy. I am sure I do not know 
 why; there were very few things on my bill of 
 fare which contained any grease. Oh, I know all 
 about housekeeping, and I assure you I think it 
 requires a great deal of grace to get through with 
 it ; mine did. I do not know about bread," he 
 added meditatively; "I never really tried to make 
 any, but I have watched others, and it looked 
 rather easy to me ; however, I tried griddle cakes 
 once, and they were a total failure."
 
 158 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "Oh, Stuart," said his wife, dropping into a 
 low seat before him, in a bubble of laughter, "did 
 you really live in such dreadful fashion when you 
 were in college ? You never told me about it." 
 
 "Not at all," he said, composedly sipping his 
 milk. "I lived elegantly; fared sumptuously 
 every day. I used to have my plate fresh for 
 breakfast, and turn it over and use the other side 
 at dinner-time." 
 
 " Oh, horrible ! But how did you get it clean ? 
 I thought you washed dishes only once a week." 
 
 "That was all," he said firmly; "I set my foot 
 like a flint against doing it oftener. Welland 
 wanted to do it on class days, but I never yielded 
 an inch to him. He was my chum, and boarded 
 with me for awhile. He is a lawyer now ; lives 
 in Chicago, and has several courses with his din 
 ners. Why, about the plate, that was easily man 
 aged. I rubbed it off very carefully after dinner 
 with a bit of clean paper, and it was all ready for 
 the next morning s meal. We eschewed suppers 
 as being injurious to our digestive organs. What 
 are you doing down stairs, Chrissy, and what is 
 the end in view?" 
 
 "The immediate end is lemon pies, as I told 
 you," said his wife, rising, "and they will be warm 
 and horrid if I do not have them in the oven very 
 soon. As to the end in the distance, it is a 
 Christian Endeavor meeting, I tell you. What
 
 SHE CALLS LEMON PIE TO HER AID. 159 
 
 will result remains for the future to tell ; but I 
 expect results." 
 
 " I do not doubt it ; you could not give a fellow 
 a piece of one of them, I suppose, in the shape of 
 lemon pie?" 
 
 " No, indeed ! " she called back to him from the 
 hall, "it would be injurious to your digestive 
 organs ." 
 
 "Your son likes plenty of sugar in them, I sup 
 pose ? " she said to Mrs. Stetson, a few minutes 
 later, stirring the sticky mixture while that 
 woman looked on admiringly; "young men are 
 nearly always fond of sweet things. It is so nice 
 in you to think of him in your cooking. You will 
 have to tell him how you planned these pies 
 expressly for him." 
 
 "Me tell him!" said the gray-haired mother, 
 pressing her thin lips together fiercely; "not 
 much will I ! I slave for him night and day, and 
 I cook things a-purpose for him often enough ; it 
 is a kind of a second nature, I guess ; but I ain t 
 such a fool as to tell him so. When he s going to 
 destruction right before my eyes, I ain t going 
 to pet him, and make him believe I m tickled to 
 death about it. I tell him right out plain a dozen 
 times a day exactly what I think of him ; and 
 there ain t no petting in it ; he can t accuse me of 
 not speaking the truth to him, and doing my best 
 to keep him from ruin."
 
 I6O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 Was this the "chance" for which this young 
 fisher of souls had spent her morning in the warm 
 and crowded kitchen ? She tried to feel her way 
 cautiously. 
 
 "Oh, dear madam, I am sure you are wrong 
 about one thing. No boy was ever yet injured 
 by his mother s tenderness. Plain speaking they 
 need, all of them, I suppose ; but speaking the 
 truth in love, that is what people gone astray 
 need more than any thing else in life, I believe." 
 
 She winced inwardly as she said the words, 
 remembering how very little love had been min 
 gled with her plain, strong words to Liph on the 
 one occasion of her talking with him. 
 
 " Humph ! " said Mrs. Stetson, with a hard 
 sneer. " S pose he was your boy and treated you 
 as he does me, do you believe you d molly-coddle 
 him ? " 
 
 " I do not know," said Mrs. Holmes, firmly, 
 "because I do not know whether, under trying 
 circumstances, I should do right or wrong ; but I 
 know perfectly well what it would be right to do. 
 To hate the sin and to use all our powers of gen 
 tleness and patience with the sinner, is what God 
 does, dear madam, and He is our example. I am 
 so sure it would do your boy good to have some 
 of the gentleness, that I mean to tell him, the 
 very first opportunity I get, that his mother 
 had lemon pies for to-day s dinner because he
 
 SHE CALLS LEMON PIE TO HER AID. l6l 
 
 was fond of them and she wanted to please 
 him." 
 
 They had the kitchen to themselves, Happy 
 having gone to set the table. Mrs. Stetson was 
 beating eggs while she talked, or rather while she 
 stood silent beside the younger woman ; presently 
 she seized the corner of her long-suffering apron 
 and wiped away a straggling tear, as she said in a 
 half-choked voice : 
 
 "You think I m hard on him, then?" 
 
 Can people pray and speak to a mortal at the 
 same moment ? Chrissy Holmes feels sure that 
 they can. 
 
 "Poor mother," she said, and her voice was like 
 music in its gentleness, " forgive me, but I think 
 you are. Not in your heart, but in your words. 
 He needs to see represented in you the forgiving 
 love of God, the Savior of sinners. A mother s 
 love and tenderness are perhaps the most vivid 
 pictures of God in Christ that men, especially, can 
 ever know. I am sure your boy has his seasons 
 of hating himself, and of longing to be other than 
 he is. If at such moments he could recall his 
 mother s look of infinite yearning, patience and 
 desire, what might it not do for him ?" 
 
 Was she talking beyond the reach of this uncul 
 tured woman ? or was there a culture of the heart 
 which love would translate? If she had not 
 utterly mistaken, there were strong depths to this
 
 l62 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 rugged nature. There was silence for so long, 
 that Mrs. Holmes, praying still, ventured to 
 glance again into the worn, seamed face ; it was 
 working painfully. 
 
 "I am as sure as I stand here that I could die 
 for the boy," she said at last, struggling to speak 
 quietly; "but it has appeared to me that I ought 
 to keep it before him what an awful disappoint 
 ment and disgrace and shame he is to me ; and 
 how I have slaved, and all for nothing! " 
 
 Her voice kept rising with her words, until the 
 sound of tears went out of it and there was only 
 fierceness left. 
 
 "Do you think he does not know that?" said 
 the younger woman, keeping her voice low and 
 tender and solemn. "It is the thing which 
 at times drives him to utter self-loathing and 
 despair, and sends him deeper into the mire. I 
 am certain, dear madam, that he needs to hear 
 his mother s voice low and tremulous, as it used 
 to sound when he was young and innocent, and 
 meant to be your strong tower of support. You 
 know he had such plans once, don t you? He 
 needs to have their memory revived by the look 
 on your face, and the love in your voice." 
 
 The eggs were abandoned ; Mrs. Stetson was 
 sobbing now ; whether the lemon pie had a lovely 
 foam over it or not, the tears must have their way. 
 The younger worker gently possessed herself of
 
 SHE CALLS LEMON PIE TO HER AID. 163 
 
 the dish and went on with the manipulations, 
 while the other sobbed out : 
 
 "It s of no use to talk ; I can t do it. I m that 
 wrought upon and mad and discouraged when I 
 think of what he was and meant to be, and what 
 he is, that I can t, to save my life, help flying out 
 at him and giving him all the tongue I ve got ; 
 and he deserves it, too ! " 
 
 "Mrs. Stetson, there is a way to help it. There 
 is only one way, I believe, for sorrow such as 
 yours; all minor helps sink into insignificance. 
 What Liph needs more than any thing else is his 
 mother s prayers. You said you would die for 
 him, and I believe you. What you are called 
 upon to do, instead, is to live for him, and to 
 pray for him. Give yourself utterly to God, dear 
 friend, and cry to Him for the salvation of his soul. 
 He will help you ; I am sure of it. I know Him 
 well ; he never failed a soul who asked ; he never 
 will. He can speak to Liph in a voice so full of 
 power that the boy must hear and think and 
 decide. If you will pray for your son with the 
 strong crying of those who mean it, and then rep 
 resent God in his mercy and patience to him, I 
 I feel in my soul that I have the right to tell you 
 God will get hold of him and save him. Will you 
 do it ? " 
 
 Mrs. Stetson had retired to the window, had 
 buried her gray head in the apron, regardless of
 
 164 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 dabs of egg and flour and butter with which it 
 was besprinkled, and was vainly trying to regain 
 self-control. A moment of prayerful silence, then 
 the young worker spoke again : 
 
 "Dear madam, I know you will forgive the plain 
 words I have said, because from my soul I long 
 for your son s salvation, and mean to pray and 
 work for it ; and I believe you will try to save him 
 in the way I am proposing. I feel so sure of it 
 that I am going to ask you something further. 
 We are now almost ready for dinner; every thing 
 is in shape and progressing nicely, and I can man 
 age the whole to your entire satisfaction, I am 
 sure. If now you are willing to trust me, to 
 promise to join me in this matter, and go to God 
 on your knees for your boy, and never give him 
 up again while God gives you breath to pray, then 
 please go away to your room, and think it over, 
 and pray it over. If you will go up stairs now, I 
 will take it as your answer to my plea." 
 
 Would she? Mrs. Holmes felt her nerves quiv 
 ering almost as one in a chill, so great was her 
 desire and her fear. Like a statue stood the 
 woman at the window, while one, two, three min 
 utes passed ; then turning suddenly, without drop 
 ping her apron from her eyes, she strode across 
 the room and vanished up the back stairs. Mrs. 
 Holmes drew a long, quivering breath and felt as 
 though she must fly up the other stairs into her
 
 SHE CALLS LEMON PIE TO HER AID. 165 
 
 husband s arms, and cry. But of course that 
 could not be done, on Stuart s account. Besides, 
 there were pies to bake and potatoes and turnips 
 to mash, as well as numberless other things to be 
 done!
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 SHE AMAZES ONE OF THEM. 
 
 LOOK here, Mis Holmes, what are you doing 
 it for?" 
 
 It was Happy s voice, bewildered, almost awe- 
 stricken. In her hands she brandished a knife, a 
 spoon and three forks, which had just been ban 
 ished by Mrs. Holmes from the neatly laid table, 
 because they were not bright enough to warrant 
 their moving in such society. Happy had for the 
 third time, under Mrs. Holmes instruction, taken 
 off some of the dishes in order to straighten the 
 cloth ; but so very gentle, even genial, had been 
 the voice and manner of her new mentor that 
 Happy had not even once frowned nor twitched 
 her shoulders ; on the contrary, she had developed 
 a continuous tendency to laugh. 
 
 "You see, Happy," said her teacher, as for the 
 third time the cloth was re-arranged, " it will 
 never do to have this table-cloth awry ; it is a 
 166
 
 SHE AMAZES ONE OF THEM. l6/ 
 
 very fine one, and is ironed beautifully ; but to 
 lay it crooked would spoil the effect, and give us 
 an impression of disorder and discomfort." 
 
 Happy surveyed the table-cloth with curiosity; 
 it was one of the marvels of this eventful Satur 
 day morning. But a few moments before Mrs. 
 Stetson left the kitchen she had made a dash into 
 the dining-room, surveyed with disdain Happy s 
 leisurely efforts at setting the table, given a short, 
 sharp order to the effect that the few dishes 
 already in place be removed at once, snatched at 
 the soiled and much-worn cloth, cast it in a flimsy 
 heap in the corner of the room, and then pro 
 duced from her store this marvel of whiteness 
 and fineness. In vain Happy ventured to sug 
 gest that it wasn t the day for clean things. 
 
 "Yes, it is, too," said the landlady, sharply; 
 "it s the day for clean things of all sorts! I 
 guess I can have a clean table-cloth Saturday, if 
 I want it. Go and ut that rag in the dirty 
 clothes and set this table nice, or I ll be after 
 you." 
 
 To Happy s comfort and the table s benefit, it 
 was Mrs. Holmes, instead, who had been "after" 
 the disorderly girl, and, by dint of patient direc 
 tion and patient determination that the thing 
 should be done right, had at last succeeded in 
 having the table-cloth properly straightened, and 
 laid without a wrinkle. But Happy s wonder,
 
 1 68 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 which had been rising all the morning, now 
 reached its climax, and she arrested proceedings 
 by that short, pertinent question : 
 
 " Look here, Mis Holmes, what are you doing 
 it for ? " 
 
 "Doing what, Happy? Set the dishes in place 
 as rapidly as possible, please, as we have very 
 little more time." 
 
 "Doing the hull of it, Mis Holmes; the bread, 
 and dish-washing, and every thing. Nobody ever 
 did so before, not in this kitchen, and it ain t 
 because you re a friend to her. She sassed you 
 only this morning right to your face, and she says 
 you are stuck up, and she can t cook fine enough 
 to suit you, and you fuss over things. Now, 
 what s it for?" 
 
 It seemed desirable to respond to the look on 
 the bewildered girl s face, if not to the words in 
 which she voiced her perplexities. Evidently the 
 simple bit of Christianity involved in reaching out 
 a helping hand had thrown Happy s brain into a 
 whirl. She was utterly at a loss to discover a 
 motive for such action. 
 
 "Lay the mats in this way, Happy, and the 
 glasses want to be set so. Don t you think they 
 look better than they do standing as though they 
 were thrown on the table ? Why have I been 
 helping Mrs. Stetson and you a little while this 
 morning, do you mean ? Do you remember what
 
 SHE AMAZES ONE OF THEM. 169 
 
 I said to you a few days ago about the Lord Jesus 
 Christ ? I am doing it for him." 
 
 "My land!" said Happy, "I don t know what 
 you mean no more than if you talked Dutch. 
 What could He care about washing dishes, and all 
 Mis Stetson s other work?" 
 
 "But he does care! Don t you know I told 
 you? He cares for her; knows just how troubled 
 she is to-day, and how many hard things she has 
 to bear. He wants her helped and comforted, and 
 he sent me to do what I could." 
 
 " It beats all ! " burst forth Happy again, after 
 a moment s puzzled staring. "I never heard any 
 body that was stark crazy talk as queer as you do. 
 Any body would think that that One you talk 
 about was up stairs in your room this minute, and 
 had sent you down here to work." 
 
 "Which is the simple truth, my girl" albeit 
 the lady smiled while she spoke ; Happy s way of 
 putting the truth was rather unique "He is up 
 stairs in my room, and down here with us, and 
 in the kitchen, and everywhere. Do you not 
 remember that He sees all persons and things, and 
 is interested in our smallest acts ? Why, Happy, 
 when He was on earth He went about all the time 
 doing kindnesses for any who needed, and would 
 let Him help. Have you not read His life? You 
 like to read stories ; some of the strangest stories 
 ever written you will find in that book,"
 
 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "The Bible is an awful big book," said Happy, 
 discontentedly, "and I don t know much about it ; 
 but I don t understand it a mite more than I did. 
 He wouldn t wash dishes and make pies." 
 
 "He would do whatever the soul He was help 
 ing, needed most, Happy. At one time He washed 
 the feet of twelve tired, dusty men, to teach them 
 not to shrink from the humblest duties ; and He 
 said that His life here was to be an example to 
 His followers. I am one of his followers; that is 
 why I try to help." 
 
 " I d be willing to help people that I liked," 
 declared Happy, in growing discontent. "I d 
 wash dishes, or scrub, or do any thing for you, 
 Mis Holmes, but she s so dreadful cross and 
 snappy, and ready to bite you if you do the least 
 thing. How would you like to have your ears 
 boxed, and you a great big, grown-up girl ? I 
 guess you wouldn t have washed her dishes if 
 she d a done that to you." 
 
 Happy, scowling, was a curiosity. She had 
 evidently felt her disgrace of the morning keenly. 
 Poor Mrs. Stetson would be likely to have even a 
 harder time with her hereafter, unless some influ 
 ence outside of herself could reach and recon 
 struct this girl. They were both in the kitchen 
 now, and the self-appointed cook was giving care 
 ful attention to the dozen or so "last things" 
 which go to make or mar a dinner. It seemed a
 
 SHE AMAZES ONE OF THEM. I /I 
 
 most unpropitious time for a lesson in theology. 
 There were even those who would have deemed 
 it shading on the irreverent to attempt to talk of 
 religious matters under such circumstances. But 
 Chrissy Holmes religion pervaded every thought 
 and act of her life, and assuredly had to do with 
 the kitchen fully as much as with the parlor. 
 
 " I have sometimes been able to conduct myself 
 in a Christian manner in a well-ordered parlor, 
 without having a realizing sense of the presence 
 and help of Jesus Christ," she said once to a lady 
 who was exclaiming over the impropriety of 
 "bringing religion down to the level of the com 
 monplace," "but when my duty lies in the kitchen, 
 especially at the nerve-distracting hour of dishing 
 up, I have discovered that I need a special meas 
 ure of the grace of God to keep my voice gentle 
 and my face unruffled." 
 
 There were people in her own station in life 
 who thought Mrs. Holmes "just a little queer, 
 you know " ; perhaps it was not strange that she so 
 impressed poor Happy. She knew exactly how 
 much milk she was adding to the gravy ; neverthe 
 less, she was considering at the moment how to 
 make a solemn, far-reaching truth plain to the 
 girl who held the platter. 
 
 "Happy," she said, "I have been thinking 
 about your being willing to help people whom 
 you liked ; that is a very natural state of mind,
 
 1/2 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 and there is a sense in which we must always 
 have more pleasure in serving those whom we 
 love than any others. God meant that it should 
 be so, in order that many duties might also be 
 pleasures ; but that other One of whom we were 
 speaking your example and mine, you know 
 served steadily and patiently those who scolded 
 and threatened and mocked ; yes, even those who 
 struck at Him not only, but actually spit in His 
 face!" 
 
 "Oh, my land!" said Happy, in solemn horror 
 and disgust; "that ain t true, Mis Holmes; now, 
 is it ? Because there ain t a man living but would 
 knock folks down for such things, if he could ! " 
 
 "This One could, you know; He had all power. 
 He could have killed with a word, with a look, the 
 men who mocked and the men who struck and 
 spit. What He did was to say : Father, forgive 
 them ." 
 
 Either Happy had never heard this awful fact 
 in history before, or else and more probably, 
 she had heard it as hundreds of others have, with 
 out giving it a moment s consideration heard 
 it as something which had not in the remotest 
 degree to do with her, and happened so long ago, 
 if at all, that it was not worth while to regard it. 
 She was entirely silent, but the look on her face 
 interested and half-bewildered her teacher. Was 
 it a scowl, and, if so, for whom or what ?
 
 SHE AMAZES ONE OF THEM. 173 
 
 "Mis Holmes," she said at last, exploding the 
 words as though they must be spoken, "if they d 
 have done it to me, I d have spit back and hated 
 them, and I couldn t help it either." 
 
 "But, Happy, what if you had been there by 
 the side of this One who was hanging on a cross, 
 dying for you, and they had done it to him, not 
 to you ?" 
 
 "Then I would have dug my nails into them 
 and scratched their eyes out ! " 
 
 It would not do to think of Happy as a 
 mere good-natured simpleton, after this ; her eyes 
 flashed as Madeline Hurst s might have done, and 
 there was a whole avalanche of pent-up hatred in 
 her tones. 
 
 "Yes," said the teacher, gently; "but, Happy, 
 suppose you had loved that One hanging there so 
 much more than any body else in the world, that 
 to please Him was what you lived for; and sup 
 pose that you were quite sure that to please Him 
 you must forgive even such people, and help them 
 if you could ? " 
 
 "Oh, Mis Holmes! Then I d a tried; I 
 would really. Because I would do a most any 
 thing for any body that loved me ; I would, 
 honest ; because I ain t never had much loving 
 done, you know, and I know what it is to get 
 along without it." 
 
 Poor hungry soul ! Could a Christian woman
 
 174 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 help calling out to the infinite Lover of souls to 
 come into this starved heart and transform it ? 
 Happy loved by Jesus Christ ! It was a wonder 
 ful thought, truly ; yet the Christian woman who 
 knew Him well, could not for a moment doubt the 
 fact. 
 
 " Poor child ! " she said ; " I wonder at you for 
 being willing to get along without it. The world 
 is a very hard place for those who undertake that. 
 But we are ready to serve the dinner now, and I 
 expect you to do it very nicely; because it is my 
 dinner, you see, and you said you liked to please 
 me. Let me see how swift and skillful and quiet 
 you can be. Remember, I shall be watching 
 you." 
 
 It was certainly a success. What the boarders 
 thought, who sat down to spotless whiteness, and 
 handled dishes as smooth as velvet, and found the 
 mashed potato delicate and creamy and hot, and 
 asked for a second supply of turnip which had no 
 lumps and was seasoned just to the taste, I do not 
 know. The probability is, that, being most of 
 them men, they thought nothing about it in detail ; 
 they simply had a sense of being comfortable, 
 more comfortable than usual, and wondered why 
 a dim memory of home haunted them to-day, and 
 wondered what made them so hungry. Not a man 
 of them knew what it was that was so different to 
 day from yesterday. It takes a woman to realize
 
 SHE AMAZES ONE OF THEM. 1/5 
 
 that the right amount of salt in the turnips, and 
 the absence of lumps in the- potatoes, and a 
 hundred other kindred trifles, actually contribute 
 toward making her a better person than she would 
 otherwise have been. There is one other thing 
 she knows, and that is that all these trivialities 
 have a like influence over mankind in general, 
 even though they neither realize it nor admit its 
 truth after they are told. 
 
 As for Happy, she certainly did astonish Mrs. 
 Holmes and encourage her. The girl could move 
 swiftly, it appeared, when she chose ; she could 
 shut the door without slamming it, and fill the 
 glasses without making a river of water on the 
 cloth. A dozen mistakes she made, of course, 
 but the improvement in her was, as I say, 
 astonishing, and gave the watcher a hint, which 
 almost startled her, as to the possibilities of the 
 transforming power of love upon this unloved one. 
 Midway in the meal Mrs. Holmes became aware 
 that she might relax her vigilance and anxiety so 
 far as the kitchen was concerned, for another hand 
 was plainly at work there. Through the half-open 
 door she caught a glimpse, once, of Mrs. Stetson s 
 face. It was wrinkled and old, and the traces 
 of tears were upon it, but there was also some 
 thing else a new look which she could not 
 name. 
 
 Liph, in his accustomed seat at the foot of the
 
 176 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 long table, ate his dinner in his usual silence; he 
 was nearly always late, and stayed after the 
 boarders had departed ; he did so to-day, until only 
 he and Mrs. Holmes were in the dining-room, she 
 with her hand on the door-knob, ready to go. 
 
 "You ought to like that lemon pie very much," 
 she said, lingering and smiling. 
 
 "I do," said Liph, taking a mouthful large 
 enough to convince her of the fact, "but I dunno 
 where the ought comes in." 
 
 "I do ; it is because your mother had it made 
 on purpose for you. She told me it was your 
 favorite, and that she liked to have it on that 
 account. When mothers do things on purpose 
 for their boys, the boys ought to like and appre 
 ciate them. Mothers are wonderful beings, my 
 friend. Did you ever think what it would be if 
 yours were gone?" 
 
 The last mouthful of pie was swallowed, and 
 Liph sat, knife and fork in hand, looking down 
 into his empty plate. His face was grave enough ; 
 was it also sullen? Did Liph love his mother? 
 
 "She has been telling me of the pride she used 
 to have in you when you were a handsome little 
 boy in a white dress and yellow curls. If I were 
 a boy, I would make my mother so proud of me at 
 nineteen that she would laugh when she told of 
 how proud she used to be when I was two ; and 
 never cry."
 
 SHE AMAZES ONE OF THEM. 
 
 The door-knob turned swiftly and silently, and 
 Liph was left to himself. 
 
 "Happy," said Mrs. Holmes that evening as 
 her pitcher was being filled for the night, "I have 
 been thinking of some things which you said this 
 morning. Did you never read the story I told 
 you about Jesus being mocked and spit upon ?" 
 
 "I dunno as I ever did, Mis Holmes; not to 
 sense it, any how : I don t remember it. The 
 Bible is so awful big, you see; and I don t under 
 stand it very well." 
 
 " You have a Bible of your own, have you not ? " 
 
 "Not much of a one; it s a little, old, ugly 
 thing, with only one cover, and it s awful fine 
 print. My teacher give it to me years ago, and I 
 used to read in it some ; but it is fine print, and 
 there ain t no beginning to things in it, somehow. 
 It kind of hurt my eyes : I give it up a good 
 while ago ; but it s kicking around somewhere, I 
 reckon. I ain t seen it this age." 
 
 Poor Happy ! She could sit up until after mid 
 night with her dime novels, and did, whenever 
 she could elude the vigilance of Mrs. Stetson, 
 without ever thinking of her eyes ; but when it 
 came to a question of Bible reading, like many 
 another higher in the scale of being than she, 
 there was lack of time, and weakness of eyes !
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 SHE LAYS SNARES FOR ONE. 
 
 GOOD afternoon," called Mrs. Holmes, lean 
 ing far over the piazza, rail to greet Made 
 line Hurst; "you are coming to see me, are you 
 not ? I am all alone. The doctor has carried 
 Mr. Holmes away for a ride, and I was trying 
 to decide how to spend the time. Come up to 
 my room and we will have a cosy visit." 
 
 In point of fact, Madeline Hurst had not 
 intended any such thing. It had been several 
 days since she received this lady s cordial invita 
 tion to "come and see her very soon," but the 
 girl had had not the slightest intention of "put 
 ting herself forward," as she phrased it. The 
 very fact that her sister-in-law was constantly 
 pushing her way into a society which, as society 
 looks at these days, was above her, made Made 
 line almost fiercely afraid of doing so. The truth 
 is, she had lost many pleasant hours which might 
 have been hers, because she fancied that those 
 178
 
 SHE LAYS SNARES FOR ONE. 1 79 
 
 who kindly tried to brighten her life were patron 
 izing her. 
 
 "I would rather associate with the Carpenters 
 and people of their stamp all my life," she had 
 said angrily to her brother s wife once, "than be 
 patronized by those who say poor thing, behind 
 my back, or else sneer or laugh at my ignorance of 
 their ways. They do not want me, and I know it ; 
 if you would recognize the same thing, and not be 
 forever trying to creep in where you don t belong, 
 it would be better for all of us." 
 
 Such truths were bitter to Mrs. Hurst s soul, 
 and were a fruitful source of much of the angry 
 disgust which these two felt for each other. 
 Therefore, the last thing which Madeline had 
 meant to do was to put herself in the position of 
 appearing to "run after" Mrs. Stuart Holmes. 
 She had meant only to walk by that way, and per 
 haps see again the bright young face, so little 
 older than her own, and so much fresher and 
 sweeter than hers had ever been ; there would per 
 haps be a chance for a bow and a smile, if Mrs. 
 Holmes should happen to remember her well 
 enough to recognize her, which was doubtful ; 
 there might at least be opportunity to look at her, 
 as one would at a picture ; and to Madeline s 
 starved and beauty-loving soul this was worth the 
 effort. 
 
 But who could resist such a cordial invitation
 
 l8o HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 as this ? Especially as Mrs. Holmes immediately 
 vanished inward with the evident intention of 
 meeting her guest at the head of the stairs, hav 
 ing given her no chance to decline. Madeline 
 was embarrassed, half dismayed, indeed, at the 
 prospect, but she went slowly up the front steps 
 and inside the open door. 
 
 "This way," said Mrs. Holmes voice from 
 above. " It is delightful in my room this after 
 noon ; the sunshine gives just the right degree 
 of warmth. Can you fancy how strange that 
 seems to me who have been used to anthracite, 
 and closed doors and windows, for all my Decem 
 bers ? Take this chair, and let me have your hat. 
 Oh, yes, please ; else I shall think you are going 
 every minute, and I want to keep you ; the doc 
 tor said he should keep my husband away until 
 sunset." 
 
 It was not possible to be constrained and for 
 mal, and answer only in monosyllables. If this 
 were patronage, it was of a very rare, sweet sort, 
 which Madeline Hurst felt no inclination to cast 
 aside. 
 
 " I can fancy your feelings about the Decem 
 bers," she said; "until I was fifteen I spent mine 
 among snows and storms ; but I liked them as I 
 could never learn to like these soft, sunshiny 
 ones, I think." 
 
 "Oh, are you, too, far away from home?" Mrs.
 
 SHE LAYS SNAKES FOR ONE. l8l 
 
 Holmes asked, with that instant touch of sym 
 pathy which slightly homesick hearts always 
 have for those in like condition with themselves. 
 "How many people there are who have come 
 away from home ! I never realized it so much 
 before." 
 
 "I have not," said the girl, with a sort of 
 dreamy sadness ; "home has gone away from me; 
 so far away that I can never find it again. I have 
 had no home since my mother died. Mother and 
 I were all alone at the stony old homestead away 
 up in Maine. It was just as dreary a spot, they 
 used to say, as could be found on the face of the 
 earth ; and I used to long to get away from it ; 
 but never as I have longed to get back to it. 
 Andrew says it is a horrid corner of a horrid coun 
 try, but, compared with where I live now, I think 
 it was paradise. Andrew is my brother, Mrs. 
 Holmes." 
 
 "The brother with whom you live?" the lady 
 questioned, interestedly ; she was eager to get hold 
 of this girl s past and present, and discover, if she 
 could, what had wrought premature lines of a cer 
 tain kind of suffering in her face, and a strange 
 pathetic fierceness in her eyes, if I may use such 
 contrary words to describe eyes. 
 
 "Yes m. There were only he and I. When 
 he came down here in search of what he did not 
 find, mother and I were left alone; I often
 
 1 82 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 thought it dreary, and wished for change; and 
 change came! I would like to go back now, just 
 to be near to mother s grave ; it is all there is 
 left." 
 
 "Oh, no, dear friend! there is heaven, and 
 mother again, in a home which will never slip from 
 you. I almost know your mother believed in that 
 home, and urged you to be sure to come to her 
 there." 
 
 But the girl was already ashamed of her 
 momentary lapse into confidence, ajid was bent 
 upon regaining full control of herself. 
 
 "I beg your pardon," she said, sitting upright 
 among the cushions of the old-fashioned easy- 
 chair ; " I am sure I do not understand why I 
 began at once to speak of myself in this absurd 
 way ; I never do. Yes, my mother was a Chris 
 tian woman, and she died happy in the thought 
 that the God whom she served would take care of 
 me. I do not want to talk about her, please." 
 
 Young and uncultured though she was, there 
 was a quiet dignity about this girl s manner, 
 which held one back from making advances which 
 she had resolved should not be made. Mrs. 
 Holmes determined not to try to probe further 
 until she was better acquainted and better 
 understood. 
 
 "I spent a delightful week in Maine once," she 
 said; "in the summer-time and in the region of 

 
 SHE LAYS SNARES FOR ONE. 183 
 
 the old camping-grounds. I have some photo 
 graphs of the scenery about there, and of myself 
 as well. Would you like to see them ? Do you 
 like to look at pictures ? These came in my trunk 
 unawares. It must have been because I felt that 
 you would like them ! " 
 
 And she plunged into the depths of the well- 
 stocked portfolio. 
 
 What an afternoon it was ! Madeline Hurst 
 had never expected to have such an experience. 
 She was barely twenty years old, yet for five 
 years her life had been hardened, and rasped by 
 an uncongenial atmosphere, where she was toler 
 ated for decency s sake ; where the very food she 
 ate was at times almost begrudged her; where she 
 had nothing to do which appealed to her interests 
 or tastes ; where she was badgered and annoyed 
 on every side. Had the Christian woman who 
 was trying to help her known a third of the story, 
 she would have felt her heart ache in sympathy 
 even more than it did. Oh, of course, there were 
 two sides to it. Are there any stories which have 
 not always the other side? Had Madeline Hurst, 
 a chastened Christian girl of fifteen, gone into her 
 brother s home, bringing with her the forbearance 
 and unselfishness and helpfulness born of the 
 Holy Spirit s influence, undoubtedly the years as 
 they unfolded would have told a very different 
 tale ; in fact, she will never know what she might
 
 184 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 have wrought in and about the home to which she 
 came. But she brought no such spirit. Instead, 
 she was an eager, passionate, undisciplined girl ; 
 rebellious over the fact that the mother she loved 
 had been taken from her; rebellious over leaving 
 the particular school she loved ; rebellious over 
 the work given her to do ; discouraged, discon 
 tented, indifferent as to whether she gave offense 
 to those about her or not. Is it any wonder that 
 the years had been hard to her ? It is true that 
 there are some women who would have borne 
 with her patiently, been tolerant of her faults, and 
 waited for time and prayer, and infinite painstak 
 ing tenderness and helpfulness, to bear their 
 fruit, but Mrs. Andrew Hurst was not such a 
 woman. 
 
 From her two hours of blessed rest and refresh 
 ment, during which time she had seen pictures 
 and heard talk such as never had feasted her eyes 
 or heart before, Madeline Hurst awoke as from a 
 dream. 
 
 "There is Mr. Holmes!" said his wife, rising 
 suddenly as the sound of horses feet could be 
 heard ; " it is quite time, too. Did you realize 
 that the sun was so near its setting?" 
 
 Madeline drew a long, quivering sigh. 
 
 "No," she said; "I did not realize any thing 
 except that I had lost myself, and hoped never 
 to be found. I beg your pardon," with a half
 
 SHE LAYS SNARES FOR ONE. 185 
 
 laugh, "but you cannot know, of course, what 
 this afternoon has been to me." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes regarded her thoughtfully, think 
 ing swiftly the while. Should she ? Stuart had 
 been long gone, and there were a dozen things 
 she had meant to talk over with him while he 
 rested, but then 
 
 And then her resolution was taken. 
 
 "Oh, don t rise; that is not Mr. Holmes chair; 
 he likes better the one I have been occupying. 
 I am going to keep you to tea." 
 
 " Yes ! " with a little playful persistence, as the 
 girl flushed and tried to stammer out a protest; 
 " we have had no company in so long that we are 
 lonely. At home the girls are always dropping 
 in to have cozy little teas with us. They will 
 not be troubled about you at home, will they ? " 
 
 "They will not think of me at all, unless they 
 wonder what has happened to relieve them of my 
 presence for so long." 
 
 " Oh, my dear girl ! " 
 
 There was such pent-up fierceness in the tone 
 that Mrs. Holmes could not withhold this note of 
 protest. Madeline s cheeks flamed a deeper hue 
 under the implied reproof. 
 
 "I beg your pardon," she said quickly, "I do 
 not mean my brother ; but, indeed, I must go 
 home." 
 
 " Indeed, you must not, if it is not necessary.
 
 1 86 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 I want you to meet my husband. You will like 
 him ; every body does," with a happy little laugh. 
 
 They were in the upper hall now, he and the 
 doctor. Mrs. Holmes threw open the door. 
 
 "Safely back," said the doctor; "this gentle 
 man has gained a pound of flesh, I think, since we 
 went out. As for his appetite, I expect it to be 
 enormous." 
 
 He made a sudden pause, seeing a stranger in 
 the room. Was there the slightest possible eleva 
 tion of eyebrows when he was introduced to "Miss 
 Hurst"? If so, it was gone before Mrs. Holmes 
 could be-sure of it, or translate its meaning. He 
 went away almost immediately, but that was to 
 have been expected. As for her husband, Mrs. 
 Holmes exulted inwardly over the exceeding tact 
 and graciousness of his words and manner. It 
 was not surprising, she told herself, that his influ 
 ence with young people was almost unbounded. 
 How could they resist such hearty, kindly, and 
 withal extremely courteous bearing ? 
 
 "If he had been acquainted with all the details 
 of the girl s sad life, he could hardly chose his 
 words more wisely," she said, and then caught and 
 stifled a sigh. Was it not strange that such a 
 worker as he should be laid aside for nearly a 
 year, when all over the Master s vineyard the 
 really consecrated laborers were so few? 
 
 They went down to tea together, Mrs. Holmes
 
 SHE LAYS SNARES FOR ONE. 187 
 
 and her guest, and Happy waited upon them ; not 
 in her very best manner; she seemed unaccount 
 ably confused, and by no means so full of the irre 
 pressible laugh as usual. Liph was not present, 
 for which the. hostess was sorry; she had won 
 dered vaguely whether this girl of another world 
 than his, and yet of so different a world from her 
 own, could not suggest some ways of reaching 
 after and helping a boy like that. 
 
 " Her brother might know what his worst 
 temptations were, and hint at something to be 
 done to make them less dangerous," she had said 
 to herself; "to be sure, he may not be the sort 
 of brother who knows any thing about it, but 
 then he may, and if Madeline herself could 
 become interested in the miseries and dangers of 
 some one beside herself, it might help her. But 
 Liph did not appear at all. As for Madeline, 
 what shall be said of her state of mind ? At 
 times she was on the verge of laughter over the 
 thought of what her brother s wife would say or 
 think, could she see her now seated at this table, 
 which, though plain enough, was more preten 
 tious than that of the Hursts ; but, above all 
 things, seated here as the guest of Mrs. Stuart 
 Holmes ! the elegant young stranger who had kept 
 certain circles in the little city on the alert for 
 several weeks in their eagerness to know more of 
 her, to come in contact with her. "And I, Mad-
 
 I 88 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 eline Hurst, am her invited guest ! What pos 
 sessed me to stay? How extraordinary that she 
 should have invited me ! But then I stayed all 
 the afternoon, how could she help it?" At this 
 thought the ready blush of shame dyed the girl s 
 cheeks. Comforted she was, however, almost 
 immediately, by the remembrance of the frank 
 cordiality with which she had been received and 
 held. 
 
 If Mrs. Holmes did not want her, what possi 
 ble motive could she have had for calling to her 
 in the first place, and then making it so pleasant 
 that it was hardly possible for her to get away? 
 So for once in her life the sensitive young girl 
 determined to dismiss her morbid thoughts and be 
 happy. She was almost ridiculously happy. She 
 knew she should be ashamed and vexed when she 
 thought about it afterward, that so small a thing 
 as a few hours with a lovely woman, being treated 
 as though she were an equal, should have such 
 power over her. 
 
 The large, cheerful room up stairs looked even 
 more cheerful by the light of the softly-shaded 
 lamp, and brightened by the gay afghan which 
 was thrown over Mr. Holmes as he lounged among 
 the pillows. 
 
 What a delightful hour it was ! 
 
 "I am not to be suppressed to-night, my dear," 
 her husband said laughingly to his wife ; " I have
 
 SHE LAYS SNARES FOR ONE. 189 
 
 rested while you were dining, and am much 
 stronger, I find, than I was a week ago." So 
 he had joined in the conversation, leading it, 
 indeed, some of the time, and Mrs. Holmes, list 
 ening, was surprised again to see how well her 
 young guest talked, and what excellent thoughts 
 she had upon many subjects. 
 
 "She must have had a good mother," thought 
 the lady, watching the play of expression on the 
 changeful face. "A careful, cultured, tender 
 mother ; and she is waiting for her in heaven. 
 And the girl is in danger down here. If I can 
 only save her for her mother ! "
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THEY SEARCH FOR "REAL THINGS." 
 
 LATER in the evening, when the lamp was 
 turned low to allow full sway to a flood 
 of silvery moonlight, Mrs. Holmes hoped for an 
 opportunity to get closer to the heart of her guest, 
 and learn, if possible, what dangers beset her way. 
 They were quite alone again, Mr. Holmes having 
 retired to his room for the night. 
 
 "Oh, do not go yet," her hostess had said as 
 Madeline made a movement to depart ; " I will 
 give you a book to read while I am making Mr. 
 Holmes comfortable, then we will have time for 
 a long talk. I was troubled as to how you were 
 to get home, but I have thought out a charming 
 plan. You know Uncle Tommy, do you not ? 
 He is the nicest old man, and a particular friend 
 of mine ; he comes this way each evening to bring 
 our mail ; his way home lies directly by your door, 
 does it not ? Oh, Uncle Tommy will take excel 
 lent care of you." 
 
 190
 
 THEY SEARCH FOR REAL THINGS. IQI 
 
 "Care of me! " said Madeline, laughing; "why, 
 I had not thought of such a thing ; I am accus 
 tomed to going where I please and when I please. 
 I am not at all afraid in the dark, Mrs. Holmes." 
 
 The woman who had been sheltered by thought 
 ful care all her life looked astonished and seemed 
 distressed. 
 
 " My dear girl, I beg your pardon for saying it, 
 but you ought to be." 
 
 "Why, pray ? " 
 
 " Why ? Because Satan and sin are abroad in 
 the world ; believe me, dear, it is not safe for a 
 young girl to walk the streets of any city alone at 
 night. It cannot be your duty to go alone after 
 dark, and I can think of no other motive which 
 ought to take a self-respecting girl into such pos 
 sible peril." 
 
 Madeline s cheeks were very red, and she bent 
 low over the book which had been placed in her 
 hands. 
 
 "Nobody ever troubled me," she said, trying to 
 speak lightly. 
 
 "But somebody may, my dear girl; and, if they 
 should not, you set an example for those less care 
 ful of their ways than you." 
 
 But at this Madeline laughed coldly. 
 
 "You are really mistaken in me, madam," she 
 said ; " I am not, and cannot be, a fine lady, to put 
 on pretty airs and insist on being taken care of !
 
 192 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 There is no one to do it for me if I wanted it. 
 As for my influence, I have none in the world. 
 Who is there that you imagine would quote Made 
 line Hurst in proof that an act was right or 
 wrong! " 
 
 "More than one person," said Mrs. Holmes, 
 earnestly; "people of whom you know nothing, 
 perhaps. It is folly for any of us to declare that 
 we have no influence. Until we can know all the 
 past, and all the future, even as God does, our lips 
 are sealed upon that point." Saying which, she 
 vanished, giving those last words a chance to sink 
 into the girl s conscience. 
 
 "You have an interesting study out there," her 
 husband said, inclining his head toward the door; 
 "is she one of your associate members?" 
 
 "I am afraid so; I half hoped at first that she 
 might prove an active one, but this afternoon has 
 not encouraged me." 
 
 "The soil is full of weeds," he said, "but per 
 haps she had a Christian mother." 
 
 " Oh, she had ; a good one, I believe ; but she 
 has been long gone, and the poor girl has spent 
 her life of late among thorns." 
 
 "Still, perhaps the good seed is not dead, only 
 choked," he said, smiling; "we must adopt her 
 and win her for Christ." 
 
 "Do you like that book?" Mrs. Holmes said, 
 returning to her guest a little later.
 
 THEY SEARCH FOR REAL THINGS. IQ3 
 
 Madeline gave a slight start. 
 
 "Yes m or no I don t know, indeed; I 
 have been thinking, and reading only sentences 
 here and there." 
 
 "You like to read?" inquiringly. 
 
 " Oh, indeed, I like it too well ; better than I 
 wish I did. The habit of reading every thing I 
 can get hold of is always getting me into trouble. 
 Yet I do not know how I could have lived without 
 books." 
 
 "What books do you read ? " 
 
 "Every thing I can get, as I said; but that 
 does not mean much ; my opportunities are lim 
 ited. There is a circulating library, a small one, 
 from which I have been getting books ; but it 
 doesn t help much ; I have read and re-read every 
 thing in it, and they only get new books once in 
 an age ! " 
 
 "What books do you like the best history?" 
 
 "Oh, no, indeed," with a deep blush; "I do 
 not like histories at all." 
 
 " Biographies, then, or books of travel ? " 
 
 " No, I cannot say I like such books ; biogra 
 phies I think I hate. I like stories, Mrs. Holmes, 
 real genuine love stories. I suppose that is very 
 silly, if not worse, and you are shocked with me." 
 
 " Why should I be ? Am I not supposed to 
 approve of love, my dear girl ? " 
 
 " Oh, I don t know. They prose about it, you
 
 194 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 know, good people do ; they think it is wrong to 
 read any thing more exciting than a psalm-book. 
 I like exciting things, such as make me forget my 
 every-day life, and lose myself for awhile at least, 
 in the lives I read about." 
 
 " And books which help you to live the life set 
 for you, with a better aim and a truer purpose 
 than before ? I like such books. Do the ones 
 you choose help you in this way, Madeline ? I 
 may call you Madeline, may I not ? 
 
 "If you will," said Madeline, coloring partly 
 with pleasure and partly with shame of the con 
 fession she was about to make. 
 
 "No, the books I read do not help me, I sup 
 pose ; at least they make me hate my life more 
 than I did, and that is useless. Oh, I do not 
 choose the best reading by any means. I do not 
 do the best of any thing. I read to help me for 
 get myself, and my hateful surroundings, as much 
 as I can ; that is my single motive." 
 
 "But, Madeline, is it a wise one? Is there 
 not a better way ? If, for instance, there were 
 books which would help you lift your life into an 
 atmosphere which would give you joy and peace, 
 would not that be better?" 
 
 " There are no such books ; at least I never 
 saw them if there are, and I don t believe there 
 is any thing in this world which would make me 
 do other than hate my present surroundings."
 
 THEY SEARCH FOR REAL THINGS. IQ5 
 
 "Very well, let us go beyond this world, then. 
 Is there nothing in the life of God which could 
 do for you what he has for so many ?" 
 
 Silence for a moment ; then, in lower tones 
 than before : 
 
 " You mean the Bible, I suppose. I do not 
 read that any more ; I used to. I read it with 
 mother every day, and for a little after she was 
 gone, but not long. I couldn t ; it made me feel 
 horrid worse than any thing else." 
 
 "Poor child ! Do you not understand why?" 
 
 The silence lasted longer than before; then 
 Madeline s great eyes, which were almost black, 
 looked full at her questioner. 
 
 " I may as well tell you the truth ; I suppose it 
 was because my conscience told me plainly that 
 I was not living in accordance with the teachings 
 of the book." 
 
 "And your only remedy for that was to close 
 the book ? Oh, Madeline ! " 
 
 "Well," said Madeline firmly, rising to the 
 defensive, " I could not help it. As I was situ 
 ated, it was simply impossible to live by the 
 Bible. When I had my mother it was different, 
 but I told you that you did not understand my 
 position." 
 
 " And I told you that there was One who did. 
 Do you believe it possible that He placed a soul 
 where she could not follow out His dearest will
 
 196 . HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 concerning her? Is that in accordance with 
 your mother s teachings about her Savior?" 
 
 Madeline s head drooped suddenly, and again 
 she was silent. After a moment Mrs. Holmes 
 spoke again : 
 
 "I do not know how you are circumstanced, it 
 is true, nor, so far as this subject is concerned, 
 does it make the slightest difference, except that 
 those who have not in this life the place they 
 crave, are especially called by the loving One. 
 Have you forgotten how he said, Come unto me, 
 all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will 
 give you rest ? Is not that meant for you, my 
 friend ? " 
 
 But Madeline was obstinately silent. In her 
 heart was an assured conviction that if Mrs. 
 Holmes knew her sister-in-law, and had to live 
 with her, she would talk and think differently. 
 
 And then Mrs. Holmes, who felt that perhaps 
 she had said enough of a strictly personal nature, 
 tried another subject, or, more properly speaking, 
 a different form of the same subject. 
 
 " You like to read stories, you say, but you 
 have not made plain to me what ones. There are 
 stories and stories, you know ; some of them I like 
 exceedingly." 
 
 "You would not like my favorites." Made 
 line s tones were growing cold and dignified. 
 
 "How can you be sure, my dear? There is
 
 THEY SEARCH FOR REAL THINGS. 197 
 
 not such a striking difference in our ages that 
 our tastes should be so greatly unlike." 
 
 "It is more than age which determines these 
 things," said Madeline, with the air of a sage; 
 " I like sensational stories, such as you would call 
 unreal, overdrawn and all that sort of thing." 
 
 " And do you like unreal, overdrawn things, my 
 friend ? " 
 
 "Yes," said the girl defiantly, "I do. When 
 the real things all about one are horrid, why 
 should not one enjoy beautiful, unreal things, in 
 books at least ? What harm can it do ? " 
 
 " It is thought to increase one s dissatisfaction 
 with reality, and at the same time to offer no rem 
 edy. Is that a just charge?" 
 
 "I suppose so," said Madeline gloomily; "but 
 that doesn t keep me from enjoying them at the 
 time." 
 
 " You have not given me the name of a sin 
 gle author as yet. I am going to see if you do 
 not, after all, like some of my favorites. Do you 
 ever read Miss Warner s books?" 
 
 " What has she written ? I hardly ever notice 
 the name of the author. You would not approve 
 of that, either. Of course, you would choose 
 your author with care, and avoid a book written 
 by one whom you do not like, but I have little 
 opportunity for choice, and read every thing ; so 
 what does it matter who writes them?"
 
 198 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "Miss Warner has written a large number of 
 books. The Hills of the Shatemuc was one 
 of my favorites, and The Old Helmet was 
 another." 
 
 "Oh, The Old Helmet ! I read that once. 
 I did not like it at all. People talk about unreal 
 characters, Mrs. Holmes ; I do not know where 
 you would find any more unreal than those 
 described in that book. I do not believe such 
 people ever lived as that Mr. Rhys, for instance." 
 
 "In that case you ought to be fond of it, my 
 dear; did you not just confess to me that you 
 liked overdrawn books ? " 
 
 Madeline flushed, and laughed a little. 
 
 "I do not mean of that sort," she said, after a 
 minute. "You think me absurd and childish, but 
 I know what I mean, though I find it hard to 
 explain myself. I have not of late years been in 
 the habit of being asked my reasons for things. 
 The unreal stories which I read arid enjoy, deal 
 with society and dress and amusements ; things 
 about which one has a right to be as extravagant, 
 on paper, as one pleases ; but when it comes to 
 talks about religion and the Bible and matters 
 of that sort, it never seemed to me it was right to 
 picture things different from the reality. I do 
 not think I am making myself very clear, but that 
 is as nearly as I can express my thoughts." 
 
 " I get your meaning, my friend ; there is force.
 
 THEY SEARCH FOR REAL THINGS. 199 
 
 in it, or would be, if there were not a very import 
 ant point which you overlook. What do you 
 mean by unreal things the impossible or the 
 improbable? " 
 
 "Well, the extremely improbable, perhaps. I 
 do not think the absolutely impossible has much 
 charm for me. I never liked fairy stories when 
 I was a child ; but a delightful thing which might 
 possibly be, I revel in, no matter how improbable, 
 because I cannot help saying to myself : Strange 
 things have happened, they possibly may again, 
 and they might, some of them, come to me. Not 
 that I expect any thing of the kind, either, only 
 it is pleasant to imagine once in a while that I do ; 
 but, as I said, when the highly improbable has to 
 do with religion, it is not to my taste." 
 
 "I understand, but let me ask you, suppose 
 these highly improbable things were so only 
 because people chose to take no steps to secure 
 them ; and suppose that the moment one chose 
 to make the apparently unreal his own, he could 
 do so ; would it not alter your estimate ? " 
 
 " Of course ; but I do not see what that has to 
 do with our argument." 
 
 " Do you not ? To me it has every thing to do 
 with it ; I have heard the charge of unreality 
 brought against my favorite books before, and 
 there is a sense in which it is true. For instance, 
 jt is true that there are few men like Mr. Rhys ; I
 
 2OO HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 would not make so strong a statement as you did, 
 for I have known a few who were much like him, 
 but I grant you there are few. Now, the infinite 
 difference between Miss Warner s extreme charac 
 ters and those of many extreme characters in fic 
 tion is, that hers represent not only the entirely 
 possible, but they produce before us the picture of 
 what it is our manifest duty as Christians to strive 
 to become. Can the same be said of any of the 
 books to which you are referring?" 
 
 "No," said Madeline, promptly, "nothing of the 
 kind could be said, and I never before heard any 
 body say that it was possible to be as good as 
 Miss Warner made her characters. I m sure I 
 should like to see some who were like them ! " 
 
 " But, my dear friend, is the pattern held up in 
 that book any better than the one which the Bible 
 calls for when it says : Present your bodies a liv 
 ing sacrifice, which is your reasonable service ? 
 
 "Perhaps not, but then who does it?" 
 
 "That is not to the point. You know the 
 question is not so much Who does it ? as Who 
 will ? If Madeline Hurst, reading of the pure and 
 beautiful life of some fictitious character patterned 
 after the man Jesus Christ, is moved thereby to 
 the remembrance of Him who was not fiction, but 
 glorious reality ; who lived on earth, and loved 
 and died in order that we might be conformed to 
 his image ; and if she resolves because of it to try
 
 THEY SEARCH FOR REAL THINGS. 2OI 
 
 from henceforth to order her life after that pat 
 tern, has not the unreal and unnatural character 
 accomplished a blessed result ? " 
 
 "Then you think it is all right to be unreal in 
 religious fiction ? " 
 
 " If by unreal you simply mean, as I suspect, 
 not common, and if the picture is something 
 which might be real, this is, in my judgment, the 
 realm of legitimate fiction, and its only excuse 
 for being at all." 
 
 "Well," said Madeline, drawing a long sigh, 
 after a minute of silence, " I confess that I have 
 a stronger hope of suddenly falling heir to a 
 hundred thousand dollars and exchanging my one 
 room in the attic for a palace, as the young lady 
 did in the last novel I read, than of growing into 
 such a perfect character as Mr. Rhys, or even 
 as Elinor did, after she became his wife ! " 
 
 And then Uncle Tommy came with the mail, 
 and the evening was gone.
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 SHE FINDS AN "ACTIVE MEMBER." 
 
 MRS. HOLMES, as she looked after them 
 down the moonlighted street, wondered 
 sadly what she had accomplished, after all. The 
 girl was bright and interesting, but so positive in 
 her views, and so narrow in her range of thought ! 
 She seemed almost as far away from that one 
 perfect life as poor Liph himself. 
 
 " And I did not say a word to her about Mrs. 
 Carpenter," she added, with a self-reproachful 
 start. " After all, of what use would it have 
 been ? The poor child cannot help her, not until 
 she is helped herself. And what is there that 
 she will let reach close enough to help her? " 
 
 She was on the lower piazza., whither she had 
 gone to see Madeline off, and have a minute s 
 talk with Uncle Tommy. She walked back and 
 forth in the moonlight, full of sad thoughts. 
 How was the work to be done, any of it ? Therq 
 202
 
 SHE FINDS AN ACTIVE MEMBER. 203 
 
 were so many now in whom she was keenly inter 
 ested, yet she was making no progress. 
 
 "It is very strange," she told herself sadly, "so 
 many and yet so utterly unlike one another, and 
 so unlike any persons for whom I have ever 
 worked before. I cannot help being interested in 
 them, yet I do not seem to be the one to accom 
 plish results. Some of the time I even repel. I 
 wish I could have discovered the names of some 
 of the books which Madeline Hurst reads ; they 
 seem to have a strange influence over her. They 
 cannot be like Happy s selections ; the girl has 
 too much mind for those." 
 
 As she walked back and forth thinking her 
 troubled thoughts, she heard footsteps approach 
 ing, and was surprised to see Uncle Tommy 
 returning. 
 
 "Why, Uncle Tommy," she said, going to the 
 gate to speak to him ; "are you coming back? I 
 thought you had started homeward for the night. 
 Have you seen my charge to her own door 
 al ready ? 
 
 "I started home, ma am, but had to turn 
 around and trudge back because I forgot some 
 thing I was to bring. Uncle Tommy never could 
 depend on his head to save his heels, and grows 
 worse as he grows older. No, I didn t see her to 
 the door, ma am ; she met with some one whose 
 company suited her better than mine, and said I
 
 2O4 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 need not trouble further, though it would have 
 been no trouble at all, of course." 
 
 " Met some one ? Did she meet a friend ? " 
 "Aye, and he turned and walked with her, and 
 seemed glad of the chance, and she likewise, or at 
 least willing ; so there was nothing for me to do 
 but turn and leave them." 
 
 "A gentleman was it, Uncle Tommy?" 
 "Aye, at least that is what he calls himself. I 
 make no doubt there might be two opinions about 
 that." 
 
 "Was it her brother, Uncle Tommy?" 
 "Oh, no, ma am ; not her brother." 
 The old man did not seem disposed to say any 
 thing more, though she waited in hope that he 
 would give her the name of Madeline s friend. 
 She was disturbed, she hardly knew why. Cer 
 tainly it was not an unusual state of things for a 
 young woman to have a gentleman friend who 
 could with propriety join her in an evening walk. 
 Nevertheless she could not help feeling troubled. 
 Truth to tell, Mrs. Holmes was strongly tempted 
 toward discouragement to-night. The reaction 
 from the nervous strain caused by her steady 
 effort to entertain Madeline Hurst, was upon her, 
 and perhaps helped to make her mental vision less 
 clear than usual. She could almost have cried out 
 with the prophet of old, "I, even I, only am left." 
 There was so much needing to be done, and no
 
 SHE FINDS AN ACTIVE MEMBER. 20$ 
 
 workers ! Here, for instance, was Uncle Tommy, 
 a clean-faced, neatly-dressed, self-respecting old 
 man, whom every body liked and trusted ; who 
 was so true to his word that it had passed into a 
 sort of proverb among the people of his neighbor 
 hood, " It is as sure to be done as though Uncle 
 Tommy had promised it." Yet it came to her 
 suddenly, standing there, that she had never said 
 one word to the old man on the one important 
 theme! His hair was whitening fast, and the 
 time he had to spend on earth must of necessity 
 be short. Was any one interested in where he 
 would spend his future ? Who was trying to help 
 him settle so important a question ? 
 
 "What is a gentleman?" she asked, dreamily, 
 more for the purpose of seeming to be friendly 
 with the old man, and yet carry out her own train 
 of thought, than because she was interested in 
 his reply. 
 
 "Well," said Uncle Tommy, straightening him 
 self in the moonlight, "there might be different 
 opinions about it ; looking on at folks, I ve no 
 kind of doubt that there are ; but if you ask for 
 my views, why, according to my way of thinking, 
 there is only one kind of true gentleman, and 
 that is a man who is keeping to the road He trav 
 eled, just as near as he can." 
 
 There was such intense reverence in the use of 
 the first pronoun, that it did not need the rever-
 
 2O6 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 ent uplift of Uncle Tommy s bared head to tell 
 the listener to whom he referred. There was an 
 instant lighting up of her expressive face, and she 
 reached forth her hand impulsively. 
 
 " Oh, Uncle Tommy, do you know Him ? 
 Then we are kindred." 
 
 "I do that, ma am," said Uncle Tommy, clasp 
 ing the soft young hand in his old and wrinkled 
 one. "I ve been traveling on after Him for nigh 
 on to forty years, and I reckon I m coming pretty 
 nigh to the turn where I shall see His face. It s 
 a curious thing," and his old face rippled into 
 smiles, " I ve thought about it a great deal, and 
 it s a very curious thing, but there comes a time 
 when He lets us catch up with Him and walk 
 along arm in arm." 
 
 "Do you mean here?" asked Mrs. Holmes, in 
 a voice which was almost awe-stricken. Uncle 
 Tommy s face shone in the moonlight almost as 
 though it might have been the face of an angel. 
 
 "No, ma am, I mean there; though I ve come 
 to think, of late years, that we ve a right to get a 
 good deal nearer to Him here than the most of us 
 have understood." 
 
 "I have found an active member," said Mrs. 
 Holmes to her husband the next morning. You 
 can not think what a surprise and joy it was to 
 me. I had almost grown to think that there were 
 no Christians here. Well, of course I do not
 
 SHE FINDS AN ACTIVE MEMBER. 20/ 
 
 mean that, exactly, but you know we have not 
 come into intimate acquaintance with any, as yet. 
 I do not know of one professing Christian in this 
 boarding-house, and I had some way forgotten 
 that there were any. Where do you think I 
 found him ?" 
 
 "I can hardly imagine, if you have come in 
 contact with him since I last visited with you," 
 her husband said, smiling. "I had the impres 
 sion that that dark-faced, fierce-eyed girl was the 
 only one you met yesterday. Did he call upon 
 you ? " 
 
 "Oh, no. I met him at the gate." 
 
 "At the gate! Ah, you mean Uncle Tommy? 
 Oh, yes, I knew he was a prince of the Royal 
 line. I had a little talk with him one day last 
 week when you were out, and he came with let 
 ters. He is a blessed old saint, and has had a 
 troubled voyage. He told me he was so glad to 
 lie by in a quiet harbor for a little while, and 
 make the shore through still waters. He was 
 once a sailor, and his language is filled with the 
 imagery of the sea." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes was quiet, with a sort of grave 
 sweetness upon her face. She had had another 
 surprise. The husband whom she supposed too 
 ill to speak or think of Christian work, yet at his 
 very first opportunity had a word of inquiry ready 
 for the man who she thought had been neglected.
 
 2O8 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 Perhaps there was everywhere a great deal more 
 work being done than she imagined. The story 
 of the old prophet came to her, and she smiled 
 as she repeated mentally the words, " I have left 
 me seven thousand in Israel." 
 
 It was destined to be a morning of surprises. 
 Mrs. Holmes, when she went down to see about 
 her husband s breakfast, had another. She had 
 just come from an encounter with Happy. That 
 young woman had been met at the head of the 
 stairs, water-pail in hand, a generous supply of the 
 liquid which it had contained when she started 
 having been left on a number of the stairs. 
 
 "Land!" she had said, "I b lieve this pail 
 leaks ; or else I swashed it about. Don t drag 
 your dress into it, Mis Holmes; though I dunno 
 as it would do any hurt if you did. Dirt seems to 
 slip off of you, like water does off of a duck s 
 back. It doesn t do so with me ; every blessed 
 thing that can stick to me, does." 
 
 "Happy," the lady had said, interrupting this 
 steady flow of words, "I have something for you 
 which I hope you will use. When I was a young 
 girl," she omitted to say how young, "I had a 
 large-print Bible, neatly bound, which was a great 
 pleasure to me. Every week I had a new verse 
 marked in it, in red, or blue, or green ink, and 
 that verse I was pledged to read, at least once 
 each day. My Sunday-school teacher gave me
 
 SHE FINDS AN ACTIVE MEMBER. 2OQ 
 
 the book, and I promised her I would be faithful 
 to the daily readings. I learned to enjoy them 
 very much. Now I have found a Bible as much 
 like my copy as I could, and marked one verse. 
 Will you take the book, and promise to read the 
 verse each day for a week, and then let me mark 
 another?" 
 
 "Oh, land!" said Happy, giggling much, yet 
 looking pleased, "I can t read in the Bible; but 
 that s an awful pretty one. It doesn t look a 
 mite like the one I used to have." 
 
 "It is only one verse a day," said the lady, in a 
 persuasive tone, "and the print is large; it will 
 not injure your eyes." 
 
 Happy s eyes were as bright as jet beads. She 
 laughed consciously over this sentence, then said, 
 blandly: "Well, I don t mind, if it ain t but one 
 verse a day. Land ! I d do more than that for 
 you ; only I don t see why you care. What color 
 did you mark it in ? " 
 
 "Red," said Mrs. Holmes, promptly, "a very 
 pretty red called carmine ; and I wrote your name 
 on the fly-leaf. Now, Happy, in giving you this 
 for your own, of course I trust you ; it is a token, 
 you see, of the pledge between us that you will 
 read the verse each day." 
 
 "Oh, I will," said Happy, setting down her 
 pail, to rub her hands upon her soiled apron 
 before taking the neatly-bound volume in charge,
 
 2IO HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 then looking with admiring eyes at her name writ 
 ten in full. "I declare for it," she said, "it ain t 
 a bad-looking name when it is written pretty. 
 My ! It must be fine to make such writing as 
 that. I admire pretty writing, Mis Holmes. 
 I ve got a friend," and now there was a conscious 
 blush and that ever-present giggle, "who can write 
 nice, too ; he wrote my name once in a book ; but 
 it ain t done as nice as this, and I mean to tell 
 him so. I most always keep my word, Mis 
 Holmes, when I really and truly promise, down 
 right ; and I will this time, so there! " 
 
 Happy looked as though she had made a great 
 concession to the prejudices of the lady, one for 
 which she deserved thanks. She received them, 
 Mrs. Holmes wondering, meantime, whether the 
 fair little seed dropped into such unpromising soil 
 would ever spring up and bear fruit. 
 
 " I placed a card book-mark in the place where 
 the verse is marked," she said, as she turned 
 away. "You will like the card, I think; and you 
 can change it from week to week to the newly 
 marked verse. This is Saturday, is it not ? I 
 think on Sunday, one week from to-morrow, will 
 be a good day for a new verse." 
 
 Then she had gone down stairs, leaving Happy 
 to look at and exclaim over the card book-mark. 
 She might well have liked it. Mrs. Holmes had 
 given it an entire morning of careful work. The
 
 SHE FINDS AN ACTIVE MEMBER. 211 
 
 name " Hepzibah " was made in delicate vine- 
 wreathed letters on the center of the card, and 
 winding about it on a spray of Southern jessa 
 mine were painted the words : " Shall the Lord 
 delight in thee ? " While the lady worked, she 
 had had a dim consciousness that many, perhaps 
 most Christian workers, would consider this as 
 time thrown away, a sort of "casting of pearls" 
 before those unable to appreciate them. How 
 could Happy be expected to understand the deli 
 cate hint in the question, or appreciate the care 
 ful workmanship? Yet the girl loved pretty 
 things, and had always a bright-colored flower 
 or weed tucked into her frayed button-hole, or 
 perched jauntily among the masses of her frowzly 
 hair. Who could tell, after all, what this bit of 
 beauty might do for her ? 
 
 From that encounter Mrs. Holmes had gone, 
 first to the kitchen, then to the piazza, to wait ; 
 the scarcest thing in Mrs. Stetson s kitchen was 
 hot water, freshly boiled ; it had nearly always 
 to be waited for. Mrs. Holmes walked slowly 
 back and forth, busy with her thoughts, and did 
 not see Liph Stetson until his voice startled 
 her. 
 
 "Mornin , ma am. You was talking about 
 something the other night which made me think 
 last night that may be you could do something 
 there, if you had a chance ; and I thought I d just
 
 212 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 give you a hint, if you can keep dark as to where 
 you got it." 
 
 This extremely lucid beginning surprised and 
 half frightened the one to whom it was addressed. 
 Was she expected to enter into partnership with 
 Liph Stetson and "keep dark" as to his schemes? 
 Uncertain how to reply, she concluded to let a 
 kindly smile and question do for response. 
 
 "Can I help you in any way?" and the smile 
 might have won a statue into response. 
 
 " Tain t me," said Liph, succinctly, "only you 
 talked that way, as though you was looking out 
 for folks, and I thought maybe you might" 
 there he stopped. 
 
 "Yes," said Mrs. Holmes, encouragingly; "is 
 there somebody I can look out for : somebody 
 who is in trouble or danger?" 
 
 "That s just it; I dunno about the trouble; I 
 guess she don t think it is any trouble to speak 
 of; and as for danger, why, that s the way folks 
 look at it ; but you said if I had a sister, you 
 know" 
 
 Another full pause. " I remember," said the 
 lady, on the alert. "You see something ahead 
 that, if the person were your sister, you should 
 call danger. Is that it ? Are you speaking of 
 Happy?" 
 
 "Happy!" exclaimed Liph, with a disdainful 
 toss of his shaggy head and a sort of indescribable
 
 SHE FINDS AN ACTIVE MEMBER. 
 
 sniff; "no, I ain t! There s a girl that ain t a 
 bit like her, that that fellow is making up to and 
 going around with, and making believe he is 
 some, and I dunno how much he means nor how 
 much he don t mean ; only he s a scamp, if he is a 
 gentleman, and maybe you, bein a woman, would 
 think there was something you ought to do or 
 might do, though I dunno what it would be." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes was very grave and keenly attent 
 ive. This mysterious matter, whatever it was, 
 evidently meant serious business to Liph Stet 
 son, and he was making an unusual effort. She 
 wished she knew how to aid him in his unwonted 
 work. 
 
 " Do you mean Mr. Arson ? " she asked, lower 
 ing her voice, though there was no person within 
 hearing. 
 
 Liph nodded emphatically. "I do that, ma am; 
 and he is real out and out, downright what you 
 might call mean, though he is high enough up in 
 some things, and goes to places where such as me 
 would get kicked out. And he goes to some 
 other places where even such as me wouldn t be 
 seen going ! " There was terrible significance in 
 tone and manner. The startled woman felt that 
 the boy of nineteen, far down the road to ruin, 
 knew what he was talking about. 
 
 "Only," said Liph, beginning again, and lower 
 ing at her from under his shaggy brows, "that
 
 214 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 ain t a thing to be told over; I m in scrapes 
 enough now, without having to stand a chance of 
 being half killed, telling of things that ain t sup 
 posed to be none of my business. If you can t 
 keep dark, and if I hadn t had a notion that you 
 could, why, then "
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 SHE DISCOVERS A "LOOKOUT COMMITTEE." 
 
 I WILL be very careful, indeed," said Mrs. 
 Holmes, earnestly; "you shall not be gotten 
 into any trouble through me. Will you tell me 
 the name of the girl whom you think may be in 
 danger?" 
 
 "She s a girl that lives on Seventh Street, just 
 out of Green. She lives with her brother, and 
 her name is Hurst Mad Hurst they call her. I 
 dunno what her real name is ; that is some kind 
 of a nickname, I s pose. But she is a nice-look 
 ing girl, and she ain t got no mother, nor folks, to 
 take care of her much, and her brother wouldn t 
 take no notice of any thing I d say, and would 
 just as lief get me into trouble besides, and I 
 thought maybe "- 
 
 Liph s full pauses were more eloquent than 
 his words. Mrs. Holmes felt herself trembling 
 with surprise and apprehension of, she hardly 
 
 215
 
 2l6 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 knew what ; but she controlled herself to answer 
 reassuringly : 
 
 " I understand ; thank you. I will be very 
 careful, and will do what I can. You were right 
 to tell me about this. It is good to be on the 
 alert in this wicked world to save people from 
 danger. It gives me courage to think that you 
 mean to save yourself. You have a mother, you 
 know." 
 
 But at this Liph turned away, his duty done. 
 Evidently he had no intention of applying the 
 lesson of his good deed to himself. 
 
 "Wait just a moment," Mrs. Holmes had called 
 after him, and, moving forward, had spoken low : 
 "Tell me, please, why you thought of this just 
 now. The person is not here." 
 
 "Yes, he is," said Liph; "he got back last 
 night." 
 
 It was a very grave and quiet woman who went 
 in due time up the stairs with a pitcher of hot 
 water and a plate of toast. She had almost noth 
 ing to say as she prepared a dainty morning meal, 
 even to the poaching of an egg by the aid of her 
 invaluable alcohol lamp. She was certainly a suc 
 cess this morning in keeping her hands busy with 
 one line of work and her thoughts on another. 
 
 Were the "fellow" of whom Liph Stetson 
 warned her, and the "gentleman" about whom 
 Uncle Tommy spoke, one and the same? If so,
 
 SHE DISCOVERS A LOOKOUT COMMITTEE. 
 
 what influence had he over Madeline ? What was 
 he trying to do with her ? How far was Liph s 
 judgment or truthfulness to be depended upon, 
 and in any case what could she do about it ? 
 Grave enough questions, certainly. No wonder 
 they kept her quiet to the degree that her hus 
 band watched her with a shade of anxiety upon 
 his face. Was this fair Christian whom he had 
 himself helped to rouse to earnest endeavor, 
 going to indulge in her besetting sin again, and 
 overwork ? Yet even while he thought, and was 
 on the verge of speech, there was a sudden light 
 ing up of the grave face, and she turned toward 
 him, smiling : 
 
 "Stuart, my society is growing. Last night, 
 you know, I found an active member, and this 
 morning, don t you think, I have discovered a 
 lookout committee ! I am not going to tell you 
 about it, not now, because you must eat your 
 breakfast, and the doctor said I must entertain 
 you while you ate." 
 
 "Your lookout committee is not entertaining, 
 then?" 
 
 She laughed softly. 
 
 "There are circumstances under which it might 
 be, but there is a story connected with it, which 
 you shall hear when you are stronger." 
 
 "I am stronger now," he said, sitting upright; 
 "you and the doctor pet me altogether too much.
 
 2l8 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 I give you warning that I am not to be done in 
 pink cotton and laid aside much longer. I m 
 almost ready to become an active member again 
 myself, Chrissy." 
 
 This time her laugh was free, and her face 
 aglow with gladness. The happy wife remem 
 bered that whatever anxiety and danger there 
 might be in the world her own cup of gratitude 
 was full to overflowing. 
 
 " Chrissy," called her husband on the afternoon 
 of that same day, as she was passing through the 
 room, "have you something on your programme 
 which demands an hour or two of absence? And, 
 if so, is not that useful maiden, Hepzibah, with 
 her inevitable book, needed elsewhere than at my 
 door?" 
 
 His wife halted before his chair in smiling won 
 der. "What does all this mean? Do you feel 
 anxious to be rid of me for that length of time? " 
 
 His answering smile was very bright. "I have 
 been wondering whether I could not entice that 
 poor fellow over here to look after my needs for 
 awhile, on the plea of benevolence, or something 
 of that sort, and so find opportunity, perhaps, to 
 speak a word to him which might be helpful. I 
 have been watching him sitting over on that gro 
 cery step. He is the most dreary -looking person 
 I have seen since we came here. I have a long 
 ing desire to try to reach him."
 
 SHE DISCOVERS A LOOKOUT COMMITTEE. 2IQ 
 
 " Do you mean Liph ? Oh, poor fellow ! there 
 he is. He . sits on that door-step nearly every 
 afternoon, and appears so dreary and aimless. 
 What a thing it would be if some power sufficient 
 to arouse him could take hold of the boy ! " 
 
 "Whoa!" said the clear voice of the doctor, 
 and he reined in his ponies before their door. 
 
 "Ah," said Mrs. Holmes, "instead of my going 
 out for an hour, I think it will be you ; the doctor 
 is in search of company, I presume." 
 
 But having carefully questioned his patient, and 
 expressed satisfaction with his progress, Dr. Port 
 land turned to the lady : 
 
 "Have you broken your contract?" he said, 
 with an air of great gravity. 
 
 "My contract ! " 
 
 "Yes, your contract. Do you mean to say you 
 ignore it ? It will not do, madam ; I am perfectly 
 familiar with evasions of that kind ; still, I admit 
 I did not expect it of you. Did not you promise 
 to take me into partnership ? And did not I 
 expressly stipulate that there should be no third 
 party to the concern ? " 
 
 "Oh, well, I have kept my pledge, or, rather, 
 your pledge ; if I remember correctly, I made 
 none. But I have said almost nothing to Mr. 
 Holmes about my friends and their needs since 
 that day." 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Holmes! Who has mentioned his
 
 22O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 name? That is just like a married woman; she 
 believes there is only one man in the world, 
 and he has the honor to be her husband ! Mr. 
 Holmes, I entered into a business contract with 
 this lady I was to give advice, and, otherwise 
 in short, assistance to the best of my ability, to 
 her patients of all sorts and conditions, and only 
 stipulated in return that I should be sole partner 
 in the concern ; and, behold, to-day I discover a 
 rival in the person of Uncle Tommy." 
 
 " Uncle Tommy ?" repeated Mrs. Holmes, start 
 led and a little disturbed. What had he been 
 saying to Dr. Portland ? There was an instant 
 fear lest Madeline Hurst was involved in some 
 way. She waited anxiously for further words, 
 but the doctor regarded her with a serious face 
 and an air of mock disapproval. 
 
 "Do you call that honorable treatment, Mr. 
 Holmes?" he continued, still addressing her hus 
 band. "Here is Uncle Tommy stopping me on 
 the street when I am in great haste, and calmly 
 giving me advice concerning my own patients. 
 I think, sir, the madam at Mrs. Stetson s would 
 do something for her something that you and 
 I cannot do. Those were his words. You and 
 I, indeed ! As though we were equals in skill 
 and experience, and the madam was superior to 
 us both !" 
 
 "A patient of yours!" said Mrs. Holmes,
 
 SHE DISCOVERS A LOOKOUT COMMITTEE. 221 
 
 relieved. Madeline Hurst was not ill, for she had 
 seen her in the distance that morning. "Who is 
 there that I can help, Dr. Portland ? " 
 
 "I don t know, I m sure. If Uncle Tommy is 
 to be believed and he is evidently a partner 
 you can do more than I ; which is not saying 
 much, for I frankly confess my inability to do any 
 thing to speak of. The question is, how do you 
 reconcile it with your conscience to have made a 
 confidant of Uncle Tommy, after my express 
 proviso." 
 
 "Sit down, Doctor," said Mr. Holmes, "and 
 tell us what you are talking about." 
 
 "I haven t time to sit, and I m talking about a 
 sick woman who lives two miles out of town, and 
 to whom Uncle Tommy says the madam can do 
 more good than either he or I. I give myself 
 credit for great discernment. I did not so much 
 as ask Uncle Tommy what madam he meant! 
 There was a sort of intuitive perception about it. 
 It only remains to learn whether she will take a 
 seat in my carriage, and be driven out to the said 
 sick woman s to try her skill." 
 
 "What is the matter with the sick woman?" 
 demanded Mr. Holmes, with such emphasis that 
 the doctor faced around to him and answered 
 with great gravity, " It is a case of small-pox and 
 typhoid combined, with a touch of yellow fever, 
 or something of that sort, thrown in." .
 
 222 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 " No, but seriously, doctor, of course I can not 
 allow Mrs. Holmes to go where there is any grave 
 disease. She is not strong enough for any thing 
 of that sort." 
 
 "Oh, I have not mentioned any thing grave, 
 you know just those trifling ailments! Seri 
 ously, my friend, do you suppose for a moment 
 that I would ask your wife to go to a place of 
 danger? The woman of whom I spoke is gravely 
 ill, I fear, but it is a case of mind more than body. 
 She is simply broken down under the weight of a 
 life which has been too much for her. If you 
 could ride out and speak a word to her, Mrs. 
 Holmes, there is a possibility that you might 
 bring a little comfort into her tired heart." 
 
 One of those sudden changes of which this 
 mercurial doctor was capable had come upon him. 
 He was gravity itself, combined with a certain 
 gentle deference which became him well. It 
 ended, of course, in Mrs. Holmes accompanying 
 him on this new mission of mercy. Not very 
 courageously, it is true ; her brief experience as 
 a Christian worker had not brought her into con 
 tact with the abject poor, either among sick or 
 well. She had grave doubts as to her being able 
 to meet Uncle Tommy s hopes in these directions. 
 She questioned the doctor as they rode, hoping to 
 learn something of what was expected of her, but, 
 if he understood, he did not offer to enlighten her.
 
 SHE DISCOVERS A LOOKOUT COMMITTEE. 223 
 
 "I am a novice in these lines," he said. "The 
 poor woman evidently needs something which 
 is beyond my reach, and which Uncle Tommy 
 thinks you can supply ; whether you can, or not, 
 remains to be seen." 
 
 What a home it was into which this young 
 novice in human sorrow was presently ushered ! 
 A single room, which served as dining, kitchen 
 and sleeping-room for five persons ! Three chil 
 dren, in various stages of disorder and discomfort, 
 hovered about a bed, on which lay the suffering 
 mother. 
 
 Poor Chrissy Holmes, with her dainty tastes 
 and over-sensitive nerves, never forgot that pic 
 ture of suffering and misery. Mrs. Carpenter s 
 one clean room was a palace compared with this ! 
 
 "The very first thing needed here is water," 
 she said to the doctor in a low tone; "and soap 
 and towels and clean sheets and pillow cases." 
 
 "Hard to compass," he said, surveying her 
 with a composed satisfaction which was exasper 
 ating ; " water I could secure, but the other arti 
 cles mentioned are beyond me, I fear." 
 
 "Why didn t you tell me ? " she asked, reproach 
 fully ; " I could have brought so many things ! " 
 
 " How was I to know the style of ministration 
 expected of you ? " 
 
 Mrs. Holmes turned from him in grave dis 
 pleasure. The easy, bantering tone seemed to
 
 224 to k ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 her, heartless. But in a moment she glanced back 
 to say with decision : 
 
 " Get me some water, please ; at least, the poor 
 creature can have her face bathed." 
 
 A moment more and she had shaken out and 
 dropped into the suspicious-looking hand basin 
 which the doctor promptly produced, a plain linen 
 pocket handkerchief. 
 
 " It feels good," said the poor woman, grate 
 fully, as the cool water touched her burning skin ; 
 "I ve been too sick to try to do any thing for 
 myself, and the young ones are too little to help. 
 He does what he can, nights, when he gets in ; 
 but it ain t much a man can do, when he s been to 
 work all day, and there ain t any thing to do with. 
 I ve been sick nigh on to four weeks now, and no 
 washing done, and there ain t a clean thing 
 nowhere." 
 
 It was too evident that she spoke the truth. 
 The very little which Mrs. Holmes could do with 
 water and a pocket handkerchief was soon accom 
 plished ; and, after a very short talk with the 
 woman, her resolve was taken. 
 
 "Dr Portland, I shall have to be driven home 
 and brought back here; there are a dozen things 
 which this woman needs that I could have sup 
 plied had I known the state of things. There is 
 nothing to be done now but to go for them." 
 
 "Very well," said the doctor, in utmost gravity,
 
 SHE DISCOVERS A LOOKOUT COMMITTEE. 22 5 
 
 quite as though he had devoted his life to car 
 rying people and parcels to and fro. " I am 
 entirely at your service for the afternoon." 
 
 It was a silent drive for several minutes. At 
 last Mrs. Holmes began her investigations : 
 
 " What brought about such a state of things 
 rum ?" 
 
 For a wonder, no; it is generally at the bot 
 tom of this sort of poverty ; but the man does not 
 drink, at least not often, and is a decent sort of 
 a fellow." 
 
 "Then, why are they so wretchedly poor?" 
 
 "They are incapables, Mrs. Holmes; in intel 
 lect both husband and wife are children. They 
 assumed the responsibilities and duties of man and 
 woman at an age when they should have been 
 reckoned as children, and have been retrograding 
 ever since. The man is stupid and shiftless ; a 
 little boy instead of a man. He earns his dollar a 
 day quite frequently ; but if he does not feel like 
 work, or the work which offers is not exactly to 
 his mind, why, he drops out and waits for some 
 thing better. His wife spends the little money 
 he brings her in a perfectly inane way. If she 
 chooses to have spring chicken at a time when 
 they are sixty cents a pound, why, she has spring 
 chicken, without regard to the fact that those 
 towels and sheets and other small matters for 
 which you were looking are non est. In like man-
 
 226 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 ner, if both husband and wife want to take the 
 children and go to a show of any sort, and the 
 required quarters can be raised, they go, taking no 
 thought for the morrow. If they want a gold 
 watch, or a brussels carpet, or any trifle of that 
 sort, they buy it, generally on the installment 
 plan, and take all the comfort they can out of it 
 during the brief time in which they may call it 
 theirs."
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 SHE ILLUSTRATES THEOLOGY. 
 
 THE installment plan?" said Mrs. Holmes, 
 in bewilderment. 
 
 " Has that ingenious device of His Satanic 
 Majesty for swindling the poor, escaped your 
 notice ? In brief, it is managed after this fash 
 ion : You are Mrs. Jenkins, we will say, and need, 
 or are fully convinced that your future well-being 
 depends upon a fifteen-dollar mirror, worth in 
 extreme figures two dollars. It so happens that 
 I am Mr. Skinflint, agent for Messrs. Cheatem & 
 Co. On the very day when the extreme limit of 
 your patience has been reached and you have 
 declared that life without the fifteen-dollar mirror 
 is insupportable, I appear to you with a bland 
 face, and the mirror under my arm, and explain 
 that I have been unable to sleep nights on 
 account of your forlorn condition without that 
 mirror; I have resolved, under the circumstances, 
 and merely as a matter of charity, to do some- 
 227
 
 228 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 thing for you which I could not think of doing 
 for many people, and therefore it is earnestly 
 desired that you will keep the matter a profound 
 secret. I have determined to sacrifice myself, 
 and allow you to buy that mirror, by giving me 
 a dollar a week until all is paid. I will give you 
 a receipt in black and white for every dollar; and 
 you will have the exalted privilege of using the 
 mirror from the very minute that you pay your 
 first dollar. And at this unparalleled benevo 
 lence on my part I am tempted to shed admiring 
 tears. Certainly such sacrificing disinterested 
 ness is rare in this wicked world ! The mirror 
 is set up, and you, Mrs. Jenkins, worship at its 
 shrine ; and I, Mr. Skinflint, appear as promptly 
 as the day, after that paltry dollar. If it so hap 
 pen that work continues, and all goes well in your 
 household, by dint of much starving of the chil 
 dren, and much doing without the aforesaid towels 
 and sheets, in fifteen weeks you are the happy 
 owner of the two-dollar mirror, and Messrs. 
 Cheatem & Co. are richer by thirteen dollars than 
 they were. But this is an unusual state of 
 things ; the Jenkins household does not, as a rule, 
 move on in such even lines ; the more probable 
 experience is that work will fail, or some of the 
 smaller members, of whom there are always sev 
 eral, will get sick, and on the seventh or eighth 
 visit there will be no dollar forthcoming; I, being
 
 SHE ILLUSTRATES THEOLOGY. 229 
 
 still a most benevolent Mr. Skinflint, will express 
 my deep regret, and go to the extreme limit of 
 indulgence and wait a week ; at the end of that 
 time the probabilities are strong that you, Mrs. 
 Jenkins, will be no better able to pay the two 
 dollars then due than you were to pay the one; 
 and I, with many regrets, indeed almost with 
 tears, take the two-dollar mirror under my arm 
 and march sorrowfully away. I have received 
 nine dollars for it, we will say, and I shrewdly 
 suspect that the Jenkinses, through continued 
 misfortunes, will not be able to give me any 
 more ; so I carry the mirror to Mrs. Jones, on the 
 next block, and proceed to sell it again at fifteen 
 dollars. If I am a good, reliable agent, and if 
 life is reasonably hard during that season on 
 Ninth Street and vicinity, I may sell that precious 
 mirror for as much as fifty dollars, and have it in 
 my possession, as good as new, when the spring 
 opens. Do you get the points ?" 
 
 " But surely, Dr. Portland, such infamous cheat 
 ing can not be going on to any great extent ?" 
 
 " Why not ? I assure you there has been no 
 reason yet evolved by this benevolent world why 
 it can not. The installment business, as just 
 explained, is a favorite one I am inclined to think, 
 in most cities of any size ; certainly it is a favor 
 ite one here. After taking out that omnipresent 
 and all-important agent, rum, it may safely be set
 
 23O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 down as the next best business for ruining the 
 poor which has yet been discovered. I know of 
 dozens of families where it is being carried on 
 with a degree of success and perseverance which 
 would arouse your admiration, if you understood 
 it as well as I do." 
 
 "Dr. Portland, why do not people do something 
 to save the poor and ignorant from the grasp of 
 such persons as you have been describing?" 
 
 "My dear madam, what would you suggest? 
 This is a free country, and the average citizen has 
 a right to ruin himself, financially and morally, if 
 he will. Even if the system invariably worked 
 misery and ruin, I presume a free and enlight 
 ened nation would license the business, for a 
 consideration ! " 
 
 Mrs. Holmes seemed to have no answer ready, 
 and they drove on in silence for some minutes. 
 Then the doctor spoke again in grave earnestness. 
 
 " Mrs. Holmes, this visit has started me on one 
 of my hobbies. I feel deeply over this subject of 
 the honest and incapable poor. The woman to 
 whom I have introduced you is, as I have intima 
 ted, a typical case. She married young, long 
 before she ought to have been through with girl 
 hood the most of her class do. She married a 
 man even beneath her in intellect and judgment; 
 as a rule, most women of her class do that also. 
 She did not know how to keep her house or rear
 
 SHE ILLUSTRATES THEOLOGY. 23 
 
 her children ; she did not know how to buy food 
 or clothes ; she did not know how to manage 
 either, after they were bought. She is at the 
 mercy of the sharpers of this world, who see in 
 her and her husband, willing dupes, from whom 
 can be extorted the small earnings which ought to 
 be used in the support of their family. For this 
 large and constantly increasing company of incapa- 
 bles, almost nothing is being done systematically. 
 When they reach a situation of absolute want, a 
 humane individual, or society, will take hold of 
 them, furnish food and clothing, and nurse them 
 back to life, if possible, only that they may go 
 through the same miserable story again and again, 
 until the common poor-house receives them, pau 
 pers in name as well as condition, or until the 
 grave closes over them. As for doing something 
 for them which shall work a radical change in 
 their condition, save them from paupers graves at 
 last, next to nothing is being attempted, at least 
 in this part of the world, and very little any where, 
 unless my knowledge is greatly at fault." 
 "But, Dr. Portland, what could be done?" 
 " Pardon me ; you ought to know much better 
 than I. If there is any thing in the church of 
 which we hear so much, it ought to be able to 
 take hold of this problem with a will, and work 
 results which should tell for future generations. 
 How to buy and cook and make and mend and
 
 232 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 plan and systematize that is what the decent 
 poor need, more than they do tracts or Bibles, in 
 my humble judgment." 
 
 " I beg pardon, doctor, but it seems to me that 
 just now you are talking about a phase of the sub 
 ject which you do not understand. There is 
 solemn truth in all you have said, only if you 
 understood and ordered your life by the Bible, 
 you would see at once that it is of all things what 
 the ignorant poor, and all other poor mortals, 
 want, and that if the world but followed its plain 
 directions all the wrongs would be righted." 
 
 The doctor regarded the flushed face and flash 
 ing eyes of the speaker with a curious smile. 
 Presently he replied : " You may be right ; I 
 acknowledge that I am meddling with a subject 
 which I do not pretend to understand, but I am 
 sometimes unable to forget that when I was a 
 youngster somebody taught me what purported to 
 be Bible words, which ran something like this : 
 By their fruits ye shall know them. And I am 
 only anxious to see a little of the fruit ; for a har 
 vest of that sort is sadly needed, as sure as you 
 live. Why, even the graveyard secures an annual 
 harvest of little children from this very city, for 
 the simple reason that a thousand mothers in it 
 have not the least idea how to take care of their 
 babies. Now, Mrs. Holmes, since we are upon 
 this rather grave and bewildering subject, will you
 
 SHE ILLUSTRATES THEOLOGY. 233 
 
 permit me to ask you a question which has often 
 bewildered me? It is undeniable that there is 
 a great deal of misery in this world, which you, 
 for instance, would set right if you had power. 
 Why, even such a worthless fellow as I, come 
 every day in contact with distress which it would 
 not take me half a moment to banish, if I only 
 could. Given a Being who has all power, who 
 has but to speak, and the thing is done and 
 that is, I suppose, your conception of God the 
 question is, why does He permit the evident evil 
 which exists ? " 
 
 Mrs. Holmes could hardly hold her lips from 
 curving into a smile; this was so like the passion 
 ate outcry of her school-girl days; it seemed such 
 an infinite pity that this keen-brained man had 
 gotten no further ! 
 
 "It is a question easy to ask, but difficult to 
 answer," she said, quietly, "when the questioner 
 is not a Christian. I might remind you that I 
 heard you one day commend a mother in unmeas 
 ured terms because she steadily refused what her 
 child was coaxing and crying for. You remember 
 that the mother, by this firmness, caused the child 
 much suffering, which another child standing by, 
 with no more judgment than the suffering one 
 had, would most probably have instantly relieved 
 had the power been his." 
 
 "Ah, but, Mrs. Holmes, is not this begging
 
 234 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 the question the least in the world ? The food 
 for which the poor child was crying would have 
 wrought infinite mischief, but what you and I pro 
 pose to do we believe, and can even see, ought to 
 be done." 
 
 "Am I God," said Mrs. Holmes, with exceed 
 ing gravity, "that I should presume to arrange 
 his work for him ? " 
 
 "Then you really think that my rascally agent 
 ought to have sold his two-dollar mirror for fif 
 teen dollars ? " 
 
 " Have I said any thing to make you think me 
 so devoid of common sense? I did not know you 
 were quarreling with the fact of sin, but rather 
 arraigning God for his attitude toward it." 
 
 "Well, the one thought includes the other, does 
 it not ? Would not you and I abolish the fact of 
 sin if we could ? " 
 
 "I do not know. If we had that power, we 
 might manage the world very differently from the 
 way we think we should. Dr. Portland, I might 
 be able to tie the hands of a child, and in that 
 way keep him from the act of stealing, but would 
 I not rather leave him free to do as he would and 
 teach him to will not to steal ? In other words, 
 do you mean that you think God made a mistake 
 in giving us the power to weigh, to reason, to 
 decide ? Would you rather be a machine obliged 
 to run in a certain groove?"
 
 SHE ILLUSTRATES THEOLOGY. 235 
 
 Dr. Portland laughed lightly. 
 
 "My dear madam," he said, "I was brought up 
 on discussions of the will, and total depravity, 
 and matters of that sort. I heard them in my 
 cradle. That is the reason why I know nothing 
 whatever about them now. No, I would rather 
 not be a machine. It is a fact that I enjoy the 
 power to weigh and choose, but so does my friend 
 Mrs. Jenkins, of whom I have been telling you, 
 and the truth is that it does not seem to me that 
 it is good for her to be so allowed. If she and 
 all the great sisterhood which she represents 
 could be set back into childhood with a stroke, 
 and commanded to do this, do that, go here, go 
 there, it would be infinitely better for her, and I 
 can not help seeing it." 
 
 Tears sprang to Mrs. Holmes eyes, and her 
 voice was full of feeling. 
 
 " Ah, but, Dr. Portland, you forget ; in order 
 for women to be benefited by the controlling 
 voice, they must be willing and glad to be con 
 trolled and led. Given that, and how entirely 
 you have expressed the need and the Lord s pro 
 vision for it ! Has he not made it possible for 
 every one of us to choose to be children, led by 
 his voice, by his smile, by his love ? Believe me, 
 dear friend, the trouble lies in the reckless deter 
 mination of the child to manage for himself." 
 
 The remainder of that day was spent in such
 
 236 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 evident practical Christianity as must surely have 
 delighted the heart of Dr. Portland. Mrs. Holmes 
 most unceremoniously and with energy pressed 
 him into service. Before the early twilight had 
 come upon them, another trip had been made to 
 the sick woman s home, and this time the carriage 
 was laden with a score of articles deemed by the 
 lady in charge absolute necessities. The doctor 
 looked on, silent and amused over some of them, 
 and sat on the ridge of the seat to make room 
 for them, and handled them with care and skill 
 when their journey was over. On the whole, 
 though Mrs. Holmes felt almost dismayed over 
 the poverty of her resources, the sick-room, and, 
 above all, the bed, presented a very different 
 appearance when at last they turned homeward. 
 
 "She has dropped into a quiet sleep," said 
 the doctor, coming on tiptoe from the bedside, 
 whither he had gone to take a professional last 
 look; "when she wakens she will not know her 
 self, and somebody ought to be here to introduce 
 her to her husband. That is what I call Chris 
 tianity, Mrs. Holmes." 
 
 "It is only one phase of it," said that lady, 
 quietly, "and the founder of Christianity rated it 
 quite as highly as you can." 
 
 In the evening, when she occupied her favorite 
 seat on a low hassock in front of her husband s 
 invalid-chair, her hand resting on his knee, she
 
 SHE ILLUSTRATES THEOLOGY. 237 
 
 produced one of the questions about which her 
 mind had been revolving. 
 
 "Stuart, how long did you live in that queer 
 fashion about which you were telling me a few 
 days ago when you were in college, you know ? " 
 
 "What, boarding myself? Why, I spent the 
 last year of my college course in that interesting 
 way." 
 
 " Why did you do it ? I do not understand. I 
 thought Father Holmes was always in good cir 
 cumstances, and delighted to help you through 
 your course." 
 
 " He was and he did ; helped me royally, as mere 
 money could never have done ; he was a blessed 
 father, Chrissy. But about the boarding myself, 
 I had a special reason for that. Bravado some of 
 the boys called it. Perhaps there was a touch of 
 that element in it, though I remember I was indig 
 nant over the suggestion. Boys do not under 
 stand themselves as well at the time as they do 
 when they can look back upon their lives. There 
 was a fellow in college, Chrissy, in whom I was 
 interested in a* peculiar manner. He was very 
 poor, and inclined to consider poverty an insuper 
 able barrier to many things which else he could 
 have attained. He was sorely tempted to give up 
 his college course because certain hoped-for mon 
 eys failed him, and he had a precariously small 
 amount to depend upon. I urged him to board
 
 238 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 himself, and insisted that he could do it on the 
 sum which he had ; the other boys said he 
 couldn t. I pressed the matter, and grew eloquent 
 over it ; finally offered to prove it by actual per 
 sonal illustration. So I fitted up the room next to 
 his and went in; cooked my own food (what could 
 not be bought ready cooked), and managed the bill 
 of fare for him as well as myself; gave him not a 
 cent s worth of help, and carried him through the 
 year in triumph on healthful food and enough of 
 it. The only partnership business we had was in 
 the dish-washing, and over that we quarreled fre 
 quently. Why are you wearing so radiant a face, 
 my dear little wife ? " 
 
 "Oh, Stuart, I wondered if there were not 
 some such explanation. It is like you ! that is all 
 one who knows you need to say. And it gives 
 me courage to talk over with you the strangest 
 fancy. What is needed, Stuart, among the poor, 
 is to do on a larger scale just what you did for 
 one, and to do it by practical illustration, too. If 
 there were only a large, plain house here where a 
 few people could start the scheme, I should like 
 so much to show them how to live comfortably 
 on very small sums of money. They do not 
 know how to buy food, Stuart, nor to prepare it 
 after it is bought ; and they live in such desolate 
 homes, when they might have comforts, and even 
 luxuries. But to do any thing of that sort it
 
 SHE ILLUSTRATES THEOLOGY. 239 
 
 would be necessary to go and live among them, 
 and manage every thing for a time, and live just 
 as they did." 
 
 " What an immense scheme ! It fairly takes 
 my breath away. Is that what you and the doc 
 tor evolved out of your charitable trip to-day?" 
 
 " I evolved it out of his cynicisms. He charges 
 Christianity with indifference and criminal neg 
 lect of the honest poor ; and the worst of it is 
 I am afraid there are grains of truth in his 
 criticisms." 
 
 "Well, dear, I believe I am ready to join you 
 as heartily as possible in any plan which is reason 
 able. We must talk it over, and think it over. 
 We are not in such entrancing quarters here that 
 it would involve a tremendous personal sacrifice 
 to make a change. But what would become of 
 poor Mrs. Stetson in such an event ? " 
 
 Mrs. Holmes looked troubled. 
 
 "Yes," she said, "and Liph, and Happy? It 
 was those two I wanted to get hold of. Oh, 
 Stuart, I am afraid there is no way of doing that, 
 or any thing, for them." 
 
 "Yes, there is," the sick man said, heartily; 
 " He has a way ; he has sent us here to help 
 them ; we must let him lead. There will be a 
 next step by and by, Chrissy."
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 SHE RECEIVES, TO ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP. 
 
 IT is a pity that Mrs. Holmes could not have 
 had a picture of Hepzibah Smithers, as she 
 set her smoky little lamp on an over-turned box 
 which did duty in her room as a toilet table, and 
 drew her one wooden-seated chair toward it for 
 the purpose of fulfilling her pledge and reading 
 that marked verse in her Bible. There was an 
 air of resoluteness about the girl, as though she 
 had resolved once for all to enter martyrdom and 
 conquer the verse before she slept. She was 
 very tired and unusually sleepy ; the little wads of 
 discomfort over in the corner, which she called a 
 bed, looked most inviting to her, yet the memory 
 of her emphatic "I ll do it," held her before the 
 box and book. "When I promises I promises," 
 she said, stoically, and opened the Bible. 
 
 She might have been awed had she known with 
 what painstaking, prayerful care Mrs. Holmes had 
 selected the marked verse. In truth, that lady 
 240
 
 SHE RECEIVES, TO ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP. 24! 
 
 had been long in doubt which pearl out of the 
 wondrous treasure-box to choose. The familiar 
 one so often used occurred to her: "God so 
 loved the world that he gave his only begotten 
 Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not 
 perish, but have everlasting life." But she shook 
 her head over it ; it was too high, too wonderful, 
 for Happy. She did not understand that she was 
 in any danger; she felt no need of an infinite 
 Savior. In like manner, the tender calls of the 
 compassionate One to the "weary" and "heavy 
 laden," did not seem to fit the present moment. 
 Happy might be "heavy laden," but she did not 
 know it, in the sense which the call meant. Her 
 choice at last was one which bewildered herself; 
 when she came to think it over afterward it 
 seemed not suited to Happy, yet the persistent 
 way in which her thoughts went back to it while 
 she was searching, and the persistent impression 
 that here was the verse to be marked, was not 
 to be resisted : " He that overcometh, the same 
 shall be clothed in white raiment ; and I will not 
 blot out his name out of the book of life, but will 
 confess his name before my Father and before 
 his angels." 
 
 What did Happy know about overcoming ? 
 She did not even want to know ! Nevertheless, 
 this searcher after lost sheep made her heavy red 
 lines about the words, and wondered why it was
 
 242 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 that she must choose thus. The "Chief Shep 
 herd " knew. If Happy did not understand the 
 word "overcome," there were certain other words 
 as she slowly read them which caught and held 
 her thoughts. Certain experiences of that very 
 day had prepared her to be thus held. 
 
 She had met that afternoon, on her way to the 
 grocery for molasses, Mr. Arson and "that Hurst 
 girl " walking together ; walking slowly, absorbed 
 apparently in conversation ; at least, Mr. Arson 
 had been so absorbed that he came almost upon 
 Happy, staring and blushing, before he saw her at 
 all ; then he actually frowned, and made not the 
 slightest attempt at recognition. 
 
 " He doesn t want to own that he even knows 
 me," said Happy to herself with a heart swelling 
 with indignation ; then she looked after the two, 
 eagerly, longingly ; stopping on the street corner 
 regardless of observation, to do so. What a 
 thing it must be to have a whole afternoon when 
 one could dress up and walk the streets, and be 
 talked to by the man who was bending his head 
 toward Madeline Hurst ! And Madeline was 
 clothed in a dress of spotless white, without so 
 much as a touch of color about her. Madeline 
 knew that the dress was coarse and plain, and 
 that she was outgrowing it, but Happy did not ; 
 to her eyes the girl was dressed like an angel. 
 Do you get a conception of what the unfamiliar
 
 SHE RECEIVES, TO ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP. 243 
 
 Bible words may have said to the poor dark 
 heart ? 
 
 "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed 
 in white raiment." Somewhere Happy had heard 
 that word "raiment," in connection with her 
 novel-reading, and understood its meaning; she 
 caught her breath over the sentence, and read it 
 again. Here was a chance for somebody ; these 
 words were in the Bible, and she had a vague 
 feeling that what was in that book was somehow 
 true. The way to secure the "white raiment" 
 was as Sanscrit to her, but it was something to 
 feel that there was a way, and that Mis Holmes 
 could tell her how to find it. "And I will not 
 blot out his name out of the book of life." What 
 did it mean ? She did not know. Only it was 
 nice not to have your name blotted out, of course. 
 She liked her name on the fly-leaf of this book. 
 She would like to see anybody dare to blot it out ! 
 But over the next sentence she fairly held her 
 breath: "I will confess his name before my 
 Father and before his angels." 
 
 "He darst to own that he knew me," she mur 
 mured; "and before angels and all! That Hurst 
 girl wouldn t be much by the side of a lot of 
 angels, I guess. Oh, dear me, I wisht I knew ! " 
 
 She leaned her elbows on the dry-goods box 
 and bent herself forward over the book, reading 
 the startling words again, slowly, carefully, to
 
 244 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 make sure that they were really all there then ; 
 lifted her eyes to the dingy wall before her and 
 said again, "I wisht I knew!" but this time she 
 added, after a moment s thought, "And I mean 
 to; so there! " 
 
 What she wished she knew was what it meant 
 to "overcome." "To the weak became I as 
 weak, that I might gain the weak," said the great 
 apostle hundreds of years before. Was he in 
 this, as in other things, but faintly copying his 
 infinite Master, who was at that moment bending 
 to the weakness and almost ridiculousness of poor 
 Happy s conceptions, which were "of the earth, 
 earthy"? "That I might by all means save 
 some," said Paul. And it may be he understood 
 some of the "means" he was directed to use as 
 little as did Mrs. Holmes, who sat in her room at 
 that moment deploring her folly in having chosen 
 a verse infinitely beyond Happy s understanding. 
 
 "Look here, Mis Holmes," said Happy, next 
 morning, waylaying the lady as usual on her 
 transit from the breakfast table; "I read the 
 verse over three times ; what does it mean ? " 
 There was no giggling now; instead, there was 
 intense earnestness, and a certain reserve force of 
 determination behind the words, which impressed 
 the listener. 
 
 "Which part of it, Happy?" she asked, to give 
 herself time to plan how to answer.
 
 SHE RECEIVES, TO ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP. 245 
 
 "The very first of it: He that overcometh ; 
 them s the words. How do you do it, and what 
 is it, any way ? " 
 
 Here was a question, truly ! Mrs. Holmes, 
 half-way up the stairs, was expected to pause and 
 answer that over which theologians had been 
 studying and writing tomes for centuries ! She 
 sat down on a stair, the better to do it. 
 
 " Happy, it means those who take Jesus for 
 their pattern, and try every day to do the things 
 which he likes, and to keep from doing things 
 which grieve and disappoint him ; all such over 
 come the temptations which Satan sets for them, 
 and show by their lives that they are following 
 Jesus. Then, when the time comes, he takes 
 them to his home, and introduces them to his 
 Father and the angels as his friends." 
 
 "Oh, my ! " said Happy, but her face was grave. 
 " Folks don t do it, though, Mis Holmes, none 
 of "em." 
 
 "Don t do what?" 
 
 "Right; always, without ever making mistakes, 
 and forgetting, and all that. Leastways, I never 
 saw em if they did." 
 
 " But they try, Happy. If you had a little sis 
 ter who wanted to please you so much that she 
 tried every day to do just as you did, wouldn t you 
 love her, even though she didn t get any thing she 
 did, quite right?"
 
 246 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "Yes m, I should that!" said Happy, with 
 energy. 
 
 "And don t you think if she kept on trying 
 every day, she would certainly after a time be able 
 to do a great many things right ; even the things 
 she had failed on at first ? 
 
 "Course," said Happy, confidently. 
 
 "Then, that is, as nearly as I can explain to 
 you now, what Jesus means by overcoming. It 
 is in the first place a fixed resolve to follow his 
 directions- not to follow them to-day and neglect 
 them to-morrow ; not to do as He pleases one 
 hour and as you please the next hour ; not to say, 
 Maybe I will do it, sometime. You could not 
 think that your little sister was honest in her 
 desire to please you if she managed in that way ; 
 neither can He. It is, as I said, a fixed determ 
 ination to follow his directions, always, every 
 where, no matter what they lead to. That is the 
 first step." 
 
 Happy stood considering. Mrs. Holmes had 
 never seen her face grave for so long a time 
 before, when it was not in a frown. She watched 
 the girl with a kind of tremor in her heart, lest 
 she should not have said the right words to her in 
 this which was evidently a crucial moment. She 
 was hardly prepared for the next question. 
 
 "Well, what s the next one?" 
 
 "The next what, Happy?"
 
 SHE RECEIVES, TO ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP. 247 
 
 "Step. You said that was first; what s next?" 
 
 Mrs. Holmes face lighted with a reflection of 
 the thrill of gladness in her heart : this looked 
 like decision. 
 
 "To tell Him about it, and claim his help." 
 
 Now poor Happy giggled ; not as though she 
 were amused, but embarrassed, almost distressed : 
 
 "Oh, land! Mis Holmes, I can t. I s pose you 
 mean prayin ; now I couldn t ! " 
 
 "Happy," said Mrs. Holmes, earnestly, "it is 
 just as simple a thing as it is for you to stand here 
 talking to me ; more simple, because He can 
 understand what you mean, even though you do 
 not know quite how to express it. There are no 
 large words necessary, nor sentences such as you 
 may have heard used in prayer, and did not under 
 stand. It is simply saying : Lord Jesus, I have 
 made up my mind that I want to overcome. 
 Show me how to do it." 
 
 Mrs. Stetson s voice sooner or later always sum 
 moned Happy. It called her now in peremptory 
 tones, and the girl went away swiftly, without 
 another word. As for Mrs. Holmes, her face, 
 though glad, had a strange solemnity upon it as 
 she went about her morning work. Had she been 
 given a glimpse into the "Holy of Holies," 
 wherein the Savior of souls came down to the 
 level of this feeble little soul and called it? 
 Could she have looked in upon the girl that even-
 
 248 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 ing, she would have been sure of it. Happy was 
 near the dry-goods box, and the open Bible had a 
 faint streak of soil upon it near the red-lined 
 verse. But the smoky lamp had been suddenly 
 quenched ; Happy could not have told why, only 
 she seemed not to want it. The light of the full 
 moon flooded the desolate little room and touched 
 even its few worn-out belongings with a kind of 
 beauty. And angels, listening, heard spoken, in 
 low, awe-stricken, yet steady tones, these words : 
 
 "Jesus, I ve made up my mind. I want to 
 overcome and be owned before the angels, as 
 you said. I don t know how, but she said you d 
 show me, and I mean to do it. When I promises, 
 I promises." 
 
 And the angels knew that, from that wonderful 
 moment, although the way might be long and 
 tortuous, and the mistakes so many as to almost 
 discourage poor human patience, yet, neverthe 
 less, the day would come when this poor little 
 earth-worm, kneeling in her attic, would be pre 
 sented by the King to his Father and the holy 
 angels, with exceeding joy; and that she would 
 be "without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing." 
 
 "I am going to call on Madeline Hurst," said 
 Mrs. Holmes to her husband, appearing before 
 him dressed for a walk, after she had made all 
 things comfortable for his afternoon rest ; "I do 
 not know what to say to her, anrl am half-fright*
 
 SHE RECEIVES, TO ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP. 249 
 
 ened at the thought of saying any thing; yet I 
 seem unable to let the matter rest. How are 
 people to be saved from themselves, Stuart ? " 
 
 "By the expulsive power of a new affection," 
 he said, smiling almost wistfully upon her. 
 
 Occasionally this man, who had been taught 
 some lessons in the school of affliction, wondered 
 almost timidly how his wife would be taught to 
 trust the part which was not for her to manage. 
 
 A frowzy-headed, most slatternly-looking girl 
 answered Mrs. Holmes ring, and announced that 
 "Mis Hurst" was out, and "Mad" was up stairs 
 sick. 
 
 "Sick!" repeated the caller, anxiously. Made 
 line seemed like one ,who needed but a slight 
 illness to prostrate her. The girl, on being ques 
 tioned, "guessed she wasn t much sick; she 
 coughed some, but she mostly did when she took 
 cold, and she took cold about every time she 
 stirred. She hadn t seen her to-day, but Mis 
 Hurst told them that she could have come down 
 to dinner if she had wanted to." 
 
 Over the anxiously-put question whether the 
 caller could be allowed to go up and see her, the 
 girl frowned and puzzled. She " didn t know, she 
 was sure; Mis Hurst was away, and folks that 
 come a-calling didn t commonly go up stairs. She 
 hain t got her room fixed up for callers," the girl 
 added, with a half-embarrassed giggle.
 
 25O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "You may ask her if she will see me," said 
 Mrs. Holmes, with decision; "tell her I would 
 like very much to spend a little while with her if 
 she is able. Take this card to her, please." 
 
 Poor Madeline s cheeks were burning with 
 fever, and her head ached so she could hardly 
 read the card which was thrust into her hand. It 
 is humiliating to have to confess it, but I am 
 afraid the feeling uppermost in her heart was that 
 if she permitted her caller to come to the attic- 
 room, it would be the surest way of mortifying 
 her sister-in-law. She gave one swift glance 
 about the low, dreary room, with its one curtain- 
 less window, save for a newspaper pinned against 
 it, with its uncomfortable cot in place of a bed, 
 and its utter absence of the usual furnishings of a 
 young woman s room, and, with a smile which 
 would have grieved and frightened Mrs. Holmes, 
 said: 
 
 "Yes, let her come up. She will understand 
 some things better than she does now, after she 
 has spent five minutes in this room." 
 
 It was perhaps an hour afterward that Mrs. 
 Holmes, on her way through the lower hall, came 
 upon the lady of the house, who had just entered 
 the front door. 
 
 "Mrs. Hurst, I believe?" she said, in answer 
 to that woman s stare of astonishment. "I am 
 Mrs. Holmes. I think, madam, you cannot know
 
 SHE RECEIVES, TO ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP. 251 
 
 that your sister is quite ill. I have been with 
 her for the last hour, and she grows steadily 
 worse. Her breathing is becoming very labored, 
 and I fear that, unless promptly relieved, she will 
 have congestion." 
 
 "The idea!" said Mrs. Hurst. It seemed a 
 strange reply to make to such information, but 
 the fact is, the only portion of it which the bewil 
 dered and dismayed woman had realized was that 
 Mrs. Holmes, the elegant stranger whom she had 
 watched at a distance with envious eyes, had 
 actually been to her attic spying out its bare 
 ness ! Her face flushed angrily at the thought ; 
 she knew only too well how the attic looked. 
 What unparalleled impudence it was in this upstart 
 woman to force herself into other people s houses ! 
 
 " If I can do any thing," said Mrs. Holmes, 
 hesitating ; " I came down to see if I could find 
 you, or somebody else, and speak about a physi 
 cian. I shall pass Dr. Portland s office on my 
 way home ; if he is your physician, I could leave 
 a message." 
 
 Then Mrs. Hurst rallied to the emergency. 
 
 "You are very kind," she said in a tone which 
 was intended to be dignified, "but there is 
 no occasion to trouble you. My sister-in-law is 
 accustomed to these attacks, and I know what to 
 do for her. She is inclined to make a great deal 
 of a little sickness, and has frightened you, I sup-
 
 252 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 pose. I know how to deal with her. There is 
 nothing to be alarmed about." 
 
 But now Mrs. Holmes cheeks were red also, 
 and her eyes very bright. 
 
 "Indeed, madam," she said earnestly; "pardon 
 me for saying I feel very sure that you are 
 mistaken. I am accustomed to illness, having 
 recently nursed my husband through a long, 
 severe attack, which was not unlike this in its 
 beginning, and was allowed to get too firm a hold 
 before we understood it, or realized the danger. 
 I am confident that when you see her you will 
 decide that a skilled physician should be sum 
 moned at once." 
 
 "Oh, very well," said Mrs. Hurst, loftily; "if 
 Mad is frightened, she can have a doctor, of 
 course ; but we by no means wish to see Dr. Port 
 land ; we would not employ him to doctor a cat ! " 
 
 There was nothing for it but to go away filled 
 with anxiety over one who seemed so friendless. 
 The disturbed caller felt that she would almost 
 rather have left the girl alone than trust her to 
 the tender mercies of such a woman. Madeline 
 was right in one respect; Mrs. Holmes under 
 stood better now the sort of life the poor child 
 must lead.
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 SHE TURNS SURGEON. 
 
 WELL of all things in this world ! " was Mrs. 
 Hurst s exclamation as the door closed 
 after her visitor ; "if I ever in my life saw any 
 impudence equal to that ! I wonder how that 
 hussy came to show her the way up stairs ! She 
 ought to be discharged this minute to pay for it. 
 Dr. Portland, indeed ! I think I see her sending 
 him here! That is just like Mad; anything to 
 create a sensation ; but it is too outrageous to 
 think she let her come up stairs ! I believe she 
 did it just to spite me ! " 
 
 Before that evening was over, both Madeline 
 and Nancy wished they had not been so rash. 
 Though truth to tell, poor Nancy, out of whose 
 hands the matter was taken altogether, could not 
 understand why she should be blamed ; but 
 blamed she was most roundly. The entire Hurst 
 family heard nothing else but the story of Mrs. 
 Holmes insufferable insolence, and Mad s mean- 
 253
 
 254 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 ness and Nancy s stupidity in aiding and abetting 
 it. Under the influence of the general disorder, 
 Mr. Hurst made a remark which placed him under 
 the ban of disapproval also. 
 
 "Well," he said, "I don t see why you can t 
 keep things decent, so you needn t be afraid to 
 have folks go up stairs when it is necessary ; there 
 are fancy gimcracks enough in the parlor to make 
 Mad s room decently comfortable, if the money 
 spent on them had been put there." 
 
 You will be ready to admit that this was hard 
 upon Mrs. Hurst, for the "gimcracks" in the par 
 lor were her idol s. 
 
 It was two days before Mrs. Holmes saw Made 
 line again ; she called on the day following her 
 first visit was assured that "Mad" was better, 
 needed nothing, and could not be seen ; on the 
 second day, having knocked gently at the open 
 front door and been unanswered, she waited a 
 minute, then ran lightly up stairs and tapped at 
 Madeline s door. She was even more shocked at 
 the girl s appearance than on her first visit, and 
 could not help feeling that this sickness was seri 
 ous. Madeline was alone, and evidently glad to 
 see her caller, though she expressed surprise at 
 her coming. 
 
 " How did you get permission to come up here 
 again ?" 
 
 " I took it," answered Mrs. Holmes, with a
 
 SHE TURNS SURGEON. 255 
 
 quiet smile; "the door stood invitingly open and 
 my knock was unanswered ; so, as I knew the 
 way, I took the liberty of coming up." 
 
 "Good!" said Madeline, her eyes glowing with 
 a strange luster which was not pleasant to see; 
 "come up in the same way whenever you can ; it 
 is the only way you will ever get here, and it 
 annoys Mrs. Hurst so much that it does me 
 good." 
 
 " My dear girl, do not say such words, even in 
 jest; I am sure you do not mean them." 
 
 "Don t I!" said Madeline. And then Mrs. 
 Holmes made haste to change the subject. 
 
 "Are you really better?" she asked; "do you 
 cough as much as you did ? What physician 
 attends you ? " 
 
 "Madam Hurst." 
 
 "My dear, have you not seen a physician ?" 
 
 "Only the one I have mentioned; she prides 
 herself upon her skill. Doesn t she impress you 
 as a woman whom I ought to enjoy having nurse 
 me ?" 
 
 " I think that is wrong," said Mrs. Holmes, 
 gravely ; " I am sure you ought to have a 
 doctor." 
 
 "Never mind a doctor," Madeline said, leaning 
 wearily back among the pillows, after a violent 
 spasm of coughing ; " I do not think I care to see 
 one ; not of her kind, and I can compass no other.
 
 256 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 I am glad you have braved the consequences and 
 come to see me ; you do not know how disagree 
 able they are, but, all the same, I am glad you 
 have come. Perhaps I became sick in order to 
 give me a chance to think ; I need to do some 
 thinking, Mrs. Holmes, and I have almost made 
 up my mind to ask you to help me decide 
 something." 
 
 "If I can help you in any way, I shall be glad; 
 but will you tell me what you mean by braving 
 the consequences ? Does it make it harder for 
 you to have me come here? " 
 
 "Nevermind," said Madeline; "she is jealous 
 of you because you have had the kindness to 
 notice me, and have not noticed her ; she would 
 be jealous of a kitten if it purred for me; so it 
 is nothing against you personally, you see ; never 
 mind her, Mrs. Holmes; I want to talk to you, 
 to ask you something. I have spoken very plainly 
 to you, more plainly, perhaps, than I ought, for 
 my self-respect ; I ought to shield my family, of 
 course; I know enough about common politeness 
 for that; but I had an object in speaking, and in 
 letting you see something of my life. It is quite 
 intolerable to me, Mrs. Holmes ; really and truly 
 I can endure it no longer ! I know a way out ; 
 but the way is almost as disagreeable as the life 
 I now live ; in some respects, indeed, it is more 
 so, but in others it would be a manifest improve-
 
 SHE TURNS SURGEON. 
 
 ment. Can you give advice under such vague 
 conditions as that?" 
 
 " I might, my friend ; that is, if I may be 
 allowed to ask a very few questions and receive 
 frank answers." 
 
 "Oh, questions!" said the sick girl, nestling 
 uneasily on her cot ; " I am afraid of those ; 
 especially when you ask them. Still, of course, I 
 ought to answer, when I have asked advice." 
 
 "The first one is very simple and easily 
 answered: Would it be right to take the step 
 which you say would in some respects improve 
 your condition ? 
 
 "This is the very worst question to answer," 
 Madeline said, and, flushed with fever as her face 
 was, Mrs. Holmes could see that the glow 
 deepened. "The truth is," she added, after a 
 moment s silence, "it is a phase of the subject 
 which I do not want to consider at all. I want to 
 look at it from the standpoint of expediency 
 alone." 
 
 "Then," said the lady, with quiet firmness, "I 
 can not answer you. I aim to order all my acts 
 in life with that question in view, as the leading 
 consideration." 
 
 "That would be inconvenient, I should think," 
 the girl said, laconically. 
 
 After a few moments of silence she began 
 again, still in that restless, half irritable tone :
 
 258 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "You can theorize, I suppose. What if a 
 home and friendship and protection, were offered 
 to a lonely, desolate girl and she felt reasonably 
 sure that she could do her duty by the one who 
 offered it, is there any good reason why she 
 should not accept such an escape from misery, 
 even though she she"- and then poor Made 
 line stopped, her face aflame. 
 
 Mrs. Holmes felt that she was sitting on the 
 edge of a precipice ; or, what was worse, watch 
 ing the feet of another who was very near the 
 edge, and whom a single false movement upon 
 her part might precipitate over the brink. She 
 tried to keep face and voice in utmost quiet, while 
 she questioned, " Are you speaking of marriage, 
 Madeline?" It was evidently a more direct reply 
 than the girl expected, and she hesitated before 
 she said : 
 
 "Suppose I were, what answer would you 
 make?" 
 
 "There can be but one answer. If there are 
 no obstacles such as self-respecting people con 
 sider, to prevent a marriage, then the all-import 
 ant question which each soul must answer to 
 itself before God is, Can I honestly take with 
 this person the vows which God and the laws of 
 the land make necessary to a legal marriage?" 
 In other words, Do I love him with the sort of 
 love which I give to no other, so that he is
 
 SHE TURNS SURGEON. 259 
 
 the one man on earth to whom I could so bind 
 myself ? Any other marriage than that, Made 
 line, is perjury in God s sight." 
 
 Madeline turned her small, hot pillow angrily. 
 
 " How many people do you suppose marry in 
 that way ? " she asked, almost with a sneer. 
 
 "I do not know, my dear girl; nor do I see 
 what the question has to do with the subject. 
 As well ask me how many false people there are 
 in the world, in order to prove that there can not, 
 and need not, be such a thing as truth. Entirely 
 aside from the Christian standpoint, I do not see 
 how there can be moral decency in any other mar 
 riage than the one I have described." 
 
 "But, Mrs. Holmes, a good, true man, who 
 loved and respected a woman might give her the 
 protection of his name, and care for her all his 
 life, it seems to me, even though she could give 
 him in return only friendship." 
 
 Madeline s tones had changed ; the fierceness 
 had died out of them, and they had almost a 
 pleading sound which went to Mrs. Holmes 
 heart. But she resolutely shook her head. 
 
 "It will not do, dear. No good man could 
 respect a woman who would consent to take vows 
 upon her lips which her heart did not echo. I 
 can not conceive of the possibility of a good man 
 wanting a wife who did not love him. God has 
 so ordered it that marriage shall be a faint, but,
 
 26O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 so far as it goes, honest, type of the union 
 between the soul and Christ. It is dishonoring 
 to Jesus Christ to belittle the type, and make any 
 of its terms other than strictly true." 
 
 "I do not know anything about such high-toned 
 reasoning, you must remember," said poor Made 
 line, coldly ; and Mrs. Holmes, reflecting, won 
 dered whether she would do better to drop to an 
 illustration which was of the very dregs. "Did 
 you ever hear Mrs. Carpenter talk about how she 
 married for a home and for protection ? " she ven 
 tured to ask. But Madeline s swiftly changing 
 face grew dark, and her eyes flashed angrily. " I 
 am talking about a very different person from Joe 
 Carpenter," she said, in intense scorn. 
 
 "That is, he seems very different to you now; 
 but, Madeline, if he is one worthy to be loved and 
 respected, believe me he would accept nothing 
 less than love from the woman of his choice ; and 
 what men who are not worthy, will become, only 
 the God whom they insult can know. From a 
 merely selfish standpoint, even, it is not safe to 
 trust them." 
 
 Then she had the benefit again of a pair of 
 flashing eyes. 
 
 " I thought Christians were expected to be char 
 itable !" the girl said, fairly biting off the words. 
 "Do you call that charity, Mrs. Holmes, to see no 
 good in anybody who is not governed by the nar-
 
 SHE TURNS SURGEON. 26l 
 
 row rules which hedge a few people in ? I should 
 call it narrow-minded and shallow." 
 
 And then Mrs. Holmes knew that the poor 
 child was quoting from some one who was trying 
 to be her leader, and who had already warped her 
 judgment by a few high-sounding phrases about 
 "larger liberty" and "wider outlooks." She was 
 talking very much in the dark, yet grew every 
 moment more certain that Madeline Hurst was 
 considering herself and Mr. Arson ; that she did 
 not love him, but imagined she respected him, and 
 had been made to believe that his love for her was 
 so great he was willing to give all, and receive 
 only this cold return. If only the girl would con 
 fide in her fully, so that she might speak plainly! 
 She had not been hurt by the last rude outburst ; 
 it was so manifestly the utterance, in borrowed 
 words, of a tortured mind which did not fully 
 know what it was saying. Her voice was never 
 more gentle than when she ventured to break the 
 ominous silence : 
 
 " Madeline, I am talking blindly, of course ; I 
 do not know why you asked the question you did, 
 but you asked, you know, and I have tried to 
 answer. I can not expect you to confide in me, 
 for I have known you too recently to win your 
 confidence ; but I love you, dear child, and my 
 heart goes out in a great longing to help you. I 
 can not help knowing from observation, as well
 
 262 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 as from the few hints you have given me, that 
 your life just now is a hard one, and I can readily 
 imagine that you are sorely tempted to take some 
 rash step, which you may spend what will seem 
 like an eternity in regretting. Let me beg of you 
 to wait and think and pray, before you do any 
 thing which your enlightened conscience disap 
 proves. Remember that you have been too well 
 trained in the years gone by, to really approve a 
 lie, no matter how glossed over it may be by 
 smooth-sounding words. I beg your pardon for 
 giving the matter a personal turn, which perhaps 
 your words did not justify. I think I am feeling 
 more keenly than usual, just now, in these direc 
 tions. I am looking on with fear and trembling 
 over the possible wreck of a life very differently 
 situated from yours, but fully as lonely and friend 
 less. Do you know that poor little Happy Smith- 
 ers who works at Mrs. Stetson s ? " 
 
 "I have seen her," said Madeline, turning her 
 pillow again, and becoming every moment more 
 conscious that her head ached violently. 
 
 She was already ashamed of her angry outburst 
 of a few moments before, and was beginning to 
 wish that she had asked no questions, but kept 
 her tormenting thoughts to herself. It was very 
 hard to try to appear interested in Happy Smith- 
 ers. She did not think she cared what became of 
 her.
 
 SHE TURNS SURGEON. 263 
 
 Arid do you know any thing of a boarder at 
 Mrs. Stetson s by the name of Arson a young 
 man ? " 
 
 Then Madeline opened her eyes, and fixed them 
 full upon her caller. They seemed almost to burn 
 the lady as she steadily returned the gaze, but all 
 that the sick girl said was, " I have seen him, 
 too." 
 
 "I could wish that poor Happy never had!" 
 The words were spoken with a sigh, partly for 
 Happy, and partly because it was evident that 
 Madeline did not mean to confide in her. 
 
 "Why?" A short, sharp word from the cot, 
 that demanded answer, and told a great deal which 
 the questioner did not mean to tell. 
 
 " Because that young man is trying to deceive 
 her, and is succeeding ; what his motive may be, 
 those who know him better than I do will have to 
 imagine. I know that he shows her attentions 
 such as honorable men keep for their nearest and 
 dearest ; that he gives her presents such as she 
 ought to know enough not to receive ; but poor 
 Happy is quite ignorant enough to be duped. He 
 takes surreptitious walks with her under cover of 
 the darkness, and parts with her with kisses which 
 can only mean disgrace." 
 
 Not for a moment did she take her eyes away 
 from the burning ones ; after the first random 
 sentence, she had been sure that she was not mis-
 
 264 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 taken, and had resolved to go on to the humiliat 
 ing end, and give this warning before it was too 
 late. She had decided that it was better that the 
 girl had not confided in her; she could speak the 
 more plainly. 
 
 "How do you know that you are not repeating 
 a set of miserable lies ? That girl is a street pau 
 per, who does not know how to speak the truth, I 
 suppose ; she would consider it a fine thing to tell 
 such tales of a gentleman." 
 
 Madeline s voice did not sound as though her 
 heart had received a death-blow, but rather as 
 though her self-respect had been rudely handled, 
 and she was burning with indignation. The 
 steady eyes did not droop before the piercing 
 ones, and Mrs. Holmes answered quietly : 
 
 "The girl never mentions his name, so far as 
 I know. I know of the gifts from having seen 
 them in his hands one hour, and in hers the next, 
 being proudly shown as from a friend ; the poor 
 thing seems to have sufficient sense of propriety 
 to mention no names, or else is tutored not to. I 
 know of the walks, and the partings, and indeed 
 of some of the words exchanged, from the same 
 reliable source. I have trusted only my own eyes 
 and ears as witnesses to the tale I tell." 
 
 This entire conversation had been frequently 
 interrupted by distressing paroxysms of coughing; 
 and Mrs. Holmes, between the moral doses which
 
 SHE TURNS SURGEON. 265 
 
 she had felt compelled to administer, had also 
 done what she could for the physical, but at 
 this point the cough became so distressing, and 
 the weakness which followed the paroxysm so 
 extreme, that the looker-on was visibly alarmed. 
 
 "Indeed, Madeline," she said, anxiously, "I 
 can not think you do right to let this illness get 
 such a hold upon you. If I could see your 
 brother I would certainly interfere and beg him 
 to secure a physician at once." 
 
 "Don t!" said the girl, panting for breath, 
 and holding her hand to her throbbing heart. "I 
 do not want a doctor ; I want the disease to get 
 such hold that it will not let go I want to die! 
 If ever any person had reason to be utterly tired 
 of this false, hateful world, I have. In some 
 respects I am in worse condition than Mrs. Car 
 penter, because that disgusting, mumbling, drunk 
 ard husband of hers loves her after his fashion, 
 and is true to her. I hope I shall die, Mrs. 
 Holmes, and see mother for a few minutes, any 
 way. It is all there is left to want." 
 
 While Mrs. Holmes stood amazed and sorrow 
 ful over these wild, foolish words, uncertain what 
 response to make, the door opened and Mrs. 
 Hurst appeared.
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 ONE DISCOVERS HIS OPPORTUNITY. 
 
 DR. PORTLAND, who had been driving 
 briskly through the sand of a country road, 
 reined in his horses and regarded attentively an 
 object which sat on a fallen tree in the sunshine; 
 it had a slouched hat on the top of its head, and 
 limp hands in its pockets ; its entire attitude was 
 one of mild discouragement and apathy. 
 
 "Is this you, Joe, or your ghost?" 
 
 "I reckon it s me, doctor," said the object, 
 turning its watery blue eyes in his direction. 
 
 "Are you sober?" 
 
 "Ain t drank a drop since" 
 
 " Since the last time," said the doctor, as Joe 
 stopped to fix a date. " Where are you going, or 
 where do you expect to go, when you can coax 
 yourself to leave that old pine stump?" 
 
 "I m on my way home, doctor; I ve been out 
 to the Hall place on an errand and got so far 
 back." 
 
 266
 
 ONE DISCOVERS HIS OPPORTUNITY. 267 
 
 " Well, jump in and I ll take you back before 
 you would have made up your mind to start." 
 Whereupon Joe moved with alacrity; a ride 
 behind the ponies which were at once the envy 
 and admiration of all the boys in town, was some 
 thing which had never fallen to Joe Carpenter s 
 lot before. 
 
 " It is too bad for you to be such a worthless 
 old fellow as you are, Joe," the doctor said, when 
 they were started. 
 
 "I know it," said Joe, with becoming gravity. 
 "I ve thought it more times than you have, I m 
 dead sure." 
 
 "That is very possible; I do not remember 
 ever thinking much about it until lately ; but 
 when a fellow like you succeeds in setting the 
 mind of a good woman into a ferment over him, 
 it seems to me it is time for him to think for 
 himself." 
 
 "I know it, a better woman never lived; 
 honest as the day, and hard working ; keeps 
 everything clean and neat, with nothing to do it 
 with; it is too bad!" Joe s face was gravity 
 itself ; nothing could be plainer than that he was 
 in deep earnest. 
 
 Doctor Portland s face was a study ; the half- 
 amused, half-sarcastic curl of his lip gradually 
 changed, as Joe s sentences rolled out. Actually 
 he could not help having a touch of respect for
 
 268 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 this miserable wreck of a man ; who, low as he 
 had sunken, was not yet low enough to speak 
 other than with kindness, even with tenderness, 
 of his wife. Had the wife been unknown to Dr. 
 Portland, the poor fellow s words would have pro 
 duced no such effect ; but he understood perfectly 
 that she never omitted an opportunity to set his 
 sins before him in their darkest hue; that she was 
 coldly sarcastic when she was not worse ; and that 
 in short the place which Joe had most reason to 
 shun, was the one he called home. 
 
 " Of the two, I pity poor Joe the most," the 
 doctor had said more than once. Now he almost 
 felt that of the two he could respect Joe the 
 most. 
 
 "I was not speaking of your wife," he replied 
 gravely, "though I know she has qualities which 
 you ought to respect ; my reference was to quite 
 another woman ; one who takes the trouble to 
 think about you a great deal." 
 
 "Me!" said old Joe, and his monosyllable, 
 some way, expressed not only intense surprise, 
 but pathos. 
 
 "I dunno who it can be; mother used to care 
 about me, but she s been gone this twenty years 
 and more; and there never was anybody else." 
 
 " I mean a good, true woman who is very anx 
 ious concerning you, and would give much to see 
 you a different man. You must have seen the
 
 ONE DISCOVERS HIS OPPORTUNITY. 269 
 
 lady who is boarding at Stetson s ? She has been 
 here but a few weeks and has an invalid husband." 
 
 "The little woman with pretty hair, and eyes 
 that make you think of stars and sunshine ? Yes, 
 I have seen her ; she comes to our house some 
 times ; and she sends more than she comes ; Mad 
 Hurst let me know where the things come from 
 that helped my wife through her sick spell ; and 
 though you wouldn t think it, I m grateful to any 
 body who does things for my wife ; but you are 
 mistaken about her caring any thing for me. She 
 ain t never spoke one word to me." 
 
 " Nevertheless I tell you she is deeply inter 
 ested in you. I have heard her say so. She 
 must see in you something which the rest of us 
 haven t. She thinks you could do more for your 
 wife than all of us put together, if you would." 
 
 "You mean about work, doctor? Well, now, 
 it s curious how scarce work is in this place for 
 me, anyhow; I ve been four miles into the coun 
 try this afternoon in search of a job I heard of, 
 but I couldn t get it. I do work whenever I get 
 a chance, now that s a fact." 
 
 " I don t mean any thing of the kind, Joe, and 
 you know it. I mean whisky. Haven t you 
 brains enough to know that the reason work is 
 scarce, is because people can not trust you ? You 
 may go off in the middle of an important job and 
 get on a spree and not be seen for days. Why
 
 2/O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 should any body in his senses employ such a man 
 as that ? " 
 
 " I know it, doctor," said Joe with the grave 
 air of a philosopher contemplating a fact in Natu 
 ral History; "I m not complaining, I m merely 
 stating a fact." 
 
 The doctor lost patience. " Look here, Joe Car 
 penter," he said sharply, " I do not see any sense 
 in your talking in that way. It would do very 
 well for an idiot, but really you are not one, yet ; 
 why should you ape the manners of one? Why 
 don t you rouse to the situation and act like a 
 reasonable being?" 
 
 Poor Joe did not so much as turn his weak eyes 
 in the speaker s direction ; instead, he looked 
 gravely at the wheel, from which particles of sand 
 were steadily falling, and was silent for several 
 seconds. When at last he spoke there was a curi 
 ous undertone of pathos, though his words were 
 slow and quiet enough. 
 
 "Doctor, you wouldn t think it, I suppose; I 
 wouldn t have thought so myself once, but the 
 stark-naked living truth is, that I can t do it ! " 
 
 "Can t do what ? " 
 
 "Give up the blamed whisky. There d be no 
 use in trying to tell you how often I ve tried ; why, 
 as many times it seems to me as there s grains of 
 sand in this road ; and meant it every time, and 
 made a dead failure. I didn t sense it at first ; I
 
 ONE DISCOVERS HIS OPPORTUNITY. 2/1 
 
 thought it was accident, or mistake, or something 
 of that kind, and of course I d get hold of the 
 thing at last. But I didn t ; and at last it dawned 
 upon me that I couldn t. Mother, she told me 
 once that I d git where I couldn t, and I didn t 
 believe her." 
 
 A less scientific man than Dr. Portland would 
 have had some glib, encouraging answer to make ; 
 but he, looking at the bleared eyes, the enfeebled 
 lines about the naturally weak mouth, and watch 
 ing the trembling arms and hands, was silent. 
 An embarrassing silence it was to him, though 
 Joe did not seem to feel it so ; he looked meekly 
 grave and contemplative, still. 
 
 " You have days when you do not drink, 
 though?" the doctor said at last, putting the tone 
 of a question into his words. Joe nodded. "Yes," 
 he said, "I do ; and that s what fooled me along 
 at first. I says to myself, says I, Joe, if you can 
 stand it four days at a time, why can t you forty? 
 and after forty days maybe things would get 
 different somehow. But it wa nt of no use!" 
 shaking his head sadly, " I stuck it out most two 
 weeks, several times ; and once nigh on to two 
 months ; but when one of them raging spells of 
 thirst come on me, it didn t make no difference 
 whether it was weeks or months since I d had a 
 drop ; I couldn t no more manage them than I 
 could a wild tiger this minute ! You don t know
 
 2/2 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 nothing about it, of course ; and my wife don t. 
 That s what tries her so, and I don t wonder; 
 but there it is ! " 
 
 This was certainly a very remarkable turn for 
 the conversation to take. But for his strange 
 embarrassment the doctor could have laughed. 
 Joe seemed actually to be apologizing for his wife; 
 because, not being able to appreciate the strength 
 of his temptation she was hard on him ! But 
 there was some thought which held his mentor 
 silent and unsmiling. At last he spoke, with 
 evident effort : 
 
 "Joe, the lady of whom I told you, looks at 
 these things in a different light from what you do. 
 She evidently understands, in a degree at least, 
 the strength of the appetite, but she believes that 
 there is a Power outside of himself which a man 
 can bring to bear upon it, if he will. In other 
 words, she believes that God, the God whom she 
 worships, stands ready to help any poor wretch 
 who is willing to put himself in the way of help, 
 and follow directions ; so that these terrible fits 
 of thirst of which you speak shall be held in 
 check by His Almightiness. What do you think 
 of that?" 
 
 A singular change had come upon Joe s face 
 while he listened ; his bleared eyes were turned 
 from the wheel and the sand, and their gaze fixed 
 fully upon the doctor s face; the muscles of his
 
 ONE DISCOVERS HIS OPPORTUNITY. 2/3 
 
 lips twitched almost convulsively, and something 
 like a thrill of energy seemed to run through his 
 loosely-jointed frame. 
 
 "What does she know about it?" It was the 
 first short, decisive sentence Dr. Portland had ever 
 heard this wreck of a man speak. 
 
 "She has had experience, it seems. Has 
 known of a man, or of men, several of them, who 
 by this means have conquered the appetite, even 
 when far under its influence, and have gotten 
 back their manhood. She believes that you 
 could ; and moreover, she believes that such a 
 course would save your wife from the mental 
 wreck which she will almost certainly become, 
 unless relieved from the fearful strain which is 
 upon her now." 
 
 He was speaking quite glibly ; if there was a 
 shadow of manhood left in the fellow, certainly 
 the statement which he had now boldly made, 
 ought to rouse him. He was hardly prepared for 
 the question which followed. 
 
 " Doctor, do you believe it ? " 
 
 " Do I believe what ? " spoken almost sharply. 
 There was that in Joe s voice which made him 
 feel that the question was not asked with refer 
 ence to his latest communication, but had to do 
 with a subject about which he knew less. 
 
 "That she s right in what she thinks; and 
 that a fellow like me could tjet a hold of some-
 
 2/4 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 thing or somebody it would have to be God, for 
 there ain t any mortal could, I know that to 
 help him when the spells come on ? Say I ve 
 brought em on myself ; and I know it is true ; 
 I ve told myself so a hundred times ; I know 
 there was a place, away back, where I could have 
 let the stuff alone ; but say that time is past, and 
 it s my fault that it is, does she mean, and do you 
 mean that such as me could get hold of this 
 Something? " 
 
 How was the gay, mocking, skeptical young 
 man to answer such a question ? A man who had 
 less knowledge of the human frame, and of the 
 terrible ravages which rum can make upon it, 
 might have talked eloquently about the "God-like 
 powers of the human will," and the "tremendous 
 force of an iron resolution." Dr. Portland, glanc 
 ing furtively at the human wreck beside him, 
 could not bring himself to utter such nonsense. 
 Whatever it had been intended the will should do 
 for him, poor Joe Carpenter had done what he 
 could to make his powerless to resist temptation, 
 and had certainly succeeded well. The doctor 
 would not have trusted the strongest promise this 
 weak-kneed, trembling wretch could make, long 
 enough to expect it to last him while passing the 
 next liquor saloon. " If he could go to a place 
 where the sight or the smell of the stuff could not 
 reach him," he muttered to himself, "if there
 
 ONE DISCOVERS HIS OPPORTUNITY. 2/5 
 
 were such a place on this rum-cursed earth, why, 
 then but as it is" and he drew a long, dis 
 couraged sigh. 
 
 How, then, was he to answer Joe s question ? 
 Was there really no hope for the man who had 
 placed himself in such a cruel position ? Volun 
 tarily released his will, and his nerves, even his 
 muscles from their duty toward him and trained 
 them to be false ? In his heart of hearts Dr. Port 
 land believed just that. "Nothing less than a 
 miracle could save a fellow constituted as he is, 
 set down in the midst of temptation," he told 
 himself resolutely ; and as one who did not 
 believe in miracles, what was he to say ? Joe 
 was waiting. The doctor coughed nervously and 
 cleared his throat ; why had he been such a fool 
 as to get himself into this ridiculous position ? 
 Since Joe Carpenter was, by his own confession, 
 confirmed by scientific knowledge, too far gone to 
 exercise self-control always supposing he had 
 been of the calibre which ever exercises it to 
 a very great degree, of what use to torment 
 him with long sermons about manhood, and the 
 like ? 
 
 "My mother believed in it," he said at last, 
 and his voice sounded unnatural even to himself; 
 "she had utmost confidence in this miraculous 
 power which is supposed to get hold of people; 
 and men who have had good mothers always
 
 2/6 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 believe they were about right in everything, don t 
 they?" 
 
 " Do they ? " asked Joe Carpenter, thoughtfully. 
 "Then I ought to think such things, for my old 
 mother was one of them kind. I believe you re 
 right, doctor ; mothers is queer ; for a spell you 
 think you know more than they do, and then you 
 think anyhow you know about as much ; and after 
 a while you know that they know more than all 
 creation ? " 
 
 This bit of moralizing fitted in with Joe s unus 
 ual mood ; he was entirely grave, and the retro 
 spective notes in his voice had still that touch of 
 pathos ; but something had irritated the doctor. 
 
 "If you had such a mother as that you ought to 
 be ashamed of yourself," he said in caustic tones. 
 
 "I am," said Joe, laconically. "I ve been 
 ashamed this long time, till I kind of got used to 
 it, and expected always to be, and no help for it. 
 But I seem to have got hold of a new idea this 
 afternoon, somehow ; I don t hardly understand 
 how. I know there are such folks as Christians, 
 and that the Lord looks after em ; He did after 
 my old mother ; but looking after an old broken- 
 down hulk like me, seems different, don t it?" 
 
 "Very different!" said the doctor with decis 
 ion. Then he reined in his horses so suddenly 
 that they almost lost their balance, adding as he 
 did so :
 
 ONE DISCOVERS HIS OPPORTUNITY. 277 
 
 "I have to stop at this house, and shall be 
 detained for some time ; you may as well go on." 
 
 Thus unceremoniously dismissed, Joe moved 
 slowly away, not forgetting to say : 
 
 "Thank you kindly, doctor, for the ride," but 
 received no answer. 
 
 " Miserable hypocrite ! " said the doctor, sav 
 agely, as he strode up the sandy path leading to 
 the house where he was due; "if I had nothing 
 to say, I wonder why I was such a fool as to 
 undertake to say it ! I might better have let the 
 old fellow alone." He had not been so utterly out 
 of conceit with himself in years.
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 ONE OF THEM IS AFRAID. 
 
 IT was later by an hour or two, and the ponies 
 were safely housed and fed, when walking 
 slowly down the street, head bent as in a deep 
 study, Dr. Portland almost ran against a swiftly- 
 moving object, halted with a dignified, "beg par 
 don " ; then a sudden lighting up of his somber 
 face, and a cordial, "Good afternoon; so it is you 
 with whom I almost collided ! I beg ten thou 
 sand pardons. I was deep in thought, and very 
 stupid." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes ignored the collision, and kept 
 her grave and troubled face. 
 
 "Doctor, I am in great anxiety," she said. 
 
 "About what?" asked the doctor in a sympa 
 thetic voice, as he turned and joined her. 
 
 "About a young woman who I think is very 
 ill, and her friends do not realize it. She ought 
 to have medical care, and I do not know how 
 278
 
 ONE OF THEM IS AFRAID. 
 
 to bring it to pass. Do you know Mr. George 
 Hurst?" 
 
 " I have a speaking acquaintance with the gen 
 tleman ; what of him ? " 
 
 "It is his sister who is ill. Do you know 
 who their family physician is? Could you not 
 would it be stepping beyond the bounds of pro 
 fessional etiquette if you should give him a hint 
 that his services are needed, if only the family 
 knew enough to send for him ? " 
 
 Dr. Portland drew his lips into a curious smile : 
 " I might possibly compass it if I knew who had 
 the honor to be their professional adviser; but I 
 fancy that they belong to the fortunate class 
 who, as a rule, do without us. Why doesn t Hurst 
 attend to the business ? What is he about ? " 
 
 " I do not know, I am sure ; unless he is under 
 the influence of his strange wife. Madeline has 
 been ill for a week, and grows daily worse ; she 
 has fever constantly, and her cough is alarming; 
 yet she has not even ordinary care. Mrs. Hurst 
 is a woman whom I do not understand. She 
 seems jealous of any attempt to assist her, and 
 angry at a suggestion which is made for Made 
 line s comfort. I was there this morning and I 
 could see that the poor child had grown steadily 
 worse since yesterday ; yet they let her lie there, 
 dying slowly." 
 
 " Madeline Hurst," said the doctor, thought-
 
 28O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 fully. " Did I meet her at your rooms one even 
 ing ? Yes, I remember ; a tall, dark girl with 
 brilliant eyes, and a fierce temper; so she is ill, is 
 she? Well, she is not the one to trifle with a 
 cough, even in this climate. How does she hap 
 pen to be your friend, Mrs. Holmes? On the 
 general principle that the unfortunate may always 
 claim you ?" 
 
 " I have become interested in her," said Mrs. 
 Holmes, "and fond of her. I do not think her 
 temper is any worse, perhaps, than mine would be 
 under like circumstances. Doctor, can you do 
 any thing to help me ? Could you not speak to 
 Mr. Hurst?" 
 
 "Hardly," said the doctor, with a shrewd smile; 
 "I do not think he is one who would like sugges 
 tions from me ; at least, I feel quite certain his 
 wife would not ; and a man and his wife are one, 
 you know, under some circumstances." 
 
 They had reached the Hurst home, as he 
 spoke, and Mrs. Holmes had halted on the step 
 to give him opportunity to finish his sentence, but 
 he made no motion toward going on ; instead, he 
 followed her up the steps. 
 
 "Oh, I do not ring," she said, quickly, divin 
 ing his intention of waiting for her to be admit 
 ted. "The door is never locked ; I admit myself 
 and go up to Madeline s room." 
 
 "That is the rdle, is it? Then shall I trouble
 
 ONE OF THEM IS AFRAID. 28 1 
 
 you to admit me in the same unceremonious 
 way ?" 
 
 "Oh, no, indeed!" said the lady, much dis 
 tressed; "it would not do at all! I beg your 
 pardon, but I am afraid it will not do for you to 
 call. Mrs. Hurst would be offended. She would 
 think we had interfered unwarrantably." 
 
 " What, in making a friendly call ? I will be 
 entirely non-professional, I assure you ; save that 
 I may be able to relieve your anxiety after we are 
 away, and give an intelligent opinion to my friend 
 Mr. Hurst, if I should chance to have the oppor 
 tunity, and could convince him that I was his 
 friend." 
 
 What could be done with a doctor who chose 
 to be so stupid ? She supposed he had visions of 
 a neat, well-appointed sitting-room like the one in 
 which her husband received his visits, among the 
 bright cushions and afghans. What would he 
 think of poor Madeline s bare attic ? Above all, 
 what would Mrs. Hurst say or do if by any 
 chance he was admitted to a sight of it ? More 
 over, there was a wholesome remembrance of that 
 lady s face and manner when she affirmed that 
 she would not have Dr. Portland to "doctor a 
 cat ! " Certainly he was not their professional 
 choice. 
 
 " Indeed, doctor," she began, in exceeding per 
 plexity and embarrassment, " I am afraid it will
 
 282 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 do only harm to attempt a call ; you do not under 
 stand the situation ; there are some things I can 
 tell you, when I have opportunity, but now"- 
 
 " Now, if I will only go away and leave you to 
 wrestle with the enemy," he said, smiling; and at 
 that moment they were interrupted. The knob 
 of the door on which Mrs. Holmes had cautiously 
 kept her hand was suddenly wrested from her, 
 and the frowzle-headed Nancy appeared, more 
 frowzled than usual, bare-headed and with eyes 
 dilated ; she was evidently making a blind dash 
 for somewhere. 
 
 "Oh, Mis Holmes!" she gasped; "she s chok 
 ing to death, I do believe! and Mis Hurst is that 
 scared, she don t know what to do ; she said run 
 for a doctor ; but I don t know where to run, nor 
 nothing." 
 
 Before the sentence was finished, Mrs. Holmes 
 had brushed past her, waiting only to say : 
 
 "Doctor, follow me," and was half-way up the 
 stairs. 
 
 "I am a doctor," the gentleman paused to 
 explain to the frightened girl, then taking three 
 steps at a time was at the landing as soon as his 
 guide. Once within the desolate attic, it took 
 him but a moment to understand the situation 
 and assume control. Mrs. Hurst, thoroughly 
 frightened and subdued, obeyed his peremptory 
 orders as best she could, while Nancy ran
 
 ONE OF THEM IS AFRAID. 283 
 
 hither and thither, in everybody s way ; and Mrs. 
 Holmes, pale and quiet, was really the one to be 
 relied upon. 
 
 "It was a narrow escape," the doctor said 
 gravely, an hour afterward, as he stood in the 
 little parlor below, talking with Mr. Hurst, "five 
 minutes more, and it would have been too late. 
 The disease has been allowed to get a firm hold, 
 and this attack was unusually dangerous. Yes, 
 sir, she is a very sick girl ; I can not tell you, 
 yet, what the outcome will be ; I have grave 
 fears ; in fact, to be perfectly frank, I see hardly 
 a chance in a hundred for her." 
 
 Mrs. Hurst, not quite so subdued as when she 
 thought herself in the presence of death, but 
 still meek, for her, waited only until Mrs. Holmes 
 engaged the doctor s attention with a question of 
 importance, to ask her husband whether Johnny 
 would not better go at once for Dr. Gower, so as 
 to be prepared if Mad had another attack like the 
 last. Then George Hurst arose to one of those 
 outbursts which at rare intervals were drawn from 
 him. 
 
 No, Johnny should not go for Dr. Gower; he 
 would not have Dr. Gower in the house; every 
 body knew he was an old blunderer, and that Dr. 
 Portland was the skilled physician of the city. 
 Mad should have the best there was to have ; he 
 had not understood, how should he, that she was
 
 284 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 so sick? He would not have had her disease run 
 on in this way, without treatment, for all he was 
 worth ! It was the way his mother went ; and 
 he had always been afraid Maddie would be like 
 her ; she was all he had ! "The only sister I ever 
 had," he said, turning to Dr. Portland, and there 
 were tears in his eyes; "there were only two of 
 us. There isn t any thing I wouldn t do for Mad- 
 die. You think you can save her, don t you, 
 doctor?" 
 
 "I will do my utmost," said Dr. Portland with 
 kind gravity; "but the simple truth is, that the 
 disease has gotten a firm and most dangerous hold. 
 As I said, the chance is only one in a hundred." 
 
 The words sounded cruel, but the doctor knew 
 enough of human nature to feel certain that the 
 fierce-eyed woman who was listening, needed the 
 plainest possible speech. 
 
 There followed days which were strange ones 
 to look back upon ; days filled with constant 
 watching and anxiety. The Hursts were poor; 
 there was much that they could not compass; and 
 indeed if money had been plenty, professional 
 nurses were not, in that little city ; so the watch 
 ing was divided as well as it could be, among the 
 few who could be depended upon. Mrs. Hurst 
 did her best ; she was thoroughly frightened, and 
 repentant of some things ; she did not want her 
 sister-in-law to die; she had not at any time
 
 ONE OF THEM IS AFRAID. 28$ 
 
 dreamed of such a possibility ; she had honestly 
 believed her illness to be trivial, and was sincere 
 in her statements that "Mad made a fuss about 
 trifles," and had a passion for being "coddled." 
 
 In a dull, easily-comforted way, she would actu 
 ally have missed the girl, had she died ; above all, 
 she did not want her to die, with that hateful doc 
 tor s words sounding in their ears : " The truth is, 
 the disease has been permitted to get a dangerous 
 hold." What would people say to that? 
 
 But Mrs. Hurst was no nurse ; and the sick girl 
 so visibly shrank from her ministrations as to 
 make it awkward for both ; among those whom 
 this family called friends there were strangely 
 few who seemed to have the ability or the inclina 
 tion to come to their aid in this time of need ; so 
 the business of nursing was narrowed down to a 
 very few, prominent among whom was Mrs. Car 
 penter ; who, it seemed, could wash and iron day 
 times, and sit up nights. Mrs. Hurst would not 
 for the world have lost caste by recognizing the 
 woman on the street as an acquaintance, but she 
 learned to welcome her strong, cold face with such 
 a sense of relief as she could not have described ; 
 and replied at times, almost gratefully to her brief, 
 cold sentence: "I m going to stay all night; you 
 can go to bed as quick as you please." 
 
 The other extremely important nurse was Mrs. 
 Holmes ; she gave every moment during the day
 
 286 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 which could be spared from her husband ; and was 
 as near rebellion as she ever came, over his per 
 emptory refusal to allow an hour of night watch 
 ing for her. The doctor sustained him obstinately 
 in this last. 
 
 "You are right, Holmes; she needs a keeper. 
 She would work day and night, if she could ; and 
 it won t do ; I don t want her on my hands as a 
 patient ; not until I get rid of this one ; she is too 
 valuable as a nurse." 
 
 But there came a night when neither doctor nor 
 husband could resist the summons. Indeed, the 
 doctor himself sent for her. "She s in such a 
 way," explained Nancy, whose frowzy head was 
 hidden under an indescribable hat, "that the doctor 
 says she ll die of it if she don t get quiet, and he 
 says, says he, Mis Holmes can quiet her if any 
 body can ; and you tell her to make all possible 
 speed. Them was his very words, and Liph Stet 
 son, he s waiting to go along with you ; though 
 there ain t no need of that, for I ain t afraid of 
 nothing ; but the doctor he said so ; and Liph said 
 he d be at the front door, waiting." 
 
 While she talked, Mrs. Holmes was making 
 ready. 
 
 It was a frightful scene upon which she entered 
 a few moments later. Long afterward, when very 
 tired and overwrought she lay down to rest and 
 closed her eyes, there would come before her men-
 
 ONE OF THEM IS AFRAID. 287 
 
 tal vision a haunting picture of that room ; not the 
 attic, as Dr. Portland s first order had been to 
 remove his patient to a room where a fire could be 
 had ; it was Mrs. Hurst s own chamber, and 
 though bare of many things which the ordinary 
 chamber is supposed to need, was a great improve 
 ment on the attic. A wide bed made up with 
 some regard to comfort was one of the improve 
 ments ; but the hollow-eyed girl who glared at the 
 new-comer as she opened the door, was far 
 enough from comfort. 
 
 "Am I going to die?" she asked, as Mrs. 
 Holmes gently closed the door, "tell me this min 
 ute ! am I going to die ? I know you will tell me 
 the truth ; the rest all think it is smart to try and 
 deceive me, to turn off my questions with some 
 smooth-sounding, false words; but I can believe 
 what you say." 
 
 "Tell her no," said the doctor, low-voiced at 
 the new comer s side, "tell her she is better, and 
 that she needs only to be quiet and go to sleep in 
 order to improve rapidly." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes fixed a pair of anxious eyes 
 upon the speaker s face. " Doctor, is it true ? " she 
 murmured. 
 
 His face flushed and he spoke haughtily : 
 
 "At least it is necessary in order to secure 
 quiet ; this excitement is simply suicidal. No, 
 since you are so anxious for the truth, I have
 
 288 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 almost no hope of her case, and she is destroying 
 what shreds of hope there were." 
 
 "What are you two whispering about?" this 
 from the bed, in the same high-keyed, excited 
 voice, " I do not want any patched-up story ; I 
 thought when you came I should have the truth." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes went swiftly over and knelt by 
 the bedside ; she possessed herself of the fevered 
 hand, and spoke in low, soothing tones : 
 
 "Madeline, I do not know; no one knows but 
 God ; we hope you are going to get well ; but I 
 can not bear it, to have you care so much. I 
 want it to be well with you whether you live or 
 not." 
 
 "That is impossible," said the girl, and her 
 eyes looked larger and blacker than ever before ; 
 "I am afraid; I am awfully afraid to die. I can 
 not die ! " 
 
 Her tones kept rising, until on the last word 
 they were almost a shriek. In vain Mrs. Holmes 
 tried to hold the tossing hands, tried to make cool, 
 quieting passes over the flushed forehead, tried to 
 speak simple, earnest words of helpfulness; she 
 could not listen, she had lost the power to control 
 herself; she could only cry out wildly, "I cannot 
 die; I am afraid!" The awe-stricken watchers 
 stood helplessly around. Mrs. Hurst, frightened 
 almost as much as was the sick girl ; her husband 
 pressing his nervous hands together in frantic dis-
 
 ONE OF THEM IS AFRAID. 289 
 
 gust of his impotency, and with eyes heavy with 
 unshed tears ; Mrs. Carpenter, upon whose face 
 was a look of sullen mockery. At last the doctor 
 came forward, his face more sternly set than Mrs. 
 Holmes had ever seen it. "This will not do," he 
 said decidedly, " I must give her an opiate ; you 
 are only making her worse." But the next 
 moment he had reason to regret his words. 
 
 "I will not take an opiate," said Madeline, 
 throwing herself to the further side of the bed. 
 "At least I will die with what mind I have. You 
 need not bring it ; I will never swallow it." 
 
 He leaned over her and tried to speak gently : 
 
 "This will not put you to sleep; it will simply 
 quiet your nerves ; this excitement is bad for you ; 
 if you will be as quiet as possible, I am looking to 
 see you much better in the morning." 
 
 It would seem as though it must have been 
 difficult for Dr. Portland to forget the next words 
 which were spoken to him. Madeline s great 
 black eyes were leveled fully at him and she 
 spoke slowly, evidently trying to control her 
 fierce excitement, the better to impress him : 
 
 "You deceived me," she said; "you told me 1 
 was better was doing nicely; and I overheard 
 you, five minutes afterward, telling Mrs. Hurst 
 that there was hardly a shadow of a chance for 
 me. Do you think I will believe anything you 
 say, after this ? I wish you would go away. I
 
 2QO HF.R ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 tell you I am afraid to die ; none of you know 
 
 anything about that, but Mrs. Holmes. She 
 
 could help me if I were not already beyond help ; 
 
 but oh, I know I am, I tell you I know I am ! " 
 and her voice arose into a shriek again.
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 ONE ASKS EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS. 
 
 IT was a fearful night. When, after hours of 
 agony, the sufferer sank into a troubled sleep 
 from mere exhaustion, the watchers felt, some of 
 them, months older than when the night began. 
 The gray dawn of another day was creeping into 
 the room, when Dr. Portland came and spoke to 
 Mrs. Holmes. 
 
 " You would better let me take you home ; you 
 can do nothing here, and your husband will be 
 anxious. She will sleep, or at least lie quietly 
 for some time now ; I succeeded in getting that 
 opiate swallowed, at last." 
 
 He spoke coldly, as one who was simply per 
 forming a professional duty without any personal 
 ity of any sort. 
 
 As it seemed to be only too true that she could 
 do nothing, Mrs. Holmes made no objection to 
 his suggestion. 
 
 291
 
 2Q2 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 They walked on in silence for some moments; 
 at last she asked: "What do you think of her 
 now, doctor? What is the outlook?" 
 
 "It is impossible to say. That she is living is 
 a matter of surprise to me. I had supposed her 
 too weak to endure any such strain as she put 
 upon herself; but in reality I can not see that she 
 is- any nearer the end than she was last night; I 
 have almost no hope of her recovery, it that is 
 what your question means." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes drew a long, heavy sigh. Then, 
 after another square had been made in silence, 
 "Doctor, from your stand-point it must have 
 seemed strange to you that I said what I did 
 last night. I could not repeat your words, being 
 assured from you that they were false. I simply 
 could not take the responsibility of deceiving a 
 soul which might in a few hours more be in the 
 presence of God." The doctor bowed gravely. 
 "Our standpoints are different, as you say," he 
 replied ; " I thought, as I told you, that there 
 might be a chance for her, if we could calm that 
 terrible excitement. I confess I fail to see what 
 difference to you a few soothing words could have 
 made at such a time ; they would not have altered 
 existing facts, and they might have aided in the 
 physical struggle." 
 
 "But, Dr. Portland, they were false words! Is 
 the truth to be toyed with at our pleasure, and
 
 ONE ASKS EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS. 2Q3 
 
 used, or not, according as in our short-sighted 
 wisdom may seem best ? " 
 
 " Even the truth should not be spoken at all 
 times," he said, evading the question at issue in 
 a graceful way which he had. 
 
 "I admit it; but should untruth be spoken at 
 any time ? " 
 
 The doctor was still excited, and vexed that his 
 professional directions had been disobeyed, or he 
 would not have been guilty of the rudeness of his 
 next remark. 
 
 " If it had been the life of your husband which 
 was at stake it would have dulled your careful 
 discrimination between truth and falsehood, I 
 imagine." 
 
 Her answer was given after a longer silence 
 than before, and was lower toned: "Doctor Port 
 land, you have probed deeply and found my idol ; 
 I admit it ; and it is true that I do not know how 
 strong I should be under temptation ; but still I 
 believe that I love my Savior more than I do my 
 husband, and that He would keep me from dis 
 honoring him, even in such an hour as that." 
 
 Then they had reached Mrs. Stetson s door, 
 and with no other words than a gentle "good 
 morning" she left him. 
 
 Dr. Portland went on down the street with long, 
 angry strides, telling himself that he was a con 
 summate idiot and a boor besides, and that he
 
 294 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 ought to know enough by this time not to meddle 
 
 with other people s whims whatever they might be. 
 
 ****** 
 
 They were in the stuffy little parlor which 
 belonged to the Hurst family. Madeline, as pale 
 as the white wrapper she wore, lay on the lounge 
 which had been wheeled toward the window to 
 give her a glimpse of the wonderful sunset dis 
 play. A crimson afghan was thrown over the 
 foot of the couch, the only bit of color about the 
 girl. Standing at a little distance from the couch 
 in such a way as to command a full view of her 
 face, was Dr. Portland. He studied her critically, 
 while she studied the crimson and gold outside. 
 
 "We need to plan some way to transfer a few 
 touches of that to your face," he said, inclining 
 his head toward the afghan, as her eyes came 
 slowly back from the outside world. "What is the 
 use of looking like a wilted leaf all the time? 
 Why don t you gain strength faster? There isn t 
 any sense in creeping along at this snail pace." 
 
 The faintest tinge of color showed for a 
 moment on the pallor, as Madeline said slowly, 
 "Mrs. Hurst thinks the same. She has an idea 
 that if I but made the attempt, I could be as 
 strong as anybody. Is there truth in it, doctor?" 
 
 "I hope and believe so," said the doctor, 
 promptly; "but you and she would better see to 
 it that no attempts are made except under my
 
 ONE ASKS EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS. 295 
 
 direction, for some time to come. I ll have a talk 
 with Mrs. Hurst, and give her some very express 
 ive directions. What you need to do is, to 
 attempt to care a little more about it. At this 
 present time, to speak frankly, you impress me 
 as a person who has too little interest in the get 
 ting well to make the mental, not physical effort, 
 necessary." 
 
 That faint tinge of color came again, and faded 
 as quickly, leaving the face almost paler than 
 before. "It is only too true," the girl said, 
 gravely ; " I do not think I have the interest in 
 getting well that most people would. It is not 
 strange ; I am more entirely alone in the world 
 than most girls are. And yet," she hesitated, and 
 the gravity deepened, "it is also true," she began 
 again after a moment, "that I am not at all ready 
 to die. I proved that to you, that night, I think, 
 when you all believed I was going. I have been 
 wanting to speak to you about it. I believe I was 
 rude. I did not know what I was saying, I think. 
 And you have been so very kind to me that I do 
 not want to be rude." 
 
 "That is not even to be remembered," the doc 
 tor said, briskly. "Do you not understand that 
 physicians have learned not to attach the slightest 
 importance to what people say when they are ill ? 
 I assure you I have never given that feature of 
 the time a second thought, and it would be for
 
 296 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 your advantage to dismiss that entire week from 
 your mind as much as possible." 
 
 "But I want to think about it, doctor, if you 
 please, and to ask some questions. Do you still 
 think that I was so very sick?" 
 
 "You certainly were," he answered, with a 
 smile; "I see no advantage to be gained in beg 
 ging the question at this late day. I do not 
 remember ever to have had a patient over whom 
 I was so hopeless, who rallied so encouragingly 
 as you have done and are doing. I think I may 
 safely be congratulated on my success." 
 
 She did not respond to his gay smile ; instead, 
 her face was grave even to somberness. " But it 
 is after all only for a little while," she said 
 in intense seriousness. A shadow of anxiety 
 clouded Dr. Portland s face. 
 
 "You are mistaken," he answered quickly, 
 " there is no necessity for your feeling yourself 
 doomed to invalidism ; with proper care I look to 
 see your health firmly established, so that in time 
 you may even be strong ; but the way to accom 
 plish this is to banish all brooding thoughts and 
 bring your resolute common-sense to bear upon 
 the case." 
 
 "I do not mean quite what you think," she 
 said, still gravely ; " I know I am better, am get 
 ting well ; and, as I told you, I do not feel so 
 glad over it as most girls would, or I should not.
 
 ONE ASKS EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS. 2Q/ 
 
 if Dr. Portland, I did not think I should be so 
 afraid to die. I had thought about it often, and 
 wished that I could even wished that it could 
 be right to take life into my own hands and 
 decide when it should end ; when I was safe 
 and well, and far away from death, I thought I 
 should not be in the least afraid ; but it was a 
 different thing to come to what I thought was 
 the very verge. I was terribly afraid." A per 
 ceptible shudder ran through her frame at the 
 recollection. 
 
 "That was perfectly natural," said the doctor, 
 very kindly. "Life is natural to the young; they 
 ought to desire it, and to shrink from death ; it 
 was intended that it should be so." 
 
 Madeline shook her head. " It is not a ques 
 tion of age, doctor. There was a woman, old and 
 poor, who lived near our home when I was a little 
 girl. I was in the room when she died ; my 
 mother went to watch with her, and as there was 
 no one to stay with me, she took me with her. 
 In the night the woman grew suddenly worse, and 
 I heard the noise and came in ; it was dreadful ! 
 She was afraid too oh, awfully afraid ! And her 
 hair was white ; she must have been seventy, or 
 more. At her age, according to the natural way 
 of looking at this matter, she ought to have 
 expected death, and been prepared for it ; she was 
 anything but that! She died in mortal terror; it
 
 298 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 was months before I could go to sleep at night 
 without going over the scene." 
 
 " I do not wonder ; it was a terrible ordeal to 
 which to subject a child. What I wish now is, 
 that you would put all such somber memories 
 quite away, and make yourself grow strong." 
 
 "But there is a great difference in people," she 
 went on, quietly, ignoring his last suggestion. 
 " My mother was young, was not fifty when she 
 died, and there was not a thread of gray in her 
 beautiful hair ; but she was not in the least afraid. 
 She spoke of dying as simply as I might speak of 
 going out into the sunshine. Oh, better than 
 that, she was very glad to go ; and I was foolish 
 enough to imagine that when the time came for 
 me, I should feel as she did ! " 
 
 Dr. Portland seemed to have no reply ready 
 for the next pause, and there was silence for a 
 moment ; then, Madeline, still with the look of 
 intense sorrowful earnestness on her pale face, 
 spoke again : 
 
 "And so, doctor, what I meant was, that there 
 was more than a question of age involved ; and I 
 mean also that it is something which is sure to 
 come. I am better now, it is true, but who can 
 tell how soon or how suddenly I might be called 
 upon to die ? In any event, it is certain to come 
 some time." 
 
 "That is true," he said with a gravity as
 
 ONE ASKS EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS. 2Q9 
 
 marked as her own; "death is the one thing of 
 which we seem to be sure." 
 
 "And since this is so, ought not we, ought not 
 I, to do what I can to get ready for it ? If there 
 is such a thing as meeting even death with such 
 a smile as my mother wore, would it not be the 
 most reasonable thing for me to find out how I 
 mean before the time came, so that it need not 
 take me unawares ? " 
 
 "That sounds like a common-sense view of 
 the subject," he answered, trying to speak lightly; 
 "but I think T would not talk about it any longer 
 just now. You are hardly strong enough for 
 such grave themes." 
 
 " I think I am ; I think you are mistaken in 
 me. It troubles me, haunts me; that night when 
 I felt my breath going from me, and knew that 
 there was a great horror of darkness for me to 
 step into, I resolved that I would, if I ever had 
 another chance, live differently, and get ready, 
 if possible, to die differently ; if I were only 
 ready, Dr. Portland, I confess to you that I 
 would be very glad to g > ; because I am peculiarly 
 lonely and desolate here. I decided this morning 
 that I would talk to you about it at the first 
 opportunity, and get your advice as to how to 
 begin." 
 
 " I do not think I quite comprehend your mean 
 ing," said the doctor in visible embarrassment;
 
 3OO HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 speaking these words more for the purpose of 
 gaining time than because he did not understand 
 her. 
 
 "Why, it is like this," she said simply; "I 
 once thought I was a Christian. I used to pray, 
 and to read in the Bible, and go to prayer-meeting 
 and all those things; I thought I knew all about 
 it, and was on the right road. But when mother 
 died, I was miserable ; rebellious, they called it, 
 and I suppose I was ; gradually I gave up all idea 
 of such a life and felt that there was not much 
 truth in religion, any way. It made matters worse 
 to remember that Mrs. that certain people 
 whom I knew very well and did not even respect, 
 were church members; I grew suspicious, and 
 watchful of people who made such professions, 
 and liked to find the inconsistencies. Gradually 
 I lost faith in almost every one s religion, only 
 mother s ; you will see how absurdly inconsistent 
 I was when I tell you that I never for a moment 
 doubted her kind. But I told myself that I could 
 never be like her, because our temperaments were 
 utterly different, and that at least I would not be 
 a hypocrite ; so it is different with me from those 
 who have always lived thoughtless lives, and never 
 had their attention especially called to this sub 
 ject. It is as though I had enlisted once, and 
 then deliberately deserted, because I did not 
 believe in some who were in the army ; and I do
 
 MADKLINE \\.VITKU 1 ATIEXTLY.
 
 ONE ASKS EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS. 3<DI 
 
 not seem to know the way to re-enlist. I had a 
 feeling that you could help me." 
 
 "May I ask why?" 
 
 There was no attempt at a smile upon the doc 
 tor s face ; he was both embarrassed and puzzled ; 
 no problem ever presented to him had been so 
 difficult of solution as this. Madeline s reply was 
 direct enough. 
 
 " Because I have noticed that you seemed to 
 see through things so quickly ; to understand half 
 statements, and go directly to first causes. You 
 have seemed to understand how I felt, for 
 instance, better than I did myself ; and your 
 replies to questions are always so direct and sim 
 ple ; so easy to grasp and understand. That was 
 why I thought you could tell me in a few plain 
 words, what I need to know." 
 
 Dr. Portland walked abruptly to the window, 
 and looked out. Madeline waited patiently ; she 
 imagined that he saw something outside, which 
 demanded his thought. As for him, he had never 
 felt so much like a coward in his life ; had there 
 been an imperative summons at the moment, call 
 ing him to a twenty-mile drive through the woods, 
 he would have hailed it as a relief. He almost 
 wished that his usually restless ponies would 
 break away and demand immediate attention, but 
 they stood in unusual quietness awaiting his 
 pleasure. At last he turned :
 
 3O2 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "You have made a mistake, Miss Madeline," 
 he said, attempting to smile. "The matters 
 about which I am clear, and can speak to the 
 point, have to do with my profession ; no person 
 could be in greater fog in regard to the subject 
 which interests you, than I am. I would be very 
 glad to help you if I could, but it is utterly out of 
 my power." 
 
 She was looking earnestly at him with those 
 intense black eyes. " Are you not a Christian, 
 then?" she asked at last, and he detected the 
 note of grave surprise in her voice. 
 
 " I can not lay the slightest claim to any such 
 title." 
 
 A moment of silence, then there came one of 
 those long, desolate sighs, peculiar to the girl, as 
 she said : " I beg your pardon ; I find I am sur 
 prised. I think I believed that all physicians 
 understood these things ; they deal so continually 
 with sickness and trouble, and so often come in 
 contact with death, that it seemed natural." She 
 was so pale, so sad, so desolate, that he could not 
 bring himself to be willing to go away without an 
 attempt to help her. 
 
 " You certainly know of one person who could 
 afford you all the help you may need," he said, 
 kindly. "Has not your friend Mrs. Holmes made 
 it apparent that this subject stands first in her 
 thoughts?"
 
 ONE ASKS EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS. 303 
 
 "I know she could help me," Madeline said, 
 quickly, "but I do not expect her to-day; she was 
 here yesterday, and it is a long walk, you know. 
 I have been thinking about this all the morning, 
 and I suppose it is because I am sick and weak, 
 but it seemed to me that I could not wait until 
 to-morrow ; I wanted to know some things right 
 away. 
 
 "That at least is a common condition with sick 
 people," he said, smiling, and trying to speak in 
 his usual tone of voice; "what they want, they 
 want immediately, and as I always advocate grati 
 fying them if possible, with your permission I will 
 drive around and bring Mrs. Holmes to you if she 
 is able to come." 
 
 The grateful look he received sent him away at 
 once ; but it is safe to say that Dr. Portland never 
 went on such a peculiar errand before.
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 ONE, LOSES HIS IDENTITY. 
 
 IS she worse?" was Mrs. Holmes instant and 
 troubled question. 
 
 "Not at all; on the contrary, she is better 
 to-day than I have yet found her ; that is, her 
 pulse is stronger and there is a steady improve 
 ment in all directions." 
 
 "Then, is it any thing of importance, doctor, 
 any thing which will not do as well to-morrow ? 
 Because I have promised to help Mrs. Stetson 
 this afternoon with a little domestic matter, if I 
 can, and " 
 
 The doctor interrupted gravely : " I consider it 
 very important that you spend the next hour with 
 Miss Hurst, if possible; I have reason to think 
 that in your judgment domestic matters of all 
 sorts will sink into the background before the sub 
 ject about which she wishes to consult you ; and 
 invalids must not be crossed, unless there is an 
 imperative reason." 
 
 " I will go at once," said Mrs. Holmes. It was 
 
 34
 
 ONE, LOSES HIS IDENTITY. 305 
 
 evident that his gravity and reticence troubled 
 her. Since he had no explanation to make, she 
 set about studying out one for herself and pres 
 ently asked a question in line with her troubled 
 thoughts. 
 
 " Dr. Portland, do you know a Mr. Arson ? 
 And if so, what do you know of him ? " 
 
 " Mr. N. S. Arson ? I know him quite as well 
 as I care to, and I know no good of him. May I 
 ask why he is a subject of interest to you ? " 
 
 "There are several reasons why," she answered 
 in distress. " Can you tell me what to do with a 
 foolish child who knows almost nothing of the 
 world, when a bad man deliberately sets out to 
 deceive her, and gains such an influence that she 
 will believe his word rather than your own ? " 
 
 " Mrs. Holmes, you can not be speaking of that 
 scoundrel in connection with Madeline Hurst!" 
 
 " No, I am not speaking of Madeline Hurst," 
 Mrs. Holmes said quickly, but with heightened 
 color; she felt that there were complications 
 between those two which justified her in think 
 ing anxiously about them, but she had no right 
 to speak. 
 
 " I beg your pardon," said the doctor in his 
 usual tone ; " I was surprised into asking ques 
 tions which do not concern me. As to your 
 query, it is not an easy one to answer; though I 
 think if the motive for doing so was imperative, I
 
 306 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 could convince any girl who had common-sense 
 enough to make it worth while to try to save her, 
 that Mr. Arson is an utterly rotten hearted young 
 man." 
 
 "I must talk with you further," said Mrs. 
 Holmes anxiously; "I may need your help, 
 though I hardly know how to secure you a chance 
 to give it." 
 
 By this time they were in front of the Hurst 
 home again, and Dr. Portland was giving his com 
 panion a parting charge after this fashion : " I 
 look to you to see that my patient is not over 
 strained in any direction to-day. She is morbid 
 and needs soothing ; remember that cheerfulness, 
 and a removal as far as possible, of all sources of 
 disquietude are very important in her case." 
 
 Mrs. Hurst was looking out of her dining-room 
 window; her sewing woman, Miss Pauline Skimp- 
 son, being seated at the sewing machine near 
 her. That young woman stayed the rattle of the 
 machine to hear her employer s remarks. "Here 
 he comes again ! and Mrs. Holmes with him ; I 
 knew he would find some excuse for having a 
 visit with her. The way those two go on, mak 
 ing a cat s-paw of Mad to do it, is a sight to 
 behold ! Not a day passes but they meet here, or 
 on the street, or somewhere, and go sauntering off 
 together ; or else he takes her riding. I think it 
 is simply disgraceful ! "
 
 ONE, LOSES HIS IDENTITY. 307 
 
 "Is she a widow?" questioned Miss Skimpson, 
 straining her eyes to get a better view. 
 
 "A widow! No; but I suppose she thinks she 
 will-be, before long. I d try to have decency 
 enough to wait until my husband was buried, at 
 least! He s got consumption, they say, and she 
 leaves him to take care of himself the best way he 
 can, and gallivants off with Dr. Portland. Lovely 
 associates they are for Mad ! They go on about 
 her in a way to make one sick, just for the sake 
 of having a meeting-place. Mad thinks they are 
 angels, of course ; girls of her stamp are always 
 fools, and don t know when they are being used 
 simply as blinds. I tell Mr. Hurst that I have 
 had about enough of it. We are used to being 
 decent, if we haven t as much money as some." 
 
 You are not to suppose, from this, and certain 
 other exhibitions of character, that Mrs. Hurst 
 was the embodiment of all evil. On the contrary 
 she had some admirable qualities. In the church 
 to which she belonged she was considered in her 
 line a most estimable woman ; nobody could work 
 harder than she, in getting up church fairs, sup 
 pers, sociables and what not ? Even scrubbing, 
 and that which seems to some women more hate 
 ful work still dish-washing, could be heroically 
 accomplished by this small woman whenever it 
 was for the benefit of the church ; and as for cake, 
 she was simply in her element when managing
 
 308 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 that. It was said of her by one enthusiastic 
 young woman that she could make an angel cake 
 which was "perfectly heavenly." And a sullen, 
 sour-visaged man who had come into unpleasant 
 contact with her, was heard to remark that it 
 must be because she was a fallen angel, and had 
 lost all traces of the angelic, save that which had 
 to do with cake ! Nevertheless, as I say, Mrs. 
 Hurst had her circle of friends, and was in some 
 respects a well-meaning woman. That she did 
 not like to work at home, that she did eagerly 
 long to keep up appearances in society beyond 
 her means, that she took unreasoning and violent 
 prejudices against certain persons, and could see 
 no good in any thing they might say or do, and 
 that she was painfully careless in the use of her 
 tongue, were faults which those who knew her 
 well, sneered at, or sighed over, according to 
 their several dispositions. Very often there was 
 no "malice aforethought" in her careless words. 
 For instance, she had by no means planned to 
 make the astounding statements against Mrs. 
 Holmes and Dr. Portland which I have repeated. 
 She simply disliked them both ; chiefly because 
 she fancied that they held themselves above her, 
 and chose to patronize her sister-in-law. The 
 sight of them together suggested the thought 
 that she had seen them often together at her 
 house, and although no one knew better than
 
 ONE, LOSES HIS IDENTITY. 309 
 
 she, the occasion which had called them, and the 
 imperative need for their presence, given such 
 a woman as Mrs. Hurst, and the inference she 
 imagined herself drawing, was to be expected. 
 Perhaps it was well for her that not one of the 
 persons interested suspected for a moment that 
 such thoughts were being evolved. Even Made 
 line, who knew her brother s wife well, or thought 
 she did, had no conception of such a train of 
 thought as this. 
 
 Dr. Portland having left his charge, drove to 
 the stables where his horses were kept and left 
 them. He had other calls to make, but they 
 were not imperative, and for some reason which 
 he could not have defined, he felt that the soli 
 tude of his own room was necessary to him for a 
 time. He seemed to himself to have received a 
 shock which somehow disturbed the foundations 
 of his unbelief, if those terms may be used 
 together. Down deep in his heart were other 
 questions, also taking vague form and apparently 
 trying to reach the surface and disturb him. He 
 dimly felt that some time, perhaps in the near 
 future, there were matters which he must squarely 
 face and settle. To-day he wanted rather to get 
 away from them, and could not trust himself to 
 drive along the quiet roads and think. He would 
 read, he would study, he would write; in some 
 way, for a time at least he would get rid of him-
 
 3IO HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 self. He did none of the things thus planned. 
 Seated in the outer office waiting for him was a 
 middle-aged man, clean shaven, decently dressed, 
 with his gray hair combed carefully back, reveal 
 ing a forehead which suggested a different type of 
 face from what those who had seen him when the 
 unkempt hair lay heavy upon it, had imagined. 
 He arose respectfully on the doctor s entrance, 
 and waited, while that gentleman bowed as to a 
 stranger, and stared, and at last spoke. 
 
 "Joe, upon my word! At first I did not know 
 you. Why, man, if a clean shave and a clean 
 collar make such a difference to everybody, I 
 wonder why in the name of sense haven t you 
 tried such simple experiments before ? People 
 who do not observe closely would never dream 
 that you were old Joe Carpenter." 
 
 The old man shook his head with a grave smile 
 on his face. 
 
 "I ain t," he said simply. "They d be right; 
 I ain t old Joe Carpenter any more. That is, I 
 ain t and I am. I don t understand it any more 
 than you do ; and as for being surprised you can t 
 begin to have as much of that feeling as I have. 
 Wait till you ve lived with yourself for nigh on to 
 fifty years, and been well acquainted all that time, 
 and suddenly find out that while you ve got the 
 same hair and eyes and all them things left, the 
 part that is you yourself, and has been for as long
 
 ONE, LOSES HIS IDENTITY. 31 1 
 
 as you can remember, is gone ! Then you ll know 
 what it means to be astonished." 
 
 There was not the slightest attempt at fun in 
 Joe s manner ; on the contrary, he was perfectly 
 grave and thoughtful. It was evident that he had 
 passed through some experience which had aston 
 ished and bewildered himself. The doctor waited 
 curiously, extremely uncertain what to say next, 
 and old Joe after a moment s silence continued 
 respectfully : " I ask your pardon, doctor, for wait 
 ing here for you; I ain t no errand that is, 
 nobody is sick ; but I felt as though I wanted to 
 tell you that you was right, exactly right. It all 
 come to pass, and more ! It is a great deal more 
 than you made me understand, though I suppose 
 that is because I was dumb, and you likely knew 
 what you were talking about." 
 
 "Sit down," said Dr. Portland, "and explain 
 your riddle. I am the one who is dumb now ; I 
 don t in the least know what you are talking 
 about. Have you been mesmerized, or what is 
 the matter ? " 
 
 " I don t exactly know the name to call it by, 
 doctor, and I don t know as I ever could explain 
 it, anyhow ; it is enough for me to feel it ; but I 
 allowed that you would understand. You told 
 me, you remember, about that Power which could 
 get hold of even a poor shack like me, and make 
 me over, so that the things I hankered after once,
 
 312 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 I wouldn t even want. That wasn t your way of 
 putting it, you know, but I figured that out of it ; 
 especially when you reminded me of my mother, 
 and the way she used to talk and think. It got 
 hold of me that day like something I hadn t heard 
 since mother used to pray, in the old kitchen, 
 with me kneeling down just across from her and 
 wishing she would get through. She s been long 
 gone, doctor, but I kind of felt that day, as 
 though she hadn t got through yet; as though 
 them prayers was following me, and saying over 
 to me what you had just said! Well, I can t 
 tell it, only I ve proved it, doctor, and it holds 
 good. He got hold of me; I don t know how; I 
 don t know how He came to think it was worth 
 while, but He just took and did it, and here I 
 am ! " 
 
 The look of half-amused half-amazed incredulity 
 upon the doctor s face would have made a study 
 for an artist. "So I perceive," he said in 
 response to Joe s last words; "but the question 
 is, what do you mean ? Am I to understand 
 that you have reformed given up drinking?" 
 
 "It has given me up," said Joe with infinite 
 gravity. "I didn t do it ; I could no more give it 
 up than I could lay clown this arm of mine on 
 your table and go off and leave it here. I tried 
 that time and again, just as I told you; but when 
 He got a hold of me it was another thing ! Don t
 
 ONE, LOSES HIS IDENTITY. 313 
 
 ask me to explain it, because I can t do it; I don t 
 know nothing about the way, or the how, or any 
 of them things ; all I know is that I went home 
 that evening after you took me the ride, and I 
 went out to the shed where we keep our wood 
 and things, and I got down on my knees, and says 
 I : " Here I be, Lord ; I don t know how to pray ; 
 I didn t learn how when mother wanted me to, 
 down in her kitchen nigh onto forty years ago; 
 and I m a drunkard ; they ve called me that for 
 maybe a dozen years now ; I never let on that I 
 know it, but I do; and I can t stop drinking, any 
 more than I can fly over the steeple; I ve tried 
 it oftener than any of em think, and I know ; 
 and I ve heard them that knows, say so. It is 
 a physical impossibility for that fellow to stop, 
 says old Dr. Parsons, once; he s diseased his 
 will-power so that he can t do it. I heard 
 him speak them very words, and I believe them, 
 because I ve tried it ; but says I, here s another 
 doctor who has been talking to me to-day, and he 
 believes the same thing, but he believes some 
 thing else, and so did his mother, and so did 
 mine ; he believes that you ve got a kind of a 
 power by which you can get a hold of worthless 
 shacks like me, and turn us around so that we 
 will hate the things we like now. Says I, if I 
 could hate whiskey, there d be some hope of me 
 maybe; but I don t and I can t, Now if you will
 
 3 14 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 take a hold of this and help me out, there ain t 
 any thing I wouldn t be willing to do the rest of 
 my life to show how grateful I be. That was 
 about it, doctor, something like that, you know. 
 Well, sir, He did it ! Don t ask me how. Things 
 wasn t any different that night, so far as I know. 
 I stayed around the house a spell, and got some 
 supper and went to bed early ; I had no kind of 
 a notion of any thing having happened. I didn t 
 say a word to Mis Carpenter about not drinking 
 any more; I d told her so a hundred times, and 
 she didn t believe it, and I didn t blame her a 
 mite for it, either. It wasn t possible, you see, 
 for anybody to believe it, the facts contradicted 
 it ; well, all I knew this time was, that I meant to 
 do my share ; it is an everlasting little mean 
 share, says I to myself, and it don t amount to 
 shucks so far as I am concerned, for I ve tried it ; 
 but maybe it will amount to something with Him ; 
 because, if he knows everything, He knows what 
 a worthless old hulk, and physical impossibility 
 I am ; and perhaps all that he asks is my mis 
 erable little best and not somebody else s that 
 hasn t spoiled their chance. And I stuck to that 
 notion. It was there when I woke up in the 
 morning, and it went off down street with me, 
 past eleven saloons ; yes, sir, past em, and I had 
 a nickel in my pocket too ! It wa n t will, because 
 all the will I had was to do my sneaking little
 
 ONE, LOSES HIS IDENTITY. 315 
 
 best, and I knew what that would amount to if it 
 was left to itself; but it wasn t left ! " 
 
 No description on paper will give you an idea 
 of Joe s impressiveness as he reached this point 
 in his story. 
 
 "No, sir, it wasn t left! I hadn t any hanker 
 ing after them eleven saloons ! I don t know 
 why! I don t understand it; He does, and I m 
 thankful enough to let Him manage; and I just 
 come in to tell you you were right, and no 
 mistake."
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 ONE "RE-ENLISTS." 
 
 WHAT possible reply was there for a man 
 like Dr. Portland to make? That the 
 Joe Carpenter who sat before him was entirely 
 unlike any Joe Carpenter of his previous acquaint 
 ance was evident. That the mere letting alone of 
 intoxicating liquors for the space of three weeks 
 could work such a change seemed improbable ; 
 that there was a mysterious change possible to 
 human beings which the superstitious called "con 
 version," this doctor did not believe; that Joe 
 Carpenter had force of will enough to carry him 
 through such a physical crisis as would be neces 
 sary to him in attempting to give up the use of 
 liquors, he also did not believe. I hope you see 
 where his logic carried him. In order to adhere 
 to his preconceived notions, was it going to be 
 necessary to deny the evidence of his eyes and 
 ears ? 
 
 " So you think, Joe, that the struggle is over, 
 arid that you can go where you please and do
 
 ONE RE-ENLISTS. 31? 
 
 what you please and be all right, now that some 
 mysterious power has gotten hold of you. Is that 
 it ? " 
 
 Joe looked gravely surprised, and somewhat 
 disappointed. 
 
 "Why, no," he said, "that ain t it at all; I told 
 you I couldn t explain, though being you started 
 me, I thought maybe you would understand. I 
 promised, you see, to do my weak little best ; and 
 my best of course will be to keep out of the way 
 of em, and let em alone if I can. The trouble 
 has always been, before, that I couldn t ; not that 
 I didn t mean to; and I don t know what He did 
 to me to make me able to do it, but now I can ; 
 or He can, it ain t me ; it is something that has 
 got hold of me and ain t going to let go again ; 
 that s what I believe. You understand it, don t 
 you ? You are one of them kind, ain t you ? " 
 
 It is impossible to convey to you the depth of 
 wistfulness in Joe s voice. Dr. Portland actually 
 winced under it ; for the second time that day 
 must he disappoint a friend by owning to the 
 poverty of his own nature ? 
 
 Joe was waiting anxiously for his answer ; and 
 with those earnest eyes looking into his, he could 
 not decide how to evade the question. 
 
 "What kind do you mean?" he asked with a 
 half laugh ; " I have not a very well-defined knowl 
 edge of my own beliefs, I am afraid."
 
 3l8 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 Joe was not to be so easily turned aside from 
 his purpose. " I mean one of the kind that my 
 mother was, and your mother ; and that woman 
 you told me about at Stetson s. You belong to 
 em, don t you?" 
 
 "I can not lay claim to the sort of relationship 
 which you demand, Joe; though there is a sense 
 in which I trust I belong to them." 
 
 "Well, now, I am beat!" declared Joe, per 
 plexed and grave. "You see after I come to 
 know that the thing was true, I says to myself, 
 scholars and them kind have known this all the 
 while, and have lived by it ; it is only poor fools 
 like old Joe the drunkard that have thrown away 
 such splendid chances. And I thought sure you 
 was one of em. Why, how come you to start me, 
 if you ain t ?" 
 
 Dr. Portland s advantages as a Bible student in 
 his youth had been good ; there were verses which 
 often trooped about him, arresting his thought 
 whether he would or not ; for the moment it was 
 as if he were back in the old weather-beaten 
 school-house where the Sabbath School of his 
 childhood gathered, and saw himself rattling glibly 
 off to the great comfort of his teacher, this verse 
 among others : " Lest that by any means when I 
 have preached to others, I myself should be a 
 castaway." 
 
 " Have you told anyone of this experience?"
 
 ONE RE-ENLISTS. 3IQ 
 
 asked the doctor, ignoring the question, and look 
 ing curiously at his guest, as he wondered how 
 others accounted for the strange change in him. 
 
 "Not yet, doctor only Mis Carpenter, of 
 course ; and she don t believe in it ; I don t blame 
 her a mite; she s had experience with me, you 
 see. But the way to do is to tell it, I know that. 
 There s a prayer-meeting at the church to-night, 
 and I ve about made up my mind to go. I dunno 
 as I shall say anything, I dunno as it would be 
 proper; what do you think?" He stopped and 
 eyed his listener anxiously. The doctor laughed ; 
 this interview certainly had the ludicrous side. 
 
 " I do not know, I am sure," he said, "I am not 
 posted in regard to such matters ; but I should 
 imagine that a prayer-meeting would be an 
 exceedingly proper place for such a story as you 
 have been telling me." 
 
 "Oh, I won t say all that!" said Joe, hastily, 
 "I couldn t, you know; standing up, and different 
 folks listening ! But I thought maybe I ought to 
 stand up, and say the Lord has found me, or 
 something like that. I remember they used to 
 have such meetings when I was a boy and men 
 and women and children talked ; do they do that 
 way now ? " 
 
 " I am not a competent witness, remember ; 
 still I have the impression that it is considered 
 proper for people who have such messages, to
 
 32O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 give them ; I would by all means do so, if I were 
 you; it strikes me that it is a surprising story." 
 
 "Isn t it, now?" said Joe, eagerly, "to think of 
 such a thing coming to me, old Joe Carpenter the 
 drunkard ! I don t wonder at your being sur 
 prised ; you can t be more so than I am." 
 
 Dr. Portland s surprise was increasing every 
 minute. Altogether the day was a marked one in 
 his life. To be interviewed twice in one day, 
 upon a subject of which he was perfectly igno 
 rant, and to have to admit his ignorance, to the 
 astonishment and pain of both questioners, was 
 certainly a strange experience. 
 
 As he walked slowly toward his boarding house, 
 thinking it all over, the conversation which had 
 been held some weeks before in Mrs. Holmes 
 rooms, returned to him. He had himself declared 
 that Mrs. Holmes would have to get hold of old 
 Joe and reform him, in order to save his wife. He 
 remembered with what gravity both Mrs. Holmes 
 and her husband had received this attempt at a 
 joke, and how sure they seemed to be that such 
 an absurdity was possible; and here it was, appar 
 ently accomplished ! An amazing feature of the 
 miracle was, that he seemed to have "begun it," 
 as Joe said. 
 
 What a thing it would be to see the old man 
 in that prayer-meeting ! Certainly there would be 
 a sensation when they saw him, even though he
 
 ONE RE-ENLISTS. 321 
 
 Said not a word. " Mrs. Holmes ought to be pres 
 ent," the doctor told himself, "it would be too bad 
 to have her lose the first sight." He knew that 
 she did not attend the evening meetings; at first 
 she had been unable to leave her husband, and 
 now that he was rapidly convalescing there was 
 no one to accompany her. "She ought to go 
 to-night," declared the doctor, "what if I should 
 complete the day s wonders and take her down? 
 Joe and I together in a prayer-meeting ought to 
 afford excitement enough to keep this town in a 
 whirl for the next six weeks! I ll offer, at least; 
 and I ll not give her the real reason for my disin 
 terestedness, either ; I want to see her face during 
 the first surprise ; she can not have heard of Joe s 
 transformation or she would have mentioned it." 
 
 The more he thought about it, the more fasci 
 nated he became with his scheme, and the hour 
 appointed for prayer-meeting found him really 
 pressing his services upon Mrs. Holmes. 
 
 " I will take you down with pleasure if you 
 would like to go, the evening is charming for a 
 walk ; besides, I don t mind telling you that I 
 know of something going on there to-night which 
 will interest you greatly." 
 
 "I do not doubt that," Mrs. Holmes said with 
 a quiet smile; "it is a long time since I have 
 attended a prayer-meeting where there was not 
 that going on which interested me greatly."
 
 322 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 " Ah ! but I mean something special ; urge her 
 to go, Holmes, it will do her good ; she will 
 regret it afterward if she is not there to-night." 
 
 " I will go," said Mrs. Holmes, " I do not need 
 urging. Thank you for the opportunity; I was 
 trying to plan, this morning, to secure an escort. 
 I thought of Liph and Happy, but not once of 
 you, doctor." 
 
 " Shows how my disinterested efforts at part 
 nership are appreciated," said the doctor, good- 
 humoredly ; he was not prepared for her reply. 
 
 " I do appreciate you, doctor ; I can hardly tell 
 you how much I thank you for coming for me this 
 afternoon. I would not for a great deal have 
 missed the opportunity of seeing and helping 
 Madeline just at the important moment of her life. 
 Do you know it marked a crisis with her more 
 important than the one she passed that night when 
 we both watched over her?" 
 
 " I knew that she was very nervous, and that 
 she and I both thought you might be able to 
 soothe her." 
 
 Mrs. Holmes smiled. "She has discovered a 
 better Helper than I," she said, "One who will 
 see to it that she is soothed by His own strong 
 and tender power hereafter, I trust and believe. 
 Poor Madeline has been wandering over weary 
 places for years, and has but just reached 
 home."
 
 ONE RE-ENLISTS. 323 
 
 Dr. Portland was silent; so much of the talk 
 during this strange day, had been upon things 
 which he could not understand ! During the 
 walk to church he took the lead in conversation, 
 taking care to hold his companion closely to top 
 ics upon which he could lead. She seemed sur 
 prised that he did not make a movement to leave 
 her at the church door. 
 
 "Are you going in?" she asked. 
 
 " Why, certainly ; you did not suppose that 
 I intended you to walk home alone, I trust? I 
 confess that I am on strange ground, but I 
 will endeavor to conduct myself with becoming 
 decorum." 
 
 It was a pleasant room ; too large it is true, to 
 suggest any idea of a family gathering, but that 
 is a fault which must be endured wherever the 
 main audience room of a good-sized church serves 
 also as the gathering-place for the mid-week 
 prayer-meeting. A goodly number of people 
 were present, and to Mrs. Holmes the service 
 was restful and refreshing. She was so entirely 
 a stranger as to be unaware of the special inter 
 est which herself and her companion and one 
 other person were creating. The quiet figure of 
 a decently-dressed, middle-aged man sitting in an 
 obscure corner near one of the doors failed to 
 attract her attention ; it was only when, in one 
 of the pauses of the meeting, he arose and began
 
 324 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 to speak, that she became aware of something 
 quite out of the usual order of exercises. 
 
 "Gentlemen," he said, "and ladies, too, I don t 
 know how to talk in a meeting, but yet I feel that 
 I want to tell you something. You have been 
 talking here to-night about Jesus, the Saviour, 
 and I do certainly know Him ; He found me out 
 and spoke a word of power to me three weeks 
 ago ; I feel in my heart it will last forever ; and 
 I can t help feeling that I ought to get up and 
 tell these friends about it. It is a great thing to 
 be able to save any body so low down as old Joe 
 Carpenter the drunkard, and that is what He has 
 done! I don t know how to work for Him, but 
 I want to learn, and I want to ask you all to show 
 me how." 
 
 Some minutes before Joe sat down, Mrs. 
 Holmes, whose face had at first expressed only 
 keen interest and sympathy, changed to bewilder 
 ment, and her eyes finally sought the doctor with 
 such an eager question in them that he could but 
 smile and silently incline his head ; then he, too, 
 felt a swift rush of color in his face, over Joe s 
 next words : 
 
 "And people, there s one other thing I want to 
 say ; him that set me on the track is here 
 to-night. He is a doctor for souls as well as 
 bodies." 
 
 " You are indeed a partner," said Mrs. Holmes,
 
 ONE RE-ENLISTS. 325 
 
 the minute this wonderful meeting was concluded, 
 and she held out her hand to Dr. Portland with a 
 glad light in her eyes. 
 
 "I am a hypocrite per force," he said, with an 
 embarrassed laugh ; "poor Joe is mixed, in more 
 ways than one." 
 
 "Oh, Joe Carpenter!" she said. "Isn t it 
 wonderful ! " 
 
 Evidently Joe thought it was ; he looked about 
 him in puzzled wonder as men and women gath 
 ered around him, holding out their hands, and 
 grasping his with a warmth which was as new to 
 him as it was pleasant. 
 
 "I ve never had no friends," he said, humbly, 
 "not of the kind to call friends, you know, and 
 that ain t strange, for I ain t deserved em ; but 
 it seems dreadful nice to have them ! " 
 
 Life made great strides with Mrs. Holmes dur 
 ing the next few weeks ; she had been plunged 
 into the center of eager, absorbing work; instead 
 of sitting as she had planned, with folded hands 
 waiting for the winter to pass. 
 
 Madeline Hurst had been "re-enlisted," as she 
 termed it. "I was a deserter," she said, "and 
 deserved only punishment ; but I have a wonder 
 ful Saviour." 
 
 The girl was no passive Christian ; she brought 
 to her new life all the force of her intense nature,
 
 326 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 " I have done a great deal of harm," she said to 
 Mrs. Holmes; "I wish I might undo some of it." 
 
 She gained rapidly in health and strength from 
 the day that her decision was made. Dr. Port 
 land looked on at the change, with the air of one 
 who was gratified, but puzzled. Other changes 
 as marked in their way as hers, were in progress. 
 Mrs. Holmes had not been surprised over Made 
 line s decision ; she had prayed for it, worked for 
 it, looked for it to come ; but Hepzibah Smithers 
 was another person ! Yes, she had prayed for her 
 earnestly, and had done what she could to further 
 her own prayers ; but she discovered that her 
 faith had only been equal to hoping that some 
 time, after long and patient effort and teaching, 
 the girl might understand enough to lay hold 
 upon eternal life. That she would actually grasp 
 at the thought conveyed in that first marked 
 verse, and hold on to it and deliberately make the 
 decision on which her eternal future hung, was 
 entirely beyond the reach of this woman s hopes. 
 Yet, as the days went by, it became increasingly 
 evident that a marvelous change had come to 
 Happy. Everybody in the house noticed and 
 commented on it, after their various fashions. 
 Not that it made itself apparent in words ; 
 instead, Happy was quieter than she had ever 
 been ; perhaps its most marked exhibition was 
 her evident painstaking care for the comfort of
 
 ONE RE-ENLISTS. 
 
 others ; her earnest solicitude to do every thing 
 which came within her line of work, as carefully 
 and as swiftly as she could. 
 
 "I have to wash out the dish-towels now," she 
 said to Mrs. Holmes, one day with a smile, "I 
 used to hate to do it, and I got rid of it whenever 
 I could ; and Mis Stetson said they wasn t fit to 
 handle with the tongs ; but now I have to make 
 them as clean as soap-suds and water will do it, 
 because I m doing it for the glory of God. 
 Ain t that queer, though, that I can do such work 
 for Him ! I didn t believe it when you first told 
 me, but it is true; and another thing, Mis 
 Holmes, I used to think it wasn t worth while to 
 be so dreadful particular, but I kind of like to be, 
 now; I like clean things, and I like to rub em, 
 and make em clean." 
 
 Was even this a homely illustration of the law 
 that "human beings grow like the object which 
 they worship"? Was Happy learning to like 
 purity, even in material things, because she had 
 caught a glimpse of infinite purity ? 
 
 Certainly Happy was becoming a blessing in 
 the Stetson boarding-house.
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 THEY ARE LED BY .UNSEEN PATHS. 
 
 THERE came another joyous surprise to Mrs. 
 Holmes. She was called to the parlor one 
 day to see a "nice-looking young fellow"; this 
 was Happy s description of him. 
 
 At the first moment she did not recognize him, 
 and he, on his part seemed lost in amazement and 
 stood staring at her; but his face broke into a 
 smile as at last she exclaimed, "Why, it is Joe 
 Trueman ! " 
 
 "Yes," he said, "and you are Miss Chrissy 
 or, no, I beg your pardon, you are Mrs. Holmes, 
 aren t you ? They told me it was a Mrs. Holmes, 
 but I never thought of its being you ! I did not 
 know you were in this part of the world." 
 
 At last, after a long, eager talk about old 
 friends, Joe came back to business. He was 
 living in Markham, and they had organized a 
 Christian Endeavor Society, and felt that the first 
 important work to be done was to have a Reading 
 328
 
 THEY ARE LED BY UNSEEN PATHS. 329 
 
 Room. The trouble had been in securing a room ; 
 there was only one building suitable, and that, 
 though closed and idle, had been leased by a Mrs. 
 Holmes for six months. Part of Joe s errand to 
 this city was to look up Mrs. Holmes and see if 
 he could sub-lease the room of her for their use. 
 Here, then, was her "bread" which had been 
 "cast upon the waters" but a little while before! 
 Only she had not called it bread, but wasted 
 effort. That "giggling club" which had so 
 haunted her had been caught at last ; some of its 
 leading members, she found by eager questioning, 
 were ready and willing to become active members 
 in the new society. 
 
 "They told me they had heard about it," said 
 Joe, "and that Mrs. Holmes had been anxious to 
 organize one, and that they were ashamed of them 
 selves. But we have had a revival, and things are 
 very different, I think, from what they were when 
 you were there ; any way, we have nine young 
 people who are in earnest ; arid we are going to 
 try what we can do." 
 
 "Well," said Mrs. Holmes, "I will give you the 
 pretty curtains I made for the room. It went to 
 my heart to dismantle it and carry them away. 
 How glad I am that I got it all ready for you, Joe ! 
 But I had not the slightest hope it would ever be 
 used for such a purpose." 
 
 " Isn t it strange," she said to Stuart, after
 
 33O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 describing the visitor and his errand; "father s 
 office boy at work down here, and transforming 
 that giggling club into a Christian Endeavor 
 Society ! Who would have supposed that such a 
 thing could happen ! And our room will be used, 
 after all, for the purpose to which we dedicated it. 
 Life is full of fascinations, Stuart." 
 
 They went one afternoon, she and Stuart, to 
 call on the Carpenters ; it was her husband s first 
 call. The room was as neat as ever, and Mrs. 
 Carpenter looked not a whit less grim ; but the 
 man who sat in neat dress by the open window 
 trying to read, in the fading light, was as unlike 
 as possible to the creature who had lounged in 
 with his pipe, on Mrs. Holmes first visit. 
 
 He welcomed his callers with the air of a 
 gentleman. 
 
 " I was trying to make out the verses we are to 
 talk about in meeting to-night," he explained. 
 "I ve just come in from my work, and was look 
 ing them over and thinking about them a bit." 
 
 "Oh, yes" in answer to Mr. Holmes ques 
 tion; "I ve got steady work, and plenty of it. I 
 used to be a good workman, folks said, and I m 
 getting back my skill a bit, I think. You find us 
 in poor quarters, sir, and that is my fault and 
 nobody s else ; but we ll get into a better place 
 soon. I think by the time our month is up here, 
 we can move. Mis Carpenter don t believe
 
 THEY ARE LED BY UNSEEN PATHS. 33! 
 
 that," he said wistfully, following her with his 
 eyes, as her face broke into that mocking smile 
 which Mrs. Holmes knew so well. She was folding 
 clothes and placing them neatly in a basket ; when 
 she had finished, she unceremoniously left the 
 room. 
 
 Her husband s gaze followed her, still with that 
 wistful look. 
 
 "I don t blame her a mite," he said, "it ain t 
 strange that she thinks I won t hold out ; I never 
 have, you see, and she doesn t know Him, and 
 can t be expected to understand how different it 
 is. If she only knew Him, Mr. Holmes, I might 
 be able to make her happy yet." 
 
 "She will come to know Him, brother," said 
 Mr. Holmes, confidently, "the Lord will let you 
 reflect His image to such a degree that she can 
 not help but know Him. I believe that is to be 
 your work." 
 
 Then Joe Carpenter s face became radiant. 
 
 "Do you think so?" he asked. "God bless 
 you for saying it. I believe I pray that prayer 
 every blessed waking minute ; that, and the 
 prayer for the doctor. He started me, Mr. 
 Holmes, and I can t have him left out." 
 
 "Isn t it disappointing," said Mr. Holmes as 
 they went down the walk together, "that he can 
 not have a wife now who would be a help to 
 him?"
 
 332 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "Do you think it will be possible for him to 
 win her ? " his wife asked ; "you see the trouble is 
 she never loved him ; if she had, her joy now 
 would be almost too great ; but as it is " 
 
 "It is a sad case," said Mr. Holmes, "a sol 
 emn comment on the sin of making a marriage for 
 any reason save the sacred one which God 
 intended. But I can not feel that her life, though 
 she has herself imperiled it, will be allow.ed to be 
 all wasted. God is very good, as Madeline is 
 fond of saying." 
 
 "Did you notice how neat every thing looked?" 
 asked Mrs. Holmes. " Stuart, that scheme of 
 which you and I were talking a few weeks ago, 
 would be just the place for Mrs. Carpenter. 
 What a comfort she would be in it ! She has a 
 genius for housekeeping ; and think how rapidly 
 Happy would learn under such tuition as she 
 could give ! " 
 
 "And think how unhappy Mrs. Stetson would 
 be without Happy, my dear." 
 
 "I know it," she said, "it cannot be done, of 
 course, because we must not desert poor Mrs. 
 Stetson ; though I do not think she will ever 
 know how to manage a boarding-house ; but she 
 must live, and we must help her. And we could 
 not leave poor Liph, either. Oh, Stuart, what is 
 going to reach Liph ! I am afraid he grows daily 
 worse,"
 
 THEY ARE LED BY UNSEEN PATHS. 333 
 
 "I do not know," he said with infinite gravity, 
 "but I have a feeling that something or somebody 
 will. Liph has been my burden even since I first 
 saw him. I have not been directed to give him 
 up; I am not willing to do so." 
 
 " I know such a pleasant house for the experi 
 ment," Mrs. Holmes said, returning to the subject 
 after a moment s silence; "it is down on Seventh 
 Street in a central location ; a large, old-fashioned 
 rambling house which could be made so pleasant 
 and home-like. How charmingly Madeline and I 
 could arrange the rooms ! She has very nice 
 taste, and she would be happy in such a place. 
 But we must not talk of it, nor think of it, on 
 account of Mrs. Stetson. It would break her 
 heart, I am afraid. Poor Madeline!" The sen 
 tence closed with a sigh, as sentences referring to 
 Madeline were apt to do. Life was by no means 
 rose-color to that young woman. Her sister-in- 
 law, relieved from the terror which had been upon 
 her over the apparent approach of death, and pro- 
 voked by the daily increasing intimacy between 
 Madeline and Mrs. Holmes, an intimacy in which 
 she almost of necessity had no share, was doing 
 what she could to plant thorns in the girl s path 
 way, and succeeding only too well. The very self- 
 control which Madeline struggled for seemed at 
 times to add to Mrs. Hurst s vexation ; and as the 
 former had by no means attained perfection, the
 
 334 HEk ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 occasions were frequent in which the self-control 
 was utterly lost and she spoke words which sent 
 her afterward to her room in a perfect abandon 
 of shame and grief. As the days passed, an 
 added source of trouble was laid before the tried 
 girl. Mrs. Hurst s watchful eyes discovered that 
 Mr. Arson came no more to the house; that he 
 had, in fact, made but one call since Madeline was 
 pronounced well, although his attentions during 
 her illness had been marked. 
 
 "I just believe he is offended," Mrs. Hurst 
 complained to her husband ; " I don t wonder, I am 
 sure. The way that doctor runs here is a disgrace 
 to us as a family. What could Mr. Arson think 
 but that he came to see Mad ? Of course he can 
 not be expected to know that the fellow is run 
 ning after a married woman and only using Mad 
 as an excuse." 
 
 "I don t suppose there is any great disgrace in 
 having a man like Dr. Portland call on a young 
 woman," Mr. Hurst would reply doggedly. "I 
 don t know why Nick Arson need think himself 
 injured by such a thing." 
 
 "Yes, there would be disgrace; men like Dr. 
 Portland don t keep company with a poor girl 
 like Mad, except to amuse themselves for a little 
 while." 
 
 "Look here," said Mr. Hurst, his brows dark 
 ening, "seems to me you forget who you are talk-
 
 THEY ARE LED BY UNSEEN PATHS. 335 
 
 ing about. I don t know but my sister is as 
 good as the best of them." 
 
 "Oh, now, don t be a simpleton! Of course 
 she is good enough, but you know as well as I do 
 how people look at such things ; she is nothing 
 but a poor girl, with no prospects, and in poor 
 health at that ; a man like Dr. Portland isn t 
 going to be such a fool as to notice her ; for that 
 matter he hasn t thought of such a thing; he is 
 too much absorbed in playing his game with that 
 Holmes woman ; but I don t feel so sure of Mad, 
 and if she loses Nick Arson by carrying on a one 
 sided flirtation with the doctor, I think it will be 
 too bad ! Nick will be a rich man one of these 
 days, and he seems to be in real earnest ; he was 
 very attentive when she was sick. I should think 
 you would talk to Mad and bring her to reason." 
 
 George Hurst was in no mood to interfere, and 
 said so, plainly ; whereupon "Mrs. Hurst decided 
 to interfere herself, and was overwhelmed with 
 the result. Madeline made no attempt to soften 
 the fact that she had broken entirely and forever 
 with Mr. Arson ; and, being angrily cross-ques 
 tioned, was obliged to admit that very plain words 
 had passed between them ; he had " even asked 
 her to marry him ! " as Mrs. Hurst put it, in high- 
 keyed, indignant tones, and had been refused ! 
 She did not know what excuse Mad could have 
 for her insulting behavior ; flirting with a man
 
 336 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 for six months, leading him on in every possible 
 way, then turning the cold shoulder to him all at 
 once. Upon this point Madeline was reserved ; 
 she had strong reasons, certainly, but some of 
 them she knew, only too well, her questioner 
 would not appreciate, and others of them it was 
 perhaps due to Mr. Arson that she be silent 
 about. Still, of course, some answer must be 
 given, and the quiet one, that she had not for Mr. 
 Arson the feeling which would alone make mar 
 riage possible, only called forth a sneer. 
 
 "It is a pity you could not have found it out 
 before ! I suppose you are so struck with that 
 idiot of a doctor that you can not think about any 
 one else. I declare I did not know even you 
 could be such a fool ! " 
 
 After that, Madeline fled from the room, unable 
 to trust herself longer. 
 
 This is but a hint of the trials she was called 
 upon to endure, because of Mrs. Hurst s indus 
 trious tongue. The next outburst was caused by 
 the discovery that Liph Stetson walked home 
 with Madeline one evening, and that she lingered 
 long at the door talking with him. Poor Liph 
 was one of the persons whom Madeline longed to 
 help. " He seems almost as friendless as I was 
 myself," she said to Mrs. Holmes, with a signifi 
 cant smile; "if I could only help him to find the 
 One who has taken hold of me!"
 
 THEY ARE LED BY UNSEEN PATHS. 33 / 
 
 She found Liph more ready to listen than she 
 had supposed he would be, and the time seemed 
 shorter to her than it did to Mrs. Hurst, who was 
 waiting in a fever of indignation for her coming. 
 
 "A pretty time of night for a sick girl!" she 
 said ; "it struck ten half an hour ago." 
 
 "Poh!" said her husband, "it is not ten min 
 utes since the clock struck. What is the use in 
 bothering over Mad all the time as though she 
 wasn t old enough to take care of herself?" 
 
 "Old enough! Some people never get old 
 enough to have any sense. Do you call it 
 decency for her to hang around the front door 
 with a loafer like Liph Stetson ? That was the 
 one she has been talking to this half hour; I can 
 see him as plain as day, in the moonlight ; that is 
 just like Mad, wild after the boys, if she can t get 
 those of her station, she will take up with a street 
 rough." 
 
 "That is all stuff," said Mr. Hurst, irritably, 
 " Liph Stetson is nothing but a boy ; and as for 
 being a street rough, I never heard of his doing 
 any harm to anybody but himself." 
 
 Nevertheless Mrs. Hurst repeated her charges 
 to Madeline the next morning, ringing the changes 
 on the unfortunate occurrence of the night before, 
 until the girl lost every vestige of her newly- 
 acquired self-control, and after saying many words 
 which would have been better left unsaid, fled to
 
 338 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 her room in such a passion, first of rage, and then 
 of remorse, that it took hours to recover from its 
 effects. 
 
 Mrs. Holmes had many troubled thoughts 
 about her; and between times, had much worry 
 ing to do on Happy s account. Mr. Arson, foiled 
 in one direction, apparently resolved to do all the 
 mischief he could in another, and was fairly turn 
 ing the girl s head with his attentions. In her 
 perplexity, Mrs. Holmes finally sought counsel 
 with Dr. Portland. 
 
 " You said you thought you could convince a 
 girl who was worth convincing, of the worthless- 
 ness of Mr. Arson s character. I do not know 
 whether you will be willing to include my poor 
 little Happy in such a list, though she is an hon 
 est, good-intentioned girl, and Jesus Christ will be 
 able to make her fit for His presence some day; 
 but in the meantime she is in peril. Mr. Arson is 
 doing what he can to deceive her; of course his 
 sole motive is amusement, but that she can not 
 be expected to understand. Is there anything we 
 can do ? " 
 
 "Yes," he said with darkening face; "I can do 
 something, and will. I will say that to the fellow 
 to-morrow, which will prevent him, I think, from 
 troubling your proteges further. I am sorry I had 
 forgotten about it ; I meant to inquire as to your 
 wishes, when you spoke of it before, but other
 
 THEY ARE LED BY UNSEEN PATHS. 339 
 
 matters drew my thoughts away. I wish I could 
 so easily see my way toward helping another 
 friend of yours, Mrs. Holmes. I mean Miss 
 Hurst," he added, as she waited inquiringly; "do 
 you realize, I wonder, what a life she leads with 
 that woman ? " 
 
 "I know something of it," Mrs. Holmes said, 
 "and imagine more; poor child! I think of her 
 a great deal and wonder how I can help; I do not 
 see my way clear as yet ; if it were spring, perhaps 
 
 and yet I do not know if it were not for Mrs. 
 Stetson, but" then she stopped, and laughed 
 over the half statements she had been making, 
 which really told nothing. It was annoying to 
 her to see how her thoughts would return to a 
 large, rambling old-fashioned house, where a 
 happy family might be gathered, if only and 
 that was as far as her plans could reach. 
 
 "I consider myself blocked," she said to her 
 husband, laughing. "That persists in looking like 
 the next step to take, and yet we cannot take it. 
 We could not leave poor Mrs. Stetson now ; and if 
 we could, we should lose all chance of benefiting 
 poor Liph ; still, we are not doing him any good ; 
 I wonder if there is nothing that will reach him?" 
 For "poor Liph " persisted in making steady head 
 way on the downward road during those days of 
 better things for some. 
 
 They talked it over, and shook their heads, and
 
 34O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 wondered what could be done, and declared in 
 their wisdom that there was really nothing to be 
 done, and all the while the chief Shepherd was 
 looking out for His stray sheep, and planning the 
 call which should win him homeward. It came in 
 a most unexpected way, as so many calls do come, 
 by the door of suffering. To the dwellers in Mrs. 
 Stetson s home it looked like dire calamity and 
 nothing else, when there came a morning in which 
 she did not appear in the kitchen, and it was 
 announced that she was sick. Not sick enough, 
 apparently, to rouse anxiety, but simply to bring 
 more discomfort than usual. Mrs. Holmes came 
 bravely to the rescue, with such success, so far as 
 the table was concerned, that several of the 
 boarders hinted among themselves that the land 
 lady s illness was a blessing in disguise. But this 
 was only temporary comfort, of course ; before the 
 next nightfall it became necessary to hold a coun 
 cil as to what could be done. Mrs. Stetson was 
 not better, but rather worse. " She is simply 
 worn out," Mrs. Holmes said, "she needs a 
 long rest, and I cannot plan how she is to get 
 it." 
 
 "There is one way which must not be planned," 
 her husband answered with decision. "Whatever 
 may be said of your ability, you certainly haven t 
 the required strength to conduct a boarding-house ; 
 you were quite worn out last night."
 
 THEY ARE LED BY UNSEEN PATHS. 34 1 
 
 " But Stuart, what can be done ? If her boarders 
 leave her and find other places, the poor woman s 
 means of support will be gone. We must man 
 age in some way so as not to allow that. Oh ! 
 I wonder if somebody could not induce Mrs. 
 Carpenter to come to the rescue for a few days ? 
 It would be no harder than washing and iron 
 ing ; and her husband could take his meals 
 here." 
 
 "You are a genius," said Mr. Holmes, smiling. 
 " I will myself undertake to bring that to pass. 
 I will call upon the lady this morning; that will 
 be a good limit for my morning walk." 
 
 It came to pass that this plan worked to a 
 charm ; what Mrs. Holmes or Dr. Portland would 
 probably have been coldly denied, Mr. Holmes 
 talent for managing people accomplished so swiftly, 
 that before noon of the third day, Mrs. Carpenter 
 was making swift moves through the Stetson 
 kitchen, the like of which Happy had never seen 
 before. 
 
 For two days more there was something like 
 comfort in the house ; then another want made 
 itself manifest. Mrs. Stetson, who had bitterly 
 deprecated the trouble she was making, and 
 assured her self-appointed nurse each day that 
 "to-morrow she was going to get up and go about 
 her business, confessed on the fifth day that there 
 "wa n t more strength to her than there was to a
 
 342 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 wilted cabbage leaf," and she didn t know what 
 was to become of her. It was then that Dr. Port 
 land was permitted to come up and make "just a 
 friendly call." He looked grave and professional 
 when he came away.
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 ONE OF THEM GOES HOME. 
 
 IT is going to be a long, slow business," he 
 explained to Mrs. Holmes, who had followed 
 him out; "the woman is, as she says, all tuck 
 ered out. She has a slow, wearying fever, and 
 is broken clown in numberless ways ; she needs 
 care and patience and much petting." 
 
 "I will take care of her," urged Mrs. Holmes. 
 " She is really very little care ; she lies quiet a 
 great deal of the time." 
 
 Both gentlemen shook their heads, the husband 
 in a peremptory manner. "It is of no use, 
 Chrissy," he said decidedly, in answer to her 
 look, " I will be as reasonable as possible, but any 
 more wholesale nursing I can not permit ; it has 
 been one of my drawbacks toward gaining health, 
 the persistency with which I was tempted to 
 worry about you. As for undertaking another 
 case so soon after mine, it is not to be thought 
 of. Mrs. Stetson needs a nurse." 
 
 343
 
 344 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "Oh, Stuart, the idea! The very mention of it 
 would make her frantic ; she would suppose her 
 self much worse than she is, arid the thought of 
 the expense would trouble her; besides, where is 
 a nurse to be had ? " 
 
 "She needs me," said a firm voice in the back 
 ground, and Madeline Hurst pushed wider the 
 door of the dining-room and entered. 
 
 " I heard your last words," she said smiling in 
 answer to their surprise ; " I came to know if there 
 was not something I could do to help. Mrs. Stet 
 son was very kind, when I was sick ; there is 
 nothing to prevent my spending both days and 
 nights with her if she will let me; and I think I 
 know by this time just what sick people want." 
 Mrs. Holmes expected that the doctor would 
 object to this, on the score of Madeline s health ; 
 but somewhat to her surprise he pronounced it an 
 excellent plan. " For the clays," he explained, "as 
 to nights we will try to have our patient sleep 
 quietly so that all she will need will be Happy, 
 on a couch near at hand in case of any thing 
 unexpected. I do not imagine that she is going 
 to be very ill; there will be hours during the day 
 when she may be safely left to the sleep which 
 she needs." So it came to pass that the house 
 hold, thus re-organized, settled with remarkable 
 celerity into its new grooves and ran smoothly. 
 Outside the sick-room, absolute comfort reigned,
 
 ONE OF THEM GOES HOME. 345 
 
 The boarders were one and all delighted with the 
 change, and one of the more unfeeling declared 
 that while he wished the landlady no harm, he 
 thought it would be decidedly for her benefit to 
 keep her bed for a year or two. Happy con 
 fided to Mrs. Holmes that Mis Carpenter moved 
 awful swift and was kind of glum, but for all that 
 she wa n t onreasonable, and they got along first 
 rate ; and that the way the boarders treated that 
 old Joe was real nice to see ; there wa n t one of 
 em but seemed to be interested in his keepin 
 right. Be it remarked in passing, that Happy 
 excepted one who had gone from the house, and 
 the city. Whatever Ur. Portland s "word" had 
 been which he promised to speak, it had been 
 strangely effective in relieving them not only 
 from Mr. Arson s attentions but his presence. 
 For a day or two after his departure, Mrs. 
 Holmes wondered curiously, somewhat anxiously, 
 whether Happy s heart had gone away with him. 
 She questioned, one day, with a view to discov 
 ering. "Why, yes," said Happy, with a kind of 
 slow gravity, " I miss the things he used to say 
 to me ; they sounded nice, and I ain t had no 
 great of friends, ever ; but Dr. Portland says he 
 didn t mean a word he said, and I don t s pose he 
 did. I don t s pose it would have made any dif 
 ference if he had ; I ain t wanted him to say nice 
 things to me since the night he told me a lie,"
 
 346 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "Did he do that?" Mrs. Holmes asked anx 
 iously, wondering much, what sort of influence 
 the man had tried to get over this ignorant girl, 
 and whether there was danger that he would 
 attempt to renew it. 
 
 Yes, ma am, he did ; He told me there wa n t 
 no such person as Jesus Christ ; said he knew 
 there wa n t, and you folks was all tryin to deceive 
 me because I was a poor girl that had never had 
 no chance. Of course I knew that was a lie, 
 because I m acquainted with Jesus Christ myself, 
 and there can t nobody cheat me about that!" 
 
 "The Lord takes care of his own in unexpected 
 ways," said Mrs. Holmes to her husband, as she 
 detailed this conversation, the tears being in her 
 eyes the while. It seemed wonderful that Happy 
 Smithers should really be "acquainted " with Jesus 
 
 Christ ! 
 
 ****** 
 
 All these experiences which we have been liv 
 ing over, took time, and the winter, which in that 
 choice country was winter only in name, slipped 
 away; the more noiselessly and unconsciously for* 
 the fact that it seemed always to be October, or 
 May; the "long, slow winter" to which Mrs. 
 Chrissy Holmes had looked forward with so many 
 unspoken forebodings, the time when she was to 
 fold her hands and wait ! Had they ever been 
 fuller ? In reality she had not even had time to
 
 ONE OF THEM GOES HOME. 347 
 
 write those long, full letters which she had prom 
 ised to Harmon and his wife, and to Nellie, and 
 Chess Gardner. Yet, as I say, she did not real 
 ize the swift passage of time, and was always look 
 ing forward to "next week," when she meant to 
 write, and to read, and to do many waiting things. 
 
 "As soon as Mrs. Stetson is well again," was 
 the time set now for doing thus and so. And 
 the weeks passed, and Mrs. Stetson kept her room 
 and for the most part her bed ; and Mrs. Carpen 
 ter kept the astonished kitchen in immaculate 
 order, and the boarders in a state of satisfaction 
 never before attained. And Madeline Hurst con 
 tinued to "go out to nurse," as her sister-in-law 
 put it, with curling lip ; adding that she supposed 
 she was doing it for the sake of Liph, who seemed 
 to be the only string she had left to her bow. 
 
 Poor Liph ! Nobody had as yet succeeded in 
 prevailing upon him to help himself. He was 
 steadily going downward, not with long strides, 
 but by the process of daily, sure descent. 
 
 One other outward change had taken place 
 which caused a great deal of talk in the neigh 
 borhood where the Hursts lived ; Dr. Portland, 
 whose former boarding-place had been broken up, 
 removed himself to the Stetson house early in the 
 landlady s illness. " It is quite as central as my 
 old place," he explained to Mr. Holmes, "and I 
 shall be within call at night in event of ever being
 
 348 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 wanted. Besides, it will make my bill more com 
 fortable for the old lady, if she has one against 
 me to offset it." 
 
 These were the reasons he gave ; but Mrs. 
 Hurst sneered and said: "Now he can flirt to his 
 heart s content ; he must have had some trouble 
 since Mad went down there to work ; it left them 
 no excuse for running here. That woman s hus 
 band must be blind and stupid ; perhaps he lost 
 his mind during his illness ; I am sure it looks 
 like it." 
 
 Never were two people more serenely uncon 
 scious of the gossip which was now afloat through 
 out that street concerning them ; and being no 
 wiser than pure-minded young people often are, 
 they innocently gave additional fuel to the mean 
 and wicked flame by their frank and friendly inter 
 change of courtesies and kindnesses. " She even 
 mends his driving-gloves for him, right in plain 
 sight, too!" detailed Mrs. Hurst with her voice 
 full of exclamation points, which were echoed and 
 translated by certain eager friends of hers. "I 
 passed there this morning, and she stood on the 
 piazza taking the last stitches, and he waiting for 
 her with his horses at the gate, and they chatting 
 together like a couple of doves. It does beat 
 all ! " 
 
 There came a day when the quiet, smooth- 
 running machinery of the readjusted house was
 
 ONE OF THEM GOES HOME. 349 
 
 rudely broken in upon. Mrs. Stetson, who had 
 been the quietest and most grateful of patients, 
 was unusually restless, and inquired several times 
 during the day for the doctor, who had gone on a 
 long country ride, leaving word that he could not 
 be back until evening. 
 
 "She is anxious to see you," Mrs. Holmes 
 explained, meeting him in the hall just at twilight, 
 " but I do not know for what reason ; she does 
 not seem to be suffering." But directly the expe 
 rienced eyes of the physician rested upon her, 
 he knew, and seemed almost bewildered by the 
 knowledge. He questioned Madeline half-sternly 
 as to what had happened during the day. "Noth 
 ing has happened," said Mrs. Stetson, "not a 
 thing but what was nice and good. She has been 
 just as kind and attentive as she could be, and 
 so have they all ; but it has come all the same ; 
 I knew it would ; I ve felt sure of it for quite a 
 spell. I m going, ain t I ? I thought so ; I see 
 it in your face. Well, now, as I tell you, I ve 
 thought so this long time ; and you needn t think 
 I m sorry; because I ain t, not a mite. I ve laid 
 here and thought it all out; and it is the best 
 thing that could happen all around. Mis Carpen 
 ter, she gets along first-rate and keeps the board 
 ers comfortable ; they ve told me so one time and 
 another, all along; and Liph " there came a 
 sudden pause, and the worn face worked strangely
 
 3SO HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 for a moment, then she said quietly in an altered 
 tone, "It will be all right about Liph, too." 
 
 It took them all night and much of the next 
 day to get their bearings, and understand how 
 this new, strange thing could be. 
 
 They cross-questioned the doctor. 
 
 " It is sudden," he explained ; " I have been 
 fearing something of the kind, when I saw how 
 impossible it seemed for her to rally, but I 
 thought there would be weeks yet, possibly 
 months, and in the meantime there might be a 
 change for the better. It is a remarkable change 
 for a day to make ; but it is made. She is quite 
 right ; the time is very short. That poor fellow 
 ought to be told, and ought not to leave her much 
 now, because she is liable to sink away at any 
 moment." Poor Liph ! One and another had 
 almost unconsciously used that adjective of late 
 in speaking his name ; it never applied more fully 
 apparently than now. They had not looked to 
 see him show much feeling, but they were utterly 
 mistaken. It appeared that that sullen exterior 
 covered a heart which could ache terribly. Of all 
 the household, none were so much amazed, so 
 incredulous as he. It seemed as though it had 
 never once crossed his mind that his mother 
 might die. He sat like a statue of misery beside 
 her bed, and would not be comforted. There was 
 very little time in which to get used to the news.
 
 ONE OF THEM GOES HOME. 35 1 
 
 Before evening of the second day it was apparent 
 to every one who saw her, that Mrs. Stetson was 
 going from them swiftly. Among them all she 
 was really the only one who was quite composed. 
 "It is all just right," she said, gratefully; "I ve 
 been a good deal of a talker, but there s some 
 things I didn t seem to know how to talk about, 
 so I ain t said a word ; but I ve got a good deal to 
 say. Things is very different with me from what 
 they was. Do you remember, Mis Holmes, that 
 time you come to the kitchen and washed up, and 
 made lemon pies, and I don t know what you 
 didn t do ; and you sent me up stairs to get down 
 on my knees, and pray about something you told 
 me, while you dished up the dinner? Well, I 
 done it, jest as you said, and it made the most 
 amazing difference with everything, and has ever 
 since. First I thought I d live, and be so differ 
 ent that the very hens in the yard wouldn t know 
 me; but I found that wasn t so easy to do; you 
 said I scolded Liph too much, and it is true, I 
 did ; poor Liph ! he s had a hard life of it," and 
 the wrinkled, yellow old hand reached out and 
 rested on his shock of hair, the while the fellow 
 fairly groaned in agony. " I don t know why I 
 should have been hard on him, either; I d a been 
 willing to die for him any minute since he was 
 born ; but Liph, poor fellow, your mother did not 
 know how to live for you ; and she almost killed
 
 352 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 you with her tongue. I see it now, just as plain 
 as day; and I saw it after this time I m telling 
 you of, and I tried hard to make it different, but 
 I m getting to be an old woman, old before my 
 time, they say never mind, I m old ; and it was 
 hard work not to burst out at him when I was 
 tired and cross ; and I kept a doing it when I 
 didn t want to." At this point Liph dropped 
 upon his knees beside the bed. "Oh, mother!" 
 he cried, "Oh mother, don t! You have never 
 said any thing to me that I didn t deserve a hun 
 dred times over. Oh, mother, forgive me and 
 live, for my sake; mother, I love you." 
 
 A radiant smile overspread the sallow face on 
 the bed. "Hear that now!" she said, and her 
 hand rested again on his head, and brushed back 
 the shock of hair tenderly. "He loves me, and I 
 always knew he did. I m going to live, my boy ; 
 I m going to live in heaven. It is a wonderful 
 thing; I never expected it; not for the last thirty 
 years, but I be. It is all settled, and I m tickled 
 to go, because I can see as plain as day that it 
 will be better for you, my boy. You will never 
 disappoint me again ; I m sure of it. It was kind 
 of borne in upon me all night, that He would get 
 hold of you by my going away, somehow, and 
 keep you. He can do it ; Joe Carpenter here, 
 knows He can, don t you, Joe?" And into the 
 solemn stillness of the second in which she waited
 
 ONE OF THEM GOES HOME. 353 
 
 for an answer, came Joe s grave voice, saying 
 firmly, almost exultingly : 
 
 "Aye, that He can ; didn t He get hold of me?" 
 
 "Yes," said Mrs. Stetson, repeating the exult 
 ant note ; " He did, and He got hold of Happy, 
 and of me. What is the use of doubting, after 
 that? Oh, Liph, I know you will. You will be 
 mother s boy again, as you used to be; and 
 mother will be proud of you. She will watch you 
 up in heaven, and say to some angel, every now 
 and then : Do you see that blessed man down 
 there? That s my Liph. And she will watch 
 for you to come to heaven, and when you come, 
 she vvill put her hand on your arm, and say : 
 This is my Liph. I know you ll do it. You 
 will never disappoint your mother." 
 
 Liph s groans had ceased ; he knelt beside the 
 bed, his head buried in the clothes, but as his 
 mother s voice stopped, he raised it and looked 
 steadily at her with eyes which were tearless. 
 "Mother," he said, "I never will, never, so help 
 me God. From this minute I swear to you, that 
 I will never drink another drop of rum, and I will 
 do the best I can to live the life you want me to ; 
 I call upon God to hear my words, and take hold 
 of me." 
 
 No words will describe the power of the scene, 
 nor the look of unearthly brightness on that 
 mother s face.
 
 354 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "My little boy," she said, low and in infinite 
 tenderness. " Mother s little boy ; hers forever. 
 He will never disappoint me again ; and he calls 
 upon God to help him ; the God who helped me ; 
 and He will do it." Then, still in the same exult 
 ant tone, she said: "Joe, I want you to pray. 
 I ve had good prayers; Mr. Holmes, he s been in 
 every morning, and every evening, and prayed 
 such prayers as helped me to see God right here 
 in my room ; but I d just like to hear you pray 
 once." 
 
 Instantly Joe Carpenter, the reclaimed drunk 
 ard, dropped upon his knees ; the entire circle 
 about the bedside with one exception, followed his 
 example; and there went up to God such a prayer 
 for Liph and for Liph s dying mother as certainly 
 that boy at least would find it hard to forget. 
 During the few never-to-be-forgotten moments, 
 one thing occurred which even then brought a 
 flush of joy to Mrs. Holmes face, and she pressed 
 her husband s hand to call his attention. The 
 only one who had not bowed before God was Mrs. 
 Carpenter, standing pale and cold in the back 
 ground ; but as Joe s voice filled the room, and his 
 simple, solemn words filled their hearts, she came 
 swiftly, silently, and dropped beside her husband, 
 laying her hand trembling and cold upon his. It 
 was instantly grasped ; and Mrs. Holmes seeing 
 it, let the smiles come with her tears. Dr. Port-
 
 ONE OF THEM GOES HOME. 355 
 
 land was only half heeding the prayer ; his eyes 
 were upon the rapt face on the bed. She lay 
 still, with closed eyes, with her hand resting upon 
 Liph s head, and a look upon her face which was 
 not of this world. She lay motionless even after 
 all had risen save Liph ; but the repose of her face 
 was so natural, so unlike death, that it was not 
 until the doctor said in low tones, "It is over," 
 that any of them knew she had gone away. 
 
 But a few days after this experience, Mrs. 
 Holmes received a call that gave her almost more 
 surprise than any thing which had occurred during 
 her absence from home. 
 
 The Reverend Dr. Longman, past or of the 
 church which she had attended, asked to see her 
 on special business. He had called before, of 
 course, but it had been at a time when her hus 
 band was not gaining as she had hoped, and her 
 heart had been so heavy and preoccupied that she 
 had felt but little interest in the call, and hardly 
 considered herself acquainted with the pastor. 
 She was aware that during Mrs. Stetson s illness 
 there had been special meetings held in the church 
 and that there was an unusual interest; but she 
 had known very little about them beyond the fact 
 that Joe Carpenter had been regular in attendance, 
 and that Happy had gone when she could. Mr. 
 Holmes did not yet venture out in the evening, 
 and she herself had been so absorbed as to leave
 
 356 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 neither time nor strength for evening service. 
 The disorganized household had not yet settled as 
 to what was to be done in the future, when Dr. 
 Longman made his call. He was gray-haired, 
 courteous, gentle-voiced and bewildered. He had 
 always seemed to the energetic young woman like 
 a good man who was half-dazed with his surround 
 ings, and never quite certain as to what would be 
 wise to do next. Therefore she was the more 
 astonished when he plunged, gently indeed, but 
 after all plunged into the practical. 
 
 "Mrs. Holmes, excuse me, but I have an idea 
 that you are especially interested in young people. 
 Ami right ? " 
 
 "Why, I think so," Mrs. Chrissy said, hesita 
 ting and smiling; she was still so young herself 
 as to have given but little thought to the people 
 who as a class claimed her special interest ; it had 
 simply been natural to think about the girls and 
 boys, of course. 
 
 "That is what I thought," the doctor said, 
 complacently; "it has been borne in upon me 
 that you might be just the person with whom to 
 advise, now that I have come to a sort of climax 
 as it were, or station, perhaps, from which it 
 seems desirable to take a new departure. You 
 are aware, perhaps, of the special interest we have 
 been having in our congregation during the past 
 few weeks ? "
 
 ONE OF THEM GOES HOME. 357 
 
 Mrs. Holmes explained how little she knew 
 about it, and reminded him of the peculiar circum 
 stances which had held them from enjoying the 
 meetings. 
 
 "Ah, yes, I know," he said kindly. "It has 
 been very sad, and yet very wonderful. The 
 power of the religion of Jesus Christ, His ability 
 and His willingness to reach and to save to the 
 uttermost, has been borne in upon me wonder 
 fully of late. I knew the poor woman to whom 
 you have been so kind ; knew her slightly. I con 
 fess that she seemed to me like one whom the 
 gospel might never reach. It is simply wonderful 
 to think of her as in heaven ! " 
 
 "It must seem so to you," said Mrs. Holmes, 
 sympathetically. He looked to her like a mild 
 and cultured saint who had not realized before 
 that any but the high-toned and reasonably well 
 educated, were included among those whom Christ 
 came to save. 
 
 " Simply wonderful ! " he repeated thoughtfully, 
 not to her, but to space, with a far-away rapt 
 look upon his face.
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 SHE LOSES THEM EVERY ONE. 
 
 WELL," he added, after a moment s silence, 
 making an evident effort to get back to 
 the practical, "we have had good meetings, and I 
 may say unexpected results. There have been 
 several conversions among the well, the unusual 
 classes ; you have met the man Joseph Carpenter, 
 I think?" 
 
 "Oh, yes," said Mrs. Chrissy, controlling a 
 wicked inclination to laugh, and putting it into a 
 little cough, instead. 
 
 "Yes, so I have heard. You have been instru 
 mental in helping him, as well as others, I 
 believe ; the Lord has given you a power, dear 
 madam, that I could almost envy. Joseph Car 
 penter is a miracle of redeeming grace ; and there 
 are others almost as surprising. What I feel, 
 what I have been thinking for a long time, 
 indeed, is that something ought to be done for 
 our young people; something more definite, I 
 353
 
 SHE LOSES THEM EVERY ONE. 359 
 
 mean, than we seem able to compass with the reg 
 ular means of grace at command. I do not know 
 that you are acquainted with a movement of 
 which I have read with constantly deepening 
 interest ; and yet you may have heard of it. It 
 occurred to me to ask you ; I refer to the Chris- 
 tion Endeavor movement ; it seems to have 
 become a power in some portions of our country." 
 
 You who knew Chrissy Hollister hardly need 
 to be told that Mrs. Holmes at once flashed into 
 such eager, delighted enthusiasm as almost over 
 whelmed the quiet doctor of divinity before her. 
 She became instantly such a "bureau of informa 
 tion " as he had not imagined possible to one 
 small woman, and poured out her facts, and her 
 convictions, and her hopes, in a tumultuous 
 flood. 
 
 "I am gratified beyond measure," he said, at 
 last, when there was a place for him to speak. 
 "I had hoped, for some reason it seemed a sort 
 of inward conviction that you might be able to 
 give me some suggestion ; but I did not know 
 what a mine of wealth I was about to reach. 
 May I hope that you will help us try to organize 
 something of the kind here, very soon ? I assure 
 you I think there is need and opportunity. We 
 have more young people among us than I had 
 realized, until within a few weeks ; and some are 
 peculiar persons, needing all the help which
 
 360 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 organized effort will give them. There is a 
 young woman by the name of Hurst, you have 
 probably met her ? I am told that she was 
 employed here during Mrs. Stetson s illness. 
 She tells me that she has very lately taken a 
 stand for Christ ; she comes from a peculiar 
 household, but I think she may perhaps be 
 helped, and be made helpful. Then, there is the 
 young woman Hepzibah Smithers ; that is truly 
 another remarkable instance of divine power, Mrs. 
 Holmes; and then, poor Eliphalet Stetson it 
 may seem presumptuous, but I really begin to be 
 hopeful for him ; if we could rally around him, 
 some way, and give him our support, who can tell 
 what the result may be ? " 
 
 That trying sense of the ridiculous, which had 
 been poor Chrissy Hollister s discomfort many 
 a time, now almost overpowered Mrs. Stuart 
 Holmes, who very much wanted to be matronly 
 and dignified. The idea of the Reverend Dr. 
 Longman, with his studied courtliness of manner, 
 and studied courtesy of speech, rallying around 
 Liph Stetson, was almost too much for his lis 
 tener. What a blessing it was when the door 
 opened suddenly and her husband came in search 
 of her! "Oh, Stuart," she said, rising quickly, 
 "I was just wishing you were at home. Dr. 
 Longman, has such good news, and such a beauti 
 ful idea, which he has asked our help in carrying
 
 SHE LOSES THEM EVERY ONE. 361 
 
 out ; I have told him we shall be only too glad to 
 help." 
 
 "And so," wrote the lady to her long-suffering 
 brother and sister, a few evenings thereafter, " we 
 actually have a full-fledged Christian Endeavor 
 society, with thirteen active members and ever so 
 many associate. And what seems very strange 
 to me, is, that not one of the persons whom 1 
 have pleased myself by calling in fancy, my asso 
 ciate members is left on that list ! They have 
 every one entered the ranks of the active. 
 And we put Liph Stetson on the Lookout Com 
 mittee ! think of it ! I told him I placed his 
 name there, mentally, the night he made an effort 
 to look out for my Madeline s peace ; the state 
 ment called from him the nearest approach to a 
 smile there has been on the poor fellow s face 
 since his mother died. Joe Carpenter is also 
 on the Lookout Committee. I ll do it, Mis 
 Holmes/ he exclaimed, when I had explained 
 some of his duties, and his homely old face was 
 radiant, I m a doing it now; I m looking out all 
 the while for Mis Carpenter and the doctor ; I 
 just hanker after em both ; and I really believe 
 I ll get them ! So far as his wife is concerned 
 I begin to think he will. She makes few con 
 cessions outwardly, but is very much changed, 
 nevertheless ; and she did actually tell me this 
 very night, with a grim face it is true, but in a
 
 362 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 tone which meant business, that I was right when 
 I said Joe was a better man than she was woman. 
 He ought to have had his chance with a better 
 wife, she said. It wouldn t be safe to make any 
 such remark to him, I told her, whereupon there 
 flitted just the ghost of a smile over her face, the 
 first I have ever seen there which had no mockery 
 in it. I really feel more hopeful about her than 
 I ever expected to ; and Stuart is confident. The 
 Lord will give her to Joe as a trophy of grace, 
 he says, and give them both to the world as a 
 token of what He can do, even with the most 
 unpromising of His creatures. One may well say 
 that of Liph Stetson, too. We shall keep watch 
 of poor Liph, as you say I always call him, with 
 peculiar interest. He is very young yet ; there is 
 a chance for him to do almost any thing good with 
 his life; and he is not going to disappoint his 
 mother, you know ! She had almost unbounded 
 ambitions for him. I reminded him of that, last 
 night, when he was pumping a pail of water for 
 me, and we were having a word of confidence 
 together. I know it, he said, with a look in his 
 face which we used to call dogged, but which 
 now one is inclined to name resolution, I know it, 
 and I m bound to do my best; I told her so. 
 But as regards the doctor, I do not feel so hope 
 ful ; he is very reticent, much more so, indeed, 
 than he used to be; but he makes no more mock-
 
 SHE LOSES THEM EVERY ONE. 363 
 
 ing speeches. The truth is, that for people who 
 stood together by Madeline s sick bed, and saw 
 her terror of death, and then, who knelt together 
 about Mrs. Stetson s bed and saw her die, mock 
 ery is manifestly out of place. Dr. Portland 
 never does any thing which looks out of place, but 
 whether his worldliness is too deep-rooted ever to 
 yield, is a question which gives me anxious hours. 
 Stuart, of course, is hopeful ; he always is, you 
 remember. He, by the way, has not forgotten 
 how to organize and manage Christian Endeavor 
 societies ; the way he took hold of this one, and 
 brought order and harmony out of apparently 
 incongruous elements would have delighted your 
 hearts. He has a rare gift, madam, says the 
 courtly Dr. Longman, and I fully agree with 
 him." 
 
 After all this, it came to pass one morning that 
 summer was upon them ! There had been no 
 spring-time, rather the winter had been one long- 
 continued, balmy spring, with no hint about it 
 that other things were to be expected, until this 
 breathless morning announced the summer as at 
 the door. 
 
 "We must go home!" said Mrs. Chrissy, com 
 ing in from the piazza., in the early morning, 
 because the sunshine was too powerful for her. 
 "The time has really come to say it! Last sum 
 merno, last spring, when was it that we
 
 364 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 came? I was skeptical as to the months ever 
 passing. How they have rushed away ! And oh, 
 Stuart, how many interests there are to leave ! " 
 
 Her husband laughed. " For a woman who 
 intended to fold her hands and wait, they have 
 been rather full hands, I think," he said cheer 
 ily. "But see here, dear, your exclamation about 
 going home, comes in appropriately; here are 
 business letters which strongly hint the same ; 
 and really I do not know that we have any excuse 
 for lingering much longer. I can not plead lack 
 of strength ; I am as strong as I ever was ; and if 
 you read these letters you will see that the more 
 we hasten, the better it will be for some things." 
 
 So the decision came suddenly, with almost an 
 unexpected air to it; as to people who were so 
 busy with their work by the way, that they had 
 forgotten about the home-going. 
 
 " I wonder if it will be a little so, perhaps, 
 about going to heaven?" said Mrs. Chrissy, stop 
 ping short in the midst of her preparations to 
 indulge the thought. "We shall be busy in our 
 work, His work, you know, glad in it, absorbed in 
 it ; as if, apparently it were all our life ; and then, 
 suddenly hearing His call, we shall make haste 
 to put it into the hands of others, and go joyfully 
 home." 
 
 "What is all this I hear?" Dr. Portland said, 
 coming in upon them in the evening, after a two
 
 SHE LOSES THEM EVERY ONE. 365 
 
 days absence. "It seems to me it is a remark 
 able proceeding for a patient of mine ! Rather 
 taking matters out of my hands ! " 
 
 "You have put the patient out of your hands," 
 said Mr. Holmes; "given him up, you know. 
 After a doctor has done that, there is no further 
 need for deferring to him, remember. It is some 
 what sudden," he explained in response to the 
 doctor s questionings, "at least it seems so to us; 
 we had, as my wife was just saying, absorbed our 
 selves in the work here to such an extent that we 
 had put the day of flitting into the background; 
 but business matters with which I now feel 
 entirely able to grapple, need me, so we are mak 
 ing ready in earnest." 
 
 "Everything is nicely arranged," Mrs. Holmes 
 said, making haste to talk about the comparatively 
 commonplace ; for the doctor s grave, moved face, 
 reminded her of how large a place they filled in 
 his life, and how sure he was to miss them, more 
 than, in the nature of things, they could him. 
 "We ve accomplished a great deal of business in 
 these two days. Mrs. Carpenter is going to take 
 charge here, and all the boarders have promised 
 to stay ; you will, won t you ? It is all as com 
 fortable as possible ; Happy is glad to stay and be 
 taught the rightest way of doing everything, 
 she says. Mr. Holmes has become responsible for 
 the house-rent, and Liph is glad to give the use
 
 366 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 of the furniture for his board. As for Joe, or 
 Mr. Carpenter, as Mr. Holmes says I ought to 
 call him, I think he will grow into as respectable 
 a head of the house as any boarders need desire. 
 Isn t it pleasant to be able to leave everybody so 
 comfortably settled?" 
 
 "Very," said the doctor, with dignified brevity. 
 "Are you sure it is quite comfortable for every 
 body ? What about your other friend, in whom I 
 supposed you were somewhat interested?" 
 
 "Madeline?" Mrs. Holmes face shadowed a 
 little as she spoke the name. " I confess that I 
 am not quite happy over her; she is going to 
 remain here for the present ; Mrs. Carpenter says 
 she shall be the nominal head ; but that will not 
 do, of course ; she is too young for such a posi 
 tion ; and too" She did not finish the sen 
 tence, but began again : " Still it was the best we 
 could plan, just now. She will be exceedingly 
 useful here, so far as that is concerned ; a 
 womanly girl, who knows how to make rooms 
 homelike, will be a great blessing in such a 
 house; and the work is not unpleasant. But to 
 tell you the truth, I think Madeline is fitted for 
 something different ; we hope to have her with 
 us, later, when we can plan for it, though we 
 have said nothing to her, of course ; our plans are 
 too indefinite. You do not think a Northern cli 
 mate would be too severe for her, do you, doctor ? "
 
 SHE LOSES THEM EVERY ONE. 367 
 
 "Not in the summer," he said significantly. 
 "What, in the meantime, is to become of me? 
 It looks very much as though every one s comfort 
 was being thought of but my own. Does it 
 occur to you two how some people here will miss 
 you ? " 
 
 "The feeling is so mutual, doctor," said Mr. 
 Holmes, "that at present I find it will not do to 
 talk about it. We do not by any means forget 
 what we owe to you." 
 
 The doctor turned abruptly from them. " I am 
 coming North to visit you," he said; "you will 
 see me before the summer is over. By the way, 
 where is Miss Hurst to-night ? " 
 
 " She has gone to her brother s," Mrs. Holmes 
 explained. " She thought it well to explain to 
 them her plans for the immediate future ; we are 
 going down later to walk back with her. I am 
 somewhat afraid that she will have an unpleasant 
 time." 
 
 That was putting it mildly, as Mrs. Holmes 
 would have realized, if she could have been at 
 that moment in Mrs. Hurst s dining-room. Mad 
 eline sat there waiting for her brother, and 
 undergoing a running fire of questions from her 
 sister-in-law. That good woman, far from fond of 
 Madeline as she was, had yet missed her more 
 than she had supposed possible. It had been dis 
 covered that the girl who was reported to have
 
 368 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 done almost nothing from morning until night, 
 had yet accomplished many things which had 
 been for the comfort of the family. Not the least 
 among her good offices, heretofore unappreciated, 
 had been the willingness with which she stayed 
 evening after evening with the children, leaving 
 Mrs. Hurst free to spend her time with her 
 chosen friends. Nancy s unwillingness to do 
 this, had emphasized Madeline s usefulness. All 
 things considered, Mrs. Hurst was quite willing 
 to have her sister-in-law return to the only home 
 she had ; and heard with satisfaction of the con 
 templated departure of the Northern party. 
 
 "Mad won t be such a fool as to stay on there 
 after they are gone," she explained to her hus 
 band. " She may be willing to be a servant to the 
 Holmes woman ; she is so smitten with her that 
 she can t keep away from her, but the Carpenter 
 woman is another thing." 
 
 This conclusion helped to make explanations 
 very hard for Madeline. "Going back there!" 
 demanded the annoyed lady in her loudest key; 
 "what for, for pity s sake? You ain t hired out 
 as a common servant, I should hope ; though that 
 is what you have had the name of being this long 
 time. Dr. Longman asked me only the other day 
 how long you were to be employed there ! I 
 thought I should sink through the floor! What 
 do you mean ? Going back for what ? "
 
 SHE LOSES THEM EVERY ONE. 369 
 
 " For a great many things that there are to do," 
 Madeline said, with a weary sigh; she felt just 
 then with unusual force the truth that everything 
 would be very different when Mr. and Mrs. 
 Holmes were gone ; she hardly knew what there 
 would be to do. Up to this time, curiously 
 enough, Mrs. Holmes had been the real head of 
 the house, at least, so far as her duties were 
 concerned. 
 
 "Things!" repeated Mrs. Hurst in indignation; 
 "if you are so dreadfully anxious to do things, 
 I am sure there s enough to do in this house, 
 without going among strangers, or worse than 
 strangers, to find them. Mad Hurst, do you mean 
 to sit there and tell me that you have decided to 
 disgrace your brother s family out and out, by 
 going out to service to that Carpenter woman ? " 
 
 Nancy s frowzled head was now thrust in at the 
 door. "Dr. Portland is in the parlor," she 
 announced ; " he says he would like to see Miss 
 Madeline, " and Nancy showed all her not very 
 carefully kept teeth, as though she had heard 
 something which amused her. 
 
 "Oh, indeed! Miss Madeline! Hasn t he 
 got done making a cat s-paw of you yet ? If you 
 knew all the talk there is about him and your 
 dear Mrs. Holmes, you wouldn t be so proud of 
 the notice of either of them. At least you can 
 answer a civil question before you run to him,
 
 37O HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 can t you ? What are you planning to do over 
 there ? " 
 
 "I will explain later," said Madeline, and went 
 to the parlor. Dr. Portland came forward to 
 meet her. "Miss Madeline," he said, "I have 
 been home and heard that which has taken my 
 breath away. What are you and I going to do 
 without our friends ? " 
 
 "I do not know," she said, her lip quivering. 
 "Oh, do not ask me," she added, struggling to 
 retain self-control. " I do not know what I am to 
 do. It almost seems as though I could not have 
 them go." 
 
 "I will tell you," he said, speaking with infinite 
 gravity, " what we must both do ; we must take 
 care of each other. I need your help now. Do 
 you remember you asked me once for mine ? You 
 said you felt like a soldier who had deserted, and 
 you wanted to find out how to re-enlist. You did 
 not know that you precisely described my expe 
 rience. I called myself a soldier, once, in this 
 same army ; and because I discovered that some 
 in the rank and file were traitors, and others weak 
 lings, doing positive harm by their half-hearted- 
 ness, I was such a consummate idiot as to desert 
 the Captain altogether. I made it my excuse 
 that certain of his soldiers had injured me; as if 
 that were a reason for my turning traitor ! I have 
 lived to see the folly of it. Certain people whom
 
 SHE LOSES THEM EVERY ONE. 
 
 I have watched, this winter, have taught me that 
 a wholesale sneer at the army because some of the 
 enlisted were failures, was neither honor nor com 
 mon-sense. In plain English, Madeline, I want 
 to come back and serve the Lord, and I want you 
 to help me." 
 
 Her face was radiant with joy and surprise. 
 "I am so glad," she said eagerly, "and so glad 
 you think I can help you. Be sure that I will, 
 in every possible way. But you do not need my 
 help ; you are so clear-minded, so resolute, so 
 strong." 
 
 "There was never a greater mistake," he said 
 in utmost gravity, "and you do not understand 
 what you are promising ; I feel that I shall need 
 your help every hour of every day, on through 
 the years. Are you willing to undertake it, Mad 
 eline ? Willing to come to me, I mean, and be 
 to me all that that kind of helping implies ? " 
 
 "I do not understand," she said hurriedly; "I 
 will do any thing I can to help you, Dr. Portland, 
 always." 
 
 " Yes, but can you do this which I need, which 
 
 I ask?" 
 
 ****** 
 
 It was perhaps a half -hour afterward, that the 
 inevitable Nancy unceremoniously opened the 
 parlor door and said , " They want Dr. Portland 
 over at Simmonses right straight off."
 
 3/2 HER ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 
 
 "I will return if I can," said the doctor, rising, 
 "but in the meantime, if Mr. and Mrs. Holmes 
 reach here before I do, do not wait for me, I will 
 see you at the house. You want to go back 
 there to-night, do you not ? " 
 
 "Oh, yes," said Madeline; "I told Mrs. Holmes 
 that I would. But I also promised Mrs. Hurst 
 that I would tell her this evening what arrange 
 ments I had made for the summer." 
 
 "Keep your promise by all means," he said 
 with a curious smile ; " I would not have Mrs. 
 Hurst kept in suspense a moment longer than is 
 necessary." 
 
 "Well!" said that lady as Madeline at last 
 appeared in the dining-room, which was also the 
 family sitting-room, "has he really gone? Half 
 the town might die while he was carrying on his 
 flirtations ; such a doctor as that ! What in the 
 world does he want of you ? Is he arranging an 
 elopement with that charming Holmes woman, 
 and asking you to help? I believe you are that 
 bewitched with the tribe that you would take 
 hold of it. What is he after ? " 
 
 "He was after me," said Madeline with a curi 
 ous light in her eyes, and a lovely flush on her 
 face. 
 
 "Well, I heard that much, of course. I am 
 asking you what he wants." 
 
 "He wants me to help him,"
 
 SHE LOSES THEM EVERY ONE. 373 
 
 Mrs. Hurst laid down the small dress she was 
 mending, and gave undivided attention to her 
 sister-in-law. "Mad Hurst," she said, "is that 
 doctor such a fool as to want a young thing like 
 you to go out taking care of his patients ? " 
 
 "Oh, no!" said Madeline, with a hysterical 
 little laugh ; "he wants me to take care of him. 
 He has asked me to be his wife." 
 
 The scissors dropped on the floor with a reso 
 nant clang; the spool rolled unheeded under the 
 stove and Mrs. Hurst sat and stared. 
 
 "Dr. Portland !" she ejaculated at last, "wants 
 you! Well, I am beat!" 
 
 THE END.