Browning,
Tennyson, and Shakespeare. It would be excellent discipline to try
and get at the exact meaning of the authors, and puzzle out all the
obscurities, it would not be long before we should feel quite rich in
a literary way. In reading such works together, and talking them
over, of course we make them ours as we can in no other way."

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of the Lord
endureth for ever," quoted Mrs. Lewis. "Do you know that all those
writings, valuable and good in their place as they are, when compared
with the Bible seem to me just like grass and flowers? Now, if we
have but a little time to give to study, why not spend a good part of
it in studying the 'endureth-for-ever' book, because, as nearly as I
can find out, that book and ourselves are the only things in this
world that are going to endure for ever? Don't it strike you that in
such a case we ought to be more familiar with it than with all these
others?"

Mrs. Lewis' solemn words put a silence on the lips for a few minutes,
but practical Mrs. Brown broke it by remarking:

"Perhaps it would be a good plan for us to study hygiene. I have
always thought, if we gave more attention to ventilation, and to what
we shall eat and wear, and so on, we should have better health."

"Yes," said a still more practical sister, "that would be real nice.
Then I was noticing in the paper that there is a Presbyterian
cook-book just out. I should like to have some read out of that."

This caused a smile to go around the circle, for Mrs. Boot was one of
those inveterate pie and cake makers, whose life consisted in the
abundance of pastry; who was an unhappy woman until she had obtained
the last new receipt for cake and made it up.

"I have an idea," said a bright little lady. "Suppose we all agree to
spend at least two evenings a week in reading or study at home, then
bring what we gather to the sewing-society and talk it over, each one
give some bit of news or scientific fact, or give a review of the
last new book."

"Oh, I have tried that a little on my own book," said Mrs. Peterson.
"I sat up one night after all the rest had gone to bed, and read all
about that Dr. Somebody, with a hard name--I can't pronounce it, it
begins with an 'S.' Well, he and his wife are digging up buried
cities, hundreds and thousands of years old--and finding the most
wonderful things, money, and jewellery, and splendid vases, and all
sorts of nice things. N