e wife and mother. She would be
religious perhaps if she knew how to be. But this she has never learned
at St. Mark's Church, and she knows not where else to go.

CHAPTER XVIII.

ST. MARK'S OR ST. PATRICK'S?

A few months later, and Juliet Temple, with her niece and children,
returned from St. Mark's, whither they had been for morning service.

"I declare this is the last time I shall go out to church while this hot
weather continues," exclaimed Juliet, throwing herself upon the parlor
lounge, not having sufficient strength to mount the stairs. "I was a
dunce for going to-day," she continued, having panted awhile for breath,
and fanning herself with a feather fan; "there were but few out; almost
none at all of the fashionables. Let me see: there was Dr. Elfelt's pew
vacant, the Shreves' vacant, the Dunns', and the Quackenboss'; not one
of the Herricks, Messengers, nor Livingstons there; you'll not catch me
there again with only such a common crowd; it is high time Dr. Browne
shut up for the summer, though somebody said he wasn't going to shut up
this summer, there has been such a hue and cry in the papers about this
shutting up of churches; but he might as well, I can warn him, or he
will preach to empty pews; it beats all, and to-day was communion day,
too; I should have thought more would have turned out; but, I declare,
I thought I should smother when I went up to the rails; and, to cap all,
that old Mrs. Godfrey, who weighs at least three hundred, came and knelt
close by me, and just completely crushed all one side of my flounces; I
was provoked and indignant; this, added to the intense heat, was almost
insupportable; but here I am again, thank God. O, Althea, you look so
cool and comfortable; won't you come, please, and fan me a minute--untie
my hat, and take away my gloves and scarf, they are like so many
fire-coals. It is too bad to make a servant of you, dear, but that is
just the way, the girls stay so long at their Mass, as they call it; I
wouldn't have Catholic girls just for this very reason, that they insist
always upon going to Mass, only that I really can trust a good Catholic
girl better than anyone else. If a girl calls herself Catholic, but is
not particular about her religious duties, I am on the watch for her;
but a girl that insists upon going through thick and thin, heat and
cold, such a girl I trust in spite of me. Now, Johnny, bring me a glass
of ice-water, dear. And daughter, if you w