almost no persuasion at all to induce them to join Mrs.
Smithe's party, composed of two young ladies and four young gentlemen.
It would be difficult to explain to you what a disappointment the
decision to spend the day in frolic, instead of going to the meetings,
was to Flossy. All the morning her heart had been in a great flutter of
happiness over the beautiful day that stretched out before her. To meet
those earnest, eager people again, to hear those hymns, to hear the
voice of prayer all about her, to hear the constant allusions that were
so strange and so saddening to her yesterday, and that now she
understood, how blessed it would be! She had gone about the
bewilderments of her toilet in a tent with a serenely happy face, and
almost unawares had hummed the refrain of a tune that had already shown
itself a favorite at Chautauqua.

"Flossy is like herself this morning," Eurie said, as she heard the
happy little song. "I think she has recovered from her home-sickness."

Tents are not convenient places in which to make private remarks. Flossy
overheard this one and smiled to herself. Yes, she had gotten over her
home-sickness--she had found home. She gave a little exclamation of
dismay as she heard the plannings for the day, and said:

"But, Ruth, what about the meetings?"

"Well," Ruth had said, with her most provokingly nonchalant air, "I
haven't made any inquiry, but I presume they will continue them all day
just the same as if we were here. I don't _think_ they will change the
programme on our account."

And Eurie had added, mischievously:

"Flossy is afraid it is not the aristocratic thing to do, not to stay to
all the meetings."

"Oh, as to that," Mrs. Smithe had said (she was one of those interesting
people who always take remarks seriously), "I assure you it is what the
first people on the ground are doing. Of course none of them would be so
absurd as to think of attending meetings all the time. The brain
wouldn't endure such a strain."

"Of course not," Marion had answered with gravity, "My brain is already
very tired. I think yours must be exhausted."

Flossy meditated a daring resolution to stay behind and take her "rest"
in the way she coveted; but the impossibility of explaining what would
appear to the others as merely an ill-natured freak, and occasion no end
of talk, deterred her, and with slow, reluctant steps she followed the
merry group down to the wharf.

If those people had stopped lon