what
you call staying in the house. Why, it is enough to make you stupid. Fix
yourself up like other girls, and promenade; that is what I mean to do."

"What, fix yourself up like other girls?" demurely asked Agnes, glad of
an opportunity to pay him back.

"O precocious child, I must be careful!" and he started for his
promenade.

"Be sure to be back at one," was Ruth's reminder, and then the girls
began to plan their "nice time." "I'll wash the breakfast dishes, Ruth,
while you make the beds, you tuck the counterpane in so smoothly and
have the pillows so straight," and Agnes, with sleeves pinned up and
crash apron on, began her work. Her heart was very light, and as she
worked she sang:--

"Behold I come with joy to do
The Master's blessed will;
My Lord in outward works pursue,
And serve his pleasure still.
Thus faithful to my Lord's commands,
I choose the better part,
And serve with careful Martha's hands,
But loving Mary's heart.

Though careful, without care I am,
Nor feel my happy toil,
Preserved in peace by Jesus' name,
Supported by his smile:
Rejoicing thus my faith to show,
His service my reward;
While every work I do below,
I do it to the Lord."

Ruth went up stairs and carefully spread the counterpane and arranged
the pillows, but she did it mechanically. She was thinking of what Guy
said about "fixing themselves up like other girls." She wondered if he
was dissatisfied with their appearance, and if that could be the reason
why he so seldom went out with them. Then he said they would become
stupid if they did not go out more. If she could be sure he did not
think them stupid now, she should not care. But he could not think so,
for he had told her she was brilliant, and she knew she was gayer and
more entertaining to him than to any one else, while as for Agnes, she
was too good to be stupid.

"I should like to dress better just for his sake, now that he is a
lawyer," she said with a little thrill of pleasure and pride. "Of course
he will have a great many friends and they will have to see us
sometimes. But--" here there was a pause and a deep sigh, "O, he does
not know how little we have to dress with, if we would keep out of debt.
There now, Agnes is singing and I am doing I scarcely know what," she
added,