"Oh, we have indeed had a lovely time, and a profitable one, too, I
hope," said Mrs. Reade, impulsively.

"You have about converted Mrs. Hayden to your ideas, you and Helen
together, I presume," remarked Mr. Reade, as he spread his napkin out to
its fullest capacity.

"I should certainly like to be converted, if so many wonderful things
are possible as I have heard about this afternoon," and Mrs. Hayden
showed by the unusual energy in her manner and the brightness of her
eyes that something had inspired her to an unwonted degree.

"Well now, tell me what all this is about. You seem to have conspired to
talk in riddles," exclaimed Mr. Hayden, with an injured air.

"Why, it is this new 'craze' they call Christian Healing that seems to
have taken hold of our worthy partners, Mr. Hayden," exclaimed Mr.
Reade, with a half-believing, half-skeptical air.

He really believed much more than he cared to acknowledge, but until he
was better informed of Mr. Hayden's opinions, he thought "discretion the
better part of valor." Someway we often stumble upon such characters in
life. Good-natured souls they are, and so anxious to please everybody.

"I am not sure but there is a good deal in that, Reade. I heard some
gentlemen talking about what was being done in Chicago, and it is truly
wonderful. After all, we know that the mind has a great influence over
the body, and why shouldn't we discover new abilities and powers in that
as we develop in other directions?"

"To be sure; just what I have always said, and now I am having an
opportunity to prove it since my wife is willing to listen," replied Mr.
Reade, with graceful diplomacy.

"Oh, there is something far beyond what you gentlemen see--something so
spiritual and beautiful, that mere intellect can not recognize it. But
you will come to that after awhile, if you only seek to know for Truth's
sake, though the recognition of what you see often comes first,"
interposed Miss Greening, with a warm flush of enthusiasm on her face.

"Certainly. I believe our capacity to recognize higher phases of thought
grows with our eagerness to receive. That is true of any branch of
study," said Mrs. Hayden, with conviction. She was well pleased that her
husband was so favorably inclined to hear, and expressed himself so
cordially. While she was quite independent in her own way of thinking,
it was still a keen pleasure to have her husband on the same side. He,
on the other hand, had great co