ights over which her eyes roamed,
and feeling the sweet comfort of being nestled close, a girl at the
further end of the pew broke a sturdy bit of rose geranium she held
into two pieces and, reaching over, laid one half on the brown woolen
gloves.

Looking up, Martha met a smile and a nod from the giver. Thus
prompted, a lesson leaf was next laid upon the geranium branch by a
second girl, and a smile from another pair of eyes met Martha's. After
a little whispering and nodding between two girls near the aisle, one
of their open singing books was laid on the lesson leaf. "That's the
opening song; you'll get it after the first verse--you always do," was
whispered, and, with a nod, the giver settled back in her place, and
the one at her side passed her book along so as to make it serve for
two.

Oh, how nice it was! And Martha drew a long breath. Then seeing that
the holes in her gloves showed, she tucked them further under the
singing book. This called to mind the broken shoe-strings, and she
moved her feet back out of sight. But even unmended gloves and untidy
shoes could not mar Martha Matilda's sweet feeling of comfort--poor
little Martha Matilda, longing so to be taken in somewhere, but hardly
knowing where or how!

As it was Easter morning, the service was given to the children, who
had the center of the church reserved for them. The superintendent was
seated by the side of the minister, and it was he who gave out the
opening song. Martha found that after the first verse she could "catch
it" very easily, and this joining in the service made her feel all the
more one of them. The prayer that followed was a different prayer from
any that Martha had ever listened to, so low and sweet and confiding
were the words spoken, like friend talking with friend. The second
song Martha joined in at once, it being one she knew, and so forgetful
of self did she sing that more than one of the girls nodded to her
appreciatively, and even Miss Mary looked down and smiled.

After this, there were songs and recitations by the scholars, some of
them Miss Mary's own class, and in these Martha took great pride.
Later, the older ones from the primary class graduated into the main
room, and after a few words from the superintendent, each was
presented with a diploma tied with blue ribbon, and a red Bible. How
happy the children looked as they went down, not to their old places,
but to seats reserved for them among the main-school scholar