was only
sleepy.

The sun had quite gone down the next evening, and the twilight was
beginning to settle over everything as they drove at last into the
second college town of their tour, and the church bells were pealing
for prayer meeting. Church bells! The thought of them sent a thrill
through Julia Cloud's heart. There was somehow a familiar, home-like
sound to them that made her think of the prayer meetings that had
cheered her heart through many lonely days.

It had really been for many years her one outing to go to prayer
meeting. Even after her mother had become bedridden she had always
insisted on Julia's going off to prayer meeting, and a neighbor who
was lame and sometimes stayed with her would come hobbling in and send
her off. The old cracked church bell at home had always sounded sweet
to her ears because it meant that this hour was her own quiet time to
go away alone and rest. And it had been real heart-rest always, even
though sometimes the meetings themselves had been wofully prosy. There
had always been the pleasant little chat and the warm hand-shake
afterwards, and then the going home again beneath the stars with a bit
of the last hymn in one's soul to sing one to sleep with,

"Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee;
E'en though it be a cross
That raiseth me;"

and the burden had grown less, and her heart had grown light with the
promise of her Father. Those meetings had been to Julia Cloud very
real meetings with her Christ; and now, as the evening bells pealed
out, her heart leaped to meet and answer the call.

"Oh! I'd like to go to prayer meeting!" she said impulsively as they
passed the lighted church, and saw a few faithful going in at the
door.

"Do you mean it?" asked Allison, bringing the car to a stop. "Do you
_mean_ it, Cloudy? Then let's go. We can size the people up, and see
if we like their looks. I guess we can stand a prayer meeting unless
you are too tired."

With the eagerness of a child Julia Cloud got out of the car and went
into the house of the Lord. It was like a bit of heaven to her. She
didn't realize what a bore it might be to her two companions.

It was a good little meeting as such meetings go. Very little
enthusiasm, very few present, mostly elders and their wives, with an
old saint or two almost at the journey's end, and a dignified
white-haired minister, who said som