t make confusion in the school?" Mr. Van Dyke suggested.

"Will not what make confusion?"

"Why, if half-a-dozen scholars are jumping up and leaving their
classes, to receive somebody who is coming in?"

"I did not say that they should choose lesson time--or school time at
all--for their kind civilities. After school is over--or when meeting
in the street--or going into church. Opportunities will present
themselves. It is rather the will that seems to be wanting than the
way."

"It seems to me," spoke out another lady, "this welcoming of strangers
is everybody's business."

"Proverbially nobody's business, Miss Fitch," Mr. Richmond answered
with a smile. "You will leave it for me to do; and I shall conclude
that Mrs. Trembleton will attend to it; Mrs. Trembleton does not like
the charge;--and there we are. Esther, what do you say?"

"Oh, I should not like to do it, Mr. Richmond!"

Nobody seemed to like to do it. Some were shy; some were humble, or
thought they were; some fancied themselves of too little consequence;
some of too much! Mr. Richmond went on to the next thing, which was
"_Temperance Work_." Here there was no want of volunteers. Boys and
girls and young ladies, and even men, were ready to pledge themselves
to this cause. The names were many. It took some time to get them all
down.

Then came what Mr. Richmond's list called "_Aid and Comfort;_" and
which he explained to mean, the giving of all sorts of material and
social aid that the cases of sick and poor and distressed might call
for. Anybody who would visit such cases, and provide or procure what
they needed, or anybody unable to visit who would furnish the necessary
supplies if called upon, might be enrolled on this committee. Plenty of
people were ready for this.

"_Visiting absent scholars_" found quite a number willing to engage in
it. The cause of "_Missionary Collections_" and "_Sunday-School
prayer-meetings_" found but few; evidently those were not popular
objects. "_Promoting attendance upon church_" did not meet with much
favour. The tenth department of work was "_Carrying the Message_". This
Mr. Richmond explained to mean, the telling the good news of Christ to
all who have not heard or who do not accept it; to everybody we can
reach, at home and abroad, wherever we may. There were not a few who
were ready to pledge themselves to this; as also to "_Bible Reading_"
in houses where sickness or poverty or ignorance made such work
desira