chance to make things
better, right in our home town."

"Is that how it all started?"

"Yes, with us. And it was the same way all over the country, because,
really, there are lots and lots of noble, unselfish women like Mrs.
Chester, who want everyone to be happy."

"Is she as pretty as you, Miss Eleanor?"

"Much prettier, Zara; but you won't think about that after you've
talked to her. She got hold of me and some of the other girls like me,
who had lots of time and money, and she made us see that we'd be twice
as happy if we spent some of our time doing things for other people,
instead of thinking about ourselves the whole time. And she's been
perfectly right."

"I knew you enjoyed doing things like that--"

"Yes; so you see it isn't altogether unselfish, after all. But Mrs.
Chester says that we ought all try to be happy ourselves, because that's
the best way to make other people happy, after all, as long as we never
forget that there are others, and that we ought to think of serving
them."

"That's like in the Bible where it says, 'It is more blessed to give
than to receive,' isn't it?"

"That's the very idea, Bessie! I'm glad you thought of that yourself.
That's just the lesson we've all got to learn."

"But we haven't been able to help anyone yet, Miss Eleanor. Everyone's
helping us--"

"Don't you worry about that, Bessie. You'll have lots of chances to
help others--ever so many! Just you wait until you get to the city.
There are lots of girls there who are more wretched than you--girls who
don't get enough to eat, and have to work so hard that they never have
any fun at all, because when they get through with their work they're so
tired they have to go right to sleep."

"Bessie was like that, Miss Eleanor."

"I'm afraid she was, Zara. But we're going to change all that. Mrs.
Chester has promised to help, and that means that everything will be all
right."

"Do you think I could ever do anything to help anyone else, Miss
Eleanor?"

"I'm sure you have already, Zara. You've been a good friend to Bessie,
and I know you've cheered her up and helped her to get through days when
she was feeling pretty bad."

"Indeed she has, Miss Eleanor! Many and many a time! Since I've known
her I've often wondered how I ever got along at all before she came to
Hedgeville!"

"You see, Zara, doing things for others doesn't mean always that you're
spending money or actually doing something. Sometimes the very best he