wished that the same plan could be pursued in the other
elder classes; but their teachers, who were mostly employed in some
capacity in the mill, could hardly spare the time, and Etta certainly
was not fitted for the work. As an experiment, however, on the first
Sunday after Katie entered the mill she came over to her sister's class
and invited all the girls, or as many as chose to do so, to join hers on
Wednesday afternoon next, saying she had something of interest and
importance to talk about. As the invitation was one that seemed to place
those to whom it was given in the rank of grown-up girls, it was at once
gladly accepted, especially as most of the girls had never been inside
of Mr. Mountjoy's house and grounds, and would gladly see the luxury of
which they had heard so much.

There was a great deal of talk after the close of the session about the
invitation and the proposed meeting, and some curiosity was expressed
as to the "important thing" Miss Eunice was to talk about. One or two of
the girls said they were sorry they had accepted the invitation; they
didn't like "to have religion poked at them"; they guessed they wouldn't
go. Before the appointed day, however, curiosity got the better of these
fainthearted ones, and not a girl of Etta's class was wanting when the
time arrived.

CHAPTER V.

THE TEA-PARTY.

At exactly six o'clock some twenty young girls of various ages assembled
at "the great house," as Mr. Mountjoy's grand mansion was called in the
village. They could not come earlier, as most of them worked in the
mill, which they could not leave till five or half-past five;
consequently they all arrived at about the same time. They were received
with perfect politeness by the servant, who opened the door and ushered
them, as she would have done any other visitors, into the spare-room,
prettily furnished in blue and white satin, with white lace hangings and
silver ornaments. Here they laid aside their hats, and taking their
little work-baskets, descended to the great drawing-room, whose
splendors considerably surprised the younger girls; the older ones were
used to it. At the door Miss Eunice with Etta, the latter arrayed in a
wonderful costume, met and received their guests, and after lingering
for a while among the paintings, engravings, nicknacks, etc., led them
to an inner room, the windows of which overlooked the garden in summer,
and a door from which opened into a greenhouse, now full of