, not in itself having any connection
with their project, yet grew into a solution of their difficulty, or
rather out of it grew the solution.

They had thought of asking the parents and friends of the boys and girls
to be present and share in the festivity, but found that their limited
space forbade the carrying into effect of this amiable project. They
were very loath to abandon it, however, as at that time there was great
discontent among the miners, and indeed a strike was threatened.

They were not vain enough to imagine that the result of this scheme
would be to avert the impending catastrophe, but they had such faith in
the soothing effect of good-natured social intercourse with them, and a
display of real and unaffected interest in them and all concerning them,
that they hoped at least to lessen in some degree the spirit of
disaffection that pervaded the district.

Some one suggested that they should hire a hall which stood at that end
of the town, erected for temperance purposes but seldom used, and this
suggestion, being favourably received, would have been carried out at
once, but for the unfortunate reason that the hall was engaged for every
Saturday up to that time and several weeks beyond it for meetings of the
miners.

There was no other place at all suitable to be had, and so they found
their good intentions frustrated at the very outset.

"I am afraid we shall have to give it up," sighed Bessie Raynor, one of
the most energetic and indomitable among them in the pursuit of anything
on which she had set her heart; and on the carrying out of this scheme
she _had_ set her heart, as its success involved a private one of her
own.

Her father was also a coal-master like Minnie's, but his works were in
quite a different part of the country so that they were inaccessible to
her at present. They had a house there, though, just outside the little
mining village, and there they usually removed during the Summer months.
Fired by Minnie's example, Bessie had formed the resolution of
initiating something of the same kind among her father's work-people
when she should be among them again in a few weeks' time at most;
accordingly, she was anxious to acquire as much experience as possible
in the different sections of the work set on foot by the "Hollowmell
Mission," and their varied results.

The case was felt to be hopeless indeed when Bessie gave in, and as
nothing further could be done, and no fresh idea was p