English than was Dr.
Dennis this evening? He looked at his callers in an astonished and
embarrassed way for a moment, as if uncertain whether to consider them
lunatics or not; and then said, addressing himself to Eurie:

"My dear young lady, I fear you are laboring under a mistake as to the
object in uniting with the Church of Christ, and the preparation
necessary. You know, as a church, we hold that something more than a
desire to change one's social relations should actuate the person to
take such a step; that, indeed, there should be a radical change of
heart."

Poor Eurie! She thought she had been _so_ plain in her explanation. She
flushed, and commenced a stammering sentence; then paused, and looked
appealingly at Ruth and Marion.

Finally she did what, for Eurie Mitchell to do, was unprecedented, lost
all self-control, and broke into a sudden and passionate gust of tears.

"Eurie, don't!" Marion said; to her it was actual pain to see tears. As
for Dr. Dennis, he was very much at his wits' end, and Ruth's
embarrassment grew upon her every moment. Flossy came to the rescue.

"Dr. Dennis," she said, and he noticed even then that her voice was
strangely sweet and winning, "Eurie means that we love Jesus, and we
believe he has forgiven us and called us by name. We mean we want to be
his, and to serve him forever; and we want to acknowledge him publicly,
because we think he has so directed."

How simple and sweet the story was, after all, when one just gave up
attempting to be proper, and gave the quiet truth. Ruth was struck with
the simplicity and the directness of the words; she began to have not
only an admiration, but an unfeigned respect for Flossy Shipley. But you
should have seen Dr. Dennis' face. It is a pity Eurie could not have
seen it at that moment; if she had not had hers buried in the sofa
pillow she would have caught the quick glad look of surprise and joy and
heartfelt thankfulness that spoke in his eyes. He arose suddenly, and,
holding out his hand to Flossy, said:

"Let me greet you, and thank you, and ask you to forgive me, in the same
breath. I have been very slow to understand, and strangely stupid and
unsympathetic. I feel very much as I fancy poor doubting Thomas must
have done. Forgive me; I am so astonished, and so glad that I don't
know how to express the feeling. Do you speak for all your friends here,
Miss Flossy? And may I ask something about the wonderful experience that
has drawn