ty of his, once as they talked together she
referred to it.

"I can conceive of parties being less of a trial to you than to many of
us, because of the ability you have of turning the conversation to some
account."

He smiled brightly. "They are not," he said. "I have often looked
forward to an evening gathering with eager interest and thankfulness,
because of the opportunity for meeting some there whom I could not catch
elsewhere and saying a word for my Master. But, Miss Erskine, you speak
of 'ability,' I simply use my tongue on that subject as on any other
worthy of thought."

"But don't you think it requires a peculiar sort of tact to be able to
bring in such subjects in a manner calculated to do any good?"

He shook his head, "I should say rather, it required a sincere heart,
and an earnest desire to interest a soul. We depend too much on tact and
too little on God's spirit. 'Open thy mouth and I will fill it,' is a
promise that applies to more places than a prayer-meeting, I think. What
we need most to overcome is the idea that there is anything wicked in
talking about religion in an everyday tone, as we talk about other
topics of absorbing interest."

"There are different ways of going to parties," Ruth said to herself in
a musing tone as she turned from him, and she wondered if she could ever
get to feel that she might even go to a party occasionally, with the
glory of God in view. This started a train of thought that made her turn
suddenly back to Mr. Roberts with a question.

"That doctrine wouldn't lead you to be a constant frequenter of parties,
would it?"

He shook his head.

"By no means. And there are parties many of them, which, as a Christian
man, I could not attend at all. We must guard against a temptation to do
evil, that good may come."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXVIII.

A PARTING GLANCE.

DR. DENNIS and his friend, the Rev. Mr. Harrison met again at the street
corner; they stopped and shook hands, as they always did, even if they
chanced to meet three times in one day.

"Meetings closed?" questioned Mr. Harrison, after the preliminary words
had been spoken. "What a glorious time you have had! Such a pity that
our flocks are so far apart! If we could have united with you in regular
attendance, it would have been a great blessing; as it was, many a drop
came to us."

"Yes," Dr. Dennis said, "we have had a great blessing; and I need not
use the past ten