he church. See, here is what we have paid.
Shoes--those did bring our money very low, and then I bought a piece of
print which cost sixteen shillings, but it will make plenty of frocks.
So, you see, the balance is actually two pounds nine! That is something.
The nine shillings will go on till we get another fee; for I have two
frocks ready made for the Popes, so the two pounds are a real nest-egg
towards the church."

"The church!" repeated Rlchard, half smiling.

"I looked in the paper the other day, and saw that a chapel had been
built for nine hundred pounds," said Ethel.

"And you have two!"

"Two in eight months, Ritchie, and more will come as we get older. I
have a scheme in my head, but I won't tell you now."

"Nine hundred! And a church has to be endowed as well as built, you
know, Ethel."

"Oh! never mind that now. If we can begin and build, some good person
will come and help. I'll run and fetch it, Ritchie. I drew out a sketch
of what I want it to be."

"What a girl that is!" said Richard, as Ethel dashed away.

"Is not she?" said Margaret. "And she means all so heartily. Do you know
she has spent nothing on her own pleasures, not a book, not a thing has
she bought this year, except a present for Blanche's birthday, and some
silk to net a purse for Harry."

"I cannot help being sometimes persuaded that she will succeed," said
Richard.

"Faith, energy, self-denial, perseverance, they go a great way," said
Margaret. "And yet when we look at poor dear Ethel, and her queer
ungainly ways, and think of her building a church!"

Neither Richard nor Margaret could help laughing, but they checked it at
once, and the former said, "That brave spirit is a reproof to us all."

"Yes," said Margaret; "and so is the resolution to mend her little
faults."

Ethel came back, having, of course, mislaid her sketch, and, much vexed,
wished to know if it ought to cause her first forfeit, but Margaret
thought these should not begin till the date of the agreement, and the
three resumed the Cocksmoor discussion.

It lasted till the return of the walking party, so late, that they had
been star-gazing, and came in, in full dispute as to which was Cygnus
and which Aquila, while Blanche was talking very grandly of Taurus
Poniatouski, and Harry begging to be told which constellations he should
still see in the southern hemisphere. Dr. May was the first to rectify
the globe for the southern latitudes, and fingers were affec