the poor? There is a great deal of that
done."

"I am thinking of poverty, and sickness, and weakness, and ignorance,
and injustice. And a grand man could do a great deal. But not if he
lived like the creatures in this book. I never saw such a book."

"But we must take men as we find them; and most men are busy seeking
their own happiness. You cannot blame them for that. It is human
nature."

"I blame them for seeking it so. And it is not happiness that people
play whist for, till four o'clock in the morning."

"What then?"

"Forgetfulness, I should think; distraction; because they do not know
anything about happiness."

"Who does?" said Mrs. Barclay sadly.

Lois was silent, not because she had not something to say, but because
she was not certain how best to say it. There was no doubt in her sweet
face, rather a grave assurance which stimulated Mrs. Barclay's
curiosity.

"We must take people as we find them," she repeated. "You cannot expect
men who live for pleasure to give up their search for the sake of other
people's pleasure."

"Yet that is the way,--which they miss," said Lois.

"The way to what?"

"To real enjoyment. To life that is worth living."

"What would you have them do?"

"Only what the Bible says."

"I do not believe I know the Bible as well as you do. Of what
directions are you thinking? 'The poor ye have always with you'?"

"Not that," said Lois. "Let me get my Bible, and I will tell
you.--This, Mrs. Barclay--'To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo
the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break
every yoke..... To deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring
the poor that are cast out to thy house; when thou seest the naked,
that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own
flesh'....."

"And do you think, to live right, one must live so?"

"It is the Bible!" said Lois, with so innocent a look of having
answered all questions, that Mrs. Barclay was near smiling.

"Do you think anybody ever did live so?"

"Job."

"Did he! I forget."

Lois turned over some leaves, and again read--"'When the ear heard me,
then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him
that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish
came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.... I was
eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.