say it," responded Philip.

"Ain't singin' sayin'?"

"They are generally looked upon as essentially different. People are
never held responsible for the things they sing,--out of church," added
Philip, smiling. "Is it otherwise with church singing?"

"What's church singin' good for, then?"

"I thought it was to put the minds of the worshippers in a right
state;--to sober and harmonize them."

"I thought it was to tell the Lord how we felt," said the old lady.

"That is a new view of it, certainly."

"_I_ thought the words was to tell one how we had ought to feel!" said
Charity. "There wouldn't more'n one in a dozen sing, mother, if you had
_your_ way; and then we should have nice music!"

"I think it would be nice music," said the old lady, with a kind of
sober tremble in her voice, which somehow touched Philip. The ring of
truth was there, at any rate.

"Could the world be managed," he said, with very gentle deference;
"could the world be managed on such principles of truth and purity?
Must we not take people as we find them?"

"Those are the Lord's principles," said Mrs. Armadale.

"Yes, but you know how the world is. Must we not, a little, as I said,
take people as we find them?"

"The Lord won't do that," said the old lady. "He will either make them
better, or he will cast them away."

"But we? We must deal with things as they are."

"How are you goin' to deal with 'em?"

"In charity and kindness; having patience with what is wrong, and
believing that the good God will have more patience yet."

"You had better believe what he tells you," the old lady answered,
somewhat sternly.

"But grandmother," Lois put in here, "he _does_ have patience."

"With whom, child?"

Lois did not answer; she only quoted softly the words--

"'Plenteous in mercy, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth.'"

"Ay, child; but you know what happens to the houses built on the sand."

The party broke up here, Mrs. Barclay bidding good-night and leaving
the dining-room, whither they had all gone to eat apples. As Philip
parted from Lois he remarked,--

"I did not understand the allusion in Mrs. Armadale's last words."

Lois's look fascinated him. It was just a moment's look, pausing before
turning away; swift with eagerness and intent with some hidden feeling
which he hardly comprehended. She only said,--

"Look in the end of the seventh chapter of Matthew."

"Well," said Mrs. Barclay, when the door was clos