d been killed when I fell and had not told
you about the pitcher nor made amends for it."

"I don't believe any of us could be taken away without one moment to make
ready and not leave many things undone--many tangled threads and rough
edges to be taken care of. We are very happy if we have no sin to
confess, no wrong to make right."

"I think Hollis would have taken care of the plate for me," said
Marjorie, simply; "but I wanted to tell you myself. Mother wants to go
home as suddenly as that would have been for me, she says. I shouldn't
wonder if she prays about it--she prays about everything. Do people have
_that_ kind of a prayer answered?"

"I have known more than one instance--and I read about a gentleman who
had desired to be taken suddenly and he was killed by lightning while
sitting on his own piazza."

"Oh!" said Marjorie.

"That was all he could have wished. And the mother of my pastor at home,
who was over ninety, was found dead on her knees at her bedside, and she
had always wished to be summoned suddenly."

"When she was speaking to him, too," murmured Marjorie. "I like old
people, don't you? Hollis' grandmother is at his house and Mrs. Rheid
wants me to go to see her; she is ninety-three and blind, and she loves
to tell stories about herself, and I am to stay all day and listen to her
and take up her stitches when she drops them in her knitting work and
read the Bible to her. She won't listen to anything but the Bible; she
says she's too old to hear other books read."

"What a treat you will have!"

"Isn't it lovely? I never had _that_ day in my air-castles, either. Nor
you coming to stay all day with me, nor writing to Hollis. I had a letter
from him last night, the funniest letter! I laughed all the time I was
reading it. He begins: 'Poor little Mousie,' and ends, 'ours, till next
time.' I'll show it to you. He doesn't say much about Helen. I shall tell
him if I write about his mother he must write about Helen. I'm sorry to
tell him what his mother said yesterday about herself but I promised and
I must be faithful."

"I hope you will have happy news to write soon."

"I don't know; she says the minister doesn't do her any good, nor reading
the Bible nor praying. Now what can help her?"

"God," was the solemn reply. "She has had to learn that the minister and
Bible reading and prayer are not God. When she is sure that God will do
all the helping and saving, she will be helped and saved. Perhap