ork to do upon yourself first. And I am sure you have
helped educate your mother and father."

Marjorie pulled to pieces the green leaf that had floated in upon her lap
and as she kept her eyes on the leaf she pondered.

Her companion was "talking over her head" purposely to-day; she had a
plan for Marjorie and as she admitted to herself she was "trying the
child to see what she was made of."

She congratulated herself upon success thus far.

"That children do educate their mothers is the only satisfactory reason I
have found when I have questioned why God does give children to _some_
mothers."

"Then what becomes of the children?" asked Marjorie, alarmed.

"The Giver does not forget them; he can be a mother himself, you know."

Marjorie did not know; she had always had her mother. Had she lost
something, therefore, in not thus finding out God? Perhaps, in after life
she would find his tenderness by losing--or not having--some one else. It
was not too bad, for it would be a great pity if there were not such
interruptions, but at this instant Linnet's housewifely face was pushed
in at the door, and her voice announced: "Dinner in three minutes and a
half! Chicken-pie for the first course and some new and delicious thing
for dessert."

"Oh, splendid!" cried Marjorie, hopping up. "And we'll finish everything
after dinner, Miss Prudence."

"As the lady said to the famous traveller at a dinner party: 'We have
five minutes before dinner, please tell me all about your travels,'" said
Miss Prudence, rising and laughing.

"You remember you haven't told me what you sent me for the Bible to show
me that unhappy--no, happy time--I broke the picture," reminded Marjorie,
leading the way to the dining-room.

VII.

UNDER THE APPLE-TREE.

"Never the little seed stops in its growing."--_Mrs. Osgood._

Linnet moved hither and thither, after the dinner dishes were done, all
through the house, up stairs and down, to see that everything was in
perfect order before she might dress and enjoy the afternoon. Linnet was
pre-eminently a housekeeper, to her mother's great delight, for her
younger daughter was not developing according to her mind in housewifely
arts.

"That will come in time," encouraged Marjorie's father when her mother
spoke faultfindingly of some delinquency in the kitchen.

"I should like to know _what_ time!" was the sharp reply.

It was queer about Marjorie's mother, she was as sharp as she was
go