he book she returned it to Marjorie's lap.

"You mean that God will not accept my excuse for not feeling like reading
to-night?"

"You said that Mr. McCosh would not accept such an excuse for your
astronomy."

"Miss Prudence!" Marjorie was wide awake now. "You mean that I should
read early in the evening as you do! Is _that_ why you always read before
you do anything else in the evening?"

"It certainly is. I tried to give my blind, tired hours to God and found
that he did not accept--for I had no blessing in reading; I excused
myself on your plea, I was too weary, and then I learned to give him my
best and freshest time."

There was no weariness or frettedness in Marjorie's face now; the heart
rest was giving her physical rest. "I will begin to-morrow night--I can't
begin to-night--and read the first thing as you do. I am almost through
the Old Testament; how I shall enjoy beginning the New! Miss Prudence,
is it so about praying, too?"

"What do you think?"

"I know it is. And that is why my prayers do not comfort me, sometimes. I
mean, the short prayers do; but I do want to pray about so many things,
and I am really too tired when I go to bed, sometimes I fall asleep when
I am not half through. Mother used to tell Linnet and me that we oughtn't
to talk after we said our prayers, so we used to talk first and put our
prayers off until the last thing, and sometimes we were so sleepy we
hardly knew what we were saying."

"This plan of early reading and praying does not interfere with prayer at
bedtime, you know; as soon as my head touches the pillow I begin to pray,
I think I always fall asleep praying, and my first thought in the morning
is prayer. My dear, our best and freshest, not our lame and blind, belong
to God."

"Yes," assented Marjorie in a full tone. "Aunt Prue, O, Aunt Prue what
would I do without you to help me."

"God would find you somebody else; but I'm very glad he found me for
you."

"I'm more than glad," said Marjorie, enthusiastically.

"It's a real snow storm," Miss Prudence went to the window, pushed the
curtain aside, and looked out.

"It isn't as bad as the night that Morris came to me when I was alone.
Mr. Holmes did not come for two days and it was longer than that before
father and mother could come. What a grand time we had housekeeping! It
is time for the _Linnet_ to be in. I know Morris will come to see us as
soon as he can get leave. Linnet will be glad to go to her pretty l