have her sister all to herself for a little while. She did not,
however. They were joined by several who were going their way; and more
than one lengthened their walk and went home the longest way, for the
sake of their company. It was not until they found themselves again at
the half-mile corner that they were quite alone. Christie sighed as she
leaned for a moment on the wall.

"You are tired, dear," said Effie. "It is well we didna have to walk
both ways. Sit and rest a while."

"I am not _very_ tired," said Christie; but she sighed again as she sat
down.

"Effie, I wish I liked better to go to the kirk."

"Why, Christie?" said her sister, in surprise. "I thought you liked it
very much. You said so in the morning."

"Yes, I know; I like the walk, and the getting away from home; and I
like the singing, and to see the people. But the preaching--others seem
to like it so much; but I don't. I don't understand half that is said.
Do you?"

"I don't understand always," said Effie, a little doubtfully.

"And sometimes I canna help thinking about other things--the foolishest
things!--stories, and bits of songs; and sometimes I get _so_ sleepy."

"It's wrong to think about other things in the kirk," said Effie,
scarcely knowing what to say.

"But I canna help it! Now, to-day I meant to try; and I did. Some
things I seemed to understand at the time; but most that he said I didna
understand, and I have forgotten it all now. I don't believe I could
tell even the text."

"Oh, yes, you could," said Effie. "`Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' Don't you
mind?"

"Yes; I mind now," said Christie, turning to the verse in her new Bible,
and reading it, with several that followed. "Do you mind what he said,
Effie?"

"Some things. He said a great many very important things." She paused,
and tried to recollect. "He told us what justification meant. Don't
you mind?"

"Yes; but I knew that before, from the catechism." And she repeated the
words.

She paused a moment, considering, as if the words had a meaning she had
not thought of before.

"Yes," said Effie; "and he went on to explain all about it. I canna
repeat much of it; but I understood the most of it, I think."

"I was always waiting to hear something about the peace," said Christie;
"but he didna get to that."

"No. He told us he had kept us too long on the first part of the
subjec