hat Mrs. Blythe hesitated no
longer.

"What's the matter, dear?" she asked kindly, putting her arms around
her, and Mary, surprised into confession, sobbed out the story of her
renunciation on her sympathetic shoulder.

If there was one person in the world whom Mary thought would
understand, who would heartily approve of what she had done, and who
would comfort her with due appreciation and praise, that person would be
Mrs. Blythe. But, to her astonishment, although the arm that encircled
her closed around her with an affectionate embrace, the exclamation that
accompanied it was only, "Oh, you dear little, blessed little _goose_!"

It was a shock, and yet there was some note in it that gave Mary a glad,
swift sense of relief and comfort. She straightened up and wiped her
eyes. Mrs. Blythe hurried to say:

"Don't think for a moment that I don't appreciate to the very fullest
your motive in making such a sacrifice. I think it is very fine and
noble of you, but--my dear little girl, I don't believe it is wholly
necessary. You see, it's this way. The work we are trying to do can't be
accomplished by any one person. If it could you would be gloriously
justified in giving your whole life up to it. But it must be the work of
many. One little torch can't possibly lighten every town in the country.
Even that greatest of beacons, the statue of Liberty, lightens only one
harbor. All we can hope to do is to kindle the unlit torches next to us,
and keep the circle of light widening in every direction till the
farthest boundary of the farthest state is aglow. And you can do that
wherever you go, Mary. Very few states have their homes safeguarded by
the law we are trying to get for this one. And every town and village in
the United States has the _beginning_ of a city slums in some of its
corners.

"Perhaps the very greatest thing you can do for the cause is to show
other girls that they don't have to be like nuns in order to help. They
don't have to take any sort of vow or veil that shuts them away from a
normal, usual life. It is something in which social influence counts for
a very great deal. Because I have a home of my own, and a recognized
social position, and am a happy wife and mother, people listen to me far
more readily when I go to them with a plea for less fortunate homes and
wives and mothers. Mrs. Philip Tremont will be able to accomplish even
more than little Mary Ware. I cannot see where loyalty to Phil and
loyal