men's half-worn
shoes--pounced upon at once by Paul and his father, and not abandoned
until it was found that only two were mates, and only one of these good
for much wear.

It was at this point that there came a muffled shout from Ned, whose
head was far down in the barrel.

"Here's a package--a big one--and it's marked 'dress for Mrs. Jones.'
Mother, you did get it, after all!" he cried, tumbling the package into
his mother's lap.

Tremblingly half a dozen pairs of hands attempted to untie the strings
and to unwrap the coverings; then, across Mrs. Jones's lap there lay a
tawdry dress of pale-blue silk, spotted and soiled. Pinned to it was a
note in a scrawling feminine hand: "This will wash and make over nicely,
I think, if you can't wear it just as it is."

"We have so many chances to wear light-blue silk, too," was all that
Mrs. Jones said.

In the bottom of the barrel were a few new towels, very coarse, and some
tablecloths and small, fringed napkins, also very coarse.

"Well, I'm sure, these are handy," stammered the minister, who had not
found his coat.

"Oh, yes," answered his wife, wearily; "only--well, it so happens that
every box for the last five years has held tea-napkins--and I don't give
many teas, you know, dear."

Genevieve choked back a sob.

"I--I never saw such a--a horrid thing in all my life, as that barrel
was," she stormed hotly. "I don't see what folks were thinking of--to
send such things!"

"They weren't thinking, my dear, and that's just what the trouble was,"
answered Mrs. Jones, gently. "They didn't think, nor understand.
Besides, there are very many nice things here that we can use
beautifully. There always are, in every box, only--of course, some
things _aren't_ so useful."

"I should say not!" snapped Genevieve.

"Well, I didn't suppose anything could make me glad because Aunt Kate
makes over the girls' things for me," spoke up Elsie Martin; "but
something has now. She can't send them in any missionary boxes, anyhow!"

Mrs. Jones laughed, though she looked still more disturbed.

"But, girls, dear girls, please don't say such things," she
expostulated. "We are very, very grateful--indeed we are; and it is
right kind of them to remember us far-away missionaries with boxes and
barrels!"

"'Missionary'!" sputtered Genevieve. "'Missionary'! I should think
somebody had better be missionary to them, and teach them what to send.
Dolls and skates, indeed!"

"But, my dear,"