He was not at all like the minister Ruby had known at home all her
life, and whenever she looked at him, she wondered how it was possible
for so young a man to be a minister. He never asked any of the girls
whether they knew the catechism or not, and Ruby was quite disappointed
at this, though I do not think any of the other girls wanted to say it.
Ruby was so sure that she knew it perfectly, even the longest and
hardest answers, that she was always glad of a chance to show how well
she knew it. Perhaps if the others had known it as well, they might
have been willing to say it, but as it was, they were quite satisfied
that he never asked for it; and Maude, who did not know a word of it,
and who had all she could do to learn what her teachers required of
her, would have been quite discouraged, I am afraid, if the recitation
of the catechism each week had been added to her other tasks.

CHAPTER XXII.

SUNDAY AT SCHOOL.

Sunday morning the scholars slept nearly an hour longer than usual, and
this was looked upon as a great treat, particularly in the winter
months when it was scarcely light before seven. It seemed very early
rising to get up by lamp-light, and all the girls were quite ready to
take the extra hour of sleep upon Sunday mornings.

After breakfast, which was always nicer than upon other days, when they
had made their rooms tidy, and prepared themselves for church, all but
their coats and hats, Miss Chapman called them down to the school-room
to study a Bible lesson for half an hour.

By this time the church bell would begin to ring, and they would go up
to their rooms and get ready to start, and then the little procession
would start out just as they did when they went to walk, only, instead
of one of the girls walking at the head, Miss Chapman and Miss Ketchum
were there, and the girls followed them.

It was a very short walk, just across the street, so it was not
necessary to start until the second bell had begun to ring. The girls
would have been very glad if it had been a little longer walk, but it
only took two or three minutes to walk down to the crossing at the
corner, and then go across to the pretty vine-covered church.

Miss Chapman had one rule that none of the girls liked at all, and yet
it was one for which they were all very glad when they had grown older,
and did not have to follow it unless they wished.

It was her rule that the girls should all listen very attentively to
t