de the big Morris chair and
grandma beside the little willow rocker and Missy beside the "patent
rocker" with the prettiest crocheted tidy--her thoughts were still in a
divine channel exclusively her own.

But now, at last, came the time for that channel to be widened; she
closed her eyes tighter, clasped her hands together, and began:

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want, He maketh me to lie down in
green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters..."

How beautiful it was! Unconsciously her voice
lifted--quavered--lowered--lifted again, with "expression." And she
had the oddest complex sensation; she could, through her tightly closed
eyes, vision herself kneeling there; while, at the same time, she could
feel her spirit floating away, mingling with the air, melting into the
night, fusing with all the divine mystery of heaven and earth. And her
soul yearned for more mystery, for more divinity, with an inexpressible
yearning.

Yet all the time she was conscious of the dramatic figure she made, and
of how pleased and impressed her audience must be; in fact, as her voice
"tremuloed" on that last sublime "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow
me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever," she unclosed one eye to note the effect.

Both the grey heads remained prayerfully bent; but at her "Amen" both of
them lifted. And oh! what a reward was the expression in those two pairs
of eyes!

Grandma came swiftly to her and kissed her, and exclaimed:

"Why, however did you learn all that long Psalm, dear? And you recited
it so beautifully, too!--Not a single mistake! I never was prouder in my
life!"

Grandpa didn't kiss her, but he kept saying over and over:

"Just think of that baby!--the dear little baby."

And Missy, despite her spiritual exaltation, couldn't help feeling
tremendously pleased.

"It was a surprise--I thought you'd be surprised," she remarked with
satisfaction.

Grandma excitedly began to ask all kinds of questions as to how Missy
came to pick out that particular Psalm, and what difficulties
she experienced in learning it all; but it was grandpa who,
characteristically, enquired:

"And what does it mean to you, Missy?"

"Mean--?" she repeated.

"Yes. For instance, what does that last verse mean?"

"'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life--?'
That--?"

"Yes, baby."

"Why, I think I see myself walking through some big, t