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case, "That reminds me to tell you about the wash, which my brother the doctor "—(click)— says is not a dye," vigorously added Miss Stapleton. "No," she added emphatically, and touched her hair as she spoke, as if to say, "Only look at me!" In blissful ignorance, no doubt, that, in its transition state it had assumed all the colours of the rainbow..

And so, under difficulties, Miss Curry brought her journal to a close, finishing with, "I hope that pleases you, sir," and Mr Jones, without expressing his opinion upon the merits of her production, pronounced his usual benediction," Go on and prosper;' and, clearing his voice, called for the next journal in rotation; and after that, the next, and the next, until all had been read except Miss Stapleton's.

As her turn drew nigh, Miss Stapleton became quite excited, and, taking her journal from her pocket, she carefully turned down the corner of each page, probably lest she should make a stop in the wrong place, and awaited the signal to begin, when, bowing to Mr Jones, she did so somewhat after this fashion:-" To all not utterly deaf to the call of humanity, how delightful it is to stand by the bedside of affliction! Such was my privileged portion last Saturday evening, when, summoned from the social board, I left my tea untasted and rushed out."

"How unnatural!-pretentious !-all for effect!" muttered the ladies, while she, who had spent above an hour in planning that sentence, so that, as she

expressed herself to her "most intimate friend," "the parts should hang well together in perfect harmony," in vain looked to the chair for an approving nod. Discouraged, but not baffled, she resumed her reading, scattering adverbs and adjectives around in rich profusion. Every woman she visited was "deeply interesting," every child, "lovely and sweet." One "most bewitching baby" owed its recovery from a severe illness "entirely, exclusively, and solely " to a medicine ordered by her "brother the doctor," and administered by her own hands, while "the charming little innocent smiled its gratitude in her face."

I

"Bad style!" exclaimed the ci-devant teacher, who taught "Murray " as well as tables, and had been "As carrying on an educational buzz with Ellen. you love your pupils—your brothers and sisters, mean," she said, teach them 'Murray,"" love for the "dear old book" carrying her safely through a perfect shower of clicks; for Miss Curry considered it the blackest heresy to deny that the books which our grandfathers used must be better than the best of modern days.

"What queer things committees are!" thought Mary, from her quiet nook in the window. "Not a word have I heard which could give me the least hint as to the best means for relieving the poor; and that most perplexing question, 'How can we help them to help themselves?' has not even been alluded to."

And now the chattering grew louder and louder,

until Mr Jones, probably forgetting that he was not presiding at a board of poor-law guardians, struck the table with his hand, and called out, "Silence!" It was like a clap of thunder, and each lady suddenly sat bolt upright, as if she had swallowed a poker.

"I now prepare to sum up evidence," continued the chairman. A peculiar phrase, no doubt, but charitably adopted by Mr Jones to "encourage poor, weak women in their work, by giving a businesslike tone to their proceedings," forgetting, that if women keep within their own sphere, and endeavour, by the help and grace of God, to perform the duties for which He has fitted them, they need no fictitious help such as that he was so ready to bestow.

But to return from this digression.

"Let us see," said Mr Jones, "what the total number visited has been. By my notes taken while the journals were being read, I see that you, Miss Overend, and your sister, have each visited five persons-go on and prosper.' When each lady had been addressed in pretty much the same words, the total number visited during the week was declared to be thirty-seven, of which ten were on Fanny Wright's list. "But I have lost one of my ten," she said to Mary, drawing near the window, "for I hear you have been visiting Alice Wilkins, and it is one of our committee rules that we are not to visit any one who does not actually need our care. So Alice is knocked off my list."

"I see Alice almost

"Yes, I am," said Mary. every day, and enjoy visiting her greatly. Indeed, I have been wishing to tell you, Fanny, how grateful I feel for your having had that talk with me about this committee, which led to my conversation with Miss Harrison, and her sending me to Alice."

"I am so glad," replied Fanny, earnestly, "that I have been the means of making you useful. As for me, I get more busy every day. Papa and mamma think too much so. But time is short, you know, and that must plead my excuse if I am a little overdone sometimes."

"Whatever you do, dear Fanny," said Mary, in a voice of deep earnestness, "do not, while seeking to be useful to others, neglect your own best and highest interests. And now, I must hurry home, my aunt will be expecting me." So, wishing Mr Jones and the ladies of his committee goodmorning, she left the Rectory.

CHAPTER VII.

As Mary turned the corner of the road which led to her aunt's, she met Captain Mostyn, and almost at the same moment, Miss Waller herself appeared, in her waterproof and galoshes. She had been paying a visit close by, and seemed not a little surprised to see a stranger speaking to her niece; but when Mary introduced him as a friend of Mr Wright's, she invited him to her house for shelter until the rain should be over. Mary then went to her room to change her clothes, which were very wet, leaving her aunt and Captain Mostyn to become acquainted with each other.

After an awkward pause, Miss Waller broke the ice, saying, "My niece says you are acquainted with Mr Wright's family; have you seen them lately?"

"No," replied Captain Mostyn. "I called at Elmsgrove a day or two since, but they were all out. I afterwards met Miss Wright returning from a committee meeting at the Rectory."

"Meeting for what?" inquired Miss Waller. "A meeting of the District Visiting Society,' Captain Mostyn answered. "The society is doing a great deal of good in the parish I understand.”

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