I'm not mistaken, you taught school before you were married?"

"For a short time."

"That must have been interesting. It is so practical and definite. My
life," she added deprecatingly, "has been a thing of threads and
patches--a bit here and a bit there."

She paused, but without forcing a response, proceeded blithely to touch
on her past by way of illustration. The war had come just when she was
grown up, and her kin in Maryland were divided on the issue. Her father
had taken his family abroad, but her heart was in the keeping of a young
officer on the Northern side--now her husband. Loss of property and
bitterness of spirit had kept her parents expatriated, and she, with
them, had journeyed from place to place in Europe. She had seen many
beautiful places and beautiful things. At last Major Taylor had come for
her and carried her off as his bride to take up again her life as an
American.

"I am interested in Benham," she continued, "and I count on you, Mrs.
Babcock, to help make the new church what it ought to be
artistically--worthy of all the energy and independence there is in this
place."

Selma's eye kindled. The allusion to foreign lands had aroused her
distrust, but this patriotic avowal warmed her pulses.

"Every one is so busy with private affairs here, owing to the rapid
growth of the city," pursued Mrs. Taylor, "that there is danger of our
doing inconsiderately things which cannot easily be set right hereafter.