wife, smiling. "Why, only a few minutes before you came in he was
insisting that he could preach to-morrow. Think of it!--a man with a
shattered shoulder, who would have to stand on one leg and do all his
gesturing with his left hand; a man who can't preach without the use of
seven or eight arms, and as many pockets, and has to walk up and down
the platform like a lion when he gets started on his delivery! And yet
he wants to preach to-morrow! He's that stubborn that I don't know as I
can keep him at home. You would better leave some powders to put him to
sleep, and we will keep him in a state of unconsciousness until Monday
morning."

"Now, doctor, just listen to me a while. Mrs. Strong is talking for two
women, as she agreed to do, and that puts me in a hard position. But I
want to know how soon I can get to work again."

"You will have to lie there a month," said the doctor, bluntly.

"Impossible! I never lied that time in my life!" said Philip, soberly.

"It would serve him right to perform a surgical operation on him for
that, wouldn't it, Mrs. Strong?" the surgeon appealed to her.

"I think he deserves the worst you can do, doctor."

"But say, dear people, I can't stay here a month. I must be about my
Master's business. What will the church do for supplies?"

"Don't worry, Philip. The church will take care of that."

But Philip was already eager to get to work. Only the assurance of the