store (old and gray-headed), will go to-morrow to transact some business
with papa. Evan will give him a letter of introduction to Dr. Dennis. He
expects to return on Saturday, and if you will trust Gracie to us, and
she is willing to come, she might travel in Mr. Barnwell's care, and we
would meet her at the depot. Dear Marion, we should like it ever so
much: and I have prayed about it all the morning, and cannot help
thinking that Jesus likes it too."

Thus it came to pass that when Mrs. Roberts took her seat on the next
Sabbath afternoon before her seven boys at the South End Mission, a
vision of loveliness, such as the mission had not often seen, came in
with her, and looked with wide-open eyes on all the new and strange
sights and sounds about her. A very pretty creature was Gracie Dennis.
Her eyes had lost none of their brightness, although they had shed some
tears during her recent experiences. They were fairly sparkling to-day,
for the great city into which she had come for the first time was like
fairyland to her; albeit, she had passed through scenes that afternoon
which bore no resemblance to her idea of fairyland. What the boys
thought of her could only be determined from their stares. Let us hope
that her presence had nothing to do with their conduct, for never, in
all the annals of the South End Mission, had seven boys comported
themselves as did those before whom Mrs. Roberts sat that winter
afternoon.

Nimble Dick, as if to be revenged for his unintentional courtesy of the
Monday before, placed his ill-kept feet on the seat in front of him, in
alarming proximity to Mrs. Roberts' shoulders, and chewed his tobacco,
and defiled the floor with its juice, and talked aloud, and was in every
sense disgusting. Neither was Dirk Colson one whit behind him. The
spirit of entertainment was upon him. He mimicked Mr. Durant's somewhat