“Um-m,” sighed the old man, meditatively tapping his foot; and then the gay flash of Anner ’Lizer’s ribbon caught his eye and he gasped: “Bless de Lawd, Sis ’Lizer; you don’t mean to tell me dat you’s gwin ’bout heah seekin’ wid yo’ har tied up in ribbon? Whut! tek it off, honey, tek it off; ef yo’ wants yo’ soul saved, tek it off!” Anner ’Lizer hesitated, and raised her eyes in momentary protest; but they met the horrified gaze of the old man, and she lowered them again as her hand went reluctantly up to her head to remove the offending bit of finery. “You see, honey,” Uncle Eben went on, “when you sta’ts out on de Christian jou’ney, you’s got to lay aside evry weight dat doeth so easy beset you an’ keeps you f’om pergressin’; y’ ain’t got to think nothin’ ’bout pussunal ’dornment; you’s jes’ got to shet yo’ eyes an’ open yo’ hea’t an’ say, Lawd, come; you mustn’t wait fu’ to go to chu’ch to pray, nuther, you mus’ pray any whar an’ ev’rywhar. Why, when I was seekin’, I ust to go ’way off up in de big woods to pray, an’ dere’s whar de Lawd answered me, an’ I’m a-rejoicin’ to-day in de powah of de same salvation. Honey, you’s got to pray, I tell you. You’s got to brek de backbone of yo’ pride an’ pray in earnes’; an’ ef you does dat, you’ll git he’p, fu’ de Lawd is a praar-heahin’ Lawd an’ plenteous in mussy.” Anner ’Lizer listened attentively to the exhortation, and evidently profited by it; for soon after Uncle Eben’s departure she changed her natty little dress for one less pretentious, and her dainty, frilled white muslin apron gave way to a broad dark calico one. If grace was to be found by self-abnegation in the matter of dress, Anner ’Lizer was bound to have it at any price. As afternoon waned and night came on, she grew more and more serious, and more frequent recourse was had to the corner of her apron. She even failed to see Phiny when that enterprising young person passed her, decked out in the whitest of white cuffs and collars setting off in pleasant contrast her neat dark dress. Phiny giggled again and put up her hand, ostensibly to brush some imaginary dust from her bosom, but really to show her pretty white cuffs with their big bone buttons. But it was all lost on Anner ’Lizer; her gaze was downcast and her thoughts far away. If any one was ever “seekin’” in earnest, this girl was. Night came, and with it the usual services. Anner ’Lizer was one of the earliest of the congregation to arrive, and she went immediately to the mourner’s bench. In the language of the congregation, “Eldah Johnsing sholy did preach a powahful sermon” that night. More sinners were convicted and brought to their knees, and, as before, these recruits were converted and Anner ’Lizer left. What was the matter?