"I call that more than a hint," said Jessie, in a low voice. "I am so glad you felt it as I did, Flossy." "Felt it! You don't mean that you got hold of it? Then you can tell whether it was cut on the bias, and how the little puffs were put on!" "Why, what are you thinking of, Flossy?" exclaimed Amy. "Bias--puffs! One would think you were talking of a dress!" "Well, of course I was. Of that lovely self-trimming on that cashmere dress of the lady that came with Miss Manners. What--what are you laughing at, Grace?" "Oh! Florence," said Amy, in a disappointed tone; "we thought you meant the sermon." "The sermon?" said Florence, half annoyed, half puzzled; "well, it was a very good one; but----" "It did make one feel--oh, I don't know how!" said Jessie, much too eager to share her feelings with the other girls, even to perceive that Florence wanted to go off to the trimming. "Wasn't it beautiful--most beautiful--when he said it was not enough only just not to be weeds, or to be only flowers, gay and lovely to the eye?" said Amy. "Yes," went on Jessie; "he said that we might see there were some flowers just for beauty, all double, and with no fruit or good at all in them, but dying off into a foul mass of decay." "Ay," said Grace; "I thought of your dahlias, that, what with the rain and the frost, were--pah!--the nastiest mess at last." "Then he said," proceeded Jessie, "that there were some fair and comely, some not, but only bringing forth just their own seeds, not doing any real good, like people that keep themselves to themselves, and think it is enough to be out of mischief and do good to themselves and their families." "And didn't you like it," broke in Amy, "when he said that was not what God asked of us? He wanted us to be like the wheat, or the vine, or the apple, or the strawberry, some plain in blossom, some fair and lovely to look at, but valued for the fruit they bring forth, not selfishly, just to keep up their own stock, but for the support and joy and blessing of all!" "One's heart just burnt within one," continued Jessie, "when he bade us each one to go home and think what we could do to bring forth fruit for the Master, some thirty, some sixty, some an hundredfold. Not only just keeping oneself straight, but doing something for Christ through His members." "Only think of its being for Christ Himself," said Amy softly. "Well," said Grace, "I thought we might take turns to go to Miss Manners's missionary working parties. I never gave in to them before, but I shall not be comfortable now unless I do something. And was that what you meant about the velvet trimming, Jessie? It will save--" "Fifteen pence," said Jessie. "Very well--or you may say threepence more. So we can put that into the box, if you like. I must be going now, and look sharp if I'm to catch the bus. So good-bye, all of you."