Thus, the little party grew by degrees, until all Mrs. Davis's chairs and benches were in requisition, and one or two friends in the town, hearing from their young dependents of the Bible-reading at this humble refuge from Sunday idleness and sin, sent now and then a little present of grocery, or other useful things, that the widow might be enabled to "show hospitality" without embarrassment or privation in the week. "I wish, Jane," said Ellen, one day, "if you are determined to go to that Mrs. Davis's, you would call for me at Mr. Ashton's on your way home. I expect to spend the evening there, and they have so often asked about you, that it seems quite disrespectful of you never to go near them." "I did go, you know, Ellen, once, to please you, and I did not like the way you all behaved at all." "Ah, that is your prim, precise nonsense, since you went so much with Mary; but surely I have as much right to choose my friends as you have," said Ellen, tossing her head; "but it is Mr. and Mrs. Ashton who want to see you, or I'm sure I should not press it." "I will call for you, and wait in the shop until you are ready," said Jane; "I would rather not come in." "Well, you will see how that will be; so I shall expect to see you." And the sisters parted, one to giddy amusement and folly with a young party bent on doing their own pleasure; the other to the happy little group assembled round the widow and her Bible. "You gave us so little to learn, Mrs. Davis," said Jane, "that I have learned a long piece besides." "I cannot find fault with that, my dear," replied Mrs. Davis; "but the reason I gave you little was, that you might consider it deeply, because the sentence, though so short, contains the pith of many a volume." "So you said; but really I cannot see so very much in it. They crucified Him; what is it but a statement of a fact?" "It is, as you say, a statement of a fact, and how solemnly important a fact, I hope you will learn to understand. But I want to tell you, dear girls, about a friend of my early days, who found a great deal in that text. She was, as you seem to be, anxious to be what she called 'very good;' but I hope your efforts will be more Scriptural toward that end, than hers were in the beginning of her course.