had better not go, that it might be embarrassing, or something of the sort. But no; he only drew a long whistle, and said, “The dickens, you are! Well, I’m glad I picked out tonight to sample it, then. I didn’t know you ever did that sort of thing.”
“I never did before, John. I don’t know how I shall get on. But I am trying to please Christ now. I am almost afraid to have you go, because you will think I am not in earnest about it. I am afraid you will remember how many times I have been cross and ugly to you.”
The tears had actually come now, and her voice was trembling.
“Why, Kathie,” said her brother, almost tenderly, touched and embarrassed, and scarcely knowing what to say to this unusual outburst, “you’re just splendid now! You don’t get cross anymore - much. I wondered what it was about. But you can lead a meeting better than the whole lot of them put together, I’ll bet. Don’t you worry.”
A New Law
Her brother’s words, spoken in that new tone of disguised tenderness, helped Katharine wonderfully. She went up to the leader’s seat by the little table with a feeling that she one friend in the room at least. It was new to look to her brother for anything, and the last thing that was to be expected from his was encouragement. Could it be possible that he had learned this from her own helpful encouragement of him when he made a blunder in tennis? Katharine did not think of this as she took her seat and opened the hymnbook; she only knew that it was very pleasant to have her brother speak that way to her, and she felt a longing to have this meeting such as would help him to find Christ.
In the few words that she spoke when she bowed her head to open the meeting with prayer, she tried to forget that there was any one else present but herself and God, and she asked him to bless the meeting. The meeting did run itself, as the young committee-woman had told Katharine, and was a very earnest one. For her own part in it Katharine read the little poem which had grown so dear to her. She read it beautifully, putting her whole heart into it; and her brother, as he listened carefully to every word, noting with pride the distinct pronunciation and perfect expression, said to himself, “She means that. She feels every speck of it. She is different. I wonder what it all is, anyway.” Then there came into his heart just the fainted little bit of a desire to know the wonderful difference himself.
When the meeting was over, John waited quietly for her at the door. He reached his hand for her Bible, and walked beside her without speaking for some time, but with an air of quiet respect, and an elder brotherly care of her which was quiet new and pleasant. She could not speak first, her heart seemed so full. During the meeting a strange, earnest longing had come cover her for him. She wanted so much to have him know the love of Christ.
“That was a first-class meeting, Katharine,” he said at last, breaking the silence with an almost embarrassed tone. “None of them can go ahead of you on leading, I know. You can do most anything you try, anyway.”
Then the longings of the sister’s heart arose to her lips; “O John,” she said, her voice trembling with earnestness, “I don’t know how to lead meetings, nor do any of these things. They are all new work to me; but I mean to learn, and I do wish so much you would help me!”
It was John’s turn to be surprised now. He almost stopped short on the sidewalk with astonishment. “Me help!” he exclaimed. “What on earth could I do? I’m not w orth much. You’ve tole me so yourself hundreds of time.”
“Oh, I know it, John!” She said in a pained voice, the tears coming quickly to her eyes, “and I’m so sorry. It wasn’t true, and you could help me more than any other person.”
“How in the world can I help you? What is it you want me to do?” asked John, quite tenderly and anxiously. He was not used to being asked by his sister