“Evadne Hildreth.”

“Evadne.  That’s uncommon and pretty.  I’m goin’ to call you so if you’re not objectionable to it.  Life’s too short for handles.”

Evadne laughed merrily.  “I’m not in the least objectionable,” she said.

“No, that’s a fact,” said her visitor after a moment’s kindly scrutiny.  “You’re true and thorough.  I knew I was goin’ to like you when I saw you in meetin’.”

Evadne flushed with pleasure.  “Why, that is a beautiful character!  I only wish I deserved it.  But I fear you are very much mistaken in me, though it is very kind in you to think such nice things.”

“Nonsense, child!  I don’t waste my time thinkin’.  Let me have a good look at your face for half an hour and I’ll know as much about you as you could tell me in a week.  Malviny Higgins has just come back from Bosting with her head full of sykick forces an’ mental affinities an’ the dear knows what else, but I think it’s just a cultivation of our common senses—­number, five.  You can feel a person without touching them; it’s in the air all round you; and you don’t need much discrimination to know whether what you will say will hurt them or be a blessin’.  The main thing is to put yourself in their shoes before you begin to talk.”

“Their shoes, Miss Riggs,” laughed Evadne, “why they might not fit.”

“Penelope,” corrected her visitor, “Penel for brevity.  Yes, they will too, that kind of shoe leather is elastic.  It’s the old Bible doctrine, ’never do anything to others that you wouldn’t like others to do to you.’  If people got the shoes well fitted before they let their tongues loose, there would be a deal less sorrow and heartburn in the world.”

“‘Love thy neighbor as thyself,’” said Evadne.  “I never thought of it in that way before.”

“Well,” said Miss Riggs briskly, “I’m dredful glad you’ve cum, Evadne.  It’ll do Mis’ Everidge a sight of good to have you, though Marthe Everidge is raised above the need of humans as far as any mortal can be on this earth.  With all their inventions there ain’t nobody discovered how to make spiritual photographs yet, or I would have the picture of her character in all the windows of the land.  ’Twould do more good than miles of tracts.  I agree with Paul that livin’ epistles make the best readin’ an’ it don’t seem fittin’ that she should be shut up in this little place where only a few of us have the right kind of spectacles to see her through.  Most of the folks just allow it’s Mis’ Everidge’s way, and would as soon think of tryin’ to imitate her as a tadpole would a star.”

“But we are to imitate Christ,” said Evadne.