“I am not afraid of work, Mrs. Makepeace, and I can never be lonely with Jesus Christ.”

* * * * *

In far Vermont Evadne was reading aloud from a paper she had brought from the post-office.  “The whole sum of Christian living is just loving.”  “Do you believe that, Aunt Marthe?”

“Surely, dear child.  Love is the fulfilling of the law, you know.  When we love God with our whole heart, and our neighbor as ourselves, there is no danger of our breaking the Decalogue.  ‘He who loveth knoweth God,’ and ‘to know him is life eternal.’”

“Just love,” said Evadne musingly.  “It seems so simple.”

“Do you think so?” said Aunt Marthe with a smile.  “Yet people find it the hardest thing to do, as it is surely the noblest.  Drummond calls it ‘the greatest thing in the world’ and you have Paul’s definition of it in Corinthians.  Did you ever study that to see how perfect love would make us?

“‘Love suffereth long,’ that does away with impatience; ‘and is kind,’ that makes us neighborly; ‘love envieth not,’ that saves from covetousness; ‘vaunteth not itself,’ that does away with self-conceit; ‘seeketh not its own,’ that kills selfishness; ‘is not provoked,’ that shows we are forgiving; ‘rejoiceth not in unrighteousness,’ makes us love only what is pure; ’covereth [Footnote:  Marginal rendering.] all things,’ that leaves no room for scandal; ‘believeth all things,’ that does away with doubt; ‘hopeth all things,’ that is the antithesis of distrust; ‘endureth all things,’ proves that we are strong; and then the beautiful summing up of the whole matter, ‘love never faileth.’  If that is true of us, it can only be as we are filled with the spirit of the Christ of God, ‘whose nature and whose name is love.’”

“You see such beautiful things in the Bible!” said Evadne despairingly, “why cannot I get below the surface?”

“You will, dearie.  You forget I have been digging nuggets from this precious mine for years and you have just begun to search for them.  Would you like another drive, or do you feel too tired?”

“Not in the least.  What can I do for you?”

“I would like to send some of that currant jelly I made yesterday to old Mrs. Riggs, if you are sure you would like to take it?”

“As sure as sure can be, dear,” said Evadne with a kiss, “Where shall I find it?”

“In the King’s corner.”

“‘The King’s corner?’” echoed Evadne with a puzzled look.

“Oh, I forgot you did not know.  I always give the Lord the first fruits of my cooking, and keep them in a special place set apart for his use, then, when I go to see the sick, there is always something ready to tempt their fancy.  It is wonderful what a saving of time it is.  I rarely have to make anything on purpose,—­there is always something prepared.”

She followed her niece out to the carriage, helped her pack the jelly safely, with one of her crisp loaves of fresh brown bread, bade her a merry farewell and went back to the house again singing.