At first, they kicked at each other, and growled out some awful words without the least sense, but with a great deal of profanity in them, and then they laid down their little books and tracts, and apparently tried to pull each other’s head off.  Of course it made me quite wretched to see them hurt each other in that shocking way, and so I interfered and tried to reconcile them, but the naughty little souls must have had a certain amount of kicking and scratching on hand to dispose of, for they united in bestowing it all on me the moment I came between them.

“I was just trying to save my dress and lace sacque from their boots and claws, when a reverend gentleman appeared at the door, and the bad boys became sneaking cowards at sight of him.  I picked up their little tracts, while he tried to apologize for them; and it was so sad, Winnie, to think that those dear children had not profited by their lessons:  one was called ‘Love One Another,’ and the other, ‘Be Meek and Lowly.’

“While we were talking a lady joined us, and I went into the school at their invitation.

“Winnie, do you know anything practical about Sunday-school?”

“I went to one, and was for years in the class of an elderly maiden lady who urged us all to learn Scripture and hymns.  I was so expert and high in favor that I could repeat forty verses at a time as glibly as a parrot.”

“But I don’t quite mean that sort of thing,” said Bessie.  “I mean a real, earnest teaching-place, where children are gathered in and told all about Christ’s love and mercy—­where they are softened and won to better thoughts and kinder actions, and their poor little minds filled with shining truth, instead of street dirt and abuse.”

“I never thought about it before, but such an institution could not help being a popular one, and a very useful one too,” I confessed.

“Oh, I am so glad, so very glad, that you approve, dear, for I am engaged in that work; and I did not want to write it to you, for somehow it seemed so strange for such a thoughtless, silly girl as I have been to attempt such a serious thing.”

“As teaching in a Sunday-school?”

“Yes, in a sort of mission school for little scholars of the lower classes.  Miss Mary Pepper and I have at this time nearly two hundred boys and girls of all ages, and some of them are very interesting and lovable, while others are—­”

“Like the two gladiators who introduced you to the scene?”

“Yes.  I am afraid there are quite a number of that kind; but, Winnie, you must like Miss Mary Pepper.  Oh, she is one of the most excellent women I ever knew, so truly, so nobly, so devotedly good.  You cannot imagine what a comfort it is to me to be with her—­to feel that I am under her influence, and may learn from her to be a little like her.”

“Miss Mary Pepper?” I repeated:  “then she is a young lady?”

“No—­not young:  indeed, she is rather elderly.”