“O, what a ’tory!” said Dotty Dimple, tossing her head.  “I never shaked my foot; did I, Prudy?”

But Prudy had suddenly turned about, and gone back to the house, saying she had forgotten something.  She had left home without kissing her mother good by, and nothing could console Prudy for the loss of one of her mother’s caresses.

“There, girls, I’m back again,” said she, catching her breath.  “Now, Dotty, let’s we see how fast we can walk.”

“Drefful dirty,” said Dotty, scowling at her overshoes.

“Yes,” replied Susy, “this snow has been round on the ground a good while.  It’s most time it went back to heaven to get clean.”

“What do you mean by snow’s going to heaven?” said Prudy, gazing at the street, which was half white and half black.

“Why, you see,” answered Susy, “it says, ’God scattereth the snow like wool, and his hoar-frost like the shining pearls.’  And my Sabbath school teacher tells us that after a while the sun draws it back, and makes clouds of it, as ’twas before.  So, you see, the snow and the rain keep sprinkling down, and then rising up to the sky again.”

“Why—­ee!” said Prudy; “how does the snow go up?  I never saw it going.”

“Indeed you have, Prudy.  It goes puffing up in fog.  Why, it’s just as if the snow was a teakettle, and it keeps steaming out clouds.”

“O, does it, Susy?  Now, when it fogs, I shall know the snow’s going up.”

“Please don’t talk any more,” returned Susy, suddenly lowering her voice; “we must be very quiet on the street, for it’s Sunday.  You don’t mean any harm, Prudy, but you say so much that I’m afraid I shall forget my lesson.  I keep saying it over to myself, you know.”

Susy and Prudy belonged in different classes.  Susy recited from a question book, and Prudy learned verses from the Bible.  Dotty Dimple went with Prudy into Miss Carlisle’s class, where eight or ten little girls were already seated.

“It’s my little sister, Miss Carlisle,” whispered blushing Prudy.  “Mother allowed her to come to-day because she isn’t coming any more.  Will you please excuse her?”

Smiling, Miss Carlisle was very willing to “excuse” Dotty for her sweet sister’s sake.  But Prudy felt rather nervous.  She made a place beside herself for Dotty, who folded her small hands and sat as still as a marble cherub; but what odd thing she might take it into her busy brain to do, no one could tell.

When Prudy’s turn came she repeated her verse:  “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth:  keep the door of my lips.”

“An excellent text,” said Miss Carlisle.  “It would make me very happy if I thought you would remember it all your life, darling.  Do you think you understand it?”

“Mother says it means, ‘Be careful to say only what is true and good,’” replied Prudy, in a low voice.

“That is right,” said Miss Carlisle; “but do you understand what is called the ‘figure of speech’ in the verse?  Do you know what a watch is?”