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Show 40 PRINCESS MARY‘S GIFT BOOK night) that I was a poor sort of (‘hristian to enjoy a sermon and then make no sort of etl'ort to put it into praetiee: in fact. that I was only a bearer of the \Vord. and not a doer. letting: (Jod‘s message go in at one ear and out at the other. leaving nothin g behind it. So I set to to pray that as I went on my way the angels of God might meet me. as they met Jacob, and save me from all harm. And what with the exeitement of the sermon. and my own tears. and the darkness of the road. I got worked up to sueh a piteh that I shouldn‘t have been surprised if a whitewobed angel with shinin g Wing's had flown over the hedge and perehed beside me." " \Vhieh, ot' eourse. no angel did." interrupted Mrs. Veale. "That is as may be." retorted Mrs. Batter by darkly. "In the middle ot‘ my prayer I heard a rustle in the hedge on the side of the road. which. of course, I thought was a thief lying in wait to waylay me and murder me. and I prayed harder and harder. But then. in the fading light, I pereeived that it was no thiel', but a huge yellow collie- WNW! dog, such as they have for minding sheep. " i" 'ltttltr" " Oh dear l " said Miss Skipworth : " I should have been as much afraid ol' a strange dog as of a st range man. it‘ I'd been you." "Fortunately, however, you weren't me, nor ever likely to be, whieh seems fortunate for all parties eoneer ned." replied her hostess dryly. " .\nd as for being afraid of a (log iwhy! I‘d been accustomed to dogs from a ehild. though I'm not the one to deny that eollies are uneertain in temper and apt to snap at strangers unawares. So I spoke kindly to this one. in ease it should take me for a thief come after its master's sheep; though where the sheep were I hadn't a notion, there being nothing but eorntields ready for cutting)r on both sides of the road. the harvest beingr very late that year." "It was rather foolish. to my thinki ng. to speak to it at all," remarked Mrs. \\'ind_\'banl\;. "I had a triend onee who spoke to a strange eollie; and it hit her thimhle linger so badly that she was never able to sew properly again." " Then she must have said the wrongr thing to it," replied Mrs. liattei'by; "and it served her right. I know when folks say the wrong thing.r to me. I‘d give anything to be able to bite their thimble finger, and (toes feel the same as we do. But to get on with my story. The dog came up to me quite friendly-like. and didn‘t attempt to snap or anything: but though it eame close to me. it Wouldn‘t let me touch or pet it. It shied anay the moment I put out my hand to fondle it, So~-I)Cing‘ aeeustomed to dogs and their \vays‘l treated it as it evidently wished to be treated. and just talked to it pleasantly as it trotted along by my side." V " For my part, I believe it was one of the angels onod 41 n MIKV'IH |