"Ever so many things; you know my boys? Well, they are really young men; and anyone can see how they have improved. Some of them have real good homes, to be sure; but the most of them are friendless sort of boys.
Now, I want to get them acquainted; not with the frippery people who would have nothing to do with them, but with some of our real splendid boys and girls who will enjoy helping them. I"m going to have the nicest little party I ever had in my life; I mean to have some of the very best people there; then I shall have some of the silly ones, of course; partly because I can"t help it, and partly because I want to show them what a nice time reasonable beings can have together, if they choose. Nellis Mitch.e.l.l is enlisted to help me in ever so many ways, and Mr. Roberts will do what he can, but you know he is a stranger. My great dependence is on you two. I want you to see to it, that my boys don"t feel lonely or out of place one single minute during the entire evening."
"But I am afraid I shall feel lonely, and out of place," Marion said; "you know I am never invited to parties."
Flossy laughed.
"Wouldn"t it be a strange sight to see you feeling out of place?" she asked, gaily. "Marion, I can"t conceive of a place to which you wouldn"t do credit."
Whereupon Marion arose and made a low courtesy.
"Thank you," she said, in mock gravity. "I never had a compliment before in my life; I shall certainly come; there is nothing like a little flattery to win people."
"Don"t be nonsensical," pleaded Flossy; "I am really in earnest. Ruth, I may depend upon you? I know you are not going to entertainments this winter, but mine is to be a small one, compared with the others; and you know it will be unlike any that we have had at our house."
Ruth hesitated.
"When is it to be?" she asked, her cheeks glowing over her own thoughts.
"I shall be engaged on Friday evening of next week."
"It is to be on Wednesday."
"Then I will come. And if I play, Marion, will you sing to entertain the unusual guests?"
"Of course," Marion said, promptly. "I never sang in company in my life; but do you suppose there is anything I will not do for Flossy"s guests, after what she has just said? Only, Flossy, I shall have to wear my black cashmere."
"Wear your brown calico, if you choose; you look royal in it," Flossy said, turning a beaming face on Marion. She had heard her sing, she knew what a rare musical treat it would be to those boys of hers. So this was Flossy"s last departure from the beaten track.
Those who are familiar with the imperative laws and lines which circ.u.mscribe the fashionable world will realize just how marked a departure it was. It was a remarkable party. The very highest and most sought after of the fashionable world were there, a few of them, and John Warden was there in his new business suit of grey, looking and feeling like a man.
Flossy"s boys were all present, and those who knew of them and their a.s.sociations and advantages, marvelled much at their ease of manner and perfect propriety of behaviour. How could they have learned so much?
Flossy did not know, herself, but the boys did.
Her exquisite grace of manner, her perfect observance of all the rules and courtesies of polite society in her intercourse with them, had produced its legitimate fruit; had instinctively inclined them to be able to treat her with the same sort of grace which she freely and everywhere bestowed on them.
Had she not met them on the street, in the very heart of Broadway when she was walking with some of her fashionable friends? Had she not taken pains to recognize them with a specially cordial bow, and if near enough, with a deliberate speaking of their names, being sure to slightly emphasize the unusual prefix "Mr."
These and a hundred other kindred trifles, so small that they are not noted among the qualifications for Sabbath-school teachers, so powerful for good, that they often turn the current of a human life, had been carefully regarded by Flossy, and to-night she was triumphant over her success. She had not only helped her boys to be true to their convictions of right and dignity, not only to take on true manliness of decision in regard to the all important question of personal religion, she had helped them to be gentlemen. There is many a faithful teacher to whom, thinking of these minor matters, it might be said:
"These ought ye to have done, and not to have left the other undone."
From first to last, Flossy"s party was a success. To Ruth and Marion it was a study, developing certain curious features which they never forgot. Marion had her own private bit of interest that not another present, save Gracie Dennis knew about. She was not a party goer. Even so small a gathering as this, was new to her. She looked upon all these people with a keen interest; many of them she was meeting for the first time. That is, she was being introduced to them, and receiving their kindly greetings; for Flossy had succeeded in gathering only those, who whatever they might think of her choice of guests, were much too well bred to exhibit other than pleasure while they were her guests.
But only Marion knew that she was destined to meet these people again, and probably often, under different circ.u.mstances; the probability was that many of them would be her own guests, would receive and return her calls, would fall into the habit of consulting her in regard to this or that matter of church interest that would come up; not one of them dreamed of such a thing; and when she tried to lead them into conversation on matters pertaining to the church interests, they looked their surprise that she should have such intelligent knowledge concerning these matters.
Altogether it was an evening full of private fun on her part. There was to be such a curious turn about of position, she realized so fully that it would be such unutterable surprise to the people, that it was impossible not to feel amused, and to treasure up certain words and phrases that would sound very queerly to the speakers thereof, if they remembered them when those said changes became manifest to the eyes of the world.
There was more than fun to be gotten out of the evening; she watched the young people with eager interest. She was to be a great deal to these young people; she must try to understand them, to win them. She wanted to be a help, a comfort, a guide. She had wonderful plans and aims. She blessed Flossy in her heart for this opportunity to study her lesson before it should be time to practise it.
That same Flossy afforded her help in another direction. There was no hiding the hold that she had gotten, not only on those young men of her cla.s.s, but those of their friends that they had brought within her influence. There was no disguising the fact, that among the young ladies she was a favorite; one whom they liked to have among them, whom they liked to please. How had she done it all?
"I can never be Flossy," Marion said to herself, an amused smile hovering around her lips meanwhile, at the thought that she should have a shadow of desire to become their little Flossy. "But it is worth while to steal her secret of success, if I can, and practise it."
Close watching revealed a good deal of the secret; as much of it at least as could be put into words. Evidently the little lady had the power of making other people"s interests her own for the time being; of impressing the one with whom she came in contact, with a sense of his own importance, in her eyes; at least she was interested in what he said and did, and in what interested him. She could enter into the minute details of a matter which did not concern her in the least, with such apparent interest and desire to know all that was to be known about it, that one could hardly help the feeling that certainly the subject was worthy of attention.
Then her face spoke for her; it could cloud in an instant in sympathy with any sort of trouble or anxiety, and sparkle with happy smiles in the very next second over some bit of brightness that was mentioned.
"She is a blessed little hypocrite, and that is the whole of it," was Marion"s mental comment. "That sort of hypocrisy is worth studying. It is as natural to Flossy as that lovely pink on her cheek; but I am afraid I should have to acquire it; I don"t feel interested in other people"s affairs; now, that is a fact. Why should she? In the first place, I know it is natural for her to like to please people; that is the beginning of it; she has that advantage over me, for she was always so, and I always _wasn"t_ so. But she has something else; she did not care once to please such as these rough boys of hers, at least they were rough when she started the refining process; how she had worked for them; I never realized it so much as to-night. It is just this: she has sanctified her power of pleasing, and put it to a grand use in fishing for souls. Meantime, I have some degree of power of that kind, though it doesn"t show in the same way. But I am not sure I have thought of it, with a view to using it for such work; also, I dare say one can cultivate an interest in other people if they try. I mean to try. I know one way in which I can please people, I can sing."
Whereupon she immediately sought Ruth and proposed music, herself going after Rich. Johnson to come and sing tenor, and bidding him bring a friend to sing ba.s.s. Then such music as they had that evening, was certainly never heard at a party at Mr. Shipley"s house before.
The music room was a little bower of a spot at the left of the parlors.
It was not only the music room but the flower room; at least there were vines and plants and blooming flowers in the windows, festooning the curtains, hanging from lovely wire baskets, a profusion everywhere.
Thither went Ruth, Marion, and the two young men who went in silence from very astonishment over this new invitation. In silence and embarra.s.sment, believing in their hearts that they could not sing at all. As for Marion, she knew better. She had stood near them in Sunday-school.
Ruth swept the piano clear of all sheet music and subst.i.tuted the Bliss and Sankey Gospel hymns, and Marion pa.s.sed a book to each, naming a page, and instantly her full, grand voice joined Ruth"s music. Very faint were the tenor and ba.s.s accompaniments; but as the first verse closed and they entered upon the second, the melody had gotten possession of their hearts, and they let out their voices without knowing it, so that when the piece was ended, Marion turned with a bright face, and said:
"I haven"t enjoyed a song so much in years. What a splendid tenor you sing, Mr. Johnson." To herself she said: "There! I"m improving; I honestly think that. But twenty-four hours ago, I should have kept it to myself. It isn"t hypocrisy, after all: it is sincerity."
Another, and another piece was tried, the music room meantime filling; for Flossy had brought in her train others of the boys. And at last, as the last verse of "Hold the Fort" rang out, Marion turned from the piano to discover that utmost silence prevailed in the rooms where chatter had been before, and every available place in and about the music room was filled with hushed listeners, while those who could not get in, sat or stood outside in silence and wrapt attention. Such music as that at a party they had never heard before.
"You and I are a success, I think," Marion said brightly, as she linked her hand in Ruth"s arm, when they left the piano.
"We are doing our duty beautifully."
"Are you complimenting yourself because you are afraid no one will perform that office?" Ruth asked, laughing.
"No, I"m doing it because I have begun to be sincere. I"ve made a discovery to-night. Ruth, it is you and I who are hypocritical, in refusing to say what we think about people, when it would sound real nicely, and would doubtless make them feel pleasanter and happier."
Meantime, Ruth had her lesson also that she had been learning. What a trial parties had always been to her! How haughtily she had stood aloof enduring with annoyed heart, and oftentimes with curling lip, sillinesses that she could not avoid, listening to conversations and joining in monosyllables when obliged to do so, that drove her to the very verge of patience, not once imagining that there was any help for her, any hope of stemming the current, or in any way changing the accepted course of things.
She was learning. Several times during the evening it had been her fortune to stand near Evan Roberts and join in the conversation which he was carrying on. Each time she was amazed and thrilled to see with what consummate skill and tact he turned the current of thought towards the vital question of personal religion. Always with an easy familiarity of expression that made one feel and realize that to him it was a matter of course, and as natural to be talked about, as the sunshine or the moonlight.
Wondering over this peculiarity of his, once as they talked together she referred to it.
"I can conceive of parties being less of a trial to you than to many of us, because of the ability you have of turning the conversation to some account."
He smiled brightly. "They are not," he said. "I have often looked forward to an evening gathering with eager interest and thankfulness, because of the opportunity for meeting some there whom I could not catch elsewhere and saying a word for my Master. But, Miss Erskine, you speak of "ability," I simply use my tongue on that subject as on any other worthy of thought."
"But don"t you think it requires a peculiar sort of tact to be able to bring in such subjects in a manner calculated to do any good?"
He shook his head, "I should say rather, it required a sincere heart, and an earnest desire to interest a soul. We depend too much on tact and too little on G.o.d"s spirit. "Open thy mouth and I will fill it," is a promise that applies to more places than a prayer-meeting, I think. What we need most to overcome is the idea that there is anything wicked in talking about religion in an everyday tone, as we talk about other topics of absorbing interest."
"There are different ways of going to parties," Ruth said to herself in a musing tone as she turned from him, and she wondered if she could ever get to feel that she might even go to a party occasionally, with the glory of G.o.d in view. This started a train of thought that made her turn suddenly back to Mr. Roberts with a question.
"That doctrine wouldn"t lead you to be a constant frequenter of parties, would it?"
He shook his head.
"By no means. And there are parties many of them, which, as a Christian man, I could not attend at all. We must guard against a temptation to do evil, that good may come."