209

"Ye are Not Your Own."

By a member of the W.F.M.S.

"Well, wife,' said Farmer Maybrick,
as they sat down with their family
to the evening meal in the large,
clean, cool farm-house kitchen one warm
summer evening towards the end of July,
"what wonderful work for the heathen did
you do this afternoon? I saw you and Hester
driving Old Doll post-haste up the road
as we were working in the north field." A
slight flush came to the sweet, patient face
of his wife as he spoke, for this sort of half-teasing,
half-sneering remark was sure to be
forthcoming after every missionary meeting.
But she answered quietly, "Oh, we were
packing our bale of clothing for the Northwest
to-day and arranging for our Thank-offering
Meeting in September." "Then,"
said the son Frank, who shared his father's
opinion of missions, and also his love for
teasing, with a mischievous look across the
table at his sister, "I suppose, father, the
Indian braves will shortly be marching over
the plains, dressed in our shirts and trousers,
while we go in rags at home. "Look!" he
said, holding up one arm to show a long
rent in his sleeve, which he had torn on a
nail that afternoon, and which he well knew

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would be neatly mended before he was allowed
to wear the garment again. "And
what did you send the dear squaws and the
sweet little papooses, Hester; your blue
shirt-waist and coral necklace, or the pink
waist and pearl necklace?" "Neither,"
returned his sister, "And as for your clothes,
I don't suppose any Indian would wear
them; not if he knew you, at any rate."
"Oh, yes, he would, sister, the lordly Indian
will wear all the clothes he can if you give
them to him for nothing, and will permit
his squaw to carry the remainder in a bundle
if she walks a few feet behind him." "Well,
if he does he is not much worse than some
white men I know." "Now, now, that will
do," said the father, seeing that the young
people were growing hot, and turning to his
wife, "But what about the Thank-offering
Meeting, Marian, what does that mean?"
"Why," was the reply, "before the next
meeting an envelope is to be given to each
woman in the congregation, which she is
expected to bring or send to the meeting,
with her offering enclosed and accompanied
by a text of thanksgiving, or she may, if she
wishes, state her special reason for thankfulness."
"Well, I guess your thank-offering
needn't be very big." "Oh, Henry; how
can you say so! Think of the good health
God has given us all. We have not had a
doctor inside the house for a year. Think of
our beautiful home, of the harvest you have.
Think of our son Percy's life being spared
when he was in such danger. Oh, we could
not begin to count our blessings if we tried."
"Oh, yes; I know we've all been well; but

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