"
"Oh, if you mean that," began Sewell more soberly, and his wife
leaned forward with an interest in the question which she had not
felt while the mere joking went on.
"Yes. When Sibyl came in this morning with an imperative demand to
be allowed to go off and do good with flowers in the homes of
virtuous poverty, as well as the hospitals and prisons, I certainly
felt as if there had been an interposition, if you will allow me to
say so."
Miss Vane still had her joking air, but a note of anxiety had crept
into her voice.
"I don't think it will do the sick and poor any harm," said Sewell,
"and it may do Sibyl some good." He smiled a little in adding: "It
may afford her varied energies a little scope."
Miss Vane shook her head, and some lines of age came into her face
which had not shown themselves there before. "And you would advise
letting her go into it?" she asked.
"By all means," replied Sewell. "But if she's going to engage
actively in the missionary work, I think you'd better go with her on
her errands of mercy."
"Oh, of course, she's going to do good in person. What she wants is
the sensation of doing good--of seeing and hearing the results of
her beneficence. She'd care very little about it if she didn't."
"Oh, I don't know that you can say that," replied Sewell in
deprecation of this extreme view.
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