“But I have seen in America the spot where Jamestown stood and that dates almost as far back.  Suppose I tell you that Martin Luther read Pilgrims Progress with great delight, do you know whether I am making fun or not?  If I say that Queen Elizabeth wrote a letter to Cleopatra, do you know whether I mean it or not?  And if I say that Richard the Third was baptized by St. Augustine, can you contradict it?  And Hannah More wrote a sympathetic letter to Joan of Arc, and Marie Antoinette danced with Charlemagne, and George Washington was congratulated on becoming President by Mary Queen of Scots.”

The girls could laugh at this for they had an idea that the Queen of Scots died some time before the first president of the United States was born; but over the other names and incidents they looked at each other gravely.

“Life is a kind of conglomeration without dates,” said Linnet.

“I wonder if you know how long ago the flood was!” suggested Miss Prudence, “or if Mahomet lived before the flood or after,” she added, seriously.

Marjorie smiled, but Linnet was serious.

“You confuse me so,” said Linnet.  “I believe I don’t know when anything was.  I don’t know how long since Adam was made.  Do you, Marjorie?”

“No,” in the tone of one dreadfully ashamed.

“And now I’ll tell you a lovely thought out of the Bible that came through dates.  I did not discover it myself, of course.”

“I don’t see why ‘of course,’” Marjorie said in a resentful tone.  “You do discover things.”

“I discover little girls once in a while,” returned Miss Prudence with a rare softening of lips and eyes.

If it had not been for a few such discoveries the lines about Miss Prudence’s lips might have been hard lines.

“Of course you both remember the story of faithful old Abraham, how he longed and longed for a son and hoped against hope, and, after waiting so long, Isaac was born at last.  He had the sure promise of God that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed.  Do you know how many nations Abraham knew about?  Did he know about France and England and America, the Empire of Russia and populous China?”

Linnet looked puzzled; Marjorie was very grave.

“Did he know that the North American Indians would be blessed in him?  Did he know they would learn that the Great Spirit had a Son, Jesus Christ?  And that Jesus Christ was descended from him?”

“I—­don’t—­know,” said Marjorie, doubtfully.  “I get all mixed up.”

“It was because all the world would be blessed that he was so anxious to have a son.  And, then, after Isaac was born and married for years and years the promise did not seem to come true, for he had no child.  Must the faithful, hopeful old father die with his hope deferred?  We read that Abraham died in a good old age, an old man, full of years, and Isaac and Ishmael buried him, and farther on in