“It’s nothing in the world but a Bible service,” Eurie said.  “That man at the gate handed me a programme.  Who wants to go to a Bible service?  We have Bibles enough at home.  We want to be on hand at eleven o’clock, because Edward Eggleston is to speak on ‘The Paradise of Childhood.’  My childhood was anything but paradise, but I am anxious to know what he will make of it.”

Flossy succumbed, of course, as every one expected she would; and the party went in search of tents and accommodations.  It was no easy matter to suit them, as the patient and courteous President found.

“I don’t like the location of any one of them,” Ruth Erskine said.  Of course she was the hardest to suit.  “Why can’t we have one of those in that row on the hill?”

“Those are the guest tents, ma’am.”

“The guest tents?” Eurie exclaimed, in surprise.  “I wonder if they entertain guests here!  Who are they?”

“Why, those who have been invited to take part in the exercises, of course.  You did not suppose that they paid their own expenses and did the work besides, did you?”

This explanation was given by Marion, who, by virtue of her experience as reporter was better versed in the ways of these great gatherings than the others.

“What an idea!” Eurie said.  “Fancy being a guest and speaking at this great meeting.  Being a person of distinction, you know; so that people would be pointing you out, and telling their neighbors who you were.

“There goes Miss Mitchell.  She is the leading speaker on Sunday-school books.  How does that sound?  Only, on the whole, I should choose some other department than Sunday-school books; they are all so horridly good—­the people in them, I mean—­that one can’t get through with more than two in a season.  I tried to read one last week for Sunday, but I abandoned it in despair.”

This was an aside, while Ruth was questioning the President.  She was looking dismayed.

“Can’t we have one of the tents on that side near the stand?”

“Those were taken months ago.  This is a large gathering, you know.”

“I should think it was!  Then, it seems, we must go back to the hotel.  I thought you would be glad to let us have accommodations at any price.”

The gentlemanly President here carefully repressed an amused smile.  Here were people who had evidently misunderstood Chautauqua.

“Oh, yes,” he said, “we can give you accommodations, only not the very best, I am sorry to say.  Our best tents were secured many months ago.  Still, we will do the best we can for you, and I think we can make you entirely comfortable.”

“People have different ideas as to the meaning of that word,” Miss Eurie said, loftily.

Then she moved to another tent, over which she exclaimed in dismay: 

“Why, the bed isn’t made up!  Pray, are we to sleep on the slats?”

“Oh, no.  But you have to hire all those things, you know.  Have you seen our bulletin?  There are parties on the ground prepared to fit up everything that you need, and to do it very reasonably.  Of course we can not know what degree of expense those requiring tents care to incur, so we leave that matter for them to decide for themselves.  You can have as many or as few comforts as you choose, and pay accordingly.”