Part 25 (1/2)

”Of Luke?” said Ailie. ”Here it is. But I don't like Luke so well as Matthew; do you? Well, begin.”

They began and read on, verse by verse, until fourteen verses were read. There they paused.

”What does this mean?” said Matilda, knitting her small brows.

”Isn't it right to ask our friends to tea or anything? Why, Jesus went to dine with this Pharisee,” said Mary, looking up.

”Yes; but that is another thing,” said Matilda. ”You see, we must ask the people who have no friends.”

”But why not our friends too?”

”Perhaps it would cost too much to ask _everybody_,” said Ailie. ”One would be giving parties all the time; and they cost, I can tell you.”

”But some people are rich enough,” said Mary.

”Those people don't make parties for the poor, though,” said Ailie.

”Catch them!”

”But then, _can_ it mean that it is wrong to have our friends come and see us?” said Matilda.

”It cannot be wrong. Don't you remember, Martha and Mary used to have Jesus come to their house? and they used to make suppers for Him.”

”But _He_ was poor,” said Matilda.

”That is different, too, from having a party, and making a great fuss,”

said Ailie.

”And _that_ is done just to pay one's debts,” said Matilda, ”for I have heard mother say so. People ask her, and so she must ask people. And that is what it means, girls, I guess. See, 'lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee.' That isn't making a feast for people that you love.”

”Then it is wicked to ask people just that they may ask you,” said Mary Edwards.

”Instead of that, we must ask people who _cannot_ ask us,” said Matilda.

”But how queer we should be!” said Ailie Swan. ”Just think; we should not be like anybody else. And what should we do if people asked us?”

”I don't care,” said Matilda. ”See, girls;--'thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.'”

”And is that what it means in the next verse?” said Mary Edwards. ”But I don't understand that. 'Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of G.o.d.' Do they eat bread there? I thought they didn't.”

”It is like what we read a little way back,” said Matilda, flirting over one or two leaves, ”yes, here in the 12th chapter--'Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching; verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.'”

”That means Jesus,” said Mary Edwards. ”He will make them to sit down to meat!--and will serve them. What does it mean, I wonder?”

”It means, that Jesus will give them good things,” said Ailie.

”I guess they will be blessed, then, that eat when He feeds them,” said the other little girl. ”I would like to be there.”

”There is a verse or two that my Bible turns to,” said Matilda. ”In the Revelation. 'And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.' Oh, don't you like to read in the Revelation? But we are all called; aren't we?”