'At this time it seems rather a wasteful proceeding, and it won't do the men who have fallen any good.' ...

I could have told her that surely it wasn't _waste_ the men were thinking about when they poured out their youth like wine that she and her like might live and hug their bank books." Mr.Macdonald had moved from his chair in the window, and now stood with one hand on the mantelshelf looking into the fire.

"Do you remember," he said, "that evening in Bethany when Mary took a box of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, so that the odour of the ointment filled the house?
Judas--that same Judas who carried the bag and was a robber--was much concerned about the waste.

He said that the box might have been sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor.
And Jesus, rebuking him, said, 'The poor always ye have with you, but Me ye have not always.'" He stopped abruptly and went over to his writing-table and made as though he were arranging papers.

Presently he said, "Anne, you've been here." His tone was accusing.
"Only writing a post card," said his wife quickly.