The Dressmaker's Sorrow and Joy.

not go, and she gave me this pretty rose-bush for you. It is a monthly rose, and will flower for a long time.'

Margaret set the plant upon the window-seat beside her, thinking that Mrs. Amiot must certainly make a good use of her fortune, seeing that she remembered a poor workwoman like herself. Every evening she carried the plant to her attic, and brought it again every morning to the work-room, thinking the air during the walks would preserve its freshness. She could not help pitying the poor rose, for she feared it must have home-sickness, and must long for Mrs. Amiot's pretty garden, and for its sweet-scented atmosphere.

The servant who came to fetch Mrs. Amiot's dress when it was finished brought a second souvenir for Margaret from that lady, who thus became a friend to the poor, ill, isolated girl. This, new present was a book, containing the four Gospels and some hymns. Mrs. Amiot had written the following words upon the blank page at the beginning,

'Let us remember that one thing is needful-to know and love Jesus Christ our Saviour, Who gave His life for us! He is now preparing for us a heavenly Home, and happy are those who have given Him the first place in their hearts. They have a sweet hope within them which the world knows not.'

That day Margaret understood why God had put it into the heart of this pious lady to remember her, and to send her those cheering words, for she felt very ill. Never had the distance from her mother appeared so great. Would she ever again see that dear mother? Those days of happiness with her which had been so long anticipated-would they ever be realised? Margaret's sight grew dim, and it needed a painful effort to sew on.

Miss Renand, what are you thinking about? you are putting that flounce upside down.'

The work fell from the poor girl's hand-she never ver resumed it. She rose with difficulty, murmuring that she was ill and could not work any more that day, and then she set off to go home, with tottering steps.

Several days passed, and Margaret's place was still vacant. Madame Laura, after having waited a week very impatiently, filled it up. Poor Fanny, Margaret's friend, was much distressed, but she could not be spared to ask after her suffering companion.

CHAPTER IV.

MRS. AMIOT did not forget the young dressmaker. Herself a devoted Christian, she joyfully obeyed the calls of Providence to carry to those around her the message of the Gospel-those good tidings which had revived and comforted her in the midst of great trials. She had been a widow for many years, without children to love and train. Her sole aim seemed to be to live for Heaven, and to tell of a Saviour's love and of His precious promises to those whom she saw advancing, without hope, towards eternity. Margaret's pale and interesting face had been a call' to her. An illness of several weeks had detained her a prisoner, and had prevented her from fulfilling her charitable intention of paying another visit to Margaret.

The Dressmaker's Sorrow and Joy.

At length, on an October morning, when the dead leaves were already scattered on the woodland paths, Mrs. Amiot set out to pay her long-delayed visit. On entering the work-room she saw at a glance that another occupied Margaret's place. She asked quickly where the young girl was.

She has not been for a fortnight,' answered Madame Laura, without raising her head from the dress which she was preparing.

'Is she ill?'

'Probably. For a long time she has not done her work as well as

usual.

'And have you not sent to inquire after her?'

How can you expect it, ma'am?' replied the dressmaker, in a cold, sharp tone. 'I have quite enough to think of: all her work now falls upon me, for I cannot find her equal in taste and arrangement. Miss Renand lives quite out of the way, and I suppose she has some one to take care of her.'

I am not so sure of that,' replied Mrs. Amiot. But I will go and see if you will give me her address.'

Which of you young ladies knows where Miss Renand lives?' asked Madame Laura.

'I do,' said Fanny, in a trembling voice, her eyes filling with tears, No. 9 Rocher Street. I would gladly have gone to see her, but I have had no leisure.'

You will have the goodness, ma'am, to tell her that her place here is filled up,' said Madame Laura. 'She was decidedly too weak for my place; she must seek work elsewhere. I will recommend her if she

desires it.'

Mrs. Amiot left the room without answering. She took a cab and drove at once to Margaret's address.

Mrs. Bernard, dressed in mourning, her hair smoothed under her widow's cap, was reading in her little room. Mrs. Amiot recognised the book in her hand as that which she had sent to Margaret. She asked if she could see Miss Renand. Mrs. Bernard, looked at her in astonishment.

6

See her, poor child! Did you know her, ma'am?'

'Am I too late?' asked Mrs. Amiot, with emotion.

She is still upstairs: she died this morning, quite early, in my arms, poor girl! Perhaps it was you who gave her this book?' continued Mrs. Bernard, pointing to the book in her lap.

'Yes.'

well; you were

Ah, then, she often spoke of you. She loved you interested in her at once: you saw that she was deserving of your kindness. Would you like to see her, ma'am?'

As she spoke, the kind woman took a key and led Mrs. Amiot upstairs. There lay poor Margaret, stretched upon her little bed. She was not more colourless than when Mrs. Amiot had seen her in the work-room. She looked very peaceful, her eyes softly closed. Her favourite rosebush was placed upon a little table beside her; the flowers were drooping for want of air.

There is your rose-bush,' said Mrs. Bernard: it is almost dead, but we will plant it upon the grave; it will soon recover.'

'Did she suffer much ?'

Bucharest.

No, ma'am: much less, she told me, than when she was in the work-room, obliged to use her needle, and yet feeling so ill. She spoke very little; but an hour before her death she said, "Mrs. Bernard, it is not hard to die, because I know that I am going to my Saviour. I shall be very happy with Him. If my mother were but with me!" Another time she said to me, "What message do you send to your husband? You will soon follow, with Rose; tell her to love the Lord Jesus, and not think about fine dresses. Will you send my beautiful little book to my mother? That kind lady to think of me !" And then she looked upwards: she had such a beautiful expression ! She laid her head upon my shoulder, and there she died; but I did not know the exact moment. Ah, her poor mother, who is expecting her! She will not survive it. To think that one must live in this world to suffer so much!'

Let us pray for the poor mother,' said Mrs. Amiot. God to take her where Margaret is.'

They knelt together beside the bed.

'Let us ask

I will come and see you again,' said Mrs. Amiot, rising, and pressing the poor widow's hand.

of Heaven.'

'We will talk of this dear one and

Margaret's little savings were sent to her mother, according to her request. Mrs. Amiot defrayed the expenses of the funeral, and chose for the grave in the cemetery of Montmartre one of those green, retired spots that Margaret loved so well.

'So He giveth His beloved sleep.'-Ps. cxxvii. 2.

B

trees.

Bucharest.

UCHAREST is the capital of Wallachia, one of the Danubian Principalities of European Turkey. It stands in a rich but swampy plain on the little river Dombovitza, a feeder of the Danube. Although partly fortified, the city is but a collection of straggling villages. The scenery around is, however, pleasing, and hence the name Bucharest, which signifies, the City of Enjoyment.' The handsome houses of the boyards, or nobles, are surrounded with luxurious gardens, and are partially concealed by These inclosures are fenced in by the entire trunks of oaks, set closely together. The streets are paved transversely with planks of wood about ten yards long, and as many inches thick, so as to appear like one continued bridge throughout the whole extent of the city. Bucharest is the see of a Greek Archbishop, and contains numerous many-spired churches, about twenty-six monasteries, and several hospitals. The palace of the Hospodar, or Prince of Wallachia, is a large structure, of no beauty, in the centre of the capital. The houses of the poor are wretched in the extreme-little better, in fact, than a large collection of mud huts. Cafés and gambling-tables abound, and the city has the unenviable character of being, for its size, the most dissolute of European capitals. Its corso, or public promenade, has been called by travellers' a London park in miniature.' The inhabitants of the city, above 60,000 in number, are chiefly Christians, but their

Bucharest.

houses, dress, and manners, resemble in many respects those of their Mohammedan masters, the Turks. Bucharest is the entrepôt for the extensive trade carried on between Turkey and Austria, especially corn, timber, wool, salt, honey, and wax.

Here, in May, 1812, was concluded the treaty of peace by which Turkey ceded to Russia the whole of Bessarabia and part of Moldavia. In 1813 the city was desolated by the plague, and in 1830 by the Asiatic cholera. In 1838 it suffered greatly from the shock of an earthquake. In 1854 it was the head-quarters of the Austrians, who

BUCHAREST.

Obsolete Words in Bible and Prayer-book.

entered the Danubian provinces (strictly as neutrals) to place themselves between the Turks and the Russians, and thus to prevent any collision there between the armies of Omar Pacha and of Prince Gortschakoff. Unfortunately for the allies, this enabled the Russians to spare immense reinforcements, which they sent to the aid of Prince Menschikoff in the Crimea.

Obsolete Words in Bible and Prayer-book.

BY T. LEWIS O. DAVIES, M.A., VICAR OF ST. MARY EXTRA, SOUTHAMPTON. HE disuse of defensive armour, and the change in many of our offensive weapons, have caused several terms connected with these to be out of date. We now use 'harness' only of a horse's trappings, but it was employed of a man's armour as well. Ahab was smitten between the joints of the harness' (1 Kings, xxii. 34). The children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt' (Exod. xiii. 18). Latimer, in an often-quoted passage in one of his sermons says, 'I can remember that I buckled my father's harness when he went unto Blackheath Field.' The French have still the double use of the word; only they call the armour harnois, and the other harnais. In 1 Macc. iv. 7, a camp is said to be harnessed,' i. e. fortified with a breastwork.

Artillery was not confined to heavy ordnance. Jonathan, when he had shot his arrows as a signal to David, 'gave his artillery unto his lad' (1 Sam. xx. 40). Bishop Jewel, speaking of the policy by which the Philistines prevented Israel from having sword or spear, says, They bereft them of all manner of weapon and artillery.'

In Jeremiah we read, 'Let the archer bend his bow against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine' (li. 3); and in the same book, 'furbish the spears, put on the brigandines' (xlvi. 4). Lightarmed soldiers were called brigands,' probably because they were broken off or detached from the main body; so now we have brigade' as a division of the army. The corslets of these brigands were styled 'brigandines.' Soldiers of this kind often marauded on their own account; hence the sense which brigand' has with us now. From this light ships built for piratical purposes were called brigantines,' but these have no longer of necessity a bad character, and a brig may be a very honest vessel.

เ

'Habergeon' is used four or five times in the Old Testament. The hole of the ephod was to be as the hole of the habergeon (Exod. xxviii. 32; xxxix. 23). Nehemiah armed his workmen with habergeons among other things (Neh. iv. 16). Latimer, quoting Eph. vi. 14, speaks of the habergeon, or coat-armour of justice.' It was a coat of mail, covering the upper part of the body; not quite the same as a hauberk, for Chaucer describes a knight as wearing his hauberk over his habergeon. In Samson Agonistes the Jewish captive, challenging Harapha, bids him put on

Thy brigandine of brass, thy broad habergeon,
Vant-brace and greaves."

The last word occurs in the description of Goliath's armour (1 Sam.