Ladies and Gentlemen.

CHAPTER VIII.

T was close upon midnight. A strong west wind was raging over a plantation of young trees which sheltered a small cottage on the Thorpe property. Usually at this time the solitary inmate had been in bed and asleep for some hours, but this unexpected spring wind had given him extra work to do in the way of guarding some valuable young shrubs under his care; and so it happened that at a few minutes before eleven o'clock John Turner was sitting in his front room, taking the supper he had so well earned before going to bed.

The wind raged and screamed, branches beat against the window, and all sorts of ghostly noises assailed his ear: but John was perfectly unmoved; solitude was nothing new to him; and as to harbouring a single fear on the score of the lonely situation of his cottage, was he not a strong, able-bodied young fellow, without an enemy in the world? What should he have to fear?

'Ghosts,' once suggested a lodge-keeper's wife, his nearest neighbour, though she was a full mile distant. She was a timid little woman, and owned to excessive terror when her husband was late of coming home at nights.

And what are ghosts,' asked John, smilingly, since I never happened to see one, missis?'

'Dead people,' said the woman, shivering, as you knew once.' 'Well,' said honest John,' they wouldn't fright me, though I only know two as would come to me-my little brother Watty, that died a baby, and used to lie night after night in my arms till he just dwined away and went off smiling at me— -I'd dearly like to see that little chap again-and Bill Sefton, the poor lad that was drowned trying to save little Lockyer that fell into the river Midsummer Day two years ago. He was a great friend of mine,' said John, meditatively. But there, Mrs. Rait, he added, soothingly, I'm talking foolishly. Their poor bodies are laid in the ground, and I doubt if their spirits are not too happy and safe with God somewhere to care about coming to this world again, frightening lone women.'

Well, and that does seem likely,' said the poor woman, greatly comforted in her mind.

John Turner was in truth afraid neither of man nor spirit in his lonely domicile, so he ate his supper calmly, and was just making his way up the steep staircase to bed when he paused, his ear struck by some uncommon noise.

A rustle against the door this time, not the window, and a sound as of an uncertain hand fumbling for the latch. It might be the wind at its tricks, but it sounded strangely like a human creature. Yet who would be astir and wanting him at this hour?

Another rustle in a pause of the storm, and then John called ont Who's there?' and made for the door, which was fastened by one slight bolt. There was no distinct reply, but John pulled open the door in hot haste, and, white with agitation, drew in the creature that crouched panting on the threshold.

Tilly! what brings you here? what is the matter ?' he exclaimed,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

hurriedly; for Tilly's face was tear-stained, and she wore of one who had flown to the little cottage for shelter.

the appearance 'John, John, you promised to be my friend!' she gasped out when she could speak. I've run all the way from Dearminster; and you won't betray me, but you'll help me out of my trouble.'

And then she broke into a storm of sobs, quite a different sort of thing from the pettish crying of the day when she refused to be John's wife.

John tried to calm her sufficiently to understand her trouble, but he could not. So, being a wise man-more like a woman in some things, people said he coaxed up a bit of fire in the grate, and put a tiny kettle on the hob, and made every preparation to give this strange visitor the only remedy he knew of for agitation and fatigue. And while he moved about Tilly's sobs came more slowly, till at last they nearly ceased, and then she was impatient for John to attend to her.

6

'I'm in such trouble, John,' she began, and I can't see my way out. You must help me, for I've no one else. There's been such a scene at the "Crown and Sceptre," and not my fault. That Wright it was began it; talking to me as if-as if I belonged to him-in the barparlour. And Mr. French grew angry, and then they came to words; and Wright he struck Mr. French, and then Mr. Stephens put him out at the door, for he'd had more than usual even then, and didn't half know what he was saying or doing. And oh, John, he'll be after me In the morning to stand by what he said, and own it's true that I promised to marry him; but I can't, and I won't! And yet, how am I to get free? And oh, John, that's what I've come for. You said you'd befriend me, and you are the only person I can look to, and I can never get loose from him as long as I owe bim money,' and Tilly seemed likely to relapse into fresh sobs.

But the tea was ready then, and John put a cup in front of her without a word.

'I sent a note to mother to say I was gone to see Jane at the Abbey, and should stay the night,' said Tilly, and then I ran off here. I've walked every step of the way, John, and I'm so tired,' she added, piteously: but oh, do help me! do save me from Wright!'

Tilly,' said John, in th; gentle voice he would have used to a distressed child, I'll help you every bit I can, and get you out of all your trouble if I can: but, child, you must tell me the truth now-all the truth. Are you engaged to marry this Wright, or, rather, do you wish to marry him?'

'No, no!' said Tilly, eagerly; he wants me; but oh, I couldn't marry him!'

John did not ask her how long she had felt this, or whether she had wilfully deceived him that day in Prickett's Entry; he went on patiently disentangling her story.

'And you owe him money, Tilly? How much ?' 'A great deal,' said the girl, hastily. 'Not all at once, John, but a little at a time. He would do it, you see. He wanted me to look nice, he said, and wear new clothes, so he lent me money. And then the trip to London, that took a good deal; and he was rich, and made me take a lot more than I wanted: but it went somehow. And now he won't let me off; he'll make me marry him, or he'll tell of all

Ladies and Gentlemen.

this; and I shall lose my place at the "Crown and Sceptre," if Mr. Stephens looks over to-night even.'

Never mind the "Crown and Sceptre," said John; but tell me, Tilly, what you owe this man.'

Tilly twisted her handkerchief. I don't like to tell you,' she said, childishly.

Is it ten, twenty, fifty pounds, child?' John asked.

Oh, no, no! only forty, indeed,' cried Tilly, greatly relieved when he overstated the amount. 'Oh, John, have you as much as that? If you have I'll work hard to pay you back, only do save me from Wright. If he does not get it to-morrow he'll put up the banns on Sunday; he said he would, and Mr. French will think I deceived him.'

'And what has Mr. French to do with you?' questioned honest John. 'Didn't I tell you, John ?' she said; that's why he was so angry. He wants me to be his wife.'

And you prefer him now to Wright?' said John, questioning the girl as calmly as if he had no interest in the matter.

'How you do worry, John !' said Tilly, with a touch of her old manner to her cousin. 'Well, I suppose you must know all. Yes, I do like him much the best; and if everything could be made smooth, he'd marry me straight off. And he's quite a gentleman, John,' she added, a touch of complacency in her voice; his father's a solicitor in the country. I couldn't do better.'

I know nothing about gentlemen,' said John, shortly; they're not in my way. But, Tilly, look you here! I can get you out of that Wright's hands, and save you this time, and I'll do it; but you must tell your mother all about that other man, French. You are but a child, after all, and you'll be getting into fresh trouble if you don't mind.'

Oh, thank you! thank you, dear John!' said Tilly, with a sigh of thankfulness. I knew you'd do it; and it will save me.'

'And now I must think what to do with you,' said John; 'yon can't stop here all night. I must take you to the Lodge, late as it is; Mrs. Rait will put you up somehow.'

But oh, John, what shall you say?' asked Tilly, shrinkingly; they'll want to know all.'

Nonsense!' said John, stoutly; 'they are not of that sort, and live as quiet as I do. I shall say as how you are my cousin, and came to bring some bad news; that'll be enough for them. I'll fetch you from there in the morning and drive you back to Dearminster; master will let me have the spring-cart.'

Tilly was obliged to do as she was bid. And when the Raits had been roused and told as much as was necessary she was glad to find herself in their spare bed, and soon forgot her perplexities in sleep.

Not so John; he had much to think of and much to arrange. The friendless, thoughtless girl's condition, grieved him sorely. What was to be done for her in the future? Would she indeed marry the gentleman, Mr. French, or would she tire of him as she had done of Wright, and perhaps get into worse trouble? John loved this girl despite her weakness and wickedness, and yearned to save her from further folly and sin. He determined to speak to her again on the morrow very seriously. And so resolving he lay down outside his bed, to snatch an hour's sleep if he could.

Church Proverbs.

BY SAMUEL B. JAMES, M.A., VICAR OF NORTHMARSTON, BUCKS. 'God has two eyes and two ears, one in Heaven and one on the Earth.'

A

HIS proverb comes to be included in a series of Church Proverbs, it is hoped legitimately, in this way. missionary from Sierra Leone guarantees it as a native African proverb, expressing the African version of the Holy Scripture truth, that 'the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.'

In many ways these African savages, as we call them, are not only childlike in knowledge, but also, childlike in both their yearning for what shall be level with our present senses, and in their ready belief in actual places, persons, and parts, as belonging to the other life. They love to think of God as a child thinks, as a God that has eyes and hands and a human-like voice. Tell them of God in Christ, satisfy these desires, and they are as glad to hear of such a solution of all their difficulties as a child is. A child, when asked where her little sister lives now,' will reply, lifting up her small hand, bowing reverently the sweet face at the sacred Name, after one bright look

Church Proverbs.

aloft, Up there with JESUS.'

What doing, my darling?' 'Singing "Beautiful land on high." JESUS loves her, and—' after a little pause 'He loves His little Katie, too.'

His little Katie, too! There comes the anti-indefinite, anti-ethereal, anti-vanishing-away craving which Christ came into the world and satisfied-I had nearly written, 'to satisfy.'

to

Omnipresent' is a hard word, and expresses a hard thing impossible to understand-difficult, without spiritual enlightenment, believe. Omni-present or everywhere present, omni-scient or all things knowing, omni-potent or over all things having power. Whenever, my young dictionary-using friends, you see that a word begins with 'omni,' it is likely to be a big word with a big meaning. An animal that is omni-vorous devours everything that comes in its way; a conveyance that is called an omni-bus carries everybody that can pay the fare and find room; and an omni-form kaleidoscope is a kaleidoscope that takes every form and shape that you can think of.

Now the Africans have a way of expressing the Church doctrines of God's omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, much as a little child would express them. They say that God has eyes and ears everywhere, and no doubt also, if we knew their other Church proverbs, almighty hands everywhere. It has been hard for them to believe all this when they have been carried away as slaves, and when He, whose eyes are in every place, has permitted them to be so; but they have kept on believing it as a child, in dying pains, keeps on believing Jesus loves her. How happy those Africans in their simple faith! I would rather have such a faith as theirs, after they have been converted, than have written ever such a book about eternity, or mind, or matter, or other subjects that I cannot understand. I would rather be a black bishop, or, for that matter, a black priest or deacon, preaching out of the abundance of a full heart about the eyes and ears that are everywhere, and the hands that can do all things, than I would be the noble traveller that died in search of the source of the Nile, or any of the grand navigators that have so gloriously tried to discover the Northwest Passage or the North Pole.

Two eyes and two ears. The poor African thought only of the two places, Heaven and earth, omitting all reference to that immense array of worlds that we see on a clear and starlit night as we take our walks abroad after the sun has set and the daylight has died. Perhaps they include sun, and moon, and stars among the heavens in which they place one of the all-seeing eyes and ears. Whether they do or do not, they evidently divide all creation into heaven and earth. We, for all practically spiritual purposes, do the same, except that we add There is a dreadful hell;' and little children have the same faith about that place of perdition and its solemn reality that they have about the reality of heaven and earth. The African Church proverb-I do not mean the proverb of the African Church, because I do not know whether it is a proverb resulting from missionary enlightenment or whether it is the expression of a helpless belief in the great Creator which comes down from old times, perhaps from the time of Augustine and other such holy men of old-this proverb, whenever it was born, says nothing about any of the Creator's eyes being in hell observing the lost; but