Will started at her voice; he was not very fond of talking to her. He answered, a little shortly, "I never give my thoughts about my neighbours to any but themselves."

The woman laughed, and said, "Well, I'm not afraid of your saying of me that I carry more sticks than needful.”

Maybe you don't carry enough," said Will.

"Oh, plenty! I don't see any good in making troubles, not if I take things as they come, and make the best of them-isn't that the way?"

Will went on digging, and a loud cry from the cottage made the woman go in. She came out again, dragging a great boy with her, whom she cuffed several times, and then pushed out at the gate, telling him not to show his face for an hour or two.

"Such children they are for fighting!" she said; "one can't turn one's back a minute."

"You should learn 'em better," said Will, not leaving off his work.

"Long job that," she said, laughing.

"Send the boy to school," said Will.

"He won't go,” she answered. "I did try to get him to go for a bit, but he wouldn't; so he must take his chance. His father grumbles a deal about him, and says he will come to a bad end; but I think it's no good to see trouble so far off; I always am for being quiet, and hoping the best—isn't that the right way ?" "When we do our best, it is," said Will.

The woman was not pleased with his words or his manner. She said, a little sharply, "I wonder at you, Will Bright, seeming to make out that I don't do my best. You're not in a way to praise folks this morning; you put blame on Mrs. Carey for looking for trouble, and now you seem to put it on me for not looking for it.”

"No such thing," said Will, once more resting on his spade.

"I am not going to talk about Mrs. Carey; but of you I will say, I'm afraid you will have such a burden to carry at last through not bearing what you ought to do now, that it will break you down."

Oh, don't be afraid for me!" she exclaimed. "My young ones will turn out as well as other people's, I reckon. I'm not going to make myself miserable because they fight a bit, and that!” so she turned off into her cottage.

"Never a stick do you carry now; a pretty lot you'll have to bear one day, when, maybe, your back will be too weak for the burden," said Will to himself, as he heard her shut her door.

He was putting by his spade, for he had finished digging his plot, when a gardener, who supplied some who had not gardens with vegetables, came up with his cart. Will wanted a few young plants to put into his fresh digging, so he stayed to buy them. The gardener was a cheerful, talkative man, and had many a tale and joke for his customers. He told Will of gardens close to his where the things had failed, and of one or two where they had been very fine and plentiful. "Mine," he said, "has turned out betwixt and between; better than the bad, but not so good as the best." He began then to moralise upon the different success of gardeners, and said it was strange how some people seemed to have nothing but troubles, and others nothing but good luck.

Will said he believed that there was always so much to set against the good, and so much to make up for the bad, that things were not quite so unequal as they might seem to be.

"We all have our full bundle of sticks--depend upon that: much of our comfort in life depends on how we carry them," he said.

The gardener looked curious, as if not understanding him; so he explained himself.

"I look on it that God gives to every man a bundle of sticks

to carry as his burden during his life. One stick a day He means us to carry. He says, 'Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.' If men followed His rule, to take the stick for the day,' it would be well; but some are so foolish, they will carry a great many, and never leave one behind: what has happened before, and what may happen again, they shoulder it all at once. Then there are others who will carry none. They neglect their proper work, their proper cares, and leave all things to turn out as they may, while they go on in what they call peace and quietness—and what happens? The bundle of sticks will have to be carried when they are not able to do it, and they will break down and cry, 'My burden is too heavy for me to bear !'"

All this old Will said in his own way to the gardener, who listened attentively, and, looking at the cottages on each side, he whispered, "I rather fancy you've got one of a sort in these neighbours of yours; Betsy Carey is always broke down under troubles that may come. I'm uncommon glad I'm not her husband-life with her must be like a dark rainy day. And as to her" (turning his eyes to the other cottage), "I wouldn't be plagued with such a 'ne'er-do-well' for the best garden in the country. You're right, Master Bright, you're right; there's a stick for every day'; and he who carries more is his own enemy, and he who carries nonewell, I hardly know which is the worst! I shall remember this; and where I think it may be useful I shall say. 'Friend, how do you carry your sticks ?""

A WHALING CAPTAIN:

WHO GAINED MORE IN SIX DAYS THAN OTHERS IN SEVEN.

ONCE knew the captain of a sperm whaler in the Pacific, whose name was Morgan. When a young man, and just appointed to his first command, he, about ten days before sailing on his cruise, happened to enter a chapel where a revival service was being held, and the result to him was eventful. He had hitherto been a reckless, boisterous profligate, living without a thought of God, except to blaspheme His holy name; but Divine grace now wrought so wondrous a change in him, that when he once more went to sea the old hands amongst his crew could scarcely recognise him for the same man. He who once never gave a command unaccompanied by an oath was now never heard to swear; and such was the force of his character and the power of his example, that in a few months' time not a man of his crew dared to use a profane expression while within his hearing. The discipline of the ship was not a bit lessened, and every one was happier, from the sobriety and good feeling of which the captain set example.

His owner was a Sydney merchant, who had several vessels employed in the sperm fishery. The young captain had actually sailed for the fishing grounds, when one night, as he was reading his Bible in the cabin, he came upon the commandments, and the question of lowering his boats on the Sabbath, should a whale appear in sight on that day, all at once started up in his mind. He regretted that he had not thought of this before, and told the owner how he would act; for he considered his duty plain. The words were not to be evaded: "In it thou shalt do no manner of

work;" and he resolved to follow the Divine command implicitly, although it was not without a great inward struggle that he did so. But, as he thought of his officers and crew, who, like himself, were "on the lay"—that is, they were not paid by wages, but by proportionate shares of the oil captured-he felt anxious. They might mutiny, and resist him by force. He could only hope that the occasion might not arise; but if so, he would do his dutythe issue was in the hands of God.

They reached their selected station, and many weeks passed without a sperm whale coming in sight. At last, one Sunday afternoon, two hours before sunset, the longed-for cry of "There she spouts !-there again!" reached the deck from the look-out at the mast-head; and instantly all was activity and bustle. Each boat's crew sprang to lower their respective boats, and for one brief moment the young captain hesitated; for the excitement was contagious, and involuntarily he had sprung to his feet like the rest, while his cheek flushed with ardour. It was but for a moment, however. As if spoken actually in his ear, he thought he heard clearly and distinctly the words, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy!" and his own voice rang through the ship, declaring that not a boat should leave her that day.

The scene which ensued-the amazement, succeeded by rage, when they understood his motive, the violence and tumult—all may be imagined. But the captain was unmoved, and his courageous, undaunted demeanour at last quelled the riot; but not until he had promised them that he would give up to them from his own shares in future captures an equivalent for their loss on the present occasion.

"The owner will think nothing of losing his share, of course!" said his mate, who had been foremost in opposition, as he followed his captain-into the cabin. "This will be the first and last vessel you'll ever command of his, at any rate! I'd like to have that