tongue, and she made out that the young lady was giving her governess a description of the way in which they had been delayed by her mamma's wishing to show off the baby, as usual; concluding by saying that her mother made an idol of it, and she did not wonder at Anstey's saying she was sure the baby would die-children always did when people made idols of them.

Ellen shuddered at the unfeeling tone in which this remark was made, and at the thought which passed across her own mind of what it would cost that loving mother if her baby were really to be taken from her, and she felt quite lovingly towards the little governess for answering with great warmth that she "hoped no such terrible thing would ever happen, for it would be the death of his dear mamma, and Mademoiselle Audley ought not to say such things."

This gave rise to a long dispute between pupil and governess, which lasted until they reached Lady Paget's, where Miss Audley and Mademoiselle paid the promised visit. Meanwhile Ellen sat alone in the carriage, and reflected on all that had passed during the last few hours. The strongest impression that her mind had received, the liveliest image that it had retained, was that of the lovely little baby in its mother's arms. What a bewitching little being it was, and how tenderly its mother loved it. Was it really, as Miss Audley had said, an idol to her? Ellen remembered the Ellen remembered the very last lesson she and Nellie had learned on the Church Catechism, and most sincerely hoped that it was

not for if it was, perhaps those dreadful words of Miss Audley would come true, and the baby would be taken from its mother. Mrs. Stancombe had said then that anything wrongly loved was an idol— it did not matter what the idol was, whether a child or a friend, a pleasure or a pomp, a lust of the flesh or a delight of the imagination; if it was put "before God" in the heart of man, if it engrossed more of his thoughts, more of his heart, more of his devotion than God-it was an idol, it was a breaking of the First Commandment, and God's curse was upon it. Her mother had told them how all hearts naturally went after idols of one sort or another, and had shown them very clearly that there was just as much idolatry carried on now as in the days when the children of Israel made their golden images and their idols of wood and stone, and bowed down before them, thus mocking and insulting their God. She had said, too, that it was easy to see the idolatry of others, and to lay one's finger on the special idol which we could see was a snare to them, but very hard to detect the hidden image that was concealed in our own hearts.

Ellen felt that this was true, for she could see easily enough that the good things of his wellfurnished table were an idol to Mr. Audley, and that the contents of her handsome wardrobe were an idol to Miss Audley, and she had begun to fear lest that darling little baby should be an idol to Mrs. Audley.

But it was with herself she had to do, and not with others. And then, remembering how her

mother had often told her that the desire to be admired, and the wish to excel, were likely to lead her astray, and be a snare to her, she reflected on God's goodness in checking the indulgence of these things in her heart and life by the restraining arrangements of his providence. Thus reflecting, she no longer regretted that she had only two good dresses in the world; or that, whilst a little girl younger than herself was able to talk fluently in French, she had been obliged to sit by, and listen, thinking meanwhile how much less she knew than she had imagined. Were she as rich and welldressed as Miss Audley-could she talk French and Italian as she did-she could quite understand that such superiority would be the snare most likely to lead her heart astray-to be "an idol" to her.

She must not allow herself to judge others harshly, since a very little reflection showed her how strong was the tendency in her own heart to put other things "before" God; and how much prayer, and diligence, and watchfulness were needed in order to maintain Him in his own lawful place in her heart, before and above all other thoughts, affections, hopes, desires, and imaginations. Not to do this, her mother had taught her, was to render one's self guilty of the greatest of all crimes, "high-treason"-high-treason against the greatest of all monarchs, the Lord of lords, and King of kings. Ellen remembered her mother's very words

"Other sins," she had said, "selfishness, deceit, evil speaking, are hateful and displeasing to