household matters, could have made her father comfortable enough, as far as these went, but Katie felt that her post of duty was beside him, and that to leave him alone in the solitary house, even for a day, would be unfaithfulness to her mother's dying charge,-to "do all she could for papa.”

So she was there when he returned to welcome him, to a room as cheerful as a bright fire and care and thoughtfulness could make it, and she was rewarded by a very kind greeting and a marked disposition on his part to make the evening pleasant by talking more genially to her than he had for long done. He was evidently much the better for the change of scene and ideas which his journey had given him, and for the necessity he had been under of compelling himself to attend to the business he had to transact. He did not, as Katie feared, resume the habit of seeking relief from painful thoughts in stimulants, which created only a temporary oblivion, at the expense, too, of progressive degradation. He remained after this much more at home, especially in the evenings, seeming sensible that his duty to Katie required him not to leave her solitary, and gratefully recognising her thoughtful care for his comfort. She rejoiced over the change with trembling, hardly daring to hope that it would continue, and feeling that it was another instance of the rough wind being stayed in the day of the east wind.

A new and deeply interesting subject of thought occupied her mind as the spring drew on. She wished to become a partaker of the Holy Communion at its approaching commemoration in Mr Grey's church. Mr Grey did not usually encourage any of his flock to come

forward to the ordinance while so young as Katie was, lest they should do so without a due sense of the solemnity of the vows they were taking upon them; but in Katie's case he had no such fear, the peculiarity of her circumstances and her natural thoughtfulness having given her mind a development at least two years in advance of her age. He had conversed with her on the subject, and had drawn her out as fully as her natural shyness and modesty would admit ; and he told Helen how much pleased he had been with the humility, and knowledge of truth, and simplicity of faith which he found in her. “She is one of Christ's little ones, Helen," he said, "and He has been teaching her Himself.”

"Yes, indeed," said Helen, tears coming to her eyes; “I often wonder at the things she says,—far in advance of me, who used to be her teacher!"

But much as Katie wished to enjoy the privileges connected with the observance, in obedience to His own dying command, of the rite that commemorates our Saviour's death, she did not approach it in any spirit of over-confidence, but almost shrank, as the time approached, from the responsibility which she felt was attached to the solemn profession she was about to make. Helen encouraged her by reminding her that she had already in her heart taken Christ for her Saviour, and that in coming to His table, she was only outwardly ratifying her heart's choice and her promise to be His. “And you can surely trust Him for the strength to go on, can you not? The Lord will perfect all that concerneth you. He doesn't leave that for us to do."

“No,” said Katie, "it would be hard for us if He did. It is only myself I am afraid of; when I forget His strength, and try to go on in my own."

"Well, he never lets us do that long without showing us the folly of it. Trust Him, Katie, that He can take care of His own; and His own are just those who come to Him," added Helen, anticipating the thought which she saw was on Katie's lips.

The Communion was to be on the following Sunday, and the Friday previous was spent by Katie at the Manse, in going to church with Helen, and in quiet reading and talk. It was a lovely, warm spring day, the crocuses already opening their yellow cups in Helen's garden,—and though the memory of her mother still kept up an ever-present sense of loss in Katie's heart, the day was to her full of a calm, tranquil happiness, that many in far more prosperous outward circumstances might have envied. And on the Communion Sunday, a day which might have served as the original of George Herbert's

"Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright,"

she thankfully partook of the Feast, feeling strongly the blessedness of the Communion, not only with the Master himself, but with the beloved ones who had gone to enjoy His presence for ever in the courts above. It was truly a source of refreshment and reviving to her, as it will be to all who approach it in a humble and childlike spirit, and she went on in the strength of it for many days to come. It was well that she could find this nourishment in it, for a new trial was impending which would task her

utmost resources.

IME, that wears through the seasons whether

rough or smooth, had brought round the

day when Ned was expected home from college. As on the preceding occasion, his father went in the morning to meet him at Ashby and bring him home in the evening, and Dr Elliott, who had to attend a consultation in the little town, I went with him. Katie spent most of the day in various preparations for her brother's return, and she and Martha did their best to make the house as bright and comfortable, and the substantial tea as inviting, as their ingenuity could devise, in order to render the home-coming as pleasant as possible in circumstances where so much would be missed. When seven o'clock arrived, and the lighted lamp and

the well-spread tea-table stood all ready for the travellers, and the fire was burning its brightest, Katie began to listen for approaching wheels; but, determined to control her restlessness, she resolutely took up some work and stitched for a while without betraying distraction. Gradually, however, the progress of the needle slackened as one quarter of an hour passed away after another, and still they did not come. Then the fire needed to be attended to; then she went to listen at the window, and presently Martha came in to express her wonder at the non-arrival, and to press Katie to take her own tea by herself without waiting any longer. Katie could not, however, bear to sit down alone, and, indeed, could not, as she said, have taken any then at any rate; and so another hour passed. She went out to the door, at last, to listen, as if the listening would bring them. A light, warm rain was falling, and she could hear in the stillness the rushing of the river and of the water in the mill-dams, but no wheels. By this time her head ached, and she felt faint from excitement, so she yielded to Martha's entreaties so far as to swallow a cup of nearly cold tea, and then was obliged, from exhaustion, to lie down on the sofa, where she soon dropt off into an uneasy slumber. A sudden bark of Snap's awoke her from a painful dream, with a dread of some impending danger to Ned and herself, when she heard wheels stopping at the gate. Before she could fully recall her confused senses the door opened, but instead of Ned or her papa, Dr Elliott stood before her. She was startled by the expression on his kind and usually cheerful face, and with a chill fear at her heart exclaimed, "Oh, Dr Elliott, where is Ned?"