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'Deary me! yes, boy, if you've a fancy for them they come as cheap as anything. I dare say they'll be a-calling them down here in the morning.'

Denis resolved to call his carrots the first and loudest in James's Buildings that next day.

'There's a nice-looking lot of things on that truck,' said Mrs. Donovan in the morning. 'It's pulled up just over the way. Run Katie, run Maggie, and ask the price of the carrots. Denis fancied 'em, and he don't often ask for much, poor lad!'

Katie ran, and Maggie after her, but they stopped and hesitated. 'Why-O Denis, it can't be you! Mother! mother! it's our Denis, and he's got a donkey of his own!'

Not Mrs. Donovan only, but all the men, women, and children in James's Buildings, turned out to hear the tale; and the happy mother caught Denis round the neck and hugged him before them all, declaring he was the pride of her heart.'

If success comes from good wishes, little Denis Donovan was sure of it, for every one in James's Buildings hoped for his 'luck;' and mothers point him out as a pattern to their own boys when they see him going his rounds through all weathers with 'Neddy' his donkey.

F. S.

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And a third said,

'Oh, I quite mean to see about it byand-by, but just now it is as much as I can do to find food and clothes for all my children everything costs so much and is so dear. When they are grown up, and can take care of themselves, I shall have some chance of loading my ship.'

And the children, I asked them about. their ships; and one bright-eyed boy said,'I shall do it when I am a man !' And another answered,

'Yes; we have so many lessons to learn, and so many games to play, we can't do it now. Let us go and play at cricket.'

Then I came to a group of little girls, who were playing with their dolls on the soft green grass.

Are your ships ready?' I asked. But they laughed: 'Oh, there's plenty of time.'

Only one or two of them looked grave and whispered,- We can't be sure of that;' and I saw that they got up from the play and began to do their work for the King by getting their vessels ready.

It had almost seemed to me before, as if no one in the whole country was taking any trouble to obey the King's law; but as I followed the children down to the shore where their vessels lay, I found that a great many people were busy with their ships. Some were really working very hard, and seemed to have their whole hearts in their work. Others went on quietly with their labour, not making much fuss about it; and as I stood watching the crowd I saw these quiet workers got on best in the end, for some of the very bustling men and women grew tired of putting in the gold after a little while, and sat down to rest, and then something else attracted them, and they often quite forgot about their ships, and went away to attend to it. But the most curious thing was that

numbers of people were not putting gold into their ships, but were filling them with iron and lead, and clay and stones.

Now it seemed to me as if that was of no use at all, but when I asked them about it they only shook their heads, and said it would be all right when the ship got across the sea.

Do they think the lead and iron, and clay and stones, will change into gold?' I asked a child who was working near me.

But she said she did not know.

He loves all His people so much that perhaps they sometimes get careless, and forget that He will always punish those who break His laws. They think He will be sure to forgive them whatever they do. Look there!' he added, pointing to a little group of people on our left.

(Concluded in our next.)

SUNSHINE AND SHOWER.

Then an old man who was standing by TWO children stood at their father's gate,

her answered me,

"Yes, that is what they think.'

6 And will it do so?' I asked.
But the old man smiled sadly.

'How can it? as the ship is when it sails from here, so it reaches the blessed country; but only those with the golden cargoes ever do reach it.'

And do these people know it?' "Oh yes, they know it. the law to read from.'

Every one has

And he showed me a book, which was so like my own Bible that I should not have known the difference; only, of course, as it was in that strange country it could not have been a Bible, you know. Still, it was very much like it indeed.

'Then, what can make them so foolish?' I cried. How can they think these things are of any use ?'

It is hard to tell,' said the old man; 'but so many of them do it, that perhaps they get to think it is all right because they are doing the same as their neighbours. And then, it is so much less trouble to put in these things than to get the gold. It takes a great deal of trouble and patience to get that, and people get tired of being patient very soon in this country, and like to have their own way instead of obeying the King. Then also our King is very merciful, and

Two girls with golden hair;

And their eyes were bright and their voices

glad,

Because the morn was fair.

For they said, 'We will take that long, long walk,

To the hawthorn copse to-day; And gather great bunches of lovely flowers From off the scented May : And oh we shall be so happy there, "Twill be sorrow to come away!'

As the children spoke, a little cloud

Passed slowly across the sky;
And one looked up in her sister's face

With a tear-drop in her eye.
But the other said, "Oh! heed it not;
'Tis far too fair to rain;

That little cloud may search the sky

For other clouds, in vain.'
And soon the children's voices rose

In merriment again.

But ere the morning hours had waned
The sky had changed its hue,
And that one cloud had chased away

The whole great heaven of blue.
The rain fell down in heavy drops,

The wind began to blow,

And the children, in their bright warm room,

Went fretting to and fro;

For they said, 'When we have aught in store, It always happens so!'

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Beyond, they saw the cool green land-
The land with her waving trees,

And her little brooks, that rise and fall
Like butterflies to the breeze:
But above them the burning noontide sun
With scorching stillness shone;
Their throats were parched with bitter thirst

And they knelt down one by one,
And prayed to God for a drop of rain

And a gale to waft them on.

And then that little cloud was sent,

That shower in mercy given! And as a bird before the breeze,

Their bark was landward driven. And some few mornings after,

When the children met once more,
And their brother told the story,

They knew it was the hour
When they had wished for sunshine,
And God had sent the shower!

THE NIGHT OF THE STORM.

T was very rough that November evening. The wind whistled and howled in a way which foretold a storm, and the waves dashed angrily on the beach. Many a poor fisherman's wife looked out to sea with an anxious heart, and went back to her fireside with tears in her eyes, as she thought of the risk to which her husband was exposed, and longed to see his boat come in, and know he was safe once more.

As people turned out of their houses for the week-evening service at the parish church they shivered, and hesitated whether or not to go on, for the wind blew them about so mercilessly: a few went in again to their comfortable rooms, and said how sorry they were for those who were exposed to the weather; but others did what was

far better, they went to join in the prayers at church, and to ask God's blessing on all who were journeying by land or sea.

You can't go out to-night, Ellen, or you either, Robert,' said Mrs. Mildmay to her two eldest children. It is not fit weather for you: the wind is high, and will nearly take you off your feet before you get to church; you must stay in for once.'

'Oh, mother!' said Ellen; we are so used to the wind here, and it never hurts

us.

Must we really stay in ?'

Mrs. Mildmay looked at the children: certainly they seemed strong and rosy enough to brave a little rough weather, yet she scarcely liked to let them go, although it was their custom.

I could not go with you, my dears, my cough is bad to-night, and I am too weak to bear the force of the wind.'

Robert looked cross; but Ellen whispered to him not to worry mother, who was thinking about poor father away at sea.

Ellen was right; Mrs. Mildmay, on such evenings as these, was picturing her husband out at sea-perhaps in danger, perhaps even sinking in the storm. She was a captain's wife, and sometimes when he was off on these long voyages she almost envied the women in the row of little fishermen's cottages on the beach, who saw their husbands put out to sea on a morning and return at night. Even on stormy days like this their fear and anxiety were soon over; not long and continued like hers was.

Presently the church bell sounded distinctly, although it was a little way offwhen the wind was in that quarter they always did hear it more plainly; and Robert began to fidget and look at his sister, hoping she would make another appeal.

'Mother, would it worry you to feel we were out to-night?' Ellen asked, very gently.

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'If you didn't mind much, we do so want to go. It is always so pleasant to be at church these week-nights, but on stormy evenings we like it best of all, for we have the "Hymn for those at sea." You know it, mother?'

Yes! Mrs. Mildmay knew it; and she knew, too, that Ellen would think of her father as she sang, and that the two childish voices would echo the prayer in their hearts, that he might be kept in safety wherever he was so she let them go, only wrapping them up with extra care, and giving them a fonder kiss than usual as they started.

6

All the fishermen's boats are in except Davy's!' Ellen and Robert Mildmay heard that news as they passed the cottage, at which a group of people were collected, trying to cheer up the wife of the missing man by the hope of his coming soon.'

Don't fear!' cried little Robert, pushing his way in amongst them. 'God can bring Davy home now. He can make the waves still in a moment, just as He did when Christ was in the storm.'

'Bless you, little master!' exclaimed the poor frightened woman. "You're in the right, that you are; and, please God, I'll see my husband safe back. You'll pray for him, won't you, Master Robert? and you, too, Miss Ellen? for I suppose you're on your way to church.' The children

promised, and hastened on as quickly as the wind would let them, for the bell was going fast then, and they only got into church just in time.

As they had said, the beautiful hymn for those at sea was sung, and as the words came again and again—

'Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,

For those in peril on the sea,'

no hearts there turned with more trust in God's care and protection than did the young hearts of these two children.

The service was over, the lights were being turned out, and the congregation was dispersing; and Robert and Ellen came away too but ah! how the wind has risen! how angrily the waves break upon the shore!

"Oh, poor mother! she will be so unhappy,' said Ellen. If we only knew where father was it would be different. I can't think how she would bear it if news came one of these times that he was dead.'

Robert was silent; and, indeed, the wind was so strong they could scarcely hear each other's voices, but they did hear a rough shout of 'Davy's come home! All the men are safe!' as they battled their way along the shingly beach by the fishing-place.

God had heard the prayers which were offered to Him, then-oh! surely He would listen always! And the little Mildmays went to bed with light hearts, though their mother could not sleep.

Weeks went by, winter was over, spring had begun, and the captain's children were talking of father coming;' but news came to their house which cast a terrible shadow there, which told them they would never see him more in this world. "God is unkind! unkind!' cried Robert, when he heard that in that very storm, when his faith had been so strong and his prayers so earnest, his father's ship had sunk, and he with many of his crew were lost.

But when they knew how he died, that his last words had been prayer to God, that his courage had never failed, but that he had met death calmly and trustfully, then the sorrowing mother drew her children to her and tried to teach them the lesson which God was bidding them learn,-that prayer is answered, not always in our way, but in His way; and that, whether He give life or death, it is for a good and wise purpose, which He foresees in His tenderness and love.

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