There is no leisure hour for him The garden of his mind to trim; G. S. O. THE MOTHER'S OLD BIBLE. OT a leaf on the trees was stirring, not a cloud was in the blue sky; a hot mist hid the distant hills, and the sunshine fell with glaring bright ness upon the road, along which a woman was walking with a child in her arms and another at her side. 'Mother, are we nearly there?' asked the eldest, a girl of perhaps seven years. 'Yes, child; yonder's the village,' answered the woman. 'Ah, many's the time I've run along this road when I was as little as you, and when I never thought to come back home like this!' The tone was weary and hopeless. Well it might be, for Jessie Saunders had seen bitter sorrow since last she looked upon that quiet village; now the tears welled up into her eyes, and her heart beat quickly, for she wondered whether those she had loved and left so wilfully were living or dead. 'Mother, mother, give me a drink of water!' cried the little one in her arms. 'Yes, yes, Ally; be quiet a few minutes and we shall be at home-mother's home,' said the poor woman. Ally nestled down her head again, saying, 'Mother's home! mother's home!' as if the sound pleased her; and after a little more trudging along the sunny road they reached the first of the straggling white cottages. "There, Katie-there, Ally-we're home now!' said Mrs. Saunders, leaning against the paling which enclosed the tiny garden. This house? this little pretty house, mother?' said Katie, while Ally stretched to reach the flowers through the hedge and laughed with delight. 'No dear, not there. But we've reached the village now, and it isn't far to the house. where I lived when I was a little girl.' Presently an old white-haired man came hobbling along on his stick towards them. 'Your grandfather will be something like that, Katie,' said Mrs. Saunders. Why, if it is not George Grey! I remember him well. Mr. Grey, Mr. Grey, have you forgotten me? Don't you mind the time you nursed me on your knee? I'm Jessie Saunders, that was once Jessie Brooke.' 'Jessie Brooke!' said the old man slowly, looking keenly at her: 'Jessie Brooke, who would go off to London to better herself? I shouldn't have known you, my woman, if there wasn't a sound in your voice that reminded me of your mother's. Well, and have you made your fortune, Jessie?' 'Sad fortune, Mr. Grey! I have had naught but sorrow, it seems, since I left Bryford; and now my husband's dead.' 'And what are you reckoning to do here, Jessie? You found it a dull place once, and maybe its duller now, for many a one's lying in the churchyard whom you knew hale and strong.' 'I've come to work--to wash, or sew, or iron, anything to get a decent living, for I have learned not to be above work now,' said Jessie Saunders with a sigh. "I thought I'd make my way to my mother's cottage, and she'll take me in a bit till I can turn myself round.' 'You'll find no one there, Jessie. The old cottage stands still, but the garden is overgrown with weeds, and it looks a damp, deserted place now they're dead and gone.' The poor weary woman turned white and leaned against the wall for support. 4 Then it is too late! I'm come too late!' she murmured, and the tears fell upon little sick Ally's face; which set the child crying too, and calling on her mother for something to drink' in louder tones than before. 'Come in with me, Jessie,' said the old man kindly. My cottage is near by, and my daughter will take care of you and the children till you can right yourself. Come in for the sake of your father and mother you're kindly welcome.' It was well he said so, for Jessie's strength was quite spent ; and when she entered George Grey's house she only tottered to a chair before she fell fainting on the floor. Three days later, little Katie and Ally Saunders had made friends with most of the village children, who came to look at 'Jessie Brooke's girls;' but their mother lay weak and faint, as if she could not rally from the fatigue and shock she had endured. 'Both gone! both lying in the churchyard!' she would murmur; and then tears fell fast down her care-worn cheeks, and turning to the wall she refused all comfort. Poor Jessie hers had been a sad story. The Bryford people talked together of what she had been in childhood-the petted only child of Tom and Katherine Brooke-growing up vain and pretty, and as wilful as she well could be. Work was hard to Jessie, so Jessie must not work; and thus her time was given to dressing her beautiful hair in every style she could invent, and making tasty bonnets and trimmings for her own wearing. Then, at fifteen, the strong desire had come to leave the dull village. She would go to London and be a lady's-maid, and save money to make a finer house for her father and mother than that four-roomed cottage; and so, when this fancy seized her, there was no peace until Jessie had her way. In vain Mr. Brooke declared he would never hear of it; in vain the mother cried and begged Jessie not to leave her: in the end they gave way, and the wilful girl went off in gay spirits to a place she had heard of in London. (Concluded in our next.) AMONG LIONS. ILBERT was enjoying himself all the while, and only looking back shorewards to blame Alice as fussy and cross. If Alice had known the truth, that Gilbert was even more uncomfortable than herself, I do not know if she would have been better pleased; at all events, after a little idle fretting, and then ten minutes' earnest thought, she did the best thing she could for herself and Gilbert. First, she made the room neat and tidy: Gilbert and she managed usually to litter it finely with sea-weeds, shells, and such-like wonders of the shore; then she rang and asked Helen to see there was a very good supper, as Master Gilbert would be hungry, having missed his tea; and then she sat down and wrote to ask her father's leave for future boating excursions, omitting all mention of Gilbert's expedition that day. A mist came on towards evening and made Alice very anxious, but the 'Lovely Maid' found her way home with a little difficulty; the crew, however, being much chilled and depressed. 'Been writing home to tell of me,' was Gilbert's inward comment, as he saw Alice's letter lying on the hall-table; so he answered rather gruffly when Alice, in the pleasantest tone she could muster, asked if he was cold, and suggested the kitchen fire. But he was not proof against the eggs, and gooseberries, and lamb-chops at supper, and his sister's gentle reception of his rebuffs made him rather ashamed of himself. Boys, however, have a natural shyness over making up, and the only way of so doing that Gilbert could think of was by running down Little Island. 'It wasn't much of a place, Alice,' he said, and horridly cold coming back. I'm glad you didn't go, for you were half right. The "Lovely Maid " isn't a very safe boat, and that Bill swears rather. I shall write home and ask Here Gilbert stopped, with an uncomfortable recollection of the letter on the table outside. 'I have written to-night, Gilbert dear,' said Alice; and then, to make all smooth between them, for a guess at Gilbert's suspicion flashed through her mind, she ran out and fetched the letter, making, as she broke the seal, a little excuse about a word she had had a difficulty in spelling. Gilbert's face lightened as he read the letter. 6 You're a good sort of girl, Alice,' be said, when he had finished, and another time I'll do as you do. It was no such great fun being out without you to talk to. Yes, you have spelt " attitudinise" wrong. Give us a pen to make a z. What long words you do use, Alice! I wish you had my holiday task to do-a theme on the advance of civilisation! I brought my books here, but I don't see how ever I can find time for it, there is such a lot of reading up to be done before I can begin to write anything.' 'Oh! couldn't I help with that?' said Alice, eagerly. I should like it. It is all English, you know, and I could read aloud when you are lying on the shore. Father would be so pleased, Gilbert, if you managed to get the prize this time; and you might, you know.' "Yes, I might,' said Gilbert, yawning, especially if you coached me, Alice, for I do know a lot about civilisation already." And the young barbarian yawned again, and let Alice fetch a candle, and light him |