first to shake you by the hand. Then 'The Guardian' need not be written to, nor yet 'The Times'?

C. No! And I will try hard to improve my preaching.

COLLOQUY THE FOURTH.

THE OLD LADY AND HER MAID.

SCENE: The Parlour of a small House.

O. L. Martha!

M. Yes, mum.

O. L. Sit down, Martha. Put that hearthbrush aside. This is your first Sunday with me, and therefore you have not yet got to know my manners and customs. Unfortunately my maid, as a general rule, is unable to attend morning service. It is my

plan, therefore, to have her in of an afternoon and to talk to her about the sermon to which I have been privileged to listen.

M. (a little frightened). Yes, mum.

O. L. I am told that the Queen does the same with her maids.

M. La! does she now?

O. L. Not, you know, that they are maids like you; but maids of honour, and that. Often and often, Martha, I bless God for sermons. You see I lead a rather lonely life. My eyes are bad, and I can read but little. The Sunday sermon gives me things to think about.

M. But they do say, mum, that the vicar isn't much of a preacher.

O.L. I know where you got that. It's Mrs. Gibbs' Ann. Don't you mind Mrs. Gibbs' Ann. Much she knows about preaching. The vicar suits me. He mayn't be fine, but he's thoughtful. Now, Martha, don't twiddle your thumbs, but just hear what I have to say.

M. Yes, mum. Mrs. Gibbs' Ann, she asked me if I thought you was converted. She said she was afraid not.

O. L. Mrs. Gibbs' Ann is a Wesleyan Methodist. She has not had the advantage, poor thing! of the teaching of our Church. If

Mrs. Gibbs' Ann would keep her mistress's house a little cleaner, instead of judging other people, it might be better. But listen. The text this morning was part of the Twentyninth Psalm-'The Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.' Now, Martha, most probably you have often heard these words without thinking much about them. So have I, I am sorry to say, but I hope I shall never hear them in that careless way again. There's a deal of meaning in them. Take this prayerbook, and find the place.

M. Please, mum, will you kindly find it for me? I never did understand them there letters at the top of the Psalms. If there was a 2 and a 9 I could manage it, but the X's, and the C's, and the L's is too much for

me.

O. L. O dear! O dear! how do you ever manage to find your places in church?

M. I do happen upon the right psalms sometimes, mum, before they're quite finished,

but not very often. Why doesn't they printers put plain figures?

O. L. I'll give you a lesson about those letters one of these days. There is really nothing difficult about them. Now attend. Here's your book with the place found. The Twenty-ninth Psalm describes a thunderstorm.

M. Do it really, mum? I was terribly frighted with that one on Friday. The lightning did make me jump, and the plates and the dishes rattled awful.

O. L. Perhaps you will not be so much alarmed another time. Look at the seventh verse. The writer of the psalm says 'it is the glorious God that maketh the thunder.' It is finely called the Voice of the Lord,' and some of the wonderful things it does are specially mentioned. It 'breaketh the cedartrees.' It 'divideth the flames of fire.' It shaketh the wilderness.' It 'maketh the hinds to bring forth young.' It 'discovereth the thick bushes.' But then, Martha, though the rain comes down as fast and furious as it