GOING FOR A SOLDIER.

(Continued from page 31.)

CHAPTER V.

ELL, Tom,' said Captain Gray, in a stern but quiet voice, you don't call this setting a good example, do you?'

'He jeered me, sir, and he

Here Tom broke down, and sitting on the stump of an olive-tree, with his head between his knees, began to cry bitterly.

Why, my lad, you can stand that, can't you? There's no merit in being patient and keeping your temper when there's nothing to put you out. But you know what's said in the Bible about doing well and suffering for it? You know what the Master, and His saints after Him, had to bear-something more than a few mocking words, Tom.-and how they bore it? Blake is a poor, ignorant fellow, who hardly knows right from wrong, and I'm afraid you've done something towards making him worse to-night; whereas, if you had shown a little patience and forbearance, you might have won him over. Who knows? I fancy God will look to you for an account of this chance which He gave you, which you have thrown away.'

'He kicked my Testament into the fire, sobbed Tom, and it was my mother's, and she's dead!'

'Did Blake know that, Tom ?' 'No, sir, I suppose not.'

Then I dare say he did it for a joke, Tom. I don't think he meant really to send it into the fire either. He's a rough fellow; but his bark is worse than his bite, I do believe. temptation was strong, my lad; but you shouldn't have been so hasty.'

Your

a home, Tom, and people of his own to teach him, and be kind to him.'

And so Captain Gray went on talking, showing Tom how wrong he had been, and pointing out to him the best way of making what amends he could.

A little later, Tom went back to the spot where his company were stationed, and where the little group he had left lay, wrapped in their cloaks, round their fire. He looked about for Blake, and saw him stretched on the grass a little apart, in a patch of shadow. He was pulling and folding his cap about his ears, and trying to make himself comfortable before going to sleep.

Blake,' said Tom, in a whisper, I'm very sorry I was so hasty; I dare say you only meant to have a bit of a joke.'

Blake muttered something in a low, growling tone, and turned over on his side, as if he didn't want to hear any more. And Tom, feeling disappointed that his apology had been so coldly received, went and lay down himself, and soon fell asleep. He did not know how certainly that growl showed that Blake was ashamed of himself, and that the hard, cold heart was touched.

After that, Blake, who wouldn't go to the lengths of apologising himself, took care not to tease or bully Tom; and, moreover, showed him many little rough kindnesses quietly. And one morning when he awoke Tom found a halfcrown, wrapped up in a piece of paper, and lying under his cloak on his open hand; and he felt sure Blake had put it there to pay for the loss of his mother's Testament.

Blake,' he said afterwards, I found halfa-crown in my hand this morning when I

awoke.'

'Go on,' growled Blake, and mind your own business!'

So Tom could only pocket his half-crown and walk off, laughing to himself, and feeling very happy.

The master, bless him! He was right,' murmured Tom. And he made a resolution to guard against his hasty temper, and keep a sharper watch over himself than ever. 'What a deal of good a man may do if he tries!' thought he. And what a deal of harm he may do if he doesn't try! Which speech, though not a very clever one, was quite true.

6

Much as his master's good advice helped him, it was Captain Gray's example which had the greatest influence over Tom. He was struck with the steady and consistent way in which he acted up to all that he preached. He never seemed to lose his temper or forget his duty, though Tom saw him tempted often enough. Some of the officers were rather wild young men, especially Captain Tyrell (the same who was so angry with Tom for not opening the farmer's gate); and now and then they fell to teasing their quiet comrade, and making a joke of his habits. They didn't do it in Blake's way, it is true; but the spirit of the

thing was much the same. And how well Captain Gray took it! Generally he turned it off in a kind, cheery manner, as if he supposed that they were too much of gentlemen to wish to vex or insult him; and they liked him for that. It was only when they scoffed or made a mock of his religion that he became grave and stern, and reproved them in his quiet, earnest way. And Tom saw that all the officers who were thrown into his society seemed gradually to grow more and more like him, as if they could not resist the influence of his example. They often came to him for his advice and opinion; for they felt he was to be trusted, and would be sure to lead them right. And the men of his company, to whom he was so strict, and yet so kind, would have given their lives for him cheerfully, I do believe. He was respected by every one who knew him from the Commander-in-chief, whose sharp eyes seemed to read a man's character at the first glance at his face, to the little drummerboy, who thought he was next best to Mother and Father.' He was loved heartily and deeply, as only good men ever are loved. (To be continued.)

ΟΝ

us; we

N the second day, God made the air. We cannot see it, but it is all around us could not live without it, and we can often both hear it and feel it, when it is moving quickly, as it is doing to-day.'

‘Is the wind air, Mother?'

'It is moving air. When the air near to the earth becomes warm, it rises higher, and the cool air from above it rushes in to take its place. This movement makes what we call a breeze, or a wind. The clouds float in the air, and from them the rain falls to water the earth; and they also shelter us from the heat of the sun. So you see that we could not do without the air, though we very seldom think about it. Then came the third day; and it was a very wonderful day indeed. The waters were flowing over the earth, and there was no dry land at all, and, of course, no plants or living things. But God said, "Let the waters be gathered into one

place, and let the dry land appear ; and then the waters rolled into the places appointed for them, and the earth was seen.'

'And then it looked like a real world,' said Harry, with dry land and sea.'

Yes, but it was a bare, empty world, with only rocks and sand and soil, not the lovely world that we can see now. God had not yet finished His work. But the mosses began to cover the rocks, and ferns sprang up, and plants and trees, until the whole earth was clothed in green. On the fourth day God made the sun, and moon, and stars. He placed the sun in the sky, and He caused the earth to travel round it in a certain time, and that space of timei s called a year. The moon, you know, is much nearer to us than we are to the sun, and she travels round the earth once every month. Then the earth itself is always moving round and round; first we are turned towards the sun,

and then away from it. This happens every twenty-four hours, and forms what we call day and night; so that the lights which God placed in the heavens mark out our time for us far more perfectly and regularly than we could ever have marked it out for ourselves. The seasons, too-spring, summer, autumn, and winter-all depend upon our movement round the sun; and heat and cold, seedtime and harvest, come to us in due order, without any thought or trouble of

beasts roamed tranquilly in the woods and valleys, and upon the quiet mountains, and all the world was full at length of life and happiness." 'Didn't any one see it, Mother?'

Only God and the holy angels. But the sixth day soon came; and then, you know, God finished this wonderful work by creating man in His own image.'

'Does that mean like God Himself? We are not like God now, Mother?'

our own. On the fifth day God brought new life into the world. The plants and trees were beautiful. but they could not move from place to place; they had no voices with which to praise the God who made them. No sound could be heard upon the earth except the sighing of the wind amongst the trees, the rippling of the streams, and the rolling of the waves upon the lonely shores. But at God's command the seas were filled with fishes and other living creatures: birds flew from bough to bough, and sang their sweet songs from morning until night, and

'No, my dear, because sin came into the world; and as men grew wicked, they became less and less like the pure and holy God.' It was a pity, wasn't it?' said Gerald. Why wouldn't Adam be good, Mother?' 'Why won't we be good, Gerald ? We can all try, by God's help, to grow more like Him every day and He has promised that, for Jesus' sake, He will wash away all our sins if we ask Him. And at last Christ will change these bodies of ours, and make them like His own-pure, and perfect, and glorious."

H. L. T.