of FARLEY COURT. CHAPTER VIII. THE CHAPEL IN THE MINE. HE cottage prayer-meeting was the beginning of a sowing time. Strengthened by this first effort, the sturdy miners pressed forward; and after a time, they established a weekly cottage prayer-meeting. Their next efforts were in the mine; and Martha was consulted about the noon meetings. Now Martha had become a woman of great importance in the mining village, that is among the miners' wives, for she had opened a small shop, in which she kept a variety necessary articles on a small scale. And it was a plan of her own to put away her weekly profits. This was a source of great happiness to her; for often when she went to the open door to see if the much-cared-for father and brothers were coming from the mine, a smile would pass over her youthful but careworn features, at the thought of some pleasant suprise, which she had planned for them out of her own savings. One evening when the father had gone to bed, and Martha sat darning stockings by the fire, and thinking sadly of a worn letter in her pocket, the lads said, we have got a place in the mine which we call the chapel, and we are to meet there twice a-week, but we are sadly in want of a Bible and a hymn-book in large print, for our candles give but a poor light. "How odd it sounds to talk about the chapel in the mine!" exclaimed Martha, joyfully. "Oh, I should like to see it," she continued addressing her brothers. 'Well, I dare say you may see it if you like," said John; "for our foreman is a real Christian; and he says, he thinks you've been sent here to do good-" "Yes; what do you think he said this morning, Patty?" broke in Thomas: "why he said my sister must be a happy girl, for to her, under Providence, we owed the beginning of the prayermeetings, both in the village and in the mine." Martha smiled sadly at the thought of being called a happy girl, and said, "I think there are few, very few, who would change places with me. It was a great cross when I came into this neighbourhood; and it was only by much prayer that I was kept from repining; and now I am thankful that we came, for the Lord has blessed our coming spiritually and temporally. But what I wish to say is this,-the Lord's people are not always on the mountain-top, indeed they are often low in the valley; but they are not left to struggle there alone, they often find rest and peace in the midst of trial; and alas! how often our sinful and rebellious hearts prevent us from fully trusting in God: it is the learning of obedience to the Lord's will, which is one of our hardest inward fights." "But you are almost always cheerful," said John, gravely, "even when I know you are suffering; I am afraid I could not suffer as you do and be so resigned and cheerful." "You feel as though you couldn't do it now, John; because grace is not given to bear the thorn in the flesh, when the thorn is not there. I would not speak to you of dark days to check your zeal now, but I sometimes think that I may gain the promised land, before the real battle of life commences with you; and if I am no longer near, when first you feel that life is a pilgrimage through a vale of tears, I would have you to be not discouraged, but to remember that the rougher the path the sweeter will be the rest." The boys looked serious as they said good night, but could not realize that one so dear to them as Martha was, might already be marked for an early grave. It is so difficult in the first flush of youth and hope to think of death in connection with some one almost as young as ourselves. When all had gone to bed, the sister-mother drew her neatly covered table nearer the fire, and she shivered as she did so, and thought that the chill night air crept in at the casement; and there was a chill at her heart too, as she thought she would once more read Willie's letter, before putting it away among many others of a similar nature from her cousin, the thoughtless sailorboy. But she would not even now allow her own joy or grief to come before her loving duties to the tired sleepers in the room above her. First she looked into the oven to see if the chips were in, for the fire must be lit at five in the morning, and if the wood and coals were not dry, her father and brothers would have to wait for their breakfast. Then she sought the wet clay-covered boots and clothes and put them by the fire to dry; and then she must needs fill the kettle to be ready in the morning, and set the tins in a row by the next day's dinners. And now at last she feels at rest; she has done all that can be done for the poor men, who pass the pleasant mornings and the sunshiny days far under the green fields, in midnight darkness, save the light from a dim candle. Slowly the thin fingers unfold the large letter, and the dark tender eyes look sad and loving as they rest with a far-off expression on the foreign post-mark. All day long Martha has hurried herself from one thing to another, but now she lingers, for it needs a great effort to refold the letter and put away thoughts at once so sweet and bitter. It is a frank, hearty letter, but it grieves and wounds Martha's sensitive heart; for what does the merry, thoughtless sailor-boy know of his cousin's deep thoughts and feelings? When the letter is long of coming, day by day Martha watches the village postman; and when she sees her own name in a large school-boy hand, a thrill of pleasure lights up her pale face; but often before she has read to the end of it, the light in her dark loving eyes dies out and she is paler and sadder than before. Tonight as she refolds the letter and puts it away in her own little drawer, a deep sigh follows it; and her eyes are very dim as she takes down her Bible from the corner shelf. Ah! the letter she has been reading is not from the Willie of her imagination-but from the real Willie, a rough careless youth, who has no thought beyond the present hour's enjoyment. And so it often is that what we cherish most proves to be our keenest grief. But it was well with Martha, notwithstanding this cherished sorrow; for she had a Rock more firm than earthly love on which to rest. It is true that a longing to know something of the uncertain and unpromising future would at times creep in; but the thought that it was wisely hidden from her quickly chased it away; and she could say with full confidence, "My times are in Thy hand." This was Martha's "Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, Is our destined end or way; idea of life, for with the morrow's dawn she was up and busy. And she wishes to have many customers to-day, as she spreads her penny packages along the window-sill; for she would like to buy a Bible for the chapel in the mine. The next time an order was sent to the nearest market-town for soap, sugar, etc., the carrier was also entrusted with part of the week's profits that he might bring back a Bible printed in large type. Now this was a pleasurable secret between Martha and her brothers; but as Martha was anxious to see the chapel and to place the Bible there herself, it was necessary to take the foreman into their confidence also. Mr. Nichols, the foreman, who knew every cutting in the mine, said he should be glad to guide Martha, along with the Bible, to the chapel, and also to see the wonders of a mine; for he found that her ideas were very vague concerning the interior of a mine. His own little girl had often asked him to take her, so now he promised to take her when the Bible came; and Martha's younger brother was to go, for he was accustomed to drawing the iron-stone out on the low waggons. John, in the meantime, set about making a box in which the Bible might remain when taken to the mine. In a few days it was arranged that the party of four should go to the mine about seven o'clock, for at that time all the men would have left work except perhaps one or two, who might be more anxious than the rest to make a good week's work. Crossing two or three green fields the party came to the foot of a gently-sloping and wood-crowned hill; here stood a cabin which they entered; and Mr. Nichols, telling the girls to take off their bonnets and tie handkerchiefs over their heads, went to seek a waggon. With the help of Thomas he took off the tub part of one of the waggons, out of a long row of laden and unladen ones; and putting a board across it, he pushed it on to the tramway at the entrance of the mine; then taking his lantern he led the way, the girls following, and Thomas last with the waggon. For about a quarter of a mile the narrow cutting was high enough for a horse to enter to draw out the waggons, which the boys brought from all parts of the mine to where the low openings crossed and branched off in all directions. At first a glimmering of daylight softened the chill and the gloom on entering. But it was soon lost, and Martha held tightly the precious treasure under her arm as she stepped timidily on the slippery planks thrown down between the tramway. Several times the girls missed their footing and plashed into the pools of water standing at the side. Mr. Nichols held his lantern up here and there to show huge masses of fantastic fungus which seemed to grow on the wet props supporting the sides of the cutting. In some places the fungus looked like white balls; but Martha shivered when Mr. Nichols laughingly took some in his hand, to show her how quickly it would disappear under the pressure. The "crossings" were soon reached, and only Thomas could now walk upright. The girls were seated on the low waggon and wheeled along to the chapel, Mr. Nichols leading the way with bent back. The Bible was deposited and prayer offered in the awful stillness and darkness of that underground chapel. (To be continued). THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. WITH joyful haste and zealous love Yea, line by line, my life's dark page He spake in wisdom, and in love, Like she of Sychar, hast thou drank Go forth and in thy Saviour's strength And wandering hearts shall turn and bless THE GOOD WIFE. "A VIRTUOUS WOMAN IS A CROWN TO HER HUSBAND; BUT SHE THAT MAKETH ASHAMED IS AS ROTTENNESS IN HIS BONES (Prov. xii. 4). "A PRUDENT WIFE IS FROM THE LORD" (xix. 14). În household management much depends upon the woman. When the husband is industrious, sober, and steady, the management of the wife turns pence into shillings, and shillings into pounds, by the magic touch of her economy. A woman of the right sort will make a pound go twice as far as a woman of the wrong sort will, and have more comforts into the bargain. A good wife will consider that, while her husband is working for her out-of-doors, she should be working for him in-doors. Her desire will be to keep down expenses, to save all she can, to bring up their children to habits of order, obedience, and industry, and to give them a sound education. It is hers to keep things square and right in the house, to make the meals comfortable, and the home cheerful. To perform the task well will require some self-devotion, much thought, and steady determination, a cheerful will and a loving heart, but if she is a Christian, she will know where to look for strength and help. "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." Read Prov. xxxi. 10-31. From kind concern about his weal or woe, BEWARE OF INTEMPERANCE. THE LAST POUND-NOTE.-A Commercial Bank of Scotland pound-note was received some time ago by a person in Forfar, with the following inscription written upon its back. It appears to have been dated exactly two years after the issue of the note :— "Drunkards, take heed!-When this note passes from me, I am a ruined man. It is the last out of a fair fortune, bequeathed to me by, and the hard-won earnings of, an indulgent parent. As quickly come, as quickly gone; for after a few short years of inebriety and reckless folly, my dissipation has made me homeless, friendless, and a beggar. Whoever may be the next owner of this note, I would recommend him to follow the advice of sad experience, and BEWARE OF INTEMPERANCE." A TERRIBLE SURPRISE.-Some years ago, in one of our great cities, a worthy man was decoyed into a tavern, and tempted to |
