The sorrowing, or rather the repining lady here seemed to listen with more interest, as she inquired,

"Only four words, did you say?"

"Yes; but this is nothing surprising. When God as our Father, or Jesus as a Friend, or the Holy Spirit as the Comforter has a special word to say to us, He can throw into them all the majesty of power and fulness of authority." "And these words were?" anxiously asked Julia, fearing something might prevent my quoting them.

"The lovingkindnesses of the Lord.' I found myself saying lovingkindness, till, looking again for the last time. at them, I saw that the plural was used. Oh, what a responsive bound my heart gave as I repeated it over and over to assure myself—'lovingkindnesses! lovingkindnesses! lovingkindnesses!' and then a perfect stream from God's precious word flowed into my mind, and I cried aloud for joy in David's own words, 'How precious, also, are Thy thoughts unto me! How great is the sum of them!'"

I was conscious of having raised my voice considerably, and apologised; but ah! I was speaking for someone else. To neither of these now present was my message sent. I was not aware of it at the time, for neither seemed to drink in the Lord's word-dear Julia, because she was listening for another, and her aunt, because she seemed to hug the chains of which she came to complain. I felt discouraged, and, with some sadness (fully shared in by Julia), I bade them good-bye.

"Oh, it rains, I see; come out through these foldingdoors, it makes a short cut to the gate," I remarked, as I opened the door in question, when, to my surprise, I heard someone move quickly back, and then perceived that a young woman had been waiting for me in the room thus divided from the dining-room. I do not know what it was on her face that made me speak as I did a few minutes after, when I returned to learn her message, but it seemed as if I were impelled to say, "So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth; it shall not return unto Me

void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.' What do you say to that, my young friend ?" (I am ashamed to say that she had come by appointment, but I had forgotten the hour, and the servant had not informed me that Sarah awaited me.) Oh, how her whole face beamed with delight as she replied,

"It will not return unto Him void to-day. Oh, miss, all against my own will I have been obliged to act a listener's part; and what a feast of fat things have I enjoyed! A whole string of them; enough for to-day and to-morrow and next day."

"Ah, then, whilst I thought myself to be talking to those ladies, I was really talking to dear Sarah Mugford, and giving her a message from the Master! Is it so ?"

""Tis indeed, miss! There was that which you said about not hearing Jesus spoken against; and then I thought, 'Mind that, Sarah, for He is your Master, and a faithful servant will never hear her Master spoken against. Then, miss, oh, the word! Shan't I make much of it as I go along, that's all !"

Strange to say that, although so full of it a few minutes since, now I could not recollect to what she referred, when clapping her hands in ecstasy she exclaimed,

"Not lovingkindness only, but lovingkindnesses. Oh, doesn't my heart cry 'Amen' to that!"

"Dear Sarah, how you rejoice me! I was not aware that you were so fully on the Lord's side. When did this happy change take place? I always knew you to be a serious girl, but nothing beyond."

“Oh, miss, 'tis all of the lovingkindnesses. They went on and on, till they fairly melted my stony heart; and I cried to the Lord that if such a poor thing as mine was worth having, if He would please to take and use it as He pleased, so long as 'twas for His glory."

"And has He heard your prayer?"

Oh, miss; and has He not, is all I can say. He has taken my poor, vain, silly heart just as it was, and now,

though still the same in itself, it is one of the happiest little corners in all the Lord's blessed universe of saved souls!"

What a picture was this illiterate girl's countenance as she thus spoke; and how well she spoke! I could have embraced her, but thought it better not to be profuse in show of feeling; so, inviting her to sit down for a few minutes, I talked to her of the lovingkindnesses of the Lord in a way that I could not before; and, as she was leaving the house, she said,

"Oh, miss, I can't tell you how glad I am that you forgot me."

"Ah, Sarah, the Lord is sometimes magnified by our weakness. He can perfect that which concerneth us out of the veriest stone and rubbish. If we had anything to boast of, then we should want to go shares with Him in the work of salvation; but it must be Christ from first to last."

"Oh, miss, that's one of the lovingkindnesses, for if I had to bring something, why I just couldn't; but now" "But now the Holy Spirit has filled your soul, you have plenty to give back to Christ."

"Yes, miss; with me it is—' O Lord, of Thine own I give Thee! So how can I boast? poor Sarah Mugford has nothing whatever to do with it!"

Thus, with a happy farewell, did this rejoicing young woman go on her way, and I felt established in the truth of the text before quoted, "So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth."

Oh, Christian disciple, do not despond when your message seems to fail. It cannot. Your word may fall to the ground; your messages may fail; but never-never can the word of God fail, or not accomplish the Lord's pleasure. Therefore, "Be patient. . . . Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain," and prayerfully continue to drop the golden grain, for you know not who is going to feast thereupon!

...

1

1 1 James v. 7.

Up amid the azure sky,

O'er the fields of corn, Sang a happy bird on high To the happy morn.

Wand'ring through a wooded vale,

Fair as in a dream;

On by flowery hill and dale
Flowed a beauteous stream.

Roses blocmed upon its bank,
Daisies by its side;

And the lily's rootlets drank
Of its crystal tide.

Came a farmer on that morn,

What to him seemed fair?
Nothing save the growing corn
On the meadow there.

Came two merchants to the wood,-
What to them seemed best?
They remarked the timber good,
And ignored the rest.

Came three millers then to look,-
What discerned their skill?
Nothing save a babbling brook,
Fit to turn a mill.

Came a builder all alone,

What discovered he?

Clay for bricks, and building stone
Only did he see.

Came two anglers,-what to them
Seemed most beautiful?

All things else did they contemn
Save the fishing pool.

Came three little children there,

What to them seemed best?
Nothing else was half so fair
As a linnet's nest.

Then at last a Christian came,-
What beheld he there?

One divine and wondrous name
Written everywhere.