But as I looked at her stedfastly, I thought I saw a kind of circle of light, but very faint, round her head and the old man said, that it was such an ornament, only very, very much inferior, as they wore, who were admitted into the Palace of the Great King,

And now they pressed up a little hill and as they ascended it the snow ceased; and the sun, now nearly in the horizon, shone out with a bright yellow smile. The robins began to sing; there was a kind of winter beauty which quite made me glad; and at the top of the hill was a white marble Cross, which when the Angel saw, he cried out, "Happy Hilda! there is the goal!"

Then the child redoubled all her efforts to get. forward for it was plain that her strength was almost all gone, and that she could not take many steps more. And just as she reached the steps, on which the marble Cross stood, a glorious Form was by them, Whom I knew to be the Prince of that And at that same moment Hilda's clock

Land. struck.

I saw the child fall on her knees, and hold out her arms to the Prince; and I heard the Angel say, "She is Thine, O Lord and lover of souls;" and I heard for the last time Hilda's sweet faint voice : "His left hand is under my head, and His right hand doth embrace me." Then I saw the Prince raise her up, and kiss her pale forehead; and this He said: "Lo! the winter is past; the rain is over

and gone; the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come; arise, My love, My fair one, and come away." And then I knew that poor little Hilda would be taken into the bright

Palace.

This made me get more anxious for the others. And I turned to Paulinus, whom I thought in the most danger. There was now a hill before him,not very steep, nothing like so steep and rough as: those which Hilda had travelled over, but he would not make the effort. He sat down again; the Angel tried three or four times to arouse him, and each time the boy seemed more angry at being disturbed, and each time more gloomy grew the countenance of the Angel. While he was thus sitting his clock began to strike. "Oh no!" he screamed out; "not yet! not yet! I have not half done my journey; it cannot be time: others have so much more time. Oh save me! save me!" he shrieked to the Angel.

But the Angel was gone!

And, as the clock ceased striking, two frightful creatures, like winged dragons, black and horrible, came swiftly through the air; and fastening on the wretched boy with their talons, carried him off to the place of punishment. I could long hear his screams and yells till they died in the distance.

While I was trembling with fear and thinking over this, the old man told me that Phoebe had reached home safely. The Prince, he said, met her also

but not so quickly as Hilda, nor did He greet her so lovingly; but He did meet her, and took her also to dwell with Him for ever.

And now there only remained Cyril. When I looked for him again, he had made a great distance, and I thought must be near the end of his journey. But, O foolish traveller! he was again tempted by some shining stones by the wayside, and again knelt to gather them. The Angel urged, entreated, prayed him to go on, but in vain. At last a form, very awful-looking, came along the road, but so dimly and indistinctly, I could not make out what it was. And it said: "Cyril, your

hour is going to strike."

Then Cyril leapt up, and threw away his pouch, and ran for his life. And now I could see the marble Cross clear before him, as he ran panting up the hill; but I also saw those two black dragons swiftly and silently following him; and I could not tell whether he would first reach the goal, or they pounce on him. Oh, how he then strained every nerve! how the sweat poured from his face! how his breath came thick and sobbingly! And I thought to myself, O Cyril, a quarter of this labour early in the day, and you would have gone in calmly and joyously now.

Just as he was a few paces from the cross, the clock struck. But there came a darkness over the whole scene, so that I could not see whether the Prince was there or not. Once, indeed, I thought

I saw Him; and the old man, whose eyes were better than mine, was even yet more hopeful; but I never could tell for certain to this day whether Cyril is really living in the bright Palace, or has been carried off by the dragons. But the old man told me that it was written of the Prince : "He is able to save to the uttermost all that call on Him." And with that I was forced to be content.

Now, my children, remember this one thing.` Just such a race as that of which I have been telling you, I am looking at now, while I watch you. How many Hildas shall I see among you? How many Phoebes? At least may God of His infinite mercy grant that not one Paulinus!

One of you this next week is about to begin a new course of this race, leaving this home, and going out into a dangerous and wicked world. I can only pray that what Hilda's guardian Angel did for her, so in all her goings out and comings in may that dear Spirit who is the Guardian Angel of Frances do for her also!

READING XI.1

Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts." JOEL ii. 15, 16.

You see, my dear children, that you have as much to do with the business of this Day as we have. For think if it were especially commanded that the Jewish children should be gathered together when a solemn fast was to be kept, how much more you? They never knew of One Who, though He were the Almighty GOD, yet took upon Himself the form of a Child, yet worked as other children in the shop of His father, had the same griefs, the same pleasures, the same amusements, yes, and the same temptations, too, that other children now have. And again: they had never been made, as you have all been made, children of GOD. Their bodies had never been consecrated at Baptism to be temples of the HOLY GHOST; GOD stood very far off from them, compared with His nearness to you. And yet, here the command is plain, "Gather the children."

You all know why it is that we keep this most holy time; you all know what we have to do in it. Yes; we all. I remember when I was a child, I used to think that grown-up people, if they were really earnest in serving GOD, could not have such

1 Preached at the beginning of Lent.