wall at this time of the day, but this afternoon Kate remarked that he had left his usual place.

The tide was high, and the sea clear and smooth as a pond. When they reached the shore, Will set Lucy down for a moment, and then pointed to a boat at the water's edge. It was a broad, rather ugly fishing-boat, but Lucy thought it the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life, for in the stern, where the narrow seats are usually seen, was a sort of soft bed made of cushions, and over it a nice awning had been rigged up. Sitting in the boat, with a broad grin on his face, was old Crabby; and now the secret came out, and the children discovered that it was what had made Will so busy all the morning, and why the old man had deserted his crab-pots!

Lucy was lifted gently into the boat by Will, who, strong and noisy as he was, could be as tender as a woman when he chose. She was laid on the soft bed which had been so carefully prepared for her. Granny Davies and Kate seated themselves near her, and. Will, pushing the boat off, sprang in.

Who can say what a delight that first

experience of boating was to the children! The fresh air, the gentle motion, so different to the vibration of the train, were charming to them, and Kate, as she leant over the side of the boat, and saw the rocks and sea-weed through the transparent water, felt as if she could not love God half enough for making everything so very beautiful.

CHAPTER XV

DAWNING LIGHT

"Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes,
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies"

SI said before, Mr Elwyn was not discouraged by the failure of his first endeavours to make "Long John" and his wife see the sin into which their superstitious ignorance had led them.

He knew that when the ground has long been allowed to lie barren and waste, it must be carefully cultivated before any sort of good seeds will be able to take root. Thorns and thistles will grow where tender grass and flowers could never penetrate the soil, and so it is with a man's heart.

John Carter was not intentionally wicked, but the tender growth of holiness which the baptismal grace had sown in his heart had been choked and smothered by the weeds of a careless, irreligious life.