the

flock of sheep to be sold on that day by auction that he believed would suit him. He would have liked company of his brother-in-law, but it was Gilbert's preaching-night, and all he could do was to give him his company to Glen Ness.

"I shall be back either to-morrow or the next day," he exclaimed, at parting; "I hear I can find accommodation in the neighbourhood of the auction."

"Yes," said Gilbert; "but of what kind I cannot vouch for."

Rightly thinking that Rosie had travelled enough for a little while, and feeling tired herself, Emily remained at home. She spent a very quiet evening with her baby and her work. Thought was busy, and so was fear, though she tried hard to remember and encourage herself in the remembrance of those well-known lines

"All my times are in Thy hand,
All events at Thy command."

"It cannot be all smooth and happy," she said to herself; "we are to expect tribulation, but then with the tribulation the comfort is to come. I wish I could always remember that. The waves may beat high, but if Jesus comes walking upon them there will soon be peace. I ought to trust Him. He has been so good to me, and given so much to me."

The husband and wife enjoyed their supper once more alone, and after supper Emily came and threw herself on a low footstool at Gilbert's feet, and leaning her elbow on his knee, looked up in his face.

"You have promised me your confidence, dear

Gil," she exclaimed, in a winning voice; "you have promised to tell me everything that has happened, all that is wrong in our affairs."

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Easily promised, Emily, and easily performed; for after all, there is not very much to tell. Things are not working very smoothly in our little church, that is all; I suppose I am easily depressed."

"What things, dear Gil?"

"Money matters, principally. The people begin to think they have been too liberal to their pastor, and are reducing their subscriptions. Are you willing to retrench, little wife?" he asked, with a sad smile.

"Certainly I am, if THERE IS ANY NEED, but there ought not to be," she continued, indignantly; "it is unkind; unchristianlike to act thus."

"Let

He put his hand playfully over her mouth. us not judge too harshly," he whispered gently. "Is it harsh? No, Gilbert, I do not think it is. How hard you labour among these people, early and late. How earnestly you spend and are spent for them! How constantly you seek their good; not your own ease or profit! and yet they grudge the hire of which the labourer is so worthy. Dear Gil, it is un

christianlike and cruel-I call it cruel."

"Well, dear, but the fact remains; the lowering of the salary is the fact; never mind, you are willing to try retrenchment."

"Oh, yes, dear, as far as possible; but how, I scarcely know. Dear little baby has certainly not been much expense yet, the presents she has had from town have been so handsome; but by-and-by she will be an additional expense, of course; and we have lived so simply, that to retrench will not be

easy. Certainly I could part with Jenny, and try to do the work myself."

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"Most certainly you can not, my dear; that is not to be thought of. No, nor need we enter into the retrenchment part of the business to-night, that will do to think of hereafter. I could manage that better than the unkind words and speeches of some, from whom I had hoped better things; but I ought to remember, The servant is not greater than his Lord.' And if they called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household! Nay, darling, do not cry, we shall weather the storm; the sky will be clear by-and-by, only take courage. Come, let us pray that we may be able to trust better, to bear all our Lord's will, that we may not faint when we are tried. It shall be well done, come what will, I am sure of that. And now, Emmy," he exclaimed, as they rose from their knees, "you shall tell me all about Lilian Spenser. It will do us good to talk about her."

CHAPTER XXX.

PUBLIC OPINION.

"One there lives, whose guardian eye,
Guides our humble destiny."

EMILY OWEN had been only a month away from Glen Ness, yet in that time changes of more than one kind had intervened. Time enough had there been for much to be said and done, having an important influence on her future. But she was little prepared to hear that one of those transactions was the departure of Mr. Crossly, the schoolmaster, from the neighbourhood, under very auspicious circumstances. Through the death of a distant and almost forgotten relative, a considerable property had fallen to him. He was immediately summoned to England, in order to receive his due; and with a hasty sale of his effects, he had already quitted Glen Ness for Adelaide, to prepare with his family for the unexpected voyage.

The Glen Ness youth were meanwhile left without a teacher, but in the Glen Ness mind that want could be readily supplied. Mr. Crossly had introduced, and strongly recommended, a friend of his own, a young unmarried man, to the office of master; and for the girls, what better could be devised than their

minister's wife? it was the very thing. She could do nothing less than consent to what would be so essentially for her own profit and advantage. Why, this would make up for the deficient salary; there would be no more complaints now. Times were bad, trade was dull, and the harvest looking poor. It was not to be expected they could rob their own families to keep their minister's wife in idleness. She had education, why should she not make use of it. But she would, of course she would be glad to do it; it was only to propose the thing.

Crossly's house too, the very thing, as pretty a house as Glen Ness contained; they could board Mr. Hampton, the new master, that would be something farther in their pockets. It would be better in every way that the Owens should be in the township. What was the use of their living a mile away ? A minister was better on the spot.

And so it was quietly settled among this very sagacious, generous-minded people, that they were doing a handsome thing by their pastor and his wife, and that refusal was out of the question. For once in their lives they reckoned without their hosts, and were astonished without measure at the unqualified disapproval that their plans received.

"Now look here, brother," exclaimed one of the members, Cary Lamont's father, the blacksmith of the place, one in whose mouth the endearing term of brother most frequently occurred, but whose course of conduct was farthest removed from brotherly kindness of any one present,-"look here, brother, you say your salary is not enough to live on. Well, we've done what we could, we can't raise more, no

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