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sions, but which is of no avail for daily trial or the often-recurring emergencies of life. They were amongst the thousands who consider all serious idea of communion with God as enthusiasm,-who for prayer have substituted a devout deportment in church; consequently, though without any great sorrow, the uneasiness that springs from trifles had overshadowed them, and from their restless glances and care-worn cheeks you could judge of the deepseated disquietude within their hearts. On the petty sea of little troubles they were tossed and drifted, their years were spent in useless sighing; and as you looked at them you felt inclined to say, "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE TROUBLED SEA.

WITH Scothed feelings, Millie once more found herself in her small bed-room. She brought back with her a sunshine from Cedar Lodge, which gilded the dingy wall, and lent a radiance to the ivy which it had never before worn. There was on her table a note from Mary, but the contents blanched her cheeks, and caused the paper to tremble in her hand. Mary had been obliged to give up her cottage and

to set off with her grandmother for London, in the hope of finding employment in that vast metropolis. She could not trust herself to say farewell to Millie; besides, how could she tell her of the destitution with which she had been struggling? Her short note was full of tenderness, and the sorrow expressed there was mellowed, nay brightened, by the confiding spirit of faith in the never-failing Friend. Her farewell, though breathed through promises, was yet steeped to Millie in the darkest tinge of suffering.

It was a trying night. Thought was busy with sorrow. Had destiny itself frowned upon her? She could not stifle the response which, at this dark suggestion, made itself heard: "Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."

Millie's association with Mary had, from its commencement, worn a peculiar character, without any danger of that familiarity which sometimes becomes oppressive amongst equals. Their intercourse was soon divested of all reserve, but retained a beautiful and delicate restraint.

There was a diffidence blended with Mary's counsel which rendered it peculiarly grateful to the receiver, so that even when she differed widely from Millie there were no discordant notes, for the voice of kindness was never lost in the excitement of opposition.

Then there were other links between them. By

the delicate sorrow spoken in the work-room, by the hour of anguish, and by kindred hope and faith, they were indissolubly united, so that no other friend could fill up the vacancy made in poor Millie's heart by Mary's departure.

Mary, too, grieved deeply at this separation from her young mistress; yet the very sense of the trust confided to her, in the care of her blind grandmother, enabled her to bear up against this self-imposed bereavement, and even to draw a troubled joy from the very nature of the sacrifice.

But for Millie to look round on that irksome home, and feel that henceforward her pleasant evening communings with the dear seamstress must cease, and that there would be no bright interruption to the dreary flow of time, made life wear an aspect tinged with the first shadows of despair.

She had never till now known the dull weight of sorrow. By some unaccountable impulse, she drew back from her slightly-maintained intercourse with Mrs Storer, so that her voice was never heard, save in the necessary routine of lesson-giving and the unavoidable reply.

Not only had all hopefulness of manner left her, but it was replaced by a silent and intense sadness, and a listlessness of movement which more than once drew the discordant remark from Mr Storer, that he had at least expected she would be diligent in business.

And from the loss of this quiet, unobtrusive friend

Millie's whole life was clouded,-desponding thoughts hung heavily around the very promises, and in this frame of mind the rod and staff of heavenly aid seemed almost to lose their supporting power.

But she was not left desolate. The door of intercourse between her heart and consolation was gently opened, and, though at first hesitatingly and tremblingly, soothing thought came in on her mind of Jesus Christ," the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."

Yet Millie at that time entered into no selfexamination, but languidly and discontentedly went through her school-room duties. Still, that almost imperceptible comfort lay hidden in her heart, rising, during the music lesson, above the jar of many a discordant note, and at length fixing on her heart, even in its waywardness, the sweet assurance, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Spring was opening beautifully on all around; the grass wore the unsullied green of its first uprising, and the turf had the peculiar fragrance which belongs to that early season.

Mrs Storer continued unobtrusively endeavouring to lessen the disagreeables of Millie's life, whilst she, in the selfishness of discomfort, remained altogether heedless of the delicate advances made towards her. Readily enough, however, she discovered all that was amiss in Mr Storer; for she was in that frame of mind which passes by the flowers, pausing only at the bramble or noxious weed.

If he would only have been stern or angry, this she would have borne; but the assumption of superior information, grafted on ignorance, was not, she persuaded herself, to be endured, and the scornful look, and sometimes the sarcastic remark, gave evidence of its irritating power. There was no work-room influence at hand, no heavenly strength was sought to stand up against trials, which, in spite of her daily vexation, she perversely determined to consider trivial.

In this mood the spirit of repining spread as a mist between her soul and God; secret prayer was hastily performed,--on the rock-land of trial she stood chafed and wounded; and as for Mary's injunction, to look for the flowers, with two rude girls for pupils, and Mr Storer continually invading the schoolroom, where could blessings be?

1 Once or twice, after some grammatical instruction which he had pressed on Millie, she felt very much inclined to call his attention to his own incorrect way of speaking; but delicacy, if not Christian principle, restrained her. Mr Storer's was a little, a very little mind, and he found great pleasure in assuming over Millie a tone of authority to which he tried to fancy her dependent position gave him a right.

"I do not believe that I am the same being I once was," thought Millie, after a day of more than usual excitement. "What is it that so exasperates me in Mr Storer's high-sounding words ?"

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