they were only like the gentlest ripple of a wave on a sea, calm and beautiful. His eyes were full of a light deep and intense, and a sweet smile of peace dwelt upon his lips. By his side sat Tom, with one arm thrown around him. A strange and deeply touching love had grown up between the two boys since Willie's illness in the summer, when Tom, so nobly generous, had spent all his little savings in the Penny Bank to buy oranges and grapes for the sick boy who was in the same class as himself at the Sunday School.

Mr. Capel would not disturb the two as they sat thus silent in the gloaming. "The thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts," he said to himself as he saw the looking-upward light in Willie's eyes, and the earnest love and tender anxiety for his friend in Tom's. So he passed out into the evening air, and as the breath of heaven fanned his cheek, he thought of a pure, refreshing light which had penetrated the darkness and despair of hearts crushed with sorrow and want, and he blessed the Lord for this additional proof of His love; and the loving assurance, "Lo, I am with you alway,"-yes! even in the midst of sin and destruction and blackness, of misery, anguish, and trouble, Thy Light is still burning and burning, working its way into darkness, and kindling the fires of love, which, once lighted, shall glow on for ever in never

ceasing, but ever increasing existence, this assurance sank deeper into his soul, and was to him strength, consolation, and power, and zest for future endeavour.

The boys, thus left together, continued to gaze in silence, until Tom whispering, "You've got two fathers in Heaven now, Willie," drew from his companion the reply, "Yes, Tom; and I am glad it was evening when father went. I've just been thinking those clouds all tinged with light are like the chariot of fire sent down to fetch Elijah. I could fancy I saw father going in there, at that opening,—and don't you. see, just above, an angel holding a crown? only the crown is white instead of gold. Oh, Tom, what a beautiful world it must be inside of Heaven, if this side is so glorious!" and Willie was again silent, when his mother came in, and told him he was to sleep at Mrs. Pym's that night, and it was time he

went.

I do,

The widow's voice trembled with weeping. Her little son-her only one-threw his arms round her and exclaimed, "Don't cry, mother! father's a deal happier than anyone can ever be here, and he's gone to see where the sun rises and sets. We shall go too some day, shan't we, Tom?"

Tom nodded an assent, although he, with all his love for Willie, could not quite understand or enter into his "notions of things;" but, like all noble natures

he considered it was a want of something in himself, and not any error in Willie's mind.

The winter crept slowly on. Mrs. Snowdon had great difficulty in providing out of her scanty earnings for the wants of herself and little son. But Willie, as spring advanced, became strong enough to take a situation as errand boy at the greengrocer's round the corner, and his eighteen-pence a-week, and occasional dinner, helped very much to lighten his mother's burden. As summer, however, advanced, the boy, never very strong, began to flag, and Tom, with the love of an elder brother, watched over him anxiously.

Oh! what a heart of love lay underneath that blackened blowze, scorched and begrimed at the forge! You who class as "common and unclean" all that belongs to life midst the lowest, read a lesson in this-no forced character, but a living reality-and learn that, as the sun's rays are not confined to Belgravia or to Eaton Square, but penetrate the most degraded courts in Eastern London, so neither is truth, nobility, nor worth limited to those of our higher and more cultivated circles of society. The poor illclad boy, half starving upon his dry-bread diet, yet thanking God perchance that he is not left even without this, is, in the sight of Him Who "seeth not as man seeth, but looketh on the heart," far nobler, far

better, far more ready for the kingdom, than he who fares sumptuously every day, lavishing for renown's sake his gifts upon the poor, yet cradling in his heart thoughts of pride, envy, or ill-will. Remember this, you who from your circumstances or station in life seldom come in contact with the poor, the erring, and the suffering; do not think that in them dwelleth no light, that all is one black darkness, out of which it is a chance to get anything good. God's truth, like His love, is unbounded and penetrative, and often and often it finds admission in a lowly, tumbled-down home, while it stands knocking in vain at a marble mansion inlaid with gold.

Tom saw Willie sickening, and Tom said to himself, "Summat must be done,”—but what? that was the difficulty.

It was a bright morning towards the end of June; Tom, busy at the forge, thinking, as usual, of Willie, and wondering what could be done to get him better food until he was quite strong again, was called away to speak to someone who they said had been enquiring for him. In a minute Tom found himself face to face with a stranger.

"Can this be little Tom?" said the cheery voice of a bright-faced little man, with a monstrously big beard. "You don't remember me," continued the

stranger, with merry twinkling eyes, and clapping Tom upon the back, "but I nursed you when you was a baby. Bless me! how much you grow like your poor mother! How does the world treat you, my man? Father's married again, hasn't he? Bad business your mother dying, but I daresay you didn't feel it much,-you weren't above five or six. I had half a mind to send for you out to Australia when I heard of it. I guess you'd have been better taken care of than you have been, if the sharks hadn't eaten you up in coming. Wonder who I am? Well, I'm the uncle that's supposed to have been dead for the last ten years. Come to life again, my boy, and find it agrees with me capitally!" and the little man broke out into a very hearty laugh.

Could it be possible that this was Uncle George, his mother's only brother, who had been thought of as dead for ever so many years? Tom looked aghast.

"Come, my lad," said he, suddenly becoming serious after his merry laugh, "cut along and get leave. You must have a holiday to-day; tell your master it's to celebrate your uncle's coming to life again, and then he can't deny you."

Tom had not much difficulty in getting the required leave, and he quickly rejoined his uncle, and then, having stopped at a neighbouring pump to wash off