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Observer, Aug. 1, '72.

deadly destruction, to their pernicious system, cry out, "So much the worse for the facts." But the evidence must live and rule, although their theories die. T. H. ARCHIBALD.

Family Room.

THE TWO HOMES.

"Sad hearts are often made sadder unwittingly. A little more wisdom, discernment and foresight would spare many sighs."

Two men on their way home met at a street crossing, and then walked on together. They were neighbours and friends.

"This has been a very hard day," said Mr. Freeman, in a gloomy voice. And, as they walked homeward, they discouraged each other, and made darker the clouds that obscured their whole horizon.

"Good evening," was at last said hurriedly, and the two men passed into their homes.

Mr. Walcott entered the room where his wife and children were gathered, and, without speaking to anyone, seated himself in a chair, and leaning his head back, closed His countenance wore a

his eyes.
sad, weary, exhausted look. He
had been seated thus for only a few
minutes' when his wife said in a
fearful voice:

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"More trouble again!' "What is the matter now?" asked Mr. Walcott, almost starting. "John has been sent home from school!

Mr. Walcott partly

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66

Very well, we will see about that," he answered with a forced sternness, and, leaving the room, he went down stairs, feeling much more uncomfortable than when he went up. Again he seated himself in his large chair, and again leaned back his weary head and closed his weary eyelids. Sadder was his face than before. As he sat thus, his eldest daughter, in her sixteenth year, came and stood by him. had a paper in her hand.

"What?" rose from his chair. "He has been suspended for bad conduct." "Oh, dear!" groaned Mr. Walcott."here's my quarter's bill. "Where is he?

66

Up in his room; I sent him there as soon as he came home. You'll have to do something with him. He'll be ruined if he goes on in this way. I'm out of heart with him."

"Father," he opened his

have the money to take to
with me in the morning?"

She

eyes; Can I school

"I am afraid not," answered Mr. Walcott, half in despair.

"Nearly all the girls will bring their money to-morrow, and it mortifies me to be behind the others."

The daughter spoke fretfully Mr. Walcott waved her aside with his hand, and she went off pouting.

"It is mortifying," said Mrs. Walcott, a little sharply; " and I don't wonder that Helen feels annoyed about it. The bill has to be paid, and I don't see why it may not be done as well first as last.

To this Mr. Walcott made no answer. The words but added another pressure to the heavy burden under which he was already staggering. After a silence of some moments, Mrs. Walcott said:

"The coals are all gone,” "Impossible!" Mr. Walcott raised his head and looked incredulous. "I laid in sixteen tons."

"I can't help it if there were sixty tons instead of sixteen; they are all gone. The girls had hard work today to scrape up enough to keep the fire in."

"There's been a shameful waste somewhere," said Mr. Walcott, with strong emphasis, starting up and moving about the room with a very disturbed manner.

"So you always say when anything runs out," answers Mrs. Walcott, rather tartly. "The barrel of flour is gone also; but I suppose you have done your part with the rest, in using it up."

Mr. Walcott returned to his chair, and, again seating himself, leaned back his head and closed his eyes as at first. How sad and weary and hopeless he felt! the burdens of the day had seemed almost too heavy for him; but he had borne up bravely. To gather strength for a renewed struggle with adverse circumstances he had come home. Alas that the progress of exhaustion should still go on! that where only strength could be looked for on earth, no strength was given!

When the supper-bell was rung, Mr. Walcott made no movement to obey the summons.

Come to supper," said his wife, coldly. But he did not stir.

Observer, Aug. 1, '72.

"Are you coming to supper?" she called to him as she was leaving the

room.

"I don't wish for anything this evening. My head aches very much," he answered.

"In the dumps again," muttered Mrs. Walcott to herself.

The whole evening passed without the occurrence of a single incident that gave a healthful pulsation to the sick heart of Mr. Walcott. No thoughtful kindness was manifested by any member of the family, but, on the contrary, a narrow regard for self, and a looking to him only that he might supply the means of selfgratification.

No wonder, from the pressure which was on him, that Mr. Walcott felt utterly discouraged. He retired early, and sought to find that relief from mental disquietude in sleep, which he had vainly hoped for in the bosom of his family. But the whole night passed in broken slumber and disturbing dreams. From the cheerless morning meal, at which he was reminded of the quarter's bill that must be paid, of the coals and flour that were out, and of the necessity of supplying Mrs. Walcott's empty purse, he went forth to meet the difficulties of another day, faint at heart, almost hopeless of success. A confident spirit, sustained by home affections, would have carried him through; but, unsupported as he was, the burden was too heavy for him and he sank under it.

Let us look for a few moments

upon Mr. Freeman. He, also, had come home, weary and dispirited. The trials of the day had been unusually severe, and when he looked anxiously forward to scan the future, not even a gleam of light was seen. As he stepped across the threshold of his dwelling, a pang shot through his heart, for the thought came, how slight the present hold upon all these comforts. Not for himself, but for his wife and children was the pain.

"Father's come!" cried a glad

Observer Aug. 1, '72.

little voice on the stairs the moment | unusual silence and abstraction of his footfall sounded in the passage; mind. This was observed by Mrs. then quick, pattering feet were heard, Freeman, who, more than half and then a tiny form was springing suspecting the cause, kept back from into his arms. Before reaching the her husband the knowledge of certain sitting room above, Alice, the eldest matters about which she had intendaughter, was by his side, her arm ded to speak to him, for she feared drawn fondly within his, and her they would add to his mental disloving eyes lifted to his face. quietude.

It

"Are you not late, dear?" was the gentle voice of Mrs. Freeman. Mr. Freeman could not trust himself to answer. He was too deeply troubled in spirit to assume at the moment a cheerful tone, and he had no wish to sadden the hearts that loved him, by letting the depression from which he was suffering become too apparent. But the eyes of Mrs. Freeman saw quickly below the surface.

"Are you not well, Robert ?" she inquired, tenderly, as she drew forward his large arm-chair.

"A little headache," he answered with a slight evasion.

Scarcely was Mr. Freeman seated ere a pair of hands were busy with each foot, removing boots and supplying soft slippers. There was not one in the household who did not feel happier for his return, nor one who did not seek to render him a kind office.

It was impossible, under such a burst of heart sunshine, for the spirit of Mr. Freeman long to remain shrouded. Almost imperceptibly to himself, gloomy thoughts gave place to more cheerful ones, and by the time tea was ready he had half forgotten the fears which had so haunted him through the day.

But they could not be held back altogether, and their existence was marked during the evening by an

During the evening she gleaned from something he said the real cause of his changed aspect At once her thoughts commenced running in a new channel. By a few leading remarks she drew her husband into conversation on the subject of home expenses, and the propriety of restriction in various points. Many things were mutually pronounced superfluous and easily to be dispensed with, and before sleep fell soothingly on the heavy eyelids of Mr. Freeman that night, an entire change in their style of living had been determined upon-a change that would reduce their expenses at least one-half.

"I see light ahead," were the hopeful words of Mr. Freeman, as he resigned himself to slumber.

With renewed strength of mind and body, and a confident spirit, he went forth the next day-a day that he had looked forward to with fear and trembling. And it was only through this renewed strength and confident spirit that he was able to overcome the difficulties that loomed up, mountain high, before him. Weak despondency would have ruined all. Home had proved his tower of strength--his walled city. Strengthened for the conflict he had gone forth again into the world and conquered in the struggle.

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"I see light ahead," gave place to the morning breaketh."

THE SOLACE.

God is whatever His people needs.] avenger of blood, the justice of God, Are they in danger? He is their and the threatenings of a violated refuge. Here they are safe from the law. Are they weak?

He is their

Observer, Aug. 1, '72.

strength. He will strengthen them | He has strengthened thousands of for conflict with the foe, strengthen poor feeble ones, and He will them while in the engagement, and strengthen thee. In all thy troubles bring them off more than conquerors. go to him for solace and succour. Are they in trouble? He is a help, He will help thee. Hear His own a very present help, in trouble. He precious words, addressed to His will help them to bear trouble. He people when in deep distress: "Fear will help them to improve trouble. thou not, for I am with thee; be not He will deliver them in six troubles, dismayed, for I am thy God: I will and in seven shall no evil touch strengthen thee; yea, I will help them. Christian, in every danger thee; yea, I will uphold thee with run to thy God! His arms are open the right hand of my righteousness." to receive thee. His heart is a refuge He is thy shield in danger, and the for thee. He will screen thee. He very present help in trouble. He is will shelter thee. In all thy infirm- always at hand, always ready to help, ities repair to Him for grace. He is always willing to bless thee. the strength of the poor, and the strength of the needy in his distress.

DANGER OF HALF-KNOWLEDGE.

THE practice of taking advantage of the early morning for traveling is a necessity in the East in order to get the full benefit of the cooler hours of the day, and to have time for the rest and repast at noon, when traveling would be intolerably oppressive and often dangerous. But while this is the unvarying practice when proceeding from day to day on a pilgrimage, it is never done on the first day of a departure. On that day the party does not leave until within a few hours of sunset, and often pitches its tent on the first night within sight of the place which it has left. This was our uniform experience. The custom, which has all the authority of a law, is very ancient, and allusions to it can be discovered in Jewish writers at least a century before Christ. The reason in which it appears to have originated was the very simple one that if, on the first evening of unloading the baggage, it was found that anything of value had been left behind, or anything indispensable to the journey unprovided, there might yet be time to return and procure it. This custom illustrates

JAS. SMITH.

one of the most beautiful passages
in the history of our Lord. When
Joseph and Mary were on their way
back from Jerusalem, on the first
occasion of their visit with Jesus to
the Temple at the feast, they dis-
covered, when halting at sunset, that
their wonderous child was not in the
company. The fact has long been
used as a stock objections with in-
fidels, and with interpreters who
dwell on the border-land of infidelity,
and it has even been picked up and
appropriated by Strauss, as casting
doubt on the reality of the entire
narrative. Was it credible, it had
been said, that our Lord's parents
could have taken a long day's journey,
and never once have inquired for a
child so deserving of their love?
This is another instance of that
sceptical quarreling with the Scrip-
ture narrative which has its origin
in half-knowledge. Joseph and Mary,
it is probable, were only a few miles
distant from the city when they made
their painful discovery.
We saw
Jerusalem on the day of our leaving
it from the place of our encampment
on our way southeastward.

DR. A. THOMSON.

Observer, Aug. 1, '72.

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SAUGHALL, CHESTER.-Since I last wrote three more have made the good confession here. One of these came from Chester; two were neighbours. The person who came from Chester was a local preacher among the Methodists. He became convinced, from the words of Christ, that the believer ought to be baptized. Nevertheless he did not want "to be made a Baptist," yet desired to follow the Lord fully. We have had ten baptisms now within a short period. Whatever may be the immediate instrumentality, we rejoice when souls are saved. The saving power is in the name of Jesus, and to Him be the praise.

PETER STEPHEN. WOLVERHAMPTON.-The church here has been shut out from public services for some considerable time, owing to the want of a meeting place to which the public could be invited. On Lord's day, July 14, Bro. D. King gave three addresses in a commodious chapel, now secured for the use of the church, and situate in Cleveland Road, opposite St.George's Church. The audiences were good; that in the evening the largest we have had in Wolverhampton. Preaching, chiefly by means of help from Birmingham, will (D.V.) be carried on regularly.

BRIDGNORTH.-An evangelist of the "Catholic Apostolic Church" has been here announcing a special message from God as

to the immediate return of the Saviour and the reconstruction of the church, with its living apostles, prophets, etc. Our Bro. Carnduff requested an opportunity for giving his reasons for not believing their message, which was refused; in consequence of which he has given a lecture in reply, offering the evangelist an opportunity of defending his position. I need not say he did not come forward. We think the lecture will cause an enquiry after truth. There were about five hundred people present. A vote of thanks to the lecturer was proposed by an alderman of the town. JAMES HART.

TUNBRIDGE WELLS.-We still meet here on the Lord's day to attend to the breaking of the bread, and in the week to study the word of God; and He has blessed us in adding four to our number. We have had a visit from Bro. Ellis, which greatly refreshed us. We meet at 8, Birling Cottages, Frant Road.

H. C.

MEETING AT PERRYVILLE.-Bro. John R. White and I rcently closed a very interesting meeting at this place.

Perryville is a beautiful little village, with a population of 600, situated on Chaplin Creek in Boyle County, ten miles from Harrodsburg, and ten miles from Canville. These last named towns are also ten miles

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