off towards a hill, whither he was accustomed to resort, when disposed for a lounge or a quiet smoke. Jim Noble, perceiving that his company was not desired, quietly took the hint, and walked off in another direction. Harry Baynham went away to think.

That journey apart to think was the commencement of better days with the young man, Conviction of sin had taken hold upon him, and as he sat alone on the hill-top, all unconscious of the dew and night-damp, he pondered this vital question within his soul: "What must I do to be saved ?" The earnest wayside sower of Gospel seed had taken hold of his soul, and he saw himself guilty before God. Yet he could not see the way of pardon. And he sat and ruminated, until the last shadows of twilight had disappeared, when, with his heavy burden still resting on his soul, he returned to his home.

Widow Baynham was not long in discovering that something unusual ailed her son. His new sobriety and quietness of demeanour, his fits of abstractedness, and his evident disinclination to go with Jim Noble, and others of that class, to the Brown Cow, told the tale. Yet he kept his thoughts secret. It seemed as if he could not break down the barrier of reserve and silence, and tell another of the conflict which was going on in his own soul between light and darkness.

Just about this time, in God's good providence, better employment was offered to Harry Baynham in Devonshire. With an earnest desire to get away from the temptations of Combe Hadley, he accepted it, only stipulating that his mother should keep her old home, and promising that he would faithfully remit part of his wages regularly toward her support. Widow Baynham was very sorry to part with her son, but recognising in the step a probability of spiritual and temporal good, consented at last, with many prayers and tears, on Harry's behalf.

So to Devonshire Harry went, and ere long began to prosper exceedingly in his temporal affairs. His willingness, bodily strength, and handiness in work, soon made

persuasion of mine could make it go again. In vain I gently shook it; a few feeble ticks was all the answer that it gave, and then it was quiet again. What could be the matter with it? It didn't want cleaning, I was sure of that, for only a short time before it had been thoroughly done by an experienced workman.

I did not pretend to know much about watches or clocks, but I thought if I opened it and looked at the works I might see the cause of its stopping. But no, the wheels were all so bright and apparently in order that it seemed as if it ought to be ready to perform its work properly, so I shut it up and carefully tipped it from side to side for a moment, and eagerly listened for its familiar ticking; but it was all to no purpose, it utterly refused to go, and at last I gave it up in despair.

I must take it to the watchmaker some day; I made up my mind to that, and meanwhile, not to be annoyed by the sight of it, I put it away in a cupboard where it would be perfectly safe till I had an opportunity of taking it to be mended. After a day or two I ceased to miss its striking, and in a little time I really almost forgot it.

One day, nearly three months after this, I had occasion to go to the cupboard in which I had placed my clock, and when I opened the door the first thing that I saw was my old friend. I don't know what made me take it down and look at it again, but I felt as if I must do so, and in doing it I knocked down the key belonging to it. "I will just try the key," I thought; and I did so. Very carefully, at first, I turned it; round it went-once-twice-three times— again and again I turned it, till the clock was wound up, then I put it on the table. Tick, tick, it went, and in a minute or two, it being near the hour, it struck as plainly and clearly as ever.

For a moment I was overcome by surprise, and then I began to think how it could be that the timepiece was run down. Was it possible that, when it had stopped, it had done so for want of winding up? I didn't like to confess

home to his mother, according to his promise, and then all beyond the cost of bare necessaries was saved-saved, in order to lift himself in the social scale, and so acquire means of usefulness.

In course of time he had saved enough to carry him to America, and having heard that land spoken of as a land of Goshen for industrious, sober young men, he determined to seek his fortune there. It was an effort to break loose from home ties in Combe Hadley, and his mother clung to him with all the greater fondness, because of the increased thoughtfulness and kindness manifested by him, but nothing could change his purpose. Leaving a sister to watch over and reside with his mother, and undertaking to send regularly a certain sum towards her support, he sailed for America.

Harry reached America in safety, and obtained employment in a store in New York before long. Here his business qualities displayed themselves, although he was only filling the humble capacity of porter, and the proprietor of the store recommended him to seek education for himself. Harry Baynham's own wishes coincided with this advice, so in the first winter of his residence in New York he entered himself as a student at some evening classes opened there for young men. And where there is a strong determination and a willing mind, as in this case, what wonders may not be achieved! In course of time, with the aid of tuition and private study, Harry Baynham was advanced from this post to one of greater importance under the firm. But, best of all, he was united with the Lord's people connected with the Church of Christ, and laboured zealously as a Sunday-school teacher all the time that he was endeavouring to better his temporal lot. And no temptations or inducements were sufficient to draw him away from what he considered his noblest avocation-the labour in the Sunday-school.

From this time, Harry Baynham's career was a steadily brightening one. "Excelsior" seemed to have been his

brought with Him life and light, and joy, because of the carelessness of the owner of the heart?

Christ says of Himself, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock." He is ready to come in; He is waiting to gain admittance and to fill the heart, now heavy and sad because of sin, with peace and happiness. But, if we would have Him enter, if we would taste His love, there is something for us to do. Oh yes; we must open the door. He will not break it down. Christ never forces Himself into the heart that is closed against Him. He invites us to admit Him; He appeals to us; He even pleads with us to receive Him; but we must open the door before He will enter.

Think of this, dear reader, if you have not yet admitted Christ. He is waiting for you to do so. He is knocking at the door of your heart; how long will you let Him stand without? Why not open your heart and admit Him at once? "Admit Him, for the human breast Ne'er entertained so kind a guest; No mortal tongue their joys can tell,

With whom He condescends to dwell."

Is your heart stained and tainted by sin? Admit the Saviour. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth from all sin. Are you longing to find the way to God? Are you deploring the deceitfulness of your heart? Do you feel that your soul is dead and cold towards God: dead in trespasses and sins? Open the door of your heart to Jesus, and He who has said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life," will enter in, and give you life and peace and joy. And oh remember this, that as surely as you cannot by any means save yourself from the punishment that your sins deserve, so sure it is that, without an effort on your part, you never will be saved. Christ has died to save you, but it remains with you to accept the salvation offered. Pray, then, that the Holy Spirit may be given to you to enable you to lay hold on the hope set before you, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

G. H. S.

sower knows not which shall prosper? And in the day when God's jewels are numbered up, it will doubtless be seen that many a stray word, many a forgotten tract, has been the means of leading some soul, or souls, to Jesus. And this small service is in the power of every Christian. We all may render it, if we will. It only needs the constant prayerful looking for opportunities, combined with the faithful improvement of those opportunities, in order that many more, like Harry Baynham, may be rescued from the paths of sin and shame, to bless the world.