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a little Greek that sorely puzzled me this morning? I am not a Greek scholar, you know, sir; but I have just been trying to teach myself to read the Testament in the very language in which the holy apostles wrote it." And then, with a face crimsoned to the very roots of his hair, he asked leave to show what seemed to him a difficult passage.

Rowland was well pleased to explain it, and was much struck by the intelligence and amount of learning that Edward, in the most simple manner, manifested. He offered him the loan of several books, and begged that he would come up some day to Alleyne, and take what volumes he thought might be most useful.

"Ethie," said Rowland, as they were returning home, “I do not think that young man should be making shoes all day. Could we not do something to give him a higher employment? I wish he could go to college."

"I am not sure that that would do him good; but I do agree, partly, with what you have said. I could not help thinking, whilst we were talking to him, that he might be very useful as a Scripture-reader in the parish; or, I was imagining the other day, how very much good a serious man might do, going about the country as a colporteur of Bibles and of good books."

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Colporteur! Ethie, what do you mean by that outlandish word?"

"That is the name which is given on the Continent to what we would call in English phrase, book-peddlers. The Bible-colporteurs have done great good in France and Bel

gium, and many other countries; and I do not see why they might not be much blessed in England. In many a distant, country village, and on many a single farmstead or lonely cottage, a good book would be willingly purchased, and in not a few, the well-printed Bible would, to say the least, be a welcome boon."

"I do think that is a capital idea. Let me see, what could I do to further it?"

"A great deal, Rowly. First, you must consult our father and Mr. Graham about it; for, you know, before we propose to Edward to give up his trade, we must find him some other subsistence. Then there will be the secretaries of different societies to write to, for a supply of books-a license to procure-routes to fix with Edward, &c., &c.”

"But, Ethie, you will help me?"

"Yes, if necessary. But I think, Rowly, it is just the very thing in which you will delight; and it does not seem beset with many difficulties-an inviting piece of hill-clambering."

"Yes; I quite like the thought of it, and," he added, with an earnest expression of countenance, "I do hope God will help us."

"I hope so, Rowly. The first step of our clambering must be with prayer, and then we may expect the light of God's countenance the rest of the way."

They had reached Alleyne, and young Rowland entered the house with a bright and sanguine eye. He had forgotten himself in the thought of others. He felt the happiness

of the conscious striving to do good. He had climbed a few steps of the mountain ascent, and was now full of hope for the future, and enjoyment of the present. His heavenly Father shall speed his blessed and noble path, and Rowland shall experience that not only are there pleasures at God's right hand for evermore, but that the road thither is the only way where true peace and happiness can be found, the only path of joyful progress, and of triumphant termination.

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On that evening, four neighbouring gentlemen dined at Alleyne. There was Mr. Graham, the excellent vicar, and Mr. Taylor, the village doctor, Sir Claude Wentworth, and Captain Fitzpayne, whose estates lay contiguously.

"I thought I saw you, Miss Alleyne, upon the Castlelawn yesterday," said Mr. Taylor, with a deferential bow. "I imagined the juvenile party were greatly delighting in their Paschal gambols."

"Oh, yes," replied Ethelda, smiling, "they were a very merry, joyous party. Do you know," continued she, turning to Captain Fitzpayne," of our old Northumbrian Easter

customs ?"

"Do you mean what I hear called 'paste-eggs?' I never heard of them till I was in Ancaster yesterday. I was riding across the bridge, which has the stone lion on it, when I observed the whole of the large meadow opposite to the castle covered with groups of children and others in holiday attire. I inquired of a countryman passing, the reason, and in his broad, rich dialect, he replied, 'Ah, it's a' for the young folks. They've a custom-I've kenned it ever since I was a boy, and long afore me-of going there on the Easter Monday to bowl the eggs; and they're his lordship and her ladyship gone among them themsels, and givin' basketfuls away.' I watched the scene for a little while, and felt how truly all classes can appreciate kindness. in little things; and I rode off thankful that there were places where the rich and poor could meet, and mutually render each other happy."

"Do you consider, however," inquired Mr. Taylor, "that the inferior grades of the community are sensible, generally, of such condescension on our part?"

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"I cannot answer for your north-countrymen," said Captain Fitzpayne; "I have been for so short a time a resident among them but in other parts of the world my experience has been almost uniform. What do you say, Sir Claude?"

"Really," replied the young baronet, ingenuously, "I eannot speak on the subject. I never thought about it. Condescending kindness on my part has, I must acknowl

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