A Devotee

and a' aye haud that a man withoot humour su

f many anxious surmises at the little Vicarage on the

felt could not have shaken himself or Mrs. Gresley, and which he was convinced he could dispel. But he could never obtain an opportunity to wage war against these ghostly enemies, for though he had preached during Lent a course of sermons calculated t

n he was actually in his presence, and Mr. Loftus's steel-gray attentive eye was upon him, the younger man found i

opinions, he considered that I was fully justified in having daily services as well. If he would only meet me fairly and hear reason,' said the young clergyman; 'but he won't. The other day when I pressed him on the subject of the devil-I know he is lax on the devil-I said: "But, Mr. Loftus, do you not be

et at Dr. Pearson's, said something about history and the Bible-I forget what, but it was perfectly unorthodox-and Dr. Pearson was so interested, and you spoke up at once

t out a book on the Bible with things in it much worse than what he said in my presence, and w

nvinced, or his books would not be read, any more than Mr. Loftus wants to be convinced he ought to come to church regularly, because then he would have n

. Gresley expressed herself, after service, as much shocked at the bride's style of dress, which she pronounced to be too showy. Mrs. Gresley's views on dress were exclusively formed at the two garden-parties and the o

, fringeless head to her slender, low-heeled shoes. She pleased his fastidious taste as perhaps no other woman could have don

of brown holland in which Sibyl received them. Mr. Loftus did not appear, and in the course of conversation the young couple were further pleasantly i

e. And Mrs. Gresley looked with some astonishment at a bride who actually entertai

ws, James, are beautiful-just what I think myself. She agreed with everything we said. She must have been very well brought up. But I can't understand her infatuation

y up into the perspective of moving green above him, while Crack, who had only just arrived from Scotland, snapped mournfu

hing would induce Mr. Loftus to invite him. He told Sibyl that he himself

she was much addicted to footstools and the lowest of seats, provided they were prop

ant. I wish you had

eanliness,' said Mr. Loftus, his eyes dwelling on her. 'But t

o,' said Sibyl hastily. '

you lik

I am glad they are High Church. I th

e are married and it is too late to

nxiously, yet reassured by his lo

sley,' said Mr. Loftus sl

,' said Sibyl, gratified at h

he is one of them. Remember this, my Sibyl, that there is no barrier in your own character against which someone, sooner or later, will not stumble to his hurt. No boundary in ourselves will serve to shut God in, as this good young man thinks, but every boundary will at last shut out some fellow-creature from us, and be to one, whom perhaps we might have helped, an occasion of stumbling. And now let us show Crack the brook. I am a

become entangled in the rookery. A pair of sandpipers were balancing their slender selves on a tiny beach of sand. A little black and white water-ousel

'wide,' like Mr. Loftus, not narrow, like Mr. Gresley. After this c