Pine Needles

on the hills more deep. The pine wood, however, which lay behind, that is, north of the house, at no great distance, was uninvaded by this autumn glow. The soft, blue gleam of the pines

and Meredith patiently drew the cart along waiting for orders. At last, on a little rising ground they found an open space, yet shadowed enough, from which there was a lookout to the house in the valley; truly no more than the chimneys could be seen; and a wider space of blue sky, and the hills towards the south. This would do. Here were

id Meredith delayi

s this warm smell of th

nce not exaggerated. We have not got the

ear, though, if you listen,"

tapping the hol

ees on the place. You may

-is bewitching. O October! O Mosswood!" Meredith e

d us to-day?" said his sis

touch something Maggie and I were talking of yester

by, to boil our kettle. It would be too warm for

ng up at the blue-green pine needles over

n?" ask

e he was sleeping. As he was just setting about this, he read in a mission paper about the wants of the heathen; and the Sunday next following he heard a preaching about how the dear Lord is the safest of all to trust money to, and gives the best interest. So he made a short piece of work of it, and sent his three hundred thalers to the dear Lord for the conversion of t

about mouth-corners. But wait a bit; there is something coming that is more crazy yet. The next year the man was overloaded with such a blessing, that instead of seven hundred thalers, he made fourteen hundred thalers, an

hat," sai

Flora

said Maggie with a s

o have twice as much as he had before,

leasure of giving

r by his first venture," said Meredith. "And the Lo

obliged to give away all t

own? The Christians in the early times did not, if th

said Flora. "J

woman who gave all she had into the Lord's treasury

M ABOUT ST

nd an old woman known to me, who have no other money but the stuten money they get on Sundays. So each one of them falls to considering how he or she can do something for the heathen. And they arrange it on this wise. One of them every other Sunday eats no roll, and thinks within herself, "I ate as much as I wanted this morning at home, and I can do the same again this evening." The two others buy each a small roll for half a groschen, an

you call that?" asked Flo

story of what

and the old woman needed their bread for themselves; it was not good

mites, which ma

is in th

heart first, or we should ne

t our luncheo

it when I see

at we shall do

at

eople be right a

id Maggie. "I do

r groschen or give nothing.

nd water," said Flora. "If we are to give all we could give, ou

edith. "I hope he will come; we are getting work ready for him. Meantim

YET MAKIN

head, and he thought: Could the Israelites do that by the law, and should not we Christians be able to do it by the love of Christ? So, honestly and faithfully, he lays by the tenth of his daily wages; the Lord blesses him, so that many a time he earns sixte

eredith, in concluding, "but

f what?" aske

more for love than an old Hebrew did for law; and fr

er, "a tenth of your income, you

g groschen for his necessities; I should not. It seems to me, the richer one

reasonable!" Flora exclaimed. "Stop

about 'One Groschen

rd when a short time ago I had to expel two pupils from the Mission-house, who had been led astray by Satan. This gave me great pain, but it had to be

shortly after my great hurt He laid upon the wounds. May it have so

hen is not mine, so I am not going to keep it. I will give it to the dear Saviour for the poor heathen children, to get a spelling-book for them." When I questioned him further, he said that once in the church, where his father takes him every Sunday, I had said "whoever keeps what does not belong to him is a thief; and"-he added with great seriousness, "you said, a Christian child must not be a thief!" I received the groschen now and thanked him. But the boy had not done yet. He asked me if it were true that two of the pupils had been e

d then, with a greeting from her children, laid two groschen on the table, saying, "Now the thaler will be made up!" To this Mission thaler, which indeed was made up now, a little girl of nine years old had every Sunday contributed two pennies, which she received from her mother to buy rolls with. Some time after, the mother brought the child's two pennies again, silently; but it struck our friend that she had great tears in her eyes. The thing was soon explained. The child had fallen ill. Sunday her mother said to her, "To-day you shall keep your roll for yourself." "No," the child answered, "I could not be easy if I did. I promised my dear Saviour once, that as long as yo

I will say, you do read the

e th

. Do you bring them forward

ght do

o not think we ought to go without what we

ggie. Whose hat is that I see ove

to that point, the group of young people had reached it also, and there Mr. Murray received a welcome that might have satisfied any man. Maggie threw herself on his neck with cries of delight; Flora's bright, handsome face sparkled with undisguised pleasure; even Esther looked glad, and Meredith's wringing grasp of the hand was as expressive as anything else. Surrounded by them, almost hemmed in his steps, questioned and answered an

f on the soft carpet of pine needles and surve

o, the first thing is to give him something to eat. He must be ravenous. If you'll build a

Maggie ran about collecting bits of pine and pine cones and fuel generally. And then there was the careful laying of dry tinder together, and the ma

hing I have seen for some

gie. "We have got ste

are you all doing out here

ut of doors," said Flora; "and so we do it. This

re you

s, Mr. Murray? Esther and I play with these, while Ditto rea

t shape

ions, that nobody can answer, and that we are not all agre

ous pine cones to feed the fire. The scene was as pretty as possible; Meredith roaming hither and thither collecting more fuel, and the sh

licious place we have ev

ber. How pleasant this veiled lig

are going to get them hot. The kettle boils;

use, brought in a basket by Fairbairn), and peaches and pears to conclude with, were discussed with great enjoyment and amidst a great deal of talk. Fenton arrived from the fishing to take his share; but I do not think he was as glad to see his uncle as the others had been; and as soon as lunch was over he took himself away again. Then cups and

questions,

uestions v

Eden; none of us

e profound! How

s stories about the old Saxons, and their ways and their god

f those Saxon storie

nty,

he atmosphere of your questions. Besides, I feel like being luxurious and lazy in

ed thoughtfully into the reader's face, or into the blue-green pine wilderness around, or above to the quiet, clear