CHAPTER XII.

THE SWAY OF LOVE, DIVINE AND HUMAN.

-E-E! O-o-o! Do look at oncle," cried little Bertha Taffrell. "He take all de soogar. He took five lumps o' de soogar, and put 'em in pocket. I seed him. What for 'ou take plenty o' soogar?

P'ease gi'

me sma' picey sugar, oncle? 'ou sweet, sweet oncle. T'ank 'ou, t'ank 'ou, oncle."

The next sound heard was an audible scrunching in the mouth of the little girl.

All the family party looked puzzled to see Lieutenant Steymore at the tea-table help himself so liberally from the sugar basin; which, having perceived, he said: "Ladies, you all have no idea-you cannot have any of the bodily pain and physical distress one has to bear when an old habit of smoking tobacco is thrown off. I am fully made up with a decided intention of smoking no more. My father also is determined, with the help of God, to have no more smoking. But although our minds are strengthened with Divine resolve, the body hankers after the old comfort; the nerves are shakey and the mouth and throat crave for something to suck. But instead of the old pipe-stem, I put in a lump of sugar."

"And does that bring peace to your throat, Fred?" asked his sister, Mrs. Taffrell, with a smile.

"Yes, Alice; it forms a capital substitute under the circumstances—not always to be continued, you know, but just to tide over the breakers into smooth water. I must also say that God gives me such joy and interest in talking of His goodness and mercy that I despise the old habit which after all is a sort of smoke-slavery. I now class tobacco-smoking with opium-smoking, in my own mind. Of course, one is worse than the other in deleterious effects, but both are degrading and stupefying habits, quite unworthy of a Christian. I am only lately-that is, only two days converted to God, and I understand and know that whatever I may have been in the past, a new birth has taken place in me. The Holy Ghost has come; since I was cleansed in the precious blood of our Saviour, God has come into me, and now we— that is to say, God and myself-are beautifully agreed that in this my body, which is His holy temple, we will have no tobacco-smoking. Those who must smoke-well, I suppose, they will smoke, but I'll give myself up to God and serve Him. I'm son of the King of the whole universe, and I'm going to try and 'qualify' with Divine help. What I am by faith, I'll make efforts, Divine to be, in practise."

All the ladies looked admiringly at him. The children stared, and then laughed approvingly.

The Rector's wife said: " Fred, you must find the comfort also of having your father making the same efforts. Why, my dear, he has smoked for a great number of years; let me see-how many?"

"Since I was a boy; mother, that much I know."

66 Oh yes, my son."

66

and from before the time you were born,

Ah, well, he has done with it now. I assisted my sister to make a clearance in dad's study by his request. We took pipes, cigars, tobacco, also the pouches and jars, and, in the absence of the servants, who were upstairs, we burnt them in the kitchen fire. It was a nicely-heated furnace for the occasion, and blazed furiously."

"Yours were burnt also, Fred," said his sister, smiling.

"Yes, mother," said Fred, turning to her; "she was very exacting in a sisterly way. She came to me with a mischievous expression on her face, as in past times when we were up to some juvenile spree, and told me the orders she had just received to burn up all our father's paraphernalia in the tobacco-smoking line, and she said, 'Will you help me?' Of course, I could see that she wanted a man's help and nose to detect all the things, so readily enough I said, Certainly I'll help you.' So when we had finished that lot she turned to me and said, 'Now, Fred, where are yours?' At this I gave a jump of surprise. 'Mine! you want mine?' 'Yes, sir, yours I want immediately.' Well, we made a clean sweep of the whole lot."

There was a ripple of joyous laughter from all the ladies of this happy family party, and the children seeing their uncle laughing, also became uproarious in their mirth.

"Ha-ha-ha," roared Lieutenant Steymore. "I'm a jolly uncle," and he slapped his knee with his open hand. Then starting up, he rushed off, saying, "Who'll come for a swing?"

"I will-I will-I will," shouted Amy, Maggie, and Bertha; then they pursued him, running. Miss Grant (the governess) followed more leisurely to keep an eye upon her young charges, and she smiled as if the task promised to be a pleasant one.

When the next Sunday arrived after Lieutenant Steymore's conversion, the people who had been talking largely all over the parish about the change in the Rector's son, came to see how he looked, and what he was like.

"I reckon he'll be a foine pracher," said many.

"Ah, well, he need na coom praaching ter us," said

some.

"I canna do wi' 'im till 'e's cooled doone a bit. These yere red-hotted fresh convarted uns 'ull mak' yer feel sae quare,” said another.

Also a rumour did float about that Lieutenant Steymore was going to preach in his father's pulpit in his Church that very next Sunday. So it came to pass that the Church was packed full of people to its utmost capacity on Sunday afternoon. Rich and poor met together. The patron of the church, Earl Paxton, was present, also his son, Lord Charles, and several besides of his family and household.

The farmers and tradesmen, colliers and artizans, all sorts and conditions of men, women and children, were crowded into church in a fever of expectation.

Mr. and Mrs. Bellman were there with their numerous family, some with the other Sunday-school children, but Will was by their side. They were dressed in Sunday best, and the large Church congregation looked a picture of parochial prosperity. Lieutenant Steymore for the first time in his life took public part

in the service by reading both of the lessons with impressive power.

All the people were moved to be very hearty in the singing, prayers, and responses. The Rector ascended the pulpit, and as he stood ready to commence his sermon, all eyes were fixed upon him.

*

*

"You will find my text," said the Rector, "in the passage of the New Testament, which was read to us by my son for the Second Lesson, namely, the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth verses of the ninth chapter of St. Mark. 'And when He was come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And He said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.' Let me repeat to you this momentous question by the disciples; and the infinitely important answer by our Lord Jesus Christ, who is their Saviour, and ours also."

After he had read very impressively again the two verses, giving special emphasis to our Lord's answer, the Rector looked round his Church, and earnestly met the glistening eyes of all his congregation.

"Let us be honest, Brethren and Sisters, before God this day; let us admit our failures to God the Holy Ghost, who is with us in our midst, as He has promised to be; and in this awfully majestic Personthe Lord, the Spirit,-let us remember we have our Guide into all Truth. Let us say: Lord! there are many deaf and dumb spirits, many evil spirits, who are tormenting the inhabitants of the earth. Our own nation is favoured with grand light and liberty, but we are infested with evil spirits and deaf and dumb spirits; indeed here, in our own most beloved