est
desire to engage in some special work for the spread of the gospel,
which he had learned himself to prize above all earthly things. His
father at this time was not residing with me in the town, but held the
post of manager of my country estate and sheep-farm, which flourished
admirably under his most vigorous and faithful superintendence; for he
was a born ruler of others, and a man of such decision of character that
everything he laid his hands to fell, as it were, into order under his
unflagging and indomitable energy. I knew that I had `the right man in
the right place,' and was satisfied. However, when his son expressed
this his heart's desire to me, we rode up together to my country house
and laid the matter before Mr Jackson.

"He seemed at first confused and embarrassed when I mentioned the
subject to him, and asked me to wait for his views upon it till the
following day. So we spent the night at the farm; and the next day the
father and myself walked towards the neighbouring hills, and then he
told me, what you may be sure I was deeply thankful to hear, that what
he was pleased to call the consistent Christianity which he had
witnessed in our household had been blessed to himself, and that he
trusted that he was now endeavouring to live as a true follower of his
Saviour.

"`You will approve, then,' I said, `of Horace's wish to be trained for
direct gospel work.'

"`Yes and no,' he replied. `By _no_,' he added, `I mean that I do not
wish him to enter the ministry. I have reasons of my own for this which
just now I would rather keep to myself; but one day, and it may be
before very long, I should like you to know them.'

"`And what would you wish, then, Horace to do?' I asked.

"`I will talk the matter over with him,' he said. And he did so that
day; and the result was that the young man proposed, with his father's
full approbation, to pass through a course of training in medicine and
surgery with a view to his becoming qualified for the post of medical
missionary. So, on our return to Melbourne, the necessary steps were
taken; and two years ago my nephew left us for a short experimental trip
to one of the islands of the Pacific Ocean, under the guidance of an
excellent and experienced missionary.

"And now I am coming to a very sad and wonderful part of my story; but
as I have talked long enough now to weary myself if not to weary you, I
will ask you to amuse yourselves for a while among the g