aid Peregrine, picking a daisy to
pieces, "but they stirred it all up. And at home I shall be just
the same as ever I was."

She longed to tell him that there was hope of a change in his life,
but she durst not till it was more certain, so she said--

"There was One who came to conquer the evil spirit and the evil
nature, and to give each one of us the power to get the victory.
The harder the victory, the more glorious!" and her eyes sparkled at
the thought.

He caught a moment's glow, then fell back. "For those that are
chosen," he said.

"You are chosen--you were chosen by your baptism. You have the
stirrings of good within you. You can win and beat back the evil
side of you in Christ's strength, if you will ask for it, and go on
in His might."

The boy groaned. Mrs. Woodford knew that the great point with him
would be to teach him to hope and to pray, but the very name of
prayer had been rendered so distasteful to him that she scarce durst
press the subject by name, and her heart sank at the thought of
sending him home again, but she was glad to be interrupted, and said
no more.

At night, however, she heard sounds of moaning and stifled babbling
that reminded her of his times of delirium, and going into his room
she found him tossing and groaning so that it was manifestly a
kindness to wake him; but her gentle touch occasioned a scream of
terror, and he started aside with open glassy eyes, crying, "Oh take
me not!"

"My dear boy! It is I. Perry, do you not know me?"

"Oh, madam!" in infinite relief, "it is you. I thought--I thought I
was in elfland and that they were paying me for the tithe to hell;"
and he still shuddered all over.

"No elf--no elf, dear boy; a christened boy--God's child, and under
His care;" and she began the 121st Psalm.

"Oh, but I am not under His shadow! The Evil One has had me again!
He will have me. Aren't those his claws? He will have me!"

"Never, my child, if you will cry to God for help. Say this with
me, 'Lord, be Thou my keeper.'"

He did so, and grew more quiet, and she began to repeat Dr. Ken's
evening hymn, which had become known in manuscript in Winchester.
It soothed him, and she thought he was dropping off to sleep, but no
sooner did she move than he started with "There it is again--the
black wings--the claws--" then while awake, "Say it again! Oh, say
it again. Fold me in your prayers--you can pray." She went back to
the verse, and he became qui