rd. "I've
never thought o' none but her all my life. But she's that taken up with
a sorry popinjay of a fellow, she'll not hear me now. I'd always
thought Jenny'd be my wife."

Poor Tom's voice was very doleful, for his heart was sore.

"Thou'd alway thought so," said the quiet voice. "But what if the Lord
thinks otherway, Tom?"

Tom came to a sudden stop.

"Uncle Anthony! Eh, but you don't--" and Tom's words went no further.

"My lad, thou'rt but a babe in Christ. 'Tisn't so many months since
thou first set foot in the narrow way. Dost thou think He means Jenny
Lavender for thee, and that thy feet should run faster in the way of His
commandments for having her running alongside thee? Art thou well
assured she wouldn't run the other way?"

Old Anthony had spoken the truth. Tom was but a very young Christian,
of some six months' standing. He had never dreamed of any antagonism
arising between his love to Christ and his love to Jenny Lavender.
Stay--had he not? What was that faint something, without a name--a sort
of vague uneasiness, which had seemed to creep over him whenever he had
seen her during those months--a sense of incongruity between her light
prattle and his own inmost thoughts and holiest feelings? It was so
slight that as yet he had never faced it. He recognised now it was
because his heart had refused to face it. And conscience told him,
speaking loudly this time, that he must hold back no longer.

"Uncle Anthony," he said, in a troubled voice, "I'm sore afeard I've not
set the Lord afore me in that matter. I never saw it so afore. But now
you've set me on it, I can't deny that we shouldn't pull same way. But
what then? Must I give her up? Mayn't I pray the Lord to touch her
heart, and give her to me, any longer?"

The old man looked into the sorrowful eyes of the young man, whom he
loved as dearly as if he had been his own son.

"Dear lad," he said, "pray the Lord to bring her to Himself. That's
safe to be His will, for He willeth not the death of a sinner. But as
to giving her to thee, if I were thou, Tom, I'd leave that with Him.
Meantime, thy way's plain. `Be ye not unequally yoked together.' The
command's clear as daylight. Never get a clog to thy soul. Thou canst
live without Jenny Lavender; but couldst thou live without Jesus
Christ?"

Tom shook his head, without speaking.

"To tell truth, Tom, I'm not sorry she's going away. Maybe the Lord's
sending her hence,