, and told her what the doctor had said,
adding,--

"You must find a trustworthy nurse for him--one who will strictly attend
to the doctor's orders."

The landlady promised she would do so; and the rector left the sick-
chamber with a sorrowful look and troubled heart.

In ten days' time the patient was well enough to sit up in bed and
converse with Mr Oliphant.

"My poor friend," said the rector, "I grieve to see you in your present
state, especially as I cannot but perceive that you have seen better
days, and moved among people of education. However, there is great
cause to thank God that he has so far spared your life."

A deep flush overspread the sick man's face as he replied,--

"Yes, indeed, I owe you, my dear sir, a debt of gratitude I can never
repay. You say the truth--I _have_ seen better days. I was sought
after in good society once, little as you might think it."

"I can believe it," said the rector, quietly. "But do not distress
yourself by referring to the past, if it gives you pain."

"As to that," replied the other, "it matters to me little now what I
once was; but it may interest you to know, and may serve as a warning.
I was a popular preacher once. I was an ordained minister of the Church
of England. Crowds flocked to my church. I threw all my energies into
my preaching. I was a free man then; at least I believed myself so.
While I proclaimed the love of God to sinners, I also preached
vehemently against sin. I never felt myself more at home than when I
was painting the miserable bondage of those whom Satan held in his
chains. I could speak with withering scorn of such as made a profession
while they were living in any known wickedness. I was specially severe
upon the drunkard's sin. But preaching such as mine, and in a large
church, was very exhausting. I found that I wanted support; so I began
with an egg beaten up with brandy, and took it just before going into
the pulpit. This made me doubly fervent; some of my hearers thought me
almost inspired. But the exhaustion was terrible at the end; so I added
another glass of egg and spirits after the sermon. Then I found that,
somehow or other, I could not preach in the evening after taking much
solid food; so I substituted liquids for solids, and lived on Sundays
almost entirely on malt liquors and spirits. When these failed to keep
me up to the mark, I had to increase the quantity. At last I saw that
my churchwarden began to