a little more
than three weeks left me.

By some means it appeared in the newspapers, that I was appointed to a
district in Bath, and another clergyman was named as my successor at St.
John's, Hayle. This fell as a great blow upon my people, who were both
grieved and angry; but I could not comfort them, any more than I could
help myself.

The last Christmas-day came and went, a sad and sorrowful day it was;
then the last day of the year, and the last night. We held our
watch-night service as usual, thanking God for the mercies of the past,
and entered upon the new year with thanksgiving and prayer.

Thus ended my work, and eventful sojourn at Hayle, a little more than
three years after it began. A very sorrowful trial it was, and one of
bitter disappointment; but the Lord's leading was clear, and I have
since proved that it was all right, though at the time it was most
mysterious and very dark.

A few weeks before leaving Hayle, as I was sitting by the fire one wet
afternoon, my eyes fell on a little coloured picture on the
mantle-piece, which had been the companion of my journeys for all the
twenty years of which I have been writing. It was a quaint mediaeval
illustration of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness, copied
from a valuable manuscript (Book of Prayers) in the Bodleian Library at
Oxford.

As I looked at the engraving before me, I began to suspect for the first
time that there was a design in the arrangement of the figures, and that
it was really intended to convey some particular teaching. I took it in
my hand and studied it, when I observed that the cross or pole on which
the serpent was elevated stood in the centre, dividing two sets of
characters, and that there were serpents on one side, and none on the
other.

Behind the figure of Moses, is a man standing with his arms crossed on
his breast, looking at the brazen serpent. He has evidently obtained
life and healing by a look. On the other side, I observed that there
were four kinds of persons represented, who were not doing as this
healed one did to obtain deliverance.

First, there is one who is kneeling in front of the cross, but he is
looking towards Moses, and not at the serpent, and apparently confessing
to him as if he were a priest.

Next behind him is one lying on his back, as if he was perfectly safe,
though he is evidently in the midst of danger; for a serpent may be seen
at his ear, possibly whispering "Peace, peace, when t