h many a lip doth praise;
When the earth, tired a little, and grown mute
Of song, and having borne its fruit,
Rests for a little ere the winter come.
It is not sad to turn the face toward home,
Even though it show the journey nearly done;
It is not sad to mark the westering sun,
Even though we know the night doth come,
Silence there is, indeed, for song,
Twilight for noon,
But for the steadfast soul and strong
Life's autumn is as June. From the "Ode of Life"

"Anything in the papers this evening?" asked a young clergyman, who
was in one of the carriages of the Metropolitan Railway late in the
afternoon of an August day.

"Nothing of much interest," replied his wife, handing him the newspaper
she had been glancing through. "I see that wretched Raeburn is ill. I
wish he'd die."

"Oh! Broken down at last, has he?" said the other. "Where is it? Oh,
yes, I see. Ordered to take immediate and entire rest. Will be paralyzed
in a week if he doesn't. Pleasant alternative that! Result of excessive
overwork. Fancy calling this blasphemous teaching work! I could hang
that man with my own hands!"

Erica had had a long and harassing day. She was returning from the city
where she had gone to obtain leave of absence from Mr. Bircham; for her
father was to go into the quietest country place that could be found,
and she of course was to accompany him. At the "Daily Review" office she
had met with the greatest kindness, and she might have gone home cheered
and comforted had it not been her lot to overhear this conversation. Tom
was with her. She saw him hastily transcribing the uncharitable remarks,
and knew that the incident would figure in next week's "Idol-Breaker."
It was only a traceable instance of the harm done by all such words.

"Will you change carriages?" asked Tom.

"Yes," she said; and as she rose to go she quietly handed her card to
the lady, who, it is to be hoped, learned a lesson thereby.

But it would be unjust to show only the dark side of the picture. Great
sympathy and kindness was shown them at that time by many earnest and
orthodox Christians, and though Raeburn used to accept this sympathy
with the remark: "You see, humanity overcomes the baleful influences of
religion in the long run," yet he was always touched and pleased by the
smallest signs of friendliness; while to Erica such considerateness was
an inestimable help. The haste and confusion of t