were parted; St. Paul and St. Barnabas."

Tears stood in Mary's eyes.

"Oh, what an ass I am," he said, "for thus teasing you about nothing;
no, I only mean that there is One _only_ who cannot die, who never
changes, only One. It can't be wrong to remember this. Do you recollect
Cowper's beautiful lines? I know them without having learned them--they
struck me so much the first time I read them;" and he repeated them:--

Thou art the source and centre of all minds,
Their only point of rest, Eternal Word.
From Thee departing, they are lost, and rove
At random, without honour, hope, or peace.
From Thee is all that soothes the life of man,
His high endeavour and his glad success,
His strength to suffer and his will to serve.
But oh, Thou Sovereign Giver of all good,
Thou art of all Thy gifts Thyself the crown;
Give what Thou canst, without Thee we are poor,
And with Thee rich, take what Thou wilt away.

CHAPTER XIII.

October came at length, and with it Charles's thoughts were turned again
to Oxford. One or two weeks passed by; then a few days; and it was time
to be packing. His father parted with him with even greater emotion than
when he first went to school. He would himself drive him in the phaeton
to the neighbouring town, from which the omnibus ran to the railroad,
though he had the gout flying about him; and when the moment for parting
came he could not get himself to give up his hand, as if he had
something to say which he could not recollect or master.

"Well, Christmas will soon come," he said; "we must part, it's no use
delaying it. Write to us soon, dear boy; and tell us all about yourself
and your matters. Tell us about your friends; they are nice young men
apparently: but I have great confidence in your prudence; you have more
prudence than some of them. Your tutor seems a valuable man, from what
you tell me," he went on repeating what had passed between him and
Charles many times before; "a sound, well-judging man, that Mr. Vincent.
Sheffield is too clever; he is young; you have an older head. It's no
good my going on; I have said all this before; and you may be late for
the train. Well, God bless you, my dearest Charlie, and make you a
blessing. May you be happier and better than your father! I have ever
been blest all my life long--wonderfully blest. Blessings have been
poured on me from my youth, far above my deserts; may they be doubled
upon yo