ings which
she once would have shrunk from, nothing would have then been more
repulsive than the office of a distributer of tracts. Some years
before, when once asked by a pious friend of her aunt if she would like
a few tracts to give away as she might have opportunity, her reply had
been, "She had rather not, for she believed that tracts were vulgar,
canting things, commonly given by hypocrites to their neighbours when
they wanted to deceive them under a cloak of affected godliness." She
had been rather proud of this reply, which certainly for the time had
the effect of completely shutting up the good lady who had recommended
the tracts to her notice. But now she felt very differently, and looked
at the little bundle in her hand, thinking how she might use it to the
best advantage. Not that she felt naturally drawn to the work; it would
require a considerable effort on her part to bring herself to offer a
tract to a stranger, and a far greater effort to accompany the offer
with a word or two from herself; but she now believed that she _ought_
to make the effort, and that word "ought," the idea of "duty" which it
kept before her, was beginning to exercise a constraining force hitherto
unknown to her. And there was a special advantage in the tract. Just
the giving of it without comment would be a good preparation for more
close and personal work in the loving Master's service. So, grasping
the papers with a trembling hand, she began to look out for an
opportunity of parting with some of them, and she had not long to wait.
When the little party turned away from the spot where the preaching had
been held, and were thinking of returning to their cottage, as they were
just directing their horses' heads homewards, Julia uttered a sort of
suppressed cry or exclamation, which at once drew the anxious attention
of both her brothers to her.

"Anything amiss, dear Julia?" asked Amos and Walter together.

"No, not exactly," she said in a troubled voice, and with a scared look.
Then, recovering herself, she pointed to a young woman dressed rather
fantastically, who had just passed them in a direction opposite to that
in which they were going. "Do you see that woman?" she asked in a low
humbled voice; "she is one I have reason to know too well. She was
associated in a theatre with poor Orlando. Oh, I wish I could do her
some good! Let us follow her; perhaps she would take a tract."

Who would have thought of such a spee