"mind your own business, and leave me to mind mine. When you carry the goods to the customers, no one asks you whether the parcel holds tea or gooseberry leaves."

"But can you endure to kneel down, and repeat prayers to the Almighty, when you know"

"I tell you," said Radley, as though he thought it a joke, "my master's religion and mine is like the articles in this shop, it is mixed. But what matter? it makes as good a show as any, it serves our purpose, and I really think that the world likes to be taken in. We get on, look respectable, and thrive; what can be better than that?"

"Better to starve-better to struggle up hill all one's life, beset with difficulties and trials."

"We'll leave the starving to you, if you like it; and as for struggling up hill, only fools do that, if they can find an easier way round! Now go to your bed, and rest quiet my lad, and leave me and my conscience to settle our affairs together."

Startled as from a dream, Mark returned to his attic, disappointed, disgusted, and grieved. "Can a blessing ever rest on this house?" thought he; "can Lowe ever, even in this world, be really a gainer by such awful hypocrisy and deceit? Oh, I have been too little on my guard in this place, I have been a drowsy pilgrim on the way-blessed be God that I am awakened before too late!"

"Fear not the lions, for they are chained, and are placed there for tri of faith where it is; and for the discovery of those that have none: kee in the midst of the path, and no hurt shall come unto thee."-Pilgrim Progress.

T was long before Mark could get to sleep, an he awoke almost before it was light. He fel a heavy oppression which was new to him, an rose to open the window. The sky was now of that deep exquisite blue which it wears th hour before dawn; the few stars that studded th heavens were growing pale at the approach of morning The street was perfectly quiet, not a vehicle was movin about, and the sleepy sound of a cock crowing at som distance was the only noise that broke the stillness.

"I feel as though I could not rest," said Mark, "th sun will rise before long; I will dress myself and g out, and have a quiet time before I am required to work

I have been keeping too little watch over myself latoks

ledge to which I have attained.

Oh, what if I should

have been deceiving myself all the time—if I have never entered the strait gate at all!" Mark had lost for a time that sweet assurance which had afforded him such joy amidst trials.

Putting his Bible in his bosom that he might read it as he walked, Mark opened the door of his attic. The instant that he did so he became sensible of a most powerful smell of fire, and the next moment a volume of smoke came rolling up from below!

Mark sprang down the staircase with anxious haste, every step making him more certain of the fearful fact that the house of his master was on fire! He rushed first to the sleeping apartment of Radley, then roused up the servant of the house, and bidding her throw up the window and call loudly for assistance, hurried to the bedroom of Mr. Lowe.

Startled from deep sleep, hardly able to comprehend what had happened, only with a terrible consciousness that it was something dreadful, the wretched man rose from his pillow, and was half dragged by Mark from his apartment, which being immediately over the place of the fire, was becoming very hot, and full of smoke. Such an awakening is terrible here-but oh, what will it be to the hypocrite hereafter, when the trumpet of the angel shall rouse him from his grave to behold a universe in flames !

Assistance was speedily given; the cry of "fire! brought crowds of neighbours around; pails of wate were passed from hand to hand, and the fire-engine soo came rattling up the street. The cries and shouts, th crackling and roaring of the devouring element, th suffocating dense clouds, through which little could b seen but tongues of fierce flame, now darting curling round the wood-work, now streaming upwards and redden ing the black canopy of smoke-the stifling heat, th occasional glimpse of burning rafters, which looked as glowing red hot in the fire, all formed a scene whic time could never efface from the memory of those wh beheld it!

Half wild with terror, anxiety, and grief, Lowe pushed his way here and there through the crowd, sometime urging on the firemen, sometimes trying to assist them sometimes standing still, to witness in helpless misery the destruction of his property. Well might he look o in misery, for that property was his all! The hypocrit had not laid up his treasure in heaven, and he now be held, consuming before his eyes, that for which he ha been daily bartering his soul!

Before the sun had reached his mid-day height, th fire had been entirely subdued. The efforts of the fire men had prevented it from spreading, but a charred and blackened shell of a house, floors, rafters, windows, all en

tirely destroyed alone romeined of the habitetion of Lowe

The unhappy man was offered shelter in the house of a sympathizing neighbour, and thither Mark went to see him. He found him in a pitiable state, his mind almost crushed by his misfortune, yet still, true to his character, he professed submission to the decree of Providence, even while his excessive grief showed how little he felt it, and intermixed his lamentations with various texts, thereby edifying his neighbours, perhaps, but shocking one who knew him better than they did.

He received his errand-boy with great kindness. "One of the most bitter parts of my trial," said the really kindhearted though unprincipled man, "is that my ruin will throw you and poor Radley upon the world. I suppose that you will return home directly."

"I thought that I would go first to Mr. Ewart, and ask his advice."

"I grieve to say that will no longer be in your power. That excellent minister was to leave Marshdale for York

shire yesterday."

This piece of information fell like a heavy blow upon Mark, and his face showed how much he felt it. "Then I must return to the cottage at once," said he, in a low tone.

“I can understand your reluctance, my boy, to become a burden upon your poor parents."

There was not a particle of hypocrisy in Mark; he wanted no praise for motives which were not his. "I was not thinking about that," said he.