The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-03 00:00:00

RIVAL PHILOSOPHERS.

" Mr, Smith," and Larry Stead took his pipe out of his
mouth, "it's laid upon my mind ever sin' I came to the
Duke's yard, as it were a shame such like things was ever
let to go on, antl him such a master, and givin' good wage
reglar from year end to year end. Accordin' to my line o'
thinkin', you might as well put your hand into a master's
pocket and fetch up half-a-crown out on it, as be allers spy-
ing round to see how you can knock off ten minutes here
and ten minutes there, and a bit more somewhere else, and
then take your wage a brazen-faced as if you'd done nought
but what was honest."

" Well," said Destiny, " I don't see'as a man need harass
hlsself wi' little things like them there ; mint an' anise an'
cummin, as the Scripters says. I've allers broke off work a
good five minutes afore t' bell rung this ten year past, an'
it never laid uncomfortable upon my conscience, it didn't ;
an' I could say the psalms and do the responses just as if I
was the best man i' the parish. Bless us I I'd as soon
wear a pair o' boots lined wi' thistlepricks as have a con-
science like yours, Larry, as is allers catchin' you up if you
don't behave yourself like one of them painted saints i' the
church windy."
"My conscience never did me a bad turn yet, Mr. Smith,
since God Almighty fettled it up for me and set it ageing
proper. But what I say is this ; a man had ought to bring
his religion, if he's got any, into the regular doins of his
life, and not to be allers scrapin' and contrivin' how ho can
make a bit o' planin' or hammerin' last longest. I should
shame to take my wage if I'd addled it in that way."
"Well, Larry, I lots folks do as they've a mind to, but
I will say this, that there ibn't a man i' the Duke's yard
does a better day's work, or a longer, than yourself. I
reckon it's the ranters teached you ; they're alters shifting
religion into t' week days. as if it warn't enough to do your
praying of a Sunday, and then put it by. Laws I if you
had to say three big pages o' psalms after clergyman
twice a day, let alone givin' out hymns to the praise an'
glory, and tewin' wi' them responses, as the clerk has to do
'em all i' this parish, cause the quality folk wont's fash
themselves so much as whisper 'era, and the Sunday school
children would make such a hash of 'em as never was, if I
didn't shout up well and give a lead, I say, Larry, if you'd
all that to do of a Sunday, you'd none be so keen of shiftin'
over your religion into t' week days, and makin' it do double
work in a manner."

•
" Whatever I had to do of a Sunday, Mr. Smith, prayers
or no prayers, I should think was a poor sort o' religion as
didn't run over into the week, and put a shine and beauty
into everything as you'd gotten to do. I know many's the
time I should clean break down if I hadn't a blessed sense
of God's presence when I'm agate i' the Duke's yard.
Sometimes I'se ready to set on and murmur bemuse I can't
get more time for readin' and meditatin' ; it goes sort o'
hard agen a man when he's been working ever hours while
maybe ten at night to addle bit eZtri} for winter, and has

to be up agen in the mornin' afore daylight, I soy it goes
hard agen him to nibble a bit off his nat'ral rest for readin'
and prayin' ; but I oft-times prays while I works, and God
Almighty accepts it all the same as if I was down en my
knees. He don't look at postures, He don't, when a man's
heart's in the right place."
" Well, that's over much for me, it is. I couldn't harass
wi' a religion as alters kept me going like that. I'm com-
fortable as I is, and that's t' reason, Larry, I don't go to
hear your ranter preachers; they make folks believe 'em
whether they've a mind to or not, and I don't want to
be sot askew, and I don't want to be meddled wi' about
that five minutes afore t' bell rings. Things goes easy
wi' me now, and I don't see no call to harass about them
there spiritle matters."

The new steward whose arrival has given rise to •
the above discussion is destined to play a very con,.
spicuous part in janita's history. His brilliant,
treacherous sister Noelline, cleverly drawn, per-
haps a little overdrawn, and Mrs. Rivers, the
mother of this ili-naatcheelnotLer and sister, is a
very exaggerated portrait. With some minor-
blemishes " Janita's cross" is, as we have already
said, a very charming story—delightful to read and
deserving to be remembered.

tiffllTt
411111.1111,

HER MAJESTY,

OSBORNE, May 2.
The Queen and royal family walked in the
grounds to-day.
Lord Alfred Paget has succeeded Major-General
Seymour as Equerry in Waiting.