Year: 1865

| whose cause he, Jaggersl nau very nearly
obtained his own dismissal The house
in which Robert was clerk went to
pieces in the commercial crisis, and he
was thrown out of employment. Again
he wrote to his father, saying that he had
an appointment offered him in Australia
and only wanted the money to pay his
passage. He received no reply, but some
people who knew him in Liverpool made
up the sum, and his wife came 70 London
to live with her father and to wait for his
return, or for the remittance that was to
come by the first mail, that she might join
him there.


Their first child, girl, had been poor
sickly little creature, and was dead but
Agnes was likely again to become mother.
and waited now only for the money which
would enable her to prepare for such an
event. Anxiously as she waited it never
came, and Jaggers, to whom it was to
have been directed, advanced her a sover-
eicn, as he said, "out of his small means"
and then lost sight of her, for she and her
father had moved into fresh lodgings,
where the managing clerk could scarcely
trouble himself to 90, unless he had good
news to take with him. Indeed, he had
50 much to occupy his attention that some
months had elapsed since he had seen
Agnes; once only he had written a short
reply to II note imploring him to say
whether any remittance had arrived; but
how could he spare time to attend to such
matters when Mr.. Drvce was every week
taking n less active part in the business,
and the Christmas quartes was stealing OF
with the balance sheet not even thought
Of in the press Of county orders


Mr.. Richard bryce was still hale and
a tive; but those who knew him best
thought that he was breaking His voice
was less harsh, his hair had turned from
iron grey to white, and in his face there
was all anxious look MS of one who waits
for something that does not come. Once
or twice old acquaintances vcntured to
ask after his son, but he shook his head
and said that he knew nothing of him:
he had written to his last address, but had
received no reply.


So Christmas cams-Cristmas Eve thnt
is: and the old man looked so solitary
even asked him to come and spend the
next day with them, to which he respond
ed by his harsh laugh, and patting on his
worsted gloves trudged homo through the
snow.


On Christmas morning be awoke early,
almost before the daylight had penetrated
the dull rooms where he lived, and had n
sudden fancy to walk into the Church. 1t
was already daylight in the streets, but
the interior Of St Simon Swvnherde was
dim with mist and with the obscurity of
the high windows Some attempt had
been made at decoration even here. how
ever, and branches of holly and ever
greens were placed about the pillars and
and against the organ. where his own
since the time that he had been church
warden and helpe to restore it. Even as
he looked up n, it the notes of the
Christmas hymn came trembling into tn G
chill morning air, for the organist had
come there to play before the early SER
vice


The most people there might have been
nothinI in the place or its associations to
evoke much gentle feeling, but MS the tones
of the organ swelled and the music grew
louder, old Richard Drvce sat down in the
corner of his own pew and leaned his
head upon the book board, With his hands
cIasped before his face Not till the warm
tears had tricklsd from between his fingers
did h. raise his head, and then it was to
,ook around him to the cushion at the
other end Of the pew, for from some
places near him he thought he had heard
a sound that was out of all harmony with
the organ, but not altohether apart from
the associations of the Christmas hymn
the wailing of a child.


Another moment and he was bending
over bundle seemingly composed of

coarse blue cloak, out from which there
presently came out baby hand and-the
covering once pulled aside-a little round
rosy face in which a large pair of blue
eyes were wide awake in utter astonish-
ment Who can tell what had been the
thoughts busy in Cd Dryce's mind ? Was
it prayer? Was it that yearning which
finds no word $ Of entreaty, but yet ardent
ly and dumbly implores-all vaguely
thatthe crooked paths of former error may
be made straight at last-that the rough
places of mistaken course may become
divincly plain? He could not tell; and
yet in some way he accepted this child as
a visible answer to a petition that he had
meant to frame When the organist and
the se.toness came down presently, and
with indignant virtue advised the reno al
of the child to the workhouse, he regard
ed their suggestion as little less than i'm
pious, expressed his determination of tax