Year: 1876

y '''NAhA
ness, until my death day, striving for II
sight OF your dear face 1t is too bitter
and yet, what am [ saying? Shall my
Father not choose His own way to bring
me to the light of Heaven | must say,
will say, His VIII be done"


Just then the children came running in
boyish, romping WILL shy, yet merry lit
tie May.


Hush, dears, the mother said softly
papa is tired You mad better run out
again"


mo, Mary, let them stay" interposed
he; and then he said so low that his wife's
ear Just caught the whisper, II cannot see
them too much in this little while. this lit
tie while"


Every day the world looked DINNER to
the minister's darkened eyes. lie spent
almost all of his time trying to fix the
things he loved in his memory.


1t was pitiul to see him going round
over each well-known well-loved scene,
noting anxiously Just how those tree
boughs stood out against the sky. or how
that hill climbed towards the sunset He
studied every little flower. every fern the
children gathered for all creation seemed
W lstht ltl nun Il new bttubN anu NOttlit
Most of all he studied their dear home
faces His wife grew used to the dim
wistful eyes following her SO constantly /;
but the children wondered why papa liked
to keep them in sight; why he did not
read OF study any more


There came Il time ut last, one Sunday
morning, when the brilliant summer sum
shine dawned for him in vain


is it 4 bright day, dear?' he asked
hearing his wife moving about the room


Very bright, William"


Open the blinds, please, and let the
sunshine in at the east windows"


Mary Spencers heart stood still within
her; but she commanded her voice, and
answered steadily:


They arc open, William. The whole
room is full of light"


"Alary, cannot see; the times come; !;
| am alone in the darkness"
mot alone, my love-" she cried, in q
passion of griet and pain and tenderness.
Then she went and sat down beside him
on the bed, ard drew his head to her
bosom, and comiorted him just as she was
wont to comfort her children. After Il time
her tender caresses, her soothing tones,
seemed to have healed his bruised tortured
heart. He lifted up his head and kissed
her, his first from out the darkness in which
he must abide, and then sent her away |
think every soul, standing face to face with
an untried calamity, longs to be for Il space
alone with its God


Three hours after that the church-b bells
rang, and as usual. the minister and his
wife walked out of their dwelling. save
that now, he leaned upon her arm. In
that hour of seclusion. lie had made up his
mind what to do. They walked up the
familiar way; and she left him at The foot
of the pulpit stairs and went back to her
pew in front. He groped up the stairs and
| then rising in his place he spoke to the
congregation:


Brethren, | stand before you as one
on whom the Fathers hand had fallen
heavily | am blind ! shall never see
you again in this world-you, my children
for whose souls have strlven so long
| have looked my last on your kind, tamil-
lar faces on this earth-aee to it that |
miss none of YOU when my eyes are un-
sealed again in heaven. Grant, o Father,
that of those whom thou hast given me
may lose none"


There was not u fearless face among
those which were lifted toward him. as he
stood there with his sightess eyes raised
to heaven, his hands outstretched, as if to
bring down on them the blessing for which
he praIed Some Of the women sohhnd
audlbly, but the minister was calm Alter
q moment he said:


My brethren, as TAR As IS possible, the
services will proceed As usual"
Then in a clear voice, IN which there
seemed to his listeners ears some unearth-
ly sweetness, he reciteu the one hundred
and thirteenth Psalm, commencing


''Out OF the deep have called upon
Thee, O, Lord; Lord, hear my voice.


Afterwards he gave out the first line of
a hymn. which the congregation sang
Then he prayed, and some said who heard
him the eyes closed on earth Were surely
beholding the beautiful vision, for he spoke
as a son beloved. whose very soul was full
of the glory OF the Fathers presence.


The sermon which followed was such a
one as they had never heard before from
his lips. There was power in it. a tervor,
4 tenderness which no words OF mine can
describe. 1t was the testimony OF living
witness, who has found the Lord a very
present help in the time OF trouble.


When all was over, and he came down
the pulpit stairs, his wife stood again at
the foot and he took her arm and went
out silently He seemed to the waiting
congregation as one set apart and conse-
Grated by the amounting Of u special sor-
row, and they dared not break the holy
silence around him with common speech.


The next afternoon Il committee from
the church went to the parsonage. Mrs.
Spencer saw them coming, and told her
husband


at must be-" he said to her, ''tO ask
my advice in the choice OF my successorn
Il think they might have waited one
day." she cried, with 4 woman's impa-
tience at any seeming iorgetiulness of the
claims given him by his years Of faithful
service.


The delegation had reached the door by
this time, and the minister did not answer
her. She waited on the men into the study,
and left them there, going about her usual
task, with heart full of bitterness. 1t was
natural perhaps, that they should not want
a blind minister, but to tell him SO now,
to make the very first pang of his sorrow
sharper by their unthanktulness, it was
| too much.


An hour passed before they went away,
and then she heard her husbands voice
calling her, and went into the study pre-
pared to sympathize with his sorrow. She
found him sitting where she had left him.
with such Il look of joy and peace. and
thanktnlness upon his face as she had
never expected to see it wear again


MARY" he said, ''there are some kind
hearts in this world My parish want me
to stay with them, and insist on raising
my salary hundred dollars year"


WANT you to stay with them 7" she
cried, hardly understanding his words.


Yes, | told them that | could not do
them Justice, but they would not listen :;
they believe that my very atfiction will
give me new power over the hearts OF
men that can do as much as ever. They
would not wait a day, you see. lest we
should be anxious about our future"


And | thought they were coming in
indecent haste, 10 give you notice to go"
Mrs. Spencer cried, penitently. "How |
misjudged them Shall | never learn
Christian charity"


| So il was settled that the minister of