because he was jealous of him, being as he was the likely heir to the property; and she was sartain sure that it was no accident at all." And now when poor Ronald made his appearance she looked on him in the light of a wilful murderer, and certainly did not make the best of matters by any means in her account of the sufferer, sending the poor lad away more firmly convinced than ever that Alec would die.

When Ronald returned to the cottage, the spring-cart which was to take him and his bag to Langford Station, was standing at the door. Calling to the boy to drive on, for he should walk, he entered the house, and refusing all Mrs. M'Nab's offers of breakfast, he sought his sister.

"Helen,” he said, "write every day, and do not keep anything from me, the suspense will be almost more than I can bear." Then wringing her hand, he turned away, and strode down the road.

WITHIN SIGHT OF HOME.

THE WRECK OF THE EURYDICE.

WITH loosened sheet and sails unfurled
The vessel homeward flew,

A wanderer from the western world,
And England's cliffs in view.

Who cares to mark the angry blast,

Or heed the curling foam ?

The wind that strains the creaking mast
But drives them nearer home.

Ah! home, sweet word, that makes men brave
In battle-field-in storm,

That summons to the hero's grave

Each well-remembered form.

And now the long first voyage o'er,

Each heart on board is glad,

Each knows that there are those on shore

To greet the sailor lad.

The wind and wave may do their worst,

All dangers now are past

Long has the voyage seemed, the first,
To all but two the last ;

For snow clouds gathering up in gloom
Upon the vessel lower,

As if to shroud her mournful doom,
And hide the tempest's power.

And when the sun breaks forth once more,

The ship to port has come,

Her crew upon the sunlit shore

Have reached their own true home.

Yet hearts are crushed beneath the blow,
And lonely mothers weep:
Forbear, GOD's will be done, 'tis so

He gives His loved ones sleep.

C. W. H. KENRICK.

JESUS, THE MAN IN HEAVEN; OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST; THE KING IN HIS PALACE.

THOUGHTS FOR THE GREAT FESTIVAL OF THE ASCENSION.

TO-DAY is the Festival of our LORD's Ascension, a great and very holy Day, full of joy and thankfulness; of joy because CHRIST, our Chief Captain, has received for Himself the glory, the dominion, and the power; of thankfulness, because there is a Home for us above the bright blue sky amid the Angels, and because He is there at GOD'S Right Hand, preparing this sweet Home for us, standing, as it had been, a Lamb that had been slain, interceding for us, pleading ever the Five Wounds before His FATHER and the Glory-throne. Where had we been without this great and glorious Day? outside the bright and beautiful City, strangers, pilgrims, and wanderers. Yes! this is a day of rest and gladness to all faithful souls.

And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Me," He said of Himself and His own dear Cross. "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Me," He says of Himself to-day.

Come therefore, my Brothers, my Sisters, to our LORD to-day. Fall down and reverence your King. Rejoice with Him as He enters Heaven's Gate. The Angels there are singing high celestial songs, and earth to-day has caught somewhat of the Angelic melody. Your Alleluias to-day are your farewell responses to our LORD, as He goes

no more

up with the Hands of Blessing uplifted. Your Alleluias to-day are your songs of thankfulness for your Master's Triumph, for the great and mighty Victory, which He has gained; for that entering into the Conflict, that overcoming of the Giant dreaded, that Sitting down at the Right Hand, receiving for ever the adoration and the worship of all earthly Kings, nations, and languages. This is the Day of which the Holy Psalmist spake when he said, "Thou art gone up on high." The clouds have burst; the rain is over and gone, and all is bright and very beautiful; no sorrow, no sigh of anguish more; the foe can harm;" the Great Exile is at home. It is nothing but JESUS. JESUS is King, Alleluia! CHRIST liveth, CHRIST reigneth, CHRIST Conquereth alway; Alleluia! It is past all human telling. The eye cannot cast before it the vision magnifical. The heart cannot conceive the glories of this most holy and blessed Day. Truly "He has drunk of the brook in the way." Verily " He has lifted up His Head." The world forgets it ever. It is no good news to the world. The Princes of Hell and the inhabitants of Tartarus cower and are spiritless, as the Conqueror mounts in Triumph to His heavenly Palace Gate.

And what to us, who are lingering here? Think, ye sons and daughters of the Crucified, descendants of the Saints and Martyrs and all the glorious Army, think of this last act of our LORD to-day on the Mountain of the Ascension. Consider the great things it has done for us. Think of those Hands of Blessing uplifted, as He, our truer Aaron passes from the ken of earthly vision into the glorious inner sanctuary,-those last words of JESUS,-those last words of the Holy Angels, and all that is left to us of the things which are written concerning this wondrous sight,-His last charge to His Disciples,His going up. A few short lines of Holy Writ! And that, we think, is all.

Yet it is not so. Consider what He was to be. Remember what He came into this world for, when He received His name, the most holy, wonder-working Name of JESUS. Consider what that name 'JESUS" implies, "One who should save His people from their sins," JESUS, the SAVIOUR. JESUS, the SAVIOUR, that was Holy Christmastide to Ascension-tide. CHRIST, Prophet, Priest, and King, this is His ascended Work: a Prophet, one who lays down the law; a Priest, one who interprets; a King, one who governs and judges all things, in all, CHRIST JESUS, "the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."

Yes, Dearly Beloved, on this earth was the work of our Redemption done. In Heaven it is being perfected by the promulgating of His Word here, in His giving you teachers and wise men, in His interceding for you, in His ordering all things meetly and rightly.

This is what JESUS is doing for you. He is never idle up yonder in His own bright Home. He is always near you. He is as near you now as ever, though parted from your sight. He comes to you from thence often and often in His own great Sacrament of Love. If He had not gone up to-day, Heaven had not been opened, only Paradise, and we, strangers and pilgrims evermore, outside the Golden Gates, entering not into the full joy of our LORD.

There is a great deal to think of on this most holy Day, more than ever I can tell you. Let then a few thoughts suffice.

1. Think of the

MAN in Heaven. 2. Think of the Great High Priest. 3. Think of the King in His Palace.

1. Think of a MAN in Heaven. O most wonderful thought, a man like unto you and me, true flesh taken of the Virgin Mary, a most Perfect MAN, human nature glorified, poor, weak, frail, oncemortal flesh, JESUS CHRIST the GOD-man, the same yesterday, and today, never altering, never changing. "Earthly friends may change and falter," as the Christmastide Carol has it, but JESUS CHRIST

never.

A MAN in Heaven, One Who knows what life on earth is; One Who knows all its cares and sorrows, its trials and temptations; One, Who was Himself a little Child in Blessed Mary's arms, and Who loves little children; One Who knows what Home love and Home life are; One Who knows what Death is, and has passed through the Valley of the Shadow, and has Himself entered the very portals of Death; and He, the MAN, with all these thoughts and feelings, is up yonder, waiting to embrace us, to receive us as His dear Brothers and Sisters, His fellow-men and fellow-comrades, His fellow-citizens, having obtained "with a great sum" this freedom for us.

Are you suffering from pain? He knows what pain is, and He can feel for you.

Are you suffering from enemies? He had many enemies.

Are you suffering from loss of friends? He lost dear friends, and was parted from them.

And so it came to pass, all this having Himself suffered, He went Home, home to the Blessed Land, on this His great Festival, to His

own dear friends, the Holy Angels, to be with them for aye, where in the Glory Land,

..

"Who like the LORD?' thunders Michael the Chief,

Raphael, the cure of GOD,' comforteth grief:

And as at Nazareth, prophet of peace,

Gabriel, the might of GOD,' bringeth relief."

And thus it is, there is really and truly a MAN in Heaven.
Think then, Dearest Brothers, of "the House you live in.'

Con

sider that there is One in Heaven like yourselves. Say to yourselves, "This body of mine is not my own. It is bought with the Price. My head, my eyes, they belong to JESUS: my hand, it is JESUS's: my heart belongs to JESUS: everything which I have belongs to Him," and thinking thus and doing thus, your whole body will be the LORD's, purified, holy, and undefiled.

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And why? "Because there is a MAN in Heaven, and I am going there also, and He is my Priest and King."

Now GOD give you grace to do this. Now GOD give you grace to yield yourselves, body, soul, and spirit, an acceptable Sacrifice to our LORD.

2. Think of the Great High Priest JESUS, our LORD, the Mediator. Earthly Priests there are, but they are Priests only through Him, and He has gone thither to be your True Priest, your truer Aaron, greater than Melchizedec, the Priest King of ancient times. Consider, therefore, CHRIST our LORD at His FATHER's Right Hand in the Priestly garments, standing between you and your sins, those daily sins of thought, word, and deed, and so you say unto your Great High Priest, "O LAMB OF GOD, That takest away the sins of the world, undertake for me. Wash away my sins in Thy Precious Blood."

Ah! and what should we be, if there were no Mediator between GOD and ourselves? How dare we approach the face of the great and awful GOD? Think then of your Great High Priest to-day. Pray Him to be with you, to plead for you before His FATHER'S glory throne, showing ever for us men and for our salvation the Pierced Hands and Side, the marks and tokens of His earthly life. Yes, we have a Priest in Heaven "touched with the feeling of our infirmities," and this is very glad tidings for us.

3. Lastly, imagine, if scarce possible, the sight of JESUS CHRIST the King, sitting in His Palace, the bright and glorious Home, which He has gone before to prepare for us. Oh that we could be there!