daily labours for others' good, quite as ready if called upon to help those who traduced her as any one else, and not unoften asked so to do, when any special emergency or trouble pressed upon them.

66

CHAPTER II.

Begone unbelief, my Saviour is near,

And for my relief will surely appear;

With prayer let me wrestle, and He will perform;
With Christ in the vessel, I smile at the storm.”

It was twelve years since the Mortimers had made their home in Conyer's Court, and during that period four children had been born to them. Many changes had taken place around in that time. New families had come into the place, and after struggling for a year or so with the poverty that seemed to dog their path, had flitted out again, going no one knew whither, swept along in that tide of London destitution which bears so many broken hearts and hopes on its wave. Others, however, had settled down, and gave promise of stability; but, among all, the Mortimers were respected and looked up to, and John's straightforward conduct, and his wife's active influence, were, although they hardly guessed it themselves, the best feature of the Court.

As to Mary, time had not only reconciled her to the place, but she was as happy a woman as one could find therein: happy in her husband, her children, and her home; happy also in the influence which she had built up for herself among the people, through little acts of kindness, little deeds. of love, words of gentle advice or encouragement. Mrs. Carter, the district visitor, had not been mistaken when she had fixed on Mary as more likely than herself to make an impression on the women for good. She could point to several, she told her, who, since her coming among them, had strengthened themselves in her strength of character, and striven to rise to the level of contentment which she exhibited.

There was one woman, however, whom Mary had never been able to win over, the same Mrs. Martin who had taken offence about the cleaning of the staircase when first she had come into the Court.

Possibly, she was jealous of Mary's influence, or she was actuated by that enmity to God's people which the natural heart, unsoftened by grace, so often exhibits; at any rate, she was loud-mouthed in abuse of her, and of the new-fangled ways she was ever trying to introduce among them.

"Talk of Mrs. Mortimer being contented and bright-looking! What had she ever to make her otherwise? It was easy to be neat and spry when there was regular wages coming in, and such a lamb of a husband-so meek and quiet. Mrs. Mortimer

got her own way in everything. For my part," said Mrs. Martin, "I should like just to see her tried a bit like some of them she's always flinging Scripture texts at, as if that would give them bread and heart when work is so slack they can't keep body and soul together. No, Mrs. Mortimer don't know what 'tis to be down in the world; then, maybe, she'd change her tune; at any rate, she'd see that 'twasn't only praying and preaching, nay, nor scrubbing floors either, that a body could keep a family on."

"I hope trouble may be kept from Mrs. Mortimer for many a year," said Mrs. Carter, who happened to overhear Mrs. Martin's not too amiable remarks. "But when it comes, I think, nay, I feel sure, Mary knows where to carry her burthen; nor will she, I fancy, spare herself from using any justifiable means to lighten it. But what I admire in her character so much is, that she never meets trouble half way. Half the grumbling I hear as I go from house to house is, not that God has not provided for the day's need, but that people are fearing for the morrow. Now, with Mary Mortimer, her maxim, on the contrary, appears to be, Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof,' and so she saves a host of fretting over what may never happen."

Well, I don't understand such content," replied Mrs. Martin, sneeringly. "Them that have got children to support, and weakly health, and all manner of vexations, can't be expected to go about

with light hearts, and even tempers. 'Tisn't natural. And wait, I say, till Mary Mortimer's tried."

"But it is this very anxiety which Christians are told to avoid," replied Mrs. Carter. "It is written, Be not over anxious,' and then as to promise for our wants, what does not the Bible say to those that believe in Jesus with that living belief He asks for? Be it unto you,' He says, ' according to your faith;' which means," added Mrs. Carter, "that according to the amount of trust you place in God's power, so shall the measure of their fulness be meted out to you. And I can but pray for you, Mrs. Martin, that some day your belief may be enlarged, till you realize, as many no better off than you happily do, and as I believe Mrs. Mortimer does, 'My God will supply all my need.' That's the only true spring of contentment, after all, and that never can fail."

"And pray, does God supply all the wants of us in this blessed Court?" argued Mrs. Martin, irreverently.

"God's promises are conditional, Mrs. Martin," replied Mrs. Carter. "He does not say the need of those who turn their backs on Him shall be supplied. No, not anywhere will you find that. On the contrary, He distinctly tells those who refuse to obey Him, but follow their own perverse ways, that they shall suffer for that disobedience, and be under His wrath. It is only His children that have a right to claim and to feel all that is written in the