was how Cissy came to be head of the table, and how Lizzie had time to lay her round, rosy arms down as she exclaimed:

"Weary work this house-cleaning!" She repeated this more than once, and she might have repeated it oftener had not the welcome plate, laden with steaming meat, potatoes, and cabbage, nice bright-green cabbage (green from proper boiling, please to observe!) just then been pushed up between her arms, as a barge is towed up a canal. I suppose Lizzie could not forget the ache of those fine arms of hers, for she once again repeated, whilst waiting for a second help:

"Weary work this- " but before she had time to finish her favourite sentence Cissy exclaimed :

"It don't seem to hinder your appetite anyhow."

This set both women a-laughing, for both were in high good-humour, and Lizzie had by no means intended to grumble, for she delighted in thorough honest work; she merely had a silly trick of sighing in words, neither sigh nor words meaning anything more than the puffing out of a little idle breath. I don't know that Lizzie even knew she had repeated the words so often; for when Cissy at last replied,

"Well, Liz, if it is weary work, it only comes twice a year, and that's not much for two such health-blest women as Cissy Cann and Lizzie Forbes," Lizzie started and said:

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Why, Cis, I weren't grumbling. I were only thinking what a monstrous pity 'tis that houses will get dirty. Why, even my bit of a cottage takes my big Sally all the day to clean and tidy, as I likes it done. Now where do the dust and dirt come from? 'Taint road muck, for that tells its own tale; but now all that there fluff in the dust-pan yonder, what's that from?"

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'Natural decay, Liz. Don't you mind what the Bible says (ah, that blessed book has a word about everything!) when it speaks about decay?"

Lizzie looked, but did not answer, so Cissy went on:

"You'll find it in the sixth of Matthew, like this: 'Lay not up treasure upon earth, where rust and moth corrupteth.' It's the damp that's rusted them grates, and given us a hard job to clean them up bright again, and it's part the real moth, and part the fancy moth of wear and tear, that have worn the fluff, as you calls it, out of the carpets and quilts, and left them a'most threadbare; there's no house, no, not even the squire's, nor, for the matter of that, not even the Queen's, that can stand the wear and tear of that eating moth, time, as I heard my dear old master call it. Every duster we shake is full of it, and leaves its mark behind, as much as every week leaves another grey hair in my once bonny brown locks. But, ah ! Lizzie

And here, as if she were suddenly gladdened by a thought of joy, Cissy laid down her knife and fork, and seemed to forget even her fast-cooling dinner, as she exclaimed:

"What will you say, Lizzie, woman, if I tells you that ne'er a moth, nor no rust, or dust ever enters my house ?" Lizzie evidently did not believe, for, after a good stare, she said:

"None of your nonsense; it's true, yours is only a bit of a cot like mine, but if it's like mine in other 'specs, I reckon you'll find a good handful of fluff in it when you gets home, for all that your little maid is a tidy bit of a lass. So mind you tell me true to-morrow whether I'm true or not."

"Right enough, Lizzie; I shan't scold my maid if you're telling about the truth, for I expects as much dust as you do."

Why, Ciss, you've not had no beer for dinner, or I should think what I should think; so please say in plain English what you mean."

"Well, it's my turn to why. Why, did you never know that I've got another house?”

"No! never, Cissy Cann. Where? Who from? How?" And Lizzie turned quite pale with eagerness and fear that she had been making too free with some one better off than herself. But Cissy's smiling, happy, and yet quiet face re

assured her, and made her feel more easy, so she went on with her questions.

"Do be quick, for our meal-time is most up; and if I don't know the rights of this other house of yours afore I goes to scrub, I shall be a-thinking of it instead of minding my work."

"I works all the brisker for thinking of my other house. It's a wonderful brisker-up to remember it."

"No doubt! I should work brisker too if I had the luck of another house to call my own." And Lizzie fell a-laughing at the mere thought of possessing a house as well as the tiny cottage she now called home.

But Cissy looked serious, and, after a moment's silence, said gently: "There's no luck in it. You may have a house as well as me by going the right way to get it; there's but one way, and that way has nothing whatever to do with luck." "Ah! it's favour then; and I guess it's an almshouse," said Lizzie, in altered voice.

"You're right there. It is by favour, and yet it isn't by favour; it is an almshouse, and yet 'tisn't an almshouse. Anyhow I've got it, and all I can say of it is, that it ne'er gives me any trouble with looking after it, nor cleaning nor wearying."

"It must be a wonderful place then, and just in the heart of the country, where dust and dirt hasn't the chance of coming as it has in these big towns."

"Just so, Lizzie; you're right again."

The bell here announced that dinner should be over and work conmenced; so as Cissy never stayed to talk when duty called her elsewhere, the two charwomen separated until teatime, but not before Lizzie had earnestly begged just one word from Cissy to explain how it could be that this wonderful house of hers needed no care or anxiety on her part, or no trouble to keep it pure. So, as they parted on the staircase, Cissy this way, towards the top bedrooms, and Lizzie that way, towards the young ladies' schoolroom, the former bent over the banisters and replied:

"Just and only because it's prepared for me!" And, in answer to a longing look from Lizzie, she whispered kindly "Wait till we meet again for the rest."

And so, dear reader, must you; but if in the meantime you are wondering how a poor charwoman should possess two houses, I shall not blame you: you will only be doing exactly what Lizzie Forbes did as her broom went thrish over the carpet, bringing up a cloud of dust, to make her wish more than ever that she had a house like Cissy, where neither moth nor rust corrupt. If you, too, share in Lizzie's wish, as well as her wonder, I beg you to give good heed to the remainder of Cissy's story, which Lizzie entreated her to go on with directly they had fairly set into the pleasant business of tea-drinking and nice wholesome bread-and-butter eating.

If you Love me, Lean on me.

OME time ago, a pious Englishwoman in Persia undertook the instruction of a class of Persian girls who were seeking the way of salvation.

One day, being exhausted by over-exertion, she appeared very weak and faint. One of the pupils, who was sorry to see the feebleness of her dear teacher, sat down by her, and said in a gentle tone, "Pray lean on me." The good teacher accordingly leant upon her, but only lightly, for fear of over-burdening her. The pupil, when she observed this, said, in the same gentle voice, "If you love me, lean with all your weight on me."

Afflicted Christian, young or old, do not fear to lean with all your weight on Jesus. Hear what is written for the comfort of us all : Casting all your care upon Him, for "Without Me ye can do nothing.' "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." " "Surely He

He careth for you. "" 1

hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows." 1 Fatherless boy, motherless girl, desolate widow, all ye who are laden with sin, grief, or affliction, Jesus says to you, “If ye love Me, lean with all your weight on Me."

you.

"Bottles and Corks."

A FEW WORDS TO WORKING MEN AND WOMEN.

have long thought of saying a few words to you, of the so-called working class, on a subject which has been a sorrow to me during the many years. in which I have been intimately acquainted with

I say the "so-called working class" because the term is by custom applied to those who work chiefly with their hands, although it is not exclusively applicable to you, because in every rank of life there are both workers and drones; but the expression being a convenient one, I use it in the ordinary sense. Now, I do not address myself especially to you because I think you in general either better or worse than your neighbours, of whatever social position. The rich as well as the poor need "to be converted, and become as little children," before they can "enter the kingdom of God." But the special fault which I wish to bring under your notice is one which has, happily, gone out of fashion among the more educated classes, while, unhappily, it is still in fashion among you. Perhaps as a better education spreads itself through every grade of society, the habit of which I speak may gradually disappear altogether; but, in the meanwhile, I venture to hope that I may induce some of you who read these words to begin at once and use your influence towards its banishment.

Personally, I have not been annoyed by the fault I have in my mind; for I have always received courteous and kindly words from you. Perhaps you favoured me with your company manners, put on for the occasion, as you put

1 Isa. liii. 4.