simplicity and devotion, and, as he held the book, his hand trembled with joy; then came the sermon; had the preacher been fully acquainted with the circumstances of the interesting stranger who sat with his eyes fixed upon him, eagerly taking in every word of his discourse, had he even known the secret workings of his heart, he could not have preached more to the purpose; for his object was to lead the sinner from all self-dependence, and to fix his hope for salvation on Christ alone, and to show how the kingdom of heaven, which sin had closed, had been again opened by Him to all believers. It was not by what is commonly called chance or accident, that he thus administered balm to at least one wounded spirit; it was the Holy Ghost the Comforter who was present there, both with the preacher and the hearer.

When Julian returned home he locked himself in, and during the rest of the day thought and prayed over what he had heard. The excitement of his feelings produced a sleepless night, and by four o'clock the next morning he was at Launay's door, for he knew that his friend left home at five. He asked to see what the minister had called God's commandments; the book containing them was handed to him, together with the hymns that had been sung the day before.

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May I carry these away with me?" he asked; "they shall be faithfully returned"-which by the way was not always the case when Protestant books fell into the hands of zealous Catholics. But no hesitation was felt in trusting one whose integrity was so well known, and Julian went back again to shut himself up in his own little room, where he spent the next three days alone with God, and with that small portion of his word which is contained in the French Protestant Prayer-book. They were spent in prayer -earnest, wrestling prayer-that God would be pleased to make his way plain before him. If he were right in his devotion to the Virgin and the saints, he asked that he might be convinced of it. If on the other hand God's commandments on the subject were such as was here represented, would he show him wherein he had sinned in breaking it, and help him to give up every idol, and trust in Christ alone.

The Lord heard and answered his prayer; for when Thursday morning dawned he rose from his bed a changed man-" Old things had passed away; behold, all things

had become new." The Holy Spirit had revealed to him Christ as the only and all-sufficient Saviour, who needed not that any one should come between him and the sinner for whom he had shed his blood; as the one Mediator, himself "the way, the truth, and the life." Those few hours had sufficed to pull down all his strongholds, and to snap asunder the cords of error and superstition by which he had so long been bound. As he recalled nearly every word of the sermon to which he had listened on the previous Sunday, he felt the burden of his sins removed, and joy and peace took possession of his heart. So firm was his conviction that he had, at last, found the way of salvation, that he determined to remove at once and for ever from before his eyes every trace of his former idolatrous worship; and kindling a fire, he collected together his image of the Virgin and child, his rosary, his pictures and books of devotion-everything in short that he had most venerated — and committing them to the flames; he stood by until they were consumed, and then kneeling down he solemnly consecrated himself-body, soul, and spirit-to the service of his God and Saviour.

His devotions ended, he arose, opened his cottage, and, peaceful and happy, betook himself to his daily labour. His next step was to provide himself with a Testament, and for two or three weeks he gave himself up to the study of it, reading it through twice from beginning to end. While thus engaged he seemed to shrink from holding converse with any of his former acquaintance, was cautious whom he admitted to his room, and when talking on religious subjects, spoke always in a low voice, as if afraid of being overheard. It was not that he was ashamed of the cross of Christ, but that he wished, before he talked with any one on the subject of his conversion, to be able to give a reason for the hope that was in him. When thus prepared he no longer closed his door against any, and the women who brought their spinning wheels to be repaired soon noticed the change that had taken place in his cabin.

"How is it, friend Julian," they would sometimes say, "that you who have always professed such love and devotion to the mother of God, have cast aside her blessed image? Do you then no longer need her intercession ?"

My friends," would the old man reply, "my Father in heaven has taught me that it is his blessed Son alone who intercedes for sinners, and in him only do I trust."

From this time he became a regular attendant at the Protestant services, and was soon received into communion, growing rapidly in grace and knowledge, as was indeed to be expected; for he never read the Bible without earnest prayer for the Holy Spirit's teaching, and abundantly was his prayer answered, so that the word of God became "spirit and life" to his soul. Many of his favourite texts, and especially those from St. John's Gospel and the Epistles of Paul, he copied out and hung up that he might have them always before him as he worked at his lathe; and thus by degrees the walls which had formerly been covered with pictures of the Virgin, were now as thickly hung with choice selections from the word of God.

It was not to be supposed that Julian's change of faith would be allowed to pass without his encountering much opposition. In common with all devout Catholics, he had been in the habit of going frequently to confession, under the false belief that the priest to whom he confessed his sins had the power of giving him absolution from them; but being now convinced that none can forgive sins but God only, he determined from henceforth to confess them to him alone. No sooner was this known to his confessor than he sought him out and tried, by every means in his power, either to win or frighten him back to his old faith. First he tried the effect of flattery.

"You, Julian Sauvé, who are so good, so pious-is it possible that you can have changed thus ?"

"Ah! sir," replied the old man, "if you think me good you are indeed deceived; for there is no good thing in me. Until I was able to lay them on Jesus my Saviour, the burden of my sins weighed down my soul, as a load of hay falling upon me would weigh down my body."

The priest had then recourse to argument; but God often chooses the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and, armed with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, this unlearned and simple-minded mechanic had become wiser than his teachers.

"How is it that you no longer come to hear us preach ?" asked a priest of him one day.

"I have nothing to say against you, reverend father," replied Julian; "and if you preached the gospel I would still hear you gladly."

"Who say we do not preach it?" rejoined the other; and

then he began rather angrily to argue the point with him. But Julian interrupted him; and, pointing to the tower which supported his cabin, said, "Your reverence might as well try to batter down this tower with your head, as to unsettle my faith in Christ as the one only way by which a sinner can approach God."

"Ah! I see there is nothing to be done with you, my poor friend," said the priest; "you have been so drawn away."

Julian looked steadfastly at him, and after a moment's reflection said, "You are right there, sir; I have read in the Gospel of St. John that 'no man cometh unto the Son except the Father draw him;' so it must be the everlasting Father himself who has, as you say, drawn me.”

The priest then took his leave, and returned no more. Julian was subjected to many petty annoyances from his bigoted neighbours, the most serious of which, however, was the threatened loss of his means of subsistence, for it was his habit to speak faithfully and forcibly of Jesus to all with whom he came in contact. This often gave great offence to the women who had been his employers, and of them took their work elsewhere in consequence; many still he held on his way, resolved, at whatever cost, to be valiant for the truth, and leave the result to God. On one occasion his cabin was found locked up, and for three days his friends felt much anxiety about him, as no one knew where he was gone; on his return it appeared that he had been on a little missionary excursion among his former acquaintances at Vitrée, and especially to visit his wife, of whom many of them now heard for the first time. He took with him a Bible, which he left with her, imploring her to read it, and warning her of the danger she was in if she continued to despise the glad tidings of salvation which it contained. Having himself found the Saviour, Julian's great desire now was to make him known to others.

And now were we to repeat the question we have asked before:-Was Julian happy in his religion? how different an answer should we receive; he had sought after heavenly wisdom, and having found her he had discovered that "her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." "It was a pleasant sight to look upon," says one who knew him well; "that gentle, childlike old man, leaning against his lathe, his fine head thrown back, with a ray of sunshine playing among the gray hairs, that were indeed to him 'a

crown of glory;' while an expression of holy joy lighted up his face, as he told of a Saviour's love in having delivered one so unworthy from the dominion of sin and Satan, and given him an inheritance among the children of God."

Another friend writing of him says, "I well remember paying him a visit, accompanied by Madame de P——, herself a Protestant, who had married a rich and noble Roman Catholic. I was deeply impressed at seeing one so wealthy and so high in social position, sitting, her head bowed down and tears streaming from her eyes as she listened to that poor old man, whose earnings seldom exceeded sixpence aday, speaking of the happiness he enjoyed in holding communion with his Saviour: what a contrast, thought I, between the two! He so poor, yet so peaceful: she, if I mistake not, envying the poverty that had been so greatly blessed, and regretting the higher lot that had beset her own path with temptations so as to have been oftener a source of sorrow than of joy."

About three months after his conversion, Julian came to the resolution that he would leave off work every day at six o'clock-no small sacrifice to one so poor as he wasthat he might give the rest of the evening to the study of the Scriptures. He committed whole chapters of the Bible and many of his favourite hymns to memory; "for who knows," he used to say, "but that it may be my Father's will to lay me on a bed of sickness, or to take away my eyesight, or in some other way to disable me from either reading or hearing his word; but if I treasure it up in my heart I can meditate upon it even then." Often at eleven at night friends have passed his lonely dwelling, and seeing a light burning, have known that old Julian was still up and engaged in reading his Bible; and much he loved to tell of the sweet communion he often enjoyed during these long night watches with the Father, Son, and Spirit.

He was much beloved by all the members of the little church to which he was now united; and not the less so, perhaps, that he was ever faithful in warning any whom he saw to be in danger of falling into sin. He would take them apart and gently speak to them of their faults, reminding them that Satan and the world were alike watching to see them fall; and then he would invite them to kneel down with him while he asked God for Christ's sake to give them grace to walk more circumspectly for the time Wherever sickness or sorrow entered, there was

to come.