aking possession of
her. She crouched down beside the solemn woman, and looked through at
the house and all its closed windows. The hedge was alive with birds
that hopped and piped unnoticed, even the scarlet bird was forgotten.

"Mrs. Martha," she whispered, "I heard papa say Cameron believed that
our Saviour was soon coming back again, and only those people would go
with Him who were watching and waiting. Mr. Trenholme said every one was
mad who thought that."

"There's a sight of people will tell you you're mad if you're only
fervent."

The child did not know precisely what "fervent" meant, but she began to
doubt Trenholme's positive knowledge on the subject. "Do you believe the
end of the world's coming so soon?"

"Lor, child! what do I know but the world might go on a good bit after
that? I can't tell from my Bible whether the Lord will take us who are
looking for Him up to His glory for a while, or whether He'll appoint us
a time of further trial while He's conquering the earth; but I do know
it wouldn't matter much which, after we'd heard Him speak to each of us
by name and seen His face." The sad woman looked positively happy while
she spoke.

"Oh, Mrs. Martha, are _you_ watching like that? But how can you all the
time--you must sleep and work, you know?"

"Yes, child; but the heart can watch; and He knows we must sleep and
work; and for that reason I'm not so sure but, if we're faithful, He
might in mercy give us a word beforehand to let us know when to be
expecting more particularly. I don't know, you know, child; I'm only
saying what might be."

"But what makes you think so, Mrs. Martha?"

Winifred was quick-witted enough to perceive something withheld.

"There's things that it's not right for any one to know but those as
will reverence them."

"Oh, I will, I will," said Winifred, clasping her hands.

"As I understand it, Mr. Cameron's had no assurance yet."

Winifred did not ask what this meant. She felt that she was listening
to words that, if mysterious, were to be pondered in silence.

"You know the poor thing whose husband is always tipsy--drunken Job they
call him--that you've seen listening to Mr. Cameron?--and that weakly
Mr. McNider, with the little boy?"

"Yes," assented Winifred.

"He told them," whispered the housekeeper, "that when he was agonising
in prayer it came into his mind to _wait until August this year_. He
hasn't any assurance what it may have meant; but that may come