t does being here a few
years make any difference about going to church?"

"I'm afraid you'll find so."

"How can you spend so much unoccupied time without church, Wilkins?"
said Guly, earnestly, stepping up on the chair round, and seating
himself quietly on the head clerk's knee.

Wilkins flung down the novel he had been reading, and, reaching out his
strong arms, clasped both hands round the slender figure sitting there,
and, throwing back his head, looked thoughtfully into the boy's blue
eyes.

"I spend it," said he, at length, speaking in a suppressed voice, and
more as if talking to himself than another, "in racing on the Shell
Road, in betting on fast horses, in excursions out of town, and in
visiting"--he stopped short, then added, through his shut teeth, after
an instant's pause--"places which I hope to God you'll never know more
about than you do now."

"Are you going to the race-course to-day?" asked Guly, suddenly lifting
his head.

"I don't feel quite well. No, I reckon not," returned Wilkins,
disjointedly, and moving uneasily in his chair.

"I weary you," said the boy, gently essaying to leave his seat on the
head clerk's knee.

"No! no! you don't!" cried the other, eagerly; and suddenly drawing the
bright head down upon his bosom, he added, in a voice of deep emotion,
"Oh, that I had you always thus to lie upon my heart, and keep the evil
out!"

The church bell at this moment began to ring, and, having ascertained
where the Episcopal Church was, the brothers started forth, and,
arm-in-arm, walked briskly forward. Whenever Guly looked back at the
tall store, towering up above its brick-and-mortar neighbors so proudly,
he thought of Wilkins sitting in there in the gloom, all alone, and
wishing for some one to lay upon his heart, and keep the evil out.

When they reached the church, Arthur asked the sexton if Mr. Delancey's
pew was full, and, on being informed there was no one in it but himself
and wife, he desired to be shown to it. It was situated quite at the
head of the aisle, near the pulpit; and the sexton's hand was on the
door, before the merchant, who was sitting in his usual position, bolt
upright, in the pew, noticed their approach.

When his eyes fell upon his two new clerks, the frown between his eyes
deepened very visibly, while his whole face wore a look of angry
astonishment. Holding the door shut, as the sexton, with his best bow,
attempted to open it, Mr. Delancey leaned out,