ces of the village choir in some exalted
gallery beyond her view were shouting out a familiar tune, and with some
of Betty's mild superstition about "the singing psalms," she heard--

"Since I have placed my trust in God
A refuge always nigh,
Why should I, like tim'rous bird
To distant mountains fly?

"Behold the wicked bend their bow,
And ready fix their dart,
Lurking in ambush to destroy
The man of upright heart.

"When once the firm assurance fails
Which public faith imparts,
'Tis time for innocence to flee
From such deceitful arts.

"The Lord hath both a temple here
And righteous throne above,
Whence He surveys the sons of men,
And how their counsels move."

Poor timorous bird, whom even the firm assurance of wedded faith had
failed, what was left to her but to flee from the darts levelled against
her? Yet that last verse brought a sense of protection. Ah! did she
deserve it? A prayerless night and prayerless morning had been hers, and
no wonder, since she had never gone to bed nor risen with the ordinary
forms; but it was with a pang that she recollected that the habit of
calling out in her heart for guidance and help had been slipping from
her for a long time past, and she had never asked for heavenly aid when
her judgment was perplexed by Harriet, no, nor for protection in her
flight.

She resolved to say her morning prayers with full attention so soon as
the church was empty, and meantime to follow the service with all her
powers, though her pulses were still throbbing and her head aching.

In the far distance she heard the Commandments, and near to her the
unseen clerk responding, and then followed a gospel of love and comfort.
She could not catch every word, but there was a sense of promised peace
and comfort, which began to soothe the fluttering heart, for the first
time enjoying a respite from the immediate gripe of deadly terror.

The sermon chimed in with these feelings, not that she could have any
account of it, nor preserved any connected memory, but it was full of
the words, Faith, Love, Sacrifice, so that they were borne in on her ear
and thought. Heavenly Love surrounding as wi