nd profound truths,
that were to him the only realities, and which animated his every
effort, were apparently to this sweet young singer but as fairy tales,
or even as mere empty words on which to build up the fabric of her
song; and at times he even doubted whether it was right to lay bare the
mysterious agonies of redeeming love to such a careless eye, and to
familiarise such a child with scenes so awful, but which seemed to wake
no note of love or reverence. Yet Robert Hendrick loved and prayed for
the child, content to work on for her, as for so many others in the
glen, in simple faith and loving hope.

With the approach of winter the Friday evening class had to be
discontinued. Most of the children lived at a considerable distance
from the place of meeting; nor was a walk across the moors always
feasible in rough weather. Even for a time the Wednesday service had
to be suspended; so that for a couple of months the glen relapsed into
its former state of spiritual night. Not altogether, however. The
good seed cast upon the waters had found a resting-place in several
hearts; and the opening of spring, and with it the resumption of the
Scripture-reader's visits, were eagerly looked forward to by many, both
young and old.

CHAPTER IV.

It was the end of March, when an event occurred which would have been a
more than nine days' wonder even in a busier spot than Tor Bay. The
equinoctial gales had been protracted and severe. For days the sea off
Fair Head, and through the strait that separates the mainland from
Rathlin Island, had run mountains high; and now, though the surface was
smooth and glistening in the bright spring sun, the long, heavy swell,
as it broke in thundering rollers on the shore, bore witness to the
fierceness of the recent conflict. The night had been wild and dark,
but it was succeeded by one of those balmy days that are sent as
harbingers of coming summer. Elsie and Jim had been busy ever since
the return of the tide, about noon, dragging to shore the masses of
sea-wrack that the recent storms had loosened and sent adrift.

The afternoon was now far advanced, and the children were growing weary
of their work. Several heaps of brown, wet, shining weed stood at
intervals along the sands, as monuments of their zeal. They began to
look wistfully towards the hill for "father," who had promised to meet
them at the conclusion of the day's work; but again and again they had
looked in vai