om his log-house on the hill with a few articles of
wearing apparel made up into a bundle, had bought and paid for a cask of
flour to be sent up to his family, and was now wandering about in a sad
desponding state of mind when Stephen Grattan met him. Stephen spoke a
few cheery words of comfort and courage to the poor broken-spirited
fellow, begged him to be steadfast in his newly-begun purpose of
reformation, and told him of the loving Saviour who would give him all
needful help; who, if he looked to Him, would give him the grace of His
Holy Spirit to enable him to overcome in the hour of temptation. Morely
having thanked him heartily for his kindness, asked him to see that
Smith at the provision shop sent up the flour to his wife next day, or
the family would be in want of food. This Stephen readily promised to
do, and added that he would look after them whilst he was away. The
cheery words of his friend gave him a ray of hope and courage for a
while.

But when Stephen left him at the corner of the street, it was with a
heavy heart that he took his way to the hotel from which the stage was
to start. The public room into which Morely stepped was large and lofty
and brilliantly lighted. There were plenty of respectable people there
at that moment. There was not the same temptation here as at the low
tavern at which he had so often degraded himself below the level of the
beast.

There was the bar, to be sure, with its shining array of decanters and
glasses. But the respectable landlord, the gentlemanly bar-keeper,
would never put the cup to his lips, or taunt him into treating others,
for the sake of the "fool's pence," as Bigby, the low tavern-keeper,
would have done. There were here no hidden corners where the night's
debauch might be slept off, no secret chambers where deeds of iniquity
might be planned and executed. No; it was a bright, clean, respectable
house--altogether too respectable for such a shrinking, shivering
figure, in such shabby garments as his, Morely thought. And the
landlord evidently thought so too; for when he had told him that the
stage had not yet arrived, and that it was quite uncertain when it might
come, he looked so much as if he expected him to go, that Morely took up
his bundle and went without a word.

So Morely was turned out to wander up and down the street with his
bundle in his hand; for he had nowhere else to go. It was not very
cold, fortunately, he said to himself; bu