The Old Helmet, Volume II

of life may

ck over hill

startles in

atches the sun

ver a leaf or

appy creatur

n half the breakfast had been passed in silence, "

d not. Why

easant as well as proper to be otherwise. I have been reading a book on some of the forms of life which are only to be kn

d Mrs. Cax

my eagerness to put myself to school, on the one hand, and my desire to see something new on the ot

ll," said

h more than the name

Pedunculata, a

cept Infusoria. I hope they

rful than the world that we do see. Perhaps it seems so, because of the finiteness of our own powers. But I never had a single thing g

creation," sai

wisdom and of power, that makes your brain dizzy when yo

hat struck you so muc

needle-and that is saying as much as I can for his size. This fellow builds himself a house of bricks,

wondering what is the slendere

een my mother hem thin ruffles of muslin; and you k

id Eleanor, "it i

er, as Eleanor judged, they had been a good while in the dairy, the two went out together i

le; but the other-- Mr. Rhys came away very much agitated. He is not fit for it. I wish I could keep hi

ing to st

m at the farm, I hope, till he goes. I shall trust you to keep the flowers f

ever; and was often a tired man when he came home. Nevertheless he gained ground, to Mrs. Caxton's great satisfaction. He grew stronger; and was less often a silent, prostrated, done-over member of their little circle. At first he was very often that. But

are become nothing of a talker; and I can bear witness you

hing; "but you forget-you have

e, and so

ys does not talk

or evil, then; and not

there are some people that have a

Mrs. Caxton; "and I am sure Mr. Rhys would be

e had leisure to unpack a box for her. He said yes, with

Am I to take care of china and glass-or to find gar

ng better yet,"

hys, taking out one and another and another carefully wr

off one or two odd-looking little pieces of brass

id that la

have known the other morning w

ement; and proved how justly he had declared himself a boy. He got the microscope all into place and arranged, and then set himself to find out its powers and method of management.. There were some prepared objects sent with the instrument, which gave him enough

or was a good deal surprised to

"You mean immediate

posed we should want the whole of it. I am going after objects for the microscope

g; "but don't expect any help of me; unless it be

do. Miss Powle, a small basket would

phi

ake care

erow and meadow and mountain side were gay and rich with a multitude of flowers. There was a mingling of shadow and sunshine too, at that early time in the morning; and as the two walkers passed along they were sometimes in one, sometimes in the other. There was little conversation at first. Mr. Rhys went not with a lingering step, but as if with some purpose to r

ou looking for, Mr. Rhys?"

, some or other species of these minute wonders may be met with; standing pools, and rivers, and ditches all have them; and some particularly beautiful are to be found in b

leanor laughing. "I should be satisfie

no means sure of accomplishing my design. Am

hys, how we are to bring home the

ence and deposited in his basket one after another of half a dozen o

ick to do, that you

will

, diverging right and left. Just the right sort of pool was found at last; covered with duck-weed. Here Mr. Rhys stopped and tied one of the phials to the end of the stick. With this he dipped water from the surface, then he dipped from the bottom; he took from one side and from a

ch is going to come

d Eleanor. "At

. Look thr

ials with it. Eleanor's scepticism fled. That something was there, i

se she made her order general-to include everything that would be necessary for a naturalist

know wha

I am sure; but I suppose it is a corruption of something.

ull, rich smile, which that gentleman had not often seen before.

nsibility. You ought not t

five distinct bands or ribbands of bright wave and foam, soon dashed into whiteness; and towards the bottom of the fall at last found their way all together; which they celebrated with a rush and a dance and a sparkle and a roar that filled all the rocky abyss into which they plunged. The life, the brightness, the peculiar form, the wild surroundings, of this cataract made it a noted beauty. In front of it

oked at them, so motionless that more than once the eye of Eleanor went from them to him with a little note-taking. When at la

To tell the truth, Mr. Rhys, I think my mental eye is only beginning to get educated. I used always to enjoy natural beauty, but I think it wa

each other; and till the two are set to the same key, you cannot have a good tu

what is that other note-'che

s a gre

f a naturalist, Mr.

cquaintance with you and Mrs.

audacity, of which she had an innocent share, remained to her in his company. She walked along in demure silence. And to say the truth, the sun was now growing warm, and

breaking silence. "We have been upon one class of subjects a

d,-but I have

not easil

t anythin

sefulness," he said gravely. "What do you thin

ills. It was not the valley where the farmhouse of Plassy stood, with its meadows and river; this was different in its features, and moreover some miles distant. Eleanor an

said Mr. Rhys, "I can give it

l kinds," said Eleanor looking into

think I m

"Mr. Rhys, I saw no other refreshment you had to offer

her kind, but there is no kind like it.

"I read several chapters a day-or at least always a chapter

em all at different times. But what way would be good

w," said Eleanor. "I ha

t it; and you would not have heard the blackbird and the wren perhaps, unless you had stopped

g all along these miles of our way," sai

but a very little way, we can examine al

ever car

le of this-the first chapter of Romans. Will

his Bible an

st, called to be an apostle, se

nd there?" said

t of opening, or introduction to the re

does he

t of Jesu

that is '

tself; but here I took it f

Only that! Do you know what a fact that is?

ich they had been sitting; wandering in and out among the trees, and stooping now and then to pluck a flower or a fern or to examine one; apparently too full of

oldly, when she got a chance. "Please sit down he

s in his hand, which he threw into Eleanor's lap; and

be a servant o

Eleanor timidly. "I am on

ttach to them-except so far as the Holy Spirit answering our prayers and

w very little. These words con

t is a follower. Christ said, 'If

,-I

where his Master goes.

about doi

the matter. The young man who kept all the commandments from his youth, was no

Rhys? You mean

ollowing cannot have a different end in view from that of the person followed. And what was Christ's?-'My meat is t

r it in the affirmative and that she could not; she sat silent without looking up. The old contrast of character recurred to her

im that sent me.'-That makes a w

asy to find?" v

will is all th

very searching,

d as soon as we set our hearts upon one or the other particular sort of work, or labour in any particular place, or even upon any given measure o

ked up with

eat matter, to be a tru

ys

all! He was among us 'as one that serveth'-amid discouragements and disappointments, and abuse; and he has warne

out of the general

in a more emphatic degree the servant of all. The rules of service are the

other morning, and with which she had a curio

feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have do

orbid a just judgment of ourselves or of others, i

ut that work in your hands? If he has, never ask whether your hands a

g; whether he had a like intuition with respect to her thoughts

nt of Christ," he presently went on;-"it en

rable, is it not, through all the land, to be good? to be a member of the Church, and to f

on?' We are just considering them. Can you remember a servant of Christ, such as we h

r was

er than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also perse

, Mr. Rhys?" said

ye are not of the world,' Jesus said, 'but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.' And it is declared

ood view of her honest eyes; they looke

y, I do not know such a pe

ossible!

of Christ have good need of that 'hel

of all. But there is another point of service that occurs to me. We have seen that we must not lease ourselves; I recollect that in another place P

ht to please everybod

she kept open at the first of Romans, and pointed to a word in the fifteenth ch

to do that you will find requires quite sufficiently that you should not p

very question!" sa

-it is our love of the Lord himself. That will do it, and nothing else

commanding her voice,-"suppose one is deficient

r face with his eyes of light,

l. "What is one to do?"-Mr. Rhys had risen up

n stars and Orion, and turneth t

ing to be busy with little things in his way. Eleanor sat still. After a little he came and stood before her

rd, to the glory of God the Father. We shall have the invisible army of angels for our fellow-servants and co-workers; and we shall be passing on with the whole redeemed world to the day of full triumph an

uch as his words; the subject had clearly gone home to himself. She felt both so much that she did not like to interrupt the silen

to be an

to dinner, if we go int

hed a sermon to

often to mysel

elf?" sai

ody needs

o-I should think it would be the last thing yo

s ready, and to be always ready myself. Now, let us

be no microscopical ex

emes o' mice and m

ce of the man was very red and he was unable to give any account of himself; but they were soon convinced it was sudden illness, not intoxication, which was the matter. He had fallen from his horse evidently, and now was not unconscious but in great pain;

. "It calls for greater skill than mine. How will you do? I must take the horse

h one or two bills, which gave the name he wanted. It was a name not unknown to Mr. Rhys;

wle?-will you be afraid to

here till y

time-and I must tell you," he sa

e. I will stay and do anything for him I

sure from his face that he did not disapprove of

I can, though I doubt it. The way

rson at her feet. So near the light-hearted pleasure of ten minutes ago had been to pain and death! A

down by the man to see what more she could do. Red and pale changed fast and fearfully upon his face; big drops stood on the brow and cheeks. Eleanor doubted whether he were conscious, he lay so still. She took her pocket-handkerchief to wipe the wet brow. A groan answered her at that. It startled her, for it was the first sound she had heard the sick person utter. Putting down her face to receive if possible some intimation of a wish, she thought he said or tried to say something about "drink." Eleanor rose up and sought to recollect where last and nearest she had seen water. It was some distance behind; a little spring that had crossed their foot-way with its own bright track. Then what could she bring some in? The phials! Qui

s of one of the phial bathed the brow and the lips that she thought would never return to their natural colour again. She did it perseveringly; it was all she could do. Perhaps it gave comfort. But Eleanor grew tired, and felt increasingly lonely and desirous that some one should come. No one did come by that way, nor was likely to come, until the return of Mr. Rhys; the place was not near a highway; only on a wild mountain track. It struck Eleanor then that the sufferer's head lay too low, upon the ground. She could not move him to a better position; and fina

s horse, and took a very grave survey of the group on the ground. It was not ear

re all this time?"

n

lifting the unconscious head from Eleanor's lap. "

n which had need to move slowly. Mr. Rhys had stayed by it to guide it, and only spurred forward when near enough to the place

on coming round she discovered her pony hitched to the

said he; "and I went round by the farm to bring h

the farm was ou

there and meet the waggon

lk perfectly well. I am sure you need him more

e. "I cannot ride on

not knowing exactly whence came a curious warm glow that filled her heart like a golden reflectio

wle-I live among the hills

was her pleasure to ride slowly; for Mr. Rhys walked beside her all the way. Bu

hials?" said he looking into t

hem to get water for that poor man. I wasn't

e did you go

f where we found him, we had passed a little b

e shall have to make