Flip's Islands of Providence""

now, as he clasped his hands behind his head, yawning lazily, he remembered that he had not written home for two weeks. Letter-writing had become a dreaded task now. What was

ot mention them. Long ago he had exhausted his descriptions of the city. There was nothing for him to write but that he was well and busy, and to fill up the pages with q

th-rug, popping corn or roasting apples, and Flip's curled up in the chimney-seat, telling him stories. And Aunt Eunice-I know what she's doing; what she always does Sunday evening just at this time, when the twilight begins to fall. She has gone into her room and shut the doo

for weeks, rushed warm across him. One after another the old scenes rose up before him, until

emed to rise before him out of the glowing embers in the grate. In the midst of his reverie, there was a noise on the stairs-a fami

ing from a dream and discovering that the room was nearly d

ld Jimmy's knock, "of all people! Did you rain down? Here I sat in the

d the grate for his guest, and put

; but I've been intending to look you up for some time. Kind o' had a drawing in this direction. Thinks I, whe

nly trying to pave the way to some other topic. Finally a pause fell between them. Alec rose to put another lump of coal on the fire, and old Jimmy, looking round the room, noticed the two photographs on the mantel with their faces turned to

ld man's surprised glance at the pictures.

g in the evangelist's sermon this morning made me feel that I'd got to speak to somebody before nightfall-stir up somebody to a better life-or I'd be held accountable. Then all of a sudden I began to think of you, so I c

wift rush of tears to Alec's eyes. He was so homesick and lonely, and it seemed so good to have some one to talk with who was really intere

HIS TROUBLE IN B

osure of his father's disgrace; the gossip that had caused him to drop out of the society and church, where he felt that he was no longer wanted. Fi

ht as I knew how. But after that-when every one cut me-it didn't seem as if it was any use. I just lost faith in everything and gave up trying. I use

ond His lov

well. One of the islands was named for you, and one was the Isle of Roses, because those flowers the Christian Endeavour socie

rribly adrift I feel. I'm just whirled along from day to day, till I've almost come to th

ness, "Why, bless you, my boy, you're all in a fog. And do yo

his hand at the wheel, and he keeps you steered away from 'em. You say you stopped praying? That very m

down! That's the only thing for you to do now; go back and begin again and make people believe in your innocence. It will be hard

d only been what they said about me, I might have done it, but I couldn't face wh

trength for you to do whatever is right. You've come to a crisis, Alec Stoker. You've got to

th emotion, the old man said, "Kneel down, son; I want to

beyond his control, he slipped on his overcoat and hurried out into the street. When he reached the vestibule at the side door of the church, he stood a moment wi

, and a full, clear voice began to sing. It was Avery's voic

Saviour,

's tempes

aves befo

and treach

ompass come

aviour,

t one cry, "Jesus, Saviour, pilot me!" It was a complete surrender of self, and as he whispered the words a peac

t. If it was a departure from the usual custom, he never stopped to consider it. The evangelist who had charge of the service stood for

ed and stirred. Afterward the members came crowding round him with a warm welcome, and he carried away with him the remembrance of many a hearty hand-clasp. One of them was Mr. Windom's. He rarely attended the young people's meetings, and to-night had come only

the night before, and told of the many changes that had taken place during the last two months. He was in the office now, and his salary had been raised sufficiently

aking into little snatches of song whenever there was a pause in the c

t rushed in from the kitchen, of turkey and mince turnovers, whenever Aunt Eunice

it set your teeth on edge to hear me singi

my own piloting, it seems to me that I come across one of His 'islands' nearly every day." As he spoke, Macklin came

ere's my hammer, Flip? I want to crack some of

urried away. Alec was turning the da

hristian Endeavour roses. He tore open the envelope, glanced at the monogram, then down the page

anksgiving Day. You have suffered so much on account of that miserable gold

for the florist was decorating the altar, so we did not need to use the minister's latch-key, which we had borrowed for the occasion. We practised for some time, and then sat and talked until it wa

om, and found that we could open one of the panes in the great stained-glass window at the side. Miss Cornish climbed up on one of those old pulpit chairs that t

d. The goods is frayed and old. The chair tipped, and they both came to the floor with a bang. Just as I spr

have slipped under the plush in some way

ake your Thanksgiving brighter to know this, and I am sure that it is needless for me to say that I never for an instant connected the disappearance of the coin with you in

py Thanksgiving wi

ely you

y Win

AT UNLUCKY

ad, came up to him when he had finis

xteen, "that means a lot to you, doesn't it, that sh

ed, honestly; "a

hen you are older, you know, and have made a place for

answered, slowly; "I've o

came Aunt Eunice's voi

t what the

el or s

ne that lif

cy unde

matter what lies ahead, it's all right now. God's at the helm,

E