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"Just so, my friend; and so I knew that I should find you at leisure now."

"Yes; I's giv'd up night-work, or practice at fancy letterin', for ever so long, so I, in general, thinks about this time—as thinking don't want candlelight, special when we's got a blink o' firing."

"May an old friend ask what you were thinking of when your minister came in ?”

This pleased old Dick, and, looking up with a smile that he did not often give, but a smile that when given was very pleasant to behold, he said: "I don't know as how I wouldn't all so soon tell my minister my thoughts as my friend, but seeing as how they be one and the same man-I means gentleman-I'll tell 'em out all the readier, and no mistake."

Here Dick hesitated, until Mr. Grey said: "Well, what were you thinking?"

"Why, just what I be thinking of now. It's about that there night school, and the learning."

"Ah, that's the very thing I'm come to have a little conversation about, and"

"Your reverence won't forget I be no scholard, seeing as how I were borned afore learning came down to poor folks."

"Dick!" said Mr. Grey, earnestly, "that's just it. I want you to be a scholar; and more than that, I want you to begin at once."

"Right, sir; I means to. I've been to the night school three nights running, and 'tis my hope to go reglar; so I think as how I may say I've begun to be a scholard."

"You are mistaking the school I meant you to attend altogether, my friend; don't you remember I told you that it was not the one in Mitre Lane?"

"Sure, I minds now. Where be it then, sir? for if my poor old legs and little crutch can take me there, I'll go; I'm not Dick Morgan if I don't." Here Dick gave a feeble stamp with his foot as a full stop to his speech.

"You don't need feet or crutches to go to this school

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"Couldn't no ways afford a 'veyance then; a donkey 'd even be more than I could pay for; if it depends on that, learning's all up for Dick Morgan."

"You do not need a carriage, either; but I will tell you what you do need."

Dick was all attention.

"You need-a-pair-of-wings!"

Mr. Grey said each word slowly and distinctly.

"A pair o' wings !" exclaimed Dick; "then it's worser up with me than afore. And if I'd got 'em, I ain't a bird to use 'em. Sure, sir, you'm joking on me!-though that ain't your general way; no, that it ain't."

"I never was more serious in my life. You must have wings-wings to your heart-and they will bear you to this night school at once. The wings are called Repentance and Love. They will take you to the Great Teacher; the good kind Master I told you of, to seek admittance to His school."

"Maybe I'd not be let in."

"Not be let in! Listen to the words of the Master Himself: Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." Can you doubt His willingness to receive you after so gracious a promise? Besides, you must not forget that it is He who invites you; the 'Come' is His also."

"I mind that were what you talked about that there first night."

Here both minister and parishioner were silent for a moment; then Dick, as though he were still undecided, said, "Still, your reverence, if the Teacher were ever so good, I should feel a bit shy o' the men, lest they should be after wishing o' me gone."

"No; as I said before, they will all be glad to see you. They will invite you, too; their words will be, 'Come thou with us, and we will do thee good.'"

"Well then, sir, not to have no more talk about it, will

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your reverence just begin from the beginning, and tell me all you know of this here school that am a night school but not th' one in Mitre Lane ?-then I shall know what's what."

"With all my heart; and thank God for putting the request into your heart-that is the first feather towards the wings; and then for putting it on your lips-that is the second feather towards the wings. But, Dick, shall we not ask God's blessing before we begin? for if He does not bless, and give us the power to learn of Him, we shall be but poor scholars."

Mr. Grey knelt, whilst Dick, being unable to bend his knees, bowed his head as well as he could.

clergyman's prayer:

666

This was the

'Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law." 'Blessed Lord, who hast caused all Holy Scriptures to be given for our learning; grant that we may in such wise, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them; that by patience and comfort of Thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which Thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.""

"I minds that prayer 'ticlarly, because my little Mat says it afore she reads her book; and says she to me one day, 'Do you know what inwardly 'jesting is, Mr. Morgan ?' Then says she, 'It's to eat it up and swallow it with our hearts, the same as we eat bread and butter with our mouths.' But please begin, sir."

"I am going to make it a short story, that you may remember it. Now listen. The night school I told you of, and begged you to attend, is a school for people who are in the night of life; for people who have passed the morning, noon, afternoon, and now are in the night. The Lord Jesus Christ is the great Teacher and Master; and knowing how soon the night will be over, and death come and shut up the doors, He entreats every aged one to enter this school at once, and learn of Him, ere it be too late. There 1 Psalm cxix. 18.

have been other sorts of night schools in which people met to learn of the Lord Jesus, but they have been night schools of fear. Either fear, like Nicodemus's,1 of being seen of men, and of being persecuted, mocked, or laughed at in consequence; or of fear such as made some of the noble army of martyrs hide in the caves and dens of the earth, to learn and read about their dearly-loved Lord, and to teach their little ones about Him and the holy Christian faith for which they suffered. These good men had their night school; but, although it was one of fear, it was not one of cowardice; for these martyrs knew that life was a precious gift of God, and they had no right to throw it away, if a little care and caution would preserve it. So they had their night school-a real night school as to hours-and you may be sure none were absent from it who could possibly creep into it."

"I shouldn't a stood no chance o' getting in there, then, if it came to creepin'," said Dick.

"Blessed be God, Dick Morgan, you and I live in times when we may serve Him without fear; we may come as boldly to the outward throne of grace, as to the invisible throne spoken of by St. Paul."

"But, begging your pardon, sir, may I make free to ask if the night school what you tells of is only for old folk?”

"No, not only for old people, but for all who have let their day of youth, or health, or opportunity go by. And I call it a night school for this reason, because the Lord Jesus is so anxious and willing to save all poor ignorant sinners, that He beseeches them to come even in the night of their lives-even in the last glimmering of health-time, when the darkness of death is about to close the day of life for ever. Even when the day of opportunities-neglected opportunities-is almost over, He in His tender pity still says, 'Come and learn of Me;' and He promises eternal rest and happiness to those who do come. It is to this school, in the night of your life, I invite you, Dick Morgan, 1 John iii. 1, etc.

to enter your name as a scholar.

You are indeed too old

to be a learner in Mitre Lane School, but not too old for that of the Lord Jesus Christ. You have no time to spare, for you are in the night in every one of the three ways I mentioned. Not only is your life ready to close, but also the last moment of your opportunity is nearly on the stroke of midnight; and your health-why, that has closed in night long ago."

There was a solemn pause, broken by the school bell calling the men together. Mr. Grey arose, and offering his hand to Dick, he said, "Will you come, Dick, my friend?-will you come and learn of Him ?-learn in His night school, and then you will never have to say those awful words, 'The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.""

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"God helping, I will, sir, and that at once; and bless God for this night school a hundred times more than yours, sir," said Dick, reverently; and then he added in a whisper, "'Xcoose a word from old Dick, please your rev'rence, but maybe 'twill be best not to say too much about this here night school."

"Ah, Nicodemus !" smiled Mr. Grey.

But no; Dick's thought was not for himself, for on seeing the minister's smile, he said, "And just for this, sir; when folks who likes leaving these things to the last sees how old Dick hobbled into the school at the moment o' closing, they'll may be do the same; but says I, 'Don't copy of me. You go to the Lord's day school, that you may have the blessed sunlight on your learning; you'll be the happier if you don't leave this to the last.' Oh, don't let 'em leave it, sir!" he cried earnestly. "Don't let 'em wait for night, when they may go by day-now!"

Mr. Grey was shutting the cottage-door, when he heard Dick whisper, "But praise God for the Night School! Where would old Dick be but for that blessed word, Come?"

1 1 Jeremiah viii. 20.

X. Y. Z.

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