to expose my ignorance and rawness, in a way very mortifying to me, but to make me feel, in many ways, the weight of his tyranny.

His name was Smith: he was a big, strong, determined fellow, and rather uncertain in his disposition. Generally, however, he was very well liked in the establishment, as he had a kind of rough yet jovial humour about him which was calculated to please. At any rate, no one cared to be on ill terms with him, nor did he seek to be on ill terms with any-excepting poor me, whom, as it seemed, he heartily despised.

Nor could I have been on very familiar terms with Mr. Smith without danger to my spiritual interests; for he was profane and licentious in his talk, and rather gloried than felt shame in what he would have called his freedom from the restraints of religion. It was well for me, therefore, that Mr. Smith did not profess friendship for me, though his apparent enmity was certainly hard to bear.

It was three months, then, after my first entrance on business life that the following circumstance occurred.

One evening, when the conversation at our late supper table was more than usually "free and easy," as it would then have been called,-in other words, when it was extremely irreligious and ungodly,-I plucked up a little courage, and said it was a shame for any one to say such things as I had heard spoken.

"Ah! who says that?" was sharply asked from the further end of the long table, which was presided over by the head of my department, our employer not being present.

A short, abrupt, and embarrassing silence followed the question-embarrassing to me, at any rate. For the words had no sooner escaped my lips, than I was astonished at my temerity, and trembled for the consequences. It should be remembered that I was the youngest and smallest at the table; for, though I was sixteen years old, I was very little-not so tall and stout and strong as many are at thirteen or fourteen; and I should explain, also, that I was timid and shy, and had scarcely ever before this evening had confidence enough in myself to say a word above my breath when others around me were talking fast and loud. I knew, moreover, that there were those near me who would highly resent my unlooked for remonstrance. All these considerations made me blush with confusion when I saw

twenty pairs of eyes turned upon me, and as many lips distorted with sneering smiles. On the other hand, I supposed that, while some of the older men at the table were vastly indignant at my presumption, the greater number of my companions were ready for any amusement which this little episode might occasion.

"I ask again, who made that impertinent remark,” said Mr. K—, sternly.

"Morris, sir," replied a youth, who sat near me, laughing.

"You insignificant little puppy! What do you mean by your impertinence?" shouted Mr. K—.

"I did not mean to be impertinent, sir," I stammered. "But you were impertinent. You said something was a shame. What was a shame ?"

"I said it was a shame for any one to say that the Bible was all humbug," said I, boldly. Yes, I think I may say boldly, for as I uttered the words all my courage seemed to me to return; and if my cheeks were red, it was no longer with embarrassment.

"Do you know who it was who said that the Bible was all humbug, you little fool?" asked Mr. K—, angrily. "Yes, sir; it was you," said I.

"And you mean to tell me that it is a shame for me to say so, do you?" continued my superior, as I may call Mr. K—; and he seemed to be struggling with passion.

"I am sorry to offend you, sir; but I do think, and am sure it is wrong for any one to speak so of the Bible." I endeavoured to say this apologetically; but Mr. K―'s wrath was evidently increased, the more so that one or two at the table broke out into ironical cheers.

"You young pest!" he said; "who gave you leave to think and be sure? But since you have put your foot in, just tell me why you think and are sure that it is wrong to say that the Bible is all humbug."

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If

you were only to read the Bible, sir, you would not think it right to-to say what you have said,” I replied.

A cry of "Well done, youngster!" from some one near Mr. K-, whether spoken encouragingly or derisively I could not tell-still further inflamed my opponent's

anger.

"You are not going to sneak out of it in that way," he continued ; "whether I read the Bible or not isn't the

question. You have had the impudence to cry shame upon me for saying "-and here he again applied the offensive epithet to the Bible, with a yet stronger and more profane addition: 66 now tell me why I was wrong."

"Because all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable;' and because God says he has magnified his word above all his name; and because the gospel-which is contained in the Bible, sir-is the power of God unto salvation to them that believe; and I do think it wrong, sir (though I am very sorry to offend you very sorry indeed), but I do think it wrong and sinful, and very awful, to use such a word as you used, in speaking of what God puts such honour on."

There were still twenty pairs of eyes staring on me while I was speaking; but somehow, I did not mind it-the staring, I mean-and I was allowed to finish what I had begun. And then arose a confused and mixed uproar of clattering on the table with supper knives-of faint cheers (not ironical) from some few throats, of laughter from others, which almost drowned the cries of,→

"Well done, little parson! Have you got any more of it?" from one; "Confounded impertinence !-deserves to be kicked out of the room," from another; "A plucky young fellow, after all," from a third; "There's something for you to put in your pipe and smoke, K-," from a fourth; and so on.

In the midst of all this confusion, I kept my eyes fixed on Mr. K-, whose face was alternately crimsoned and pale with rage. I had once or twice seen him in a passion before; but never in such a passion as now. I had heard and known of his being hasty and violent in his temper when contradicted; but I could not have supposed that so slight and unintentional an offence as I had given could have excited any one to temporary madness as it evidently excited him.

But it was well that some others were better acquainted with him than I was; for before the confusion had subsided, and stung, probably, by some jeering remark which I did not hear, Mr. K's hand was grasping a drinking glass, which in another moment would have been hurled with all his force at my devoted head, if the madman's arm had not been suddenly arrested by a stronger hand than his

own.

"Be quiet, K-," said Smith-for it was he who was

my deliverer; "Be quiet, I say," he repeated, as the infuriated man struggled to free his wrist from the powerful grasp with which it was held. "You brought it on yourself, old fellow; you would have it, you know; and we won't have any violence here: do you hear me?”

"What do you mean, Smith?" shouted Mr. K-, turning fiercely upon his new antagonist.

"Mean! Why, I mean that you were the aggressor; and that if you don't like what young Morris has said, you shouldn't have provoked it, that's all." Saying this, he loosened his hold, and again sat down, but kept his eye on Mr. K―.

"Oh! so you mean to take the whelp under your pious protection, do you, Smith?" said Mr. K—, with a sneer. He was a little calming down, however; at any rate, his more violent ebullition of passion was subsiding; and I fancy he was glad in his heart that he had been prevented from launching the missile-an act which might have been attended with serious consequences.

Yes, I do," said Mr. Smith, quietly: "I am not afraid to take anybody under my protection when I see he is in the right. And Morris is in the right. You would have it, you know you would; and I honour the young fellow for standing up for the Bible if he believes in it."

Some applause followed this, for Smith was a more popular man in the establishment than the other; and this again roused Mr. K-'s wrath, which was now turned on a new object.

"A pretty fellow you are, Smith, to set up for a Bible champion!" he said.

"You make a mistake, K-," rejoined Mr. Smith, in perfect good humour; "I don't set up for a Bible champion; only for a Bible champion's champion, if you like. And I say again that young Morris was in the right, and that you are in the wrong; so we will have no more of it, if you please. And you, Morris"-turning to me-"you had better go to bed, perhaps; and then there needn't be any more words. But before you go," he looked all round the table as he spoke, though he still addressed me-" I wish it to be understood that you are free to be religious and to love your Bible, if you will. We are a sad set of atheists and infidels and free-thinkers here, I am afraid; some of us, at any rate; but you have a right to the same privileges as the rest of us, and you shall have them. And

if anybody ever annoys you about religion and the Bible, let me know it. And now good night, my little parson." He said this good-humouredly; and I wished him good night, as, lighting my candle, I retired from the table.'

THE TEST ACT; OR, THE SACRED SHILLING.

PART I.

"DID ever anybody hear the like ?" muttered Mrs. Jarvis to herself, as she came out from a very little cottage, and walked with her chubby baby in his fine feathered hat, towards her own comfortable home. "Good for her to have been afflicted, indeed! where did she get hold of such cant as that? I know I shouldn't think affliction good for me; and I don't see that it makes her any better to say such a thing just as she steps into the grave.'

Baby and his frolics occupied too much attention to allow the train of thought to be carried on; and Mrs. Jarvis forgot all about it, until the light cart and pony stood at the door waiting for the usual supplies to be carried round the neighbourhood.

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Here, Jarvis," she called to her husband, who was arranging the milk cans, "let us send a drop of nice new milk to old Mary Parker. They say she is dying, and the poor soul hasn't many comforts about her. I doubt she's very poor, and I wish I'd called to see her before." With all my heart," said Mr. Jarvis; "I'll leave it on my way. But why didn't you think of it before?"

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That was a question hard to answer, for Mrs. Jarvis had many a time passed the old woman's door. But she was always busy, and couldn't be expected to know who was sick and who was not: right glad she was to see all her own family blooming and thriving, and poor neighbours were not encouraged to seek her company.

"I've heard some bad news to-day," said Mr. Jarvis in the evening, when he could sit quietly by his comfortable hearth. "There's been great mortality among cattle in some part of the country, and I'm afraid it's coming our way. Neighbour Baynes lost a fine cow last night."

Mrs. Jarvis's heart beat a little quicker, not because of her neighbour's loss, but from fear of a like disaster among their own cattle. They rented a fine pasture, and kept several cows; and their chief living was derived from the