Prayer 27 1 



prime of bloom and beauty seek succour from the seared and withered 

 stem. From the answers it was gathered, that at the grey of dawn 

 the patrol had observed from the cliff a dark mass upon the water. 

 This he communicated to the first fishermen he met: their boats, how- 

 ever, were at adistance down the coast, and the flood tide that rose some 

 fathoms against the front of the cliffs prevented all approach to the 

 b eac h with the ebb they had descended to the shore, but all trace 

 of that which had been descried floating at the flood had disappeared. 

 Lower down the ebb had left a hat upon the shingle. She who had 

 listened to this tale almost with the stupor of a corse, started from 

 her living death at sight of this test of hope or despair. It was 

 crushed and torn beyond the possibility of recognition : some initials 

 had been discovered within the lining she turned to them wildly 

 they were not those of Leslie. 



They who noticed closely that old man's mien during that exami- 

 nation, felt that he assumed an interest that was not real an igno- 

 rance that but lamely belied the truth. They had left the shore, 

 and ascended to the downs, the stragglers still loitering behind them. 

 As they passed above that part of the beach which they had but just 

 removed from, some one observed the little terrier stretch himself 

 along the snow upon the very brink of the precipice. Caresses 

 failed to move him, they threatened too, but it availed not. At 

 length a fisherman returned to force him away. As he lifted him 

 from the ground, a handkerchief, which from its resemblance 1o the 

 snow had not before been observed, was found to cover the spot 

 upon which the animal had laid himself. Again a link of the cir- 

 cumstantial chain was furnished ; it was handed to her whose wild 

 concern during this sad search too well vouched for the part she 

 enacted in it. One look revealed all the fatal certainty " It is 

 Leslie's and he is lost!" It was an awful tone in which these words 

 were spoken a sentence begun upon earth and ended in the tomb. 

 From a soul gushing forth its mortal agony came the tones in which 

 it was commenced : ere it terminated the speaker had ceased to feel 

 and to suffer ! 



PRAYER. 



HUMBLED, yet vain Oh turn my heart to Thee, 



Oh righteous Father ! reconcile 



My thoughts and feelings to Thy perfect way 



Of peace and happiness. Oh deign to smile 



Upon my truant steps, that long astray 



Have wandered ! Give me to see 



The wondrous harmony that links 



This desert world with glories yet to shine 



In the clear heaven of light, when fearful sinks 



The tide of time and death. Be it mine 



To fear Thee, love Thee, and obey 



Thy beauteous laws, while yet life's day 



Earth and its thousand vanities ensway : 



Lead me to bliss and holiness divine. E. W. G. 



