THE SMUGGLER. 33 



will, and that yet, as every man must feel within himself, his own 

 actions depend upon his volition, and if they be evil he alone 

 is to blame. The end is to come, Osborn ; the end is to come 

 when all will be revealed, and doubt not that it will be for 

 God's glory. I often think," he continued in a less emphatic 

 tone, " that man with his free will is like a child with a play- 

 thing. We see the babe about to dash it against the wall iu 

 mere wantonness, we know that he will injure it, perhaps break 

 it to pieces, perhaps hurt himself with it in a degree ; we could 

 prevent it, yet we do not, thinking perhaps that it will be a 

 lesson; one of those the accumulation of which makes experi- 

 ence, if not wisdom. At all events the punishment falls upon 

 him; and, if duly warned, he has no right to blame us for 

 that which his own will did, though we saw what he would do, 

 and could have prevented him from doing so. We are all 

 spoilt children, Osborii, and remain so to the end, though God 

 gives us warning enough: but here comes my homely meal." 



At the same moment, the landlord brought in a dish of 

 vegetables, some milk and some pottage, which he placed upon 

 the table, giving a shrewd look to the young officer, but say- 

 ing to his companion, " There, I have brought what you ordered, 

 sir; but I cannot help thinking you had better take a bit of 

 meat. You had nothing but the same stuff this morning, and 

 no dinner that I know of." 



"Man, I never eat anything that has drawn the breath of 

 life," replied Warde. " The first of our race brought death 

 into the world and was permitted to inflict it upon others, for 

 the satisfaction of his own appetites ; but it was a permission, 

 and not an injunction: except for sacrifice; I will not be one 

 of the tyrants of the whole creation ; I will have no more of 

 the tiger in my nature than is inseparable from it ; and as to 

 gorging myself some five or six times a day with unnecessary 

 food, am I a swine, do you think, to eat when I am not 

 hungry, for the sole purpose of devouring? No, no; the 

 simplest food, and that only for necessity, is best for man's 

 body and his mind. We all grow too rank and superfluous." 



Thus saying, he approached the table, said a short grace 

 over that which was set before him, and then sitting down, 

 ate till he was satisfied, without exchanging a word with any 

 one during the time that he was thus engaged. It occupied 

 less than five minutes, however, to take all that he required, 



