filled with sand, hips and haws, sprays of bramble, and various leaves in the beautiful autumn tints. She had evidently just returned from a walk, for her jacket hung on a chair close by, and her hat was tilted on the back of her head with a rather picturesque effect. She was looking her very prettiest; her morning walk through the damp autumn mist had given her a bright colour; and her dress, a rough dark blue serge with a cherry-coloured scarf at the neck served to heighten her attractions. She greeted Edmund with evident pleasure; explaining that the rest of the party had gone on a chesnut-picking expedition to Hendon woods early that morning; and that she had just returned from taking for a walk Grace and Louey the two youngest children, who much to their disgust had been pronounced too little to join in the other expedition. "But father I know is at home," she added, "I will go and see where he is." She was setting off in search of him, but Edmund stopped her with, "No, Miss Ansley, thank you, do not trouble, I have seen Mr. Ansley already and it was he who sent me here." "Very odd of father," thought Nelly, but she chattered on gaily on various subjects receiving only short absent answers from Edmund, who longing all the time to approach the subject nearest his heart, felt as if words in which to do so had failed him. "There," said Nelly at length, stopping for a moment to contemplate her handiwork, “I shall soon finish this, does it not look bright? I cannot bear to be without flowers even in the winter." "Miss Ansley," began Edmund, "if you knew of some one whose life was lonely and dreary for want of a bright flower which" . here he stopped short with a sudden exclamation, he had taken up a thorny piece of bramble, and in his agitation unconsciously pressed it tightly between his fingers! Nelly glanced at him in amazement, wondering what could make him act so strangely, and what he had meant to say; and then Edmund seeing Nelly's task, as she had said, on the point of completion, and fearing altogether to lose his opportunity, summoned up his courage and said: "Miss Ansley, you wondered just now why your father sent me here, can you not think why he gave me leave to come? Surely you can guess why I want an interview with you, what it is that has brought me here this morning only for the sake of speaking to you? You must, you shall guess," he continued in a tone of entreating earnestness, "Miss Ansley-Eleanor-you cannot be ignorant that I love you p❞ Clearly Nelly was ignorant, a bright colour suffused her face, and with the hurried exclamation, "Oh, I never thought of this!" leaving Edmund rather doubtful as to what she might mean, she darted from the room down to her father's study, and breathlessly told him what Mr. Lindsaye had said. "Well," queried Mr. Ansley gently when she had finished, "and how did you answer him, dear?” ' Oh, father, you know I had never thought of such a thing." "And now you have thought of it what does my little girl say "Yes, father," she softly whispered. "Then come and tell him so yourself, my child." When about an hour later the others returned from the Hendon woods with bags and baskets full of chesnuts, the children were surprised to find the state of litter in which the usually tidy Nelly had left the schoolroom; the flowers she had been arranging still there and not finished, the bits about all over the table, and even her hat and jacket lying on the ground. Hetta, however, who may have guesed something of the state of the case from finding Mr. Lindsaye in the house, checked the surprised exclamations of her little sisters, and then proceeded to clear away the litter, and finish arranging Nelly's flowers. All agreed when they met together at dinner that it was a famous year for chesnuts, and in the evening there was a grand roasting of them between the bars of the dining-room grate; in which even Mr. and Mrs. Ansley joined; but Nelly usually so ready to share in fun of any kind, did not come, but, as one of her younger sisters indignantly remarked, “would sit poking in the drawing-room with Mr. Lindsaye all the evening, so very stupid of her !" CHAPTER X. THE next morning was chill and raw; an east wind made all the vicarage chimneys smoke and the fires refuse to burn; but Edmund though usually fastidiously sensitive to such trifles, was in far too transcendent a state of bliss even to be conscious of them!. His one thought and idea was Eleanor, and he felt perfectly content merely to look at her. His only regret was being obliged to leave Needthorpe that day, but he was determined to return as soon as possible for a visit of two or three weeks. Mr. Ansley rallied him unmercifully on leaving London in such a hurry that he had no time to make any arrangements which should prevent his being compelled to return from Yorkshire the very day after his arrival there, but in his secret heart he was rather pleased. He had been a little inclined to blame Edmund as a cold lover for having been able to remain so long without a sight of Nelly; and now he saw how eagerly he had seized the first opportunity of declaring his feelings without a moment's delay, and perceived that it had not been indifference which had kept him away hitherto. Edmund reached London that night and found a pile of letters awaiting him; amongst them was a notification from the lawyers of the legacy bequeathed to him. He wrote to his father to tell him of this, and of his visit to Needthorpe, and then, though he was very tired after his long journey, and although it was growing late, he wrote a long letter to Nelly, for he had already begun to feel as though he must share with her even his very thoughts; and although it had been but a few hours since he had parted from her he had enough to say to her to make a very bulky letter! He felt as though it were only too much happiness to know that she was his at last, after that weary doubtful time of waiting. He only feared not being able to make up to her for the bright cheery home from which he was taking her. “After all,” said Mr. Ansley to his wife that same night as they sat over the fire after the younger ones had gone to bed, “I don't know any man to whom I would rather have given our little Eleanor. Lindsaye is a thoroughly good man and a clever one too." "He may be that," said Mrs. Ansley impetuously, "but he is a pedant, and I don't believe he has one bit of common sense ;" and she rose and began to make a vigorous onslaught on various books and work-baskets which stood on the centre table, in reality to prevent her husband seeing the tears in her eyes at the thought of another child leaving the home so soon. Mr. Ansley smiled quietly, as he always did when his wife gave way to her occasional outbursts, and said, “Nell has common sense enough for two, and a bright cheery spirit as well; I don't fear for their happiness." 391 HYMN FOR ALL SOULS. AFTER THE GERMAN. THOU sleepst, O dust,—but hence all empty sighs, Alleluia! O crumbling flesh! can life again be given ? Alleluia! O blessed day, O glorious day of days, Ye endless joys which pen cannot portray, Ye courts of peace where love holds boundless sway, Alleluia! M. E. T. Reviews and Notices. Ritual Conformity. "Interpretations of the Rubrics of the Prayer Book, agreed upon by a Conference, held at All Saints', Margaret Street, 1880— 1881," (Parker & Co.) Many of our readers will have been aware that a small body of representative experts have been holding conferences for some time with the view of agreeing upon a certain type of service, which while holding fast by the great liturgical rules and traditions, which are the inheritance of the Church, can claim to be according to the directions of the existing Book of Common Prayer, properly understood. They will be glad now to hear what these deliberations have resulted in. 1. The question of Incense is passed over sub silentio, on the principle, we suppose, that no Rubric refers to it; nor is there any discussion about "solemn Vespers," with the use of the Cope, &c. 2. The Eastern Position, Lights on the Altar, the Mixed Chalice, and the use of Wafer Bread are all defended and advocated. 3. Protests are made (1) against long private devotions being used by the Priest in Celebration, (2) against any outward demonstration of reverence at the Creed, beyond the inclining of the head. 4. There are some useful Directions on the precedence of Holy Days. 5. The question of the Colours to be used in Priests' and Altar Vestments is rather curiously dealt with. The English or Sarum use is advocated, but it is admitted that only Red and White possess any authority, other colours having been used to suit the taste or convenience of churches and congregations. This seems to open the door to endless diversities rather than to conformity." We give these as specimens of the conclusions arrived at by this last effort at producing uniformity of Ritual in our churches. And we believe that it will not be without its effect, as few will deny that the object is in itself desirable. But as the price of the pamphlet is only one shilling, persons interested in the matter will do well to procure it for themselves. Mr. James Parker has published in a separate form the Paper which he read at the Newcastle Church Congress, entitled The Principles of the Reformation as bearing on Questions of the present day. In this, after showing that the Translation of the Bible into English, the Dissolution of Monasteries, and the abolition of the Pope's jurisdiction in all courts of the realm, were no part of these Principles, because they had been effected independently and previously, he states the case positively in these words: "From the Acts of Parliament, Proclamations and Injunctions up to 1549, from the Preface to, and more than all, from the Prayer Book itself we learn that the Principles of the Reformation consisted in the restoring the ancient doctrines of the Church, which had been so overlaid with other teaching that they had become hidden from view; and next in adapting the Services and Ceremonies of the Church to the due setting forth of that ancient doctrine, taking as far as possible primitive practice, handed down in the writings of the Fathers, as the model to be followed and with this object clearing away many complicated and burthensome ceremonies which had grown around in the course of ages, and which obscured instead of setting forth, the Truth." The pamphlet should be circulated widely. : "Sick and in prison, and ye visited Me," is the title of a little pamphlet, to which no publisher's name is attached, and which advocates the care of the insane being entrusted to the Religious Orders of the Church. We can heartily endorse this opinion, provided the members of the community undertaking such a charge were previously trained for the work, and taught especially to use the utmost care and judgment in bringing the subject of religion before their patients,—religious excitement being unhappily a fruitful cause of mental disturbance. With that proviso we strongly commend the view of the subject taken in this little work. Norton Hall, by Elizabeth Harcourt Mitchell, (Masters.) The small space which we are able to devote to a notice of this beautiful story is really quite |