At length his sobs were stayed as the thought of a text he had learned at Sunday School came into his mind. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." "Will God forgive me?" he whispered softly to himself. "I have been so wicked-so much worse than im and the rest, because I knew better-I knew mother and teacher would not like me going to such places-I knew they were wicked as well as poor Tom, and yet I would go to them. Can God forgive such wickedness at that?” he whispered again. Again came the words "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." "All sin," he repeated, and as last he was able to pray that God would forgive him for Christ's sake, and help him to resist temptation in the future."

He felt much more calm after this, and crept into bed, and, but for the thought of Tom and what he might be suffering now, he would have been happier than he had been for weeks. He resolved to run round to Tom's place in the morning and tell them what had happened, and ask them to keep the situation open for him until he could leave the hospital. He had to speak to the housekeeper, too, on his own account-ask her pardon for staying out so late at night, and he promised at the same time not to do so again. To do this went sadly against his naturally proud spirit, but he conquered this pride, and even told her of Tom's accident and the share he had had in it.

"Poor boy, it's a pity he wasn't a little quicker and sharper, and he might have kept his place here," said the woman.

"He deserves to have a good place more than I do," said Harry humbly, "and if it hadn't been for him and his telling me how Jim served him, I don't suppose I should have kept it."

He had little difficulty now in persuading her to put his breakfast aside for him, that he might run round to Tom's employers as soon as he had swept the office, but it was not so easy to induce them to keep Tom's place open for him, even for a day. He was steady and careful enough over his work, but he had no business to go playing about the streets and getting into mischief at night, the foreman said.

In vain Harry pleaded that he had caused the mischief, and would have offered to have come to do Tom's work for him if his time was not so fully occupied. The man would scarcely listen to anything he said, and it was only after a great deal of persuasion that he promised to keep Tom's place open that week. "If he ain't here on Monday morning mind I shall take on somebody else; one boy can wash bottles as well as another."

Harry scratched his head ruefully as he went back to his breakfast. "What shall I do if Tom loses his place through this?" he said, half aloud. He was very much afraid Tom would not be well enough to go back on Monday, but he resolved to ask for an hour's leave of absence in the middle of the day that he might go to the hospital and see him if possible. The merchant himself had returned by this time, and Harry

preferred asking him this favour at the same time that he told him who it was that was at the hospital.

"Poor boy, his coming to London has been rather an unfortunate affair for him," said the gentleman; and he gave Harry leave to go and see his companion each day the hospital was open for the admission of visitors to see the patients.

It was with no little anxiety Harry ascended the broad stone steps of the hospital that afternoon. He soon discovered which ward Tom had been taken to, and hastened there at once. To his intense relief Tom was conscious, and greeted him with such a pleasant smile of welcome that Harry felt more ashamed of himself than ever, and as he stepped up to the bed he burst into tears. "Oh, Tom, can you ever forgive me?" he said, seizing his hand.

“Hush, Harry, don't cry, you didn't mean to hurt me I know, and it ain't so bad after all," said Tom, trying to speak cheerfully. But it was evident his foot pained him a great deal in spite of his effort to make light of it. At length Harry ventured to ask if he knew how long he was likely to stay there. The question brought an anxious look into Tom's face, I shan't be here long, Harry-only about a fortnight or three weeks the doctor says, and I think they'd keep my place for me if you were to ask them."

66

"I went and told them all about what had happened at breakfast time this morning," replied Harry. He would not tell Tom yet that they refused to wait more than a week for his return; he would make another effort to induce them to keep the place open. His stay at the hospital was necessarily a short one, for he did not wish to outstay his hour's leave, and so he hurried back feeling somewhat relieved that Tom's foot was no worse, but still very anxious about the future for him.

His application to Tom's employers for an extension of time was all in vain, and the following Tuesday he found that another boy was engaged in his place, yet he still shrank from telling Tom of this added misfortune. "If it was only me now I should soon get a place somewhere," he whispered softly to himself, "but Tom, though he's better than I am, ain't so quick, and people have to know him before they begin to like him." Then came a thought that had presented itself to his mind once before, but had been dismissed again with the hasty words, "No, no, I can't do that or else I shall have to tell mother and everybody every thing." But now conscience whispered, " Why should you not tell everything, you have caused all the mischief?" and this time he did not try to silence the voice that spoke to him.

When the merchant went into his private room the next morning he was surprised to see Harry standing near the door. "What is it, my boy?" he said, for he could see that he wanted to say something.

Harry had lain awake the night before thinking over just what he should say, but he forgot all about it now, and with a rush of colour to his cheeks he blurted out, "Please, sir, I want to give up my place.”

“You want to give up your place," repeated the gentleman in a tone of surprise. "Have you got a better one? "' he asked.

"No, sir, I'm not likely to get a better one," replied Harry, "but if Tom had just had fair play when he first come I shouldn't have been here at all, and now I've been and done him out of the other place, so if you'd please to take him back and give him another trial I'm sure you'd like him, and I should soon get another place I dare say."

"But I don't understand," said the gentleman. "You say he didn't have fair play when he came here, and now you have caused him to lose his other place. How was that?

Harry determined to tell all now; and so after explaining how Tom had been served by Jim, he spoke of his own intimacy with him, and how he had been led to spend his evenings at places of amusement he knew was wrong, and how Tom had spoken of this until he got into a passion and pushed him down, thus causing him to lose his place.

"So you see, sir, it's only fair Tom should come back here if you'll take him," said Harry, in conclusion.

The gentleman looked puzzled. "It certainly does seem the only fair thing that can be done for him, especially as I sent him up from his home. But I must speak to Mr. Smith about it first,” he added, "and then I'll talk to you again.'

Harry kept a sharp look out for his master as he was leaving the office that day, for he was anxious both to tell Tom and to look out for another situation for himself as soon as possible.

"You want to know about leaving I suppose," said the gentleman, seeing Harry's wistful look. "Well I don't think there'll be any occasion for you to leave us. Mr. Smith thinks he can find enough for two boys about the office, so as soon as your friend can leave the hospital bring him here;" and the gentleman hurried away, leaving Harry in such a bewildered state of joy and surprise that quite forgetting where he was he threw his cap up to the ceiling of the office, and indulged in just such an hurrah as he did on hearing that Tom had crossed the greasy pole.

Of course he was warned against doing this again, but even Mr. Smith could not be very severe when he heard the cause. Tom was only one degree less pleased when told of his good fortune. His first thought was for his mother and how his improved circumstances would enable him to help her, for he had no doubt that with his present experience of London ways and the help Harry could give him he would be able to do all he was required.

The merchant never had cause to repent taking Tom back. The two friends remained with him many years, mutually helping each other and rising step by step to the highest posts of trust and honour, but Harry always declared he owed all that he was to Tom Tracy being with him in London.

Chicago.

HE following extract from a letter from an old reader of the Bible Class Magazine will no doubt be read with interest:

“Lake Michigan, on the northern boundary of the city, is both picturesque and a source of unlimited amusement to us young fellows. To get a good idea of the arctic regions, I think one could not adopt a better plan than to come out here and walk round the shore of the lakes, especially Michigan. The icebergs and frozen falls are a perfect representation of the dissolving views we are accustomed to see in the magic lantern shows in our own country of the Arctic Zone. But this lake and its shores has something more than a picturesque interest to us. It has a certain practical value in the shape of endless fun upon the ice. The lake itself of course never freezes, being so much like the sea, but all round its shores and within the breakwater there is some excellent skating and sliding ground. We have invested in skates, and upon these we have been experimenting to an unusual extent for my own part, and I believe it was the same with the others. I never had a pair of skates on before, and the fun was considerable to those who had the pleasure of observing, although I hardly think it was so funny to be a performer. William had first trial, and of course could not stand up, the ice having a peculiar attraction for his nose, while his feet seemed determined to go in the opposite direction to that of his face. My turn came next, and it is no more than natural to suppose that my success in the new sphere was not any better than that of William's. We concluded to take a rest after the first hour, and the general demolishing of one skate. The next day was marked with more advance in the noble art, and we both succeeded in maintaining our equilibrium a little better than the day before, having been in contact with the glossy surface less than half a dozen times. We have hopes yet of being skaters, but are compelled to take a short vacation on account of physical weakness in the spinal column, as well as a peculiar soreness at the back of the head. Under the pilotage of William and his friend I have succeeded in making a tolerably good tour of the place, and if I have not devoted my attention as much to the leading concerns that make Chicago, I have at least gained a good comprehensive idea of its magnificence and growth since the terrible fire of twelve months ago. Yesterday I had the good fortune to visit the waterworks at the north-west part of the city, and in so doing had