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MARTEN AND HIS SCHOLARS.

in summer he might recover his strength; but the cold weather suddenly coming back, his cough returned, and the doctor forbade his going out of the house, and ordered him to be kept very quiet. If at any time his father and mother were not with him, or his kind nurse Sally, Lucy and Henry took care of him. Lucy would read to him, or smooth his cushion, (for he lay on a sofa in a sitting-room up stairs,) or give him his medicine; and Henry would peel his oranges for him, or do any thing else he might want; and Henry was a very quiet good-natured little boy, and he took care never to disturb him.

When Sunday came, and Marten heard the bells calling people to church, the tears would come into his eyes. And once he said to Lucy, "I should be very unhappy indeed to lie here all Sunday, instead of going to God's house, if I did not think this illness was sent to make me more fit to go to God's house above: and that is my comfort."

The children in the Sunday school were

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always inquiring about Master Marten, and when he would be able to return, especially John and James: indeed, every body in the parish was very kind in inquiring after him. And some of the children, hearing that Master Marten was very fond of having flowers in his rooms, were continually bringing him the first flowers their garden afforded-nosegays of daffodils, and polyanthuses, and white violets, and crocuses, and snowdrops. Marten was pleased with these presents from his old scholars, and it amused him to see little Henry sorting them in a flower-pot which he had on a table by him to refresh him.

At last poor little Marten became so much worse, that there was very little hope of his recovery; and he himself felt so ill, that he believed he should never be able to visit the school again. So one Sunday, finding his cough rather more easy than usual, he begged his papa and mamma to give his little scholars leave to come and see him. They were almost afraid it would be too much for him; but as he seemed very anx

ious about it, they said that John and James should come to him for a little while after evening service. The account of this visit I shall give in my next chapter.

CHAPTER XVIII.

"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them."-Eccles: xii. 1.

As soon as evening service was over, James and John were told that they were to go and see Master Marten instead of returning to school.

Then they were very glad, and made haste to the clergyman's house. But when they got to the house, and the servant took them up stairs, and bade them step very gently and make no noise, they began to feel a little frightened. She opened the door of the sitting-room for them, and told

them to walk in. Not very far from the fire, upon a sofa, lay Marten, his pale face leaning upon a cushion.

As soon as he saw the little boys, he raised himself up, and the colour came into his cheeks, and he said, "O, James! O, John! how glad I am to see you!" Then turning to Lucy, who was sitting by him, he said, "Pray, Lucy, let them sit down by me."

Then Lucy got up and fetched her own stool and Henry's, and placed them by her brother, and she bade the two little boys sit down by him, and she seated herself on the sofa at Marten's feet, that she might be ready to do any thing for him he might want.

James and John had scarcely any thing to say to Marten at first, for their hearts felt very sad to see him look so ill. The young ones were all silent for some minutes. At last, Marten said, "I shall never come to see you again at school.”

"O yes, I hope you will," answered both the little boys at once.

"No, I know I never shall," repeated Marten; and this was one thing I wanted

to tell you. There is something here," said he, putting his hand on his side, "which will never get well. I shall never walk with you any more to God's house, nor read his book, nor talk to you about his love to poor little sinful children; I shall be withered like the grass, which the mower cuts down with his scythe."

Then the little boys both began to cry; and Lucy said, "O, brother, do not talk

80."

"I did not mean to make you cry," an-swered Marten, "I only meant to tell you that I was going very soon to die. But there is nothing in that to make you unhappy; for I know that Jesus Christ has died for me, and he has prepared a mansion for me above the blue skies, and he has blotted out all my sins with his precious blood; and I shall be with him and see his glory. Those are very sweet thoughts; and when I lie here and think of these things, I feel more happy than I can tell you of. But when I am up in heaven with Jesus Christ, you know you will not see me in this world;