which so emphasized the words. Loud voices soon attracted his attention, and, leaving the office, he went into the adjoining work-room.

"James knocked those off my table!" cried Solon Wells, an irascible young workman, directing Mr. Fulton's attention to a pile of work upon the floor.

"No, he did not!" replied Mr. Fulton, promptly, and very decidedly. All the men looked surprised at such a reception of the complaint, and stopped to watch the result.

"Yes, sir, I did," said James, pale and trembling, “but”

"Then you had sufficient justification!" interrupted Mr. Fulton, emphatically, and passed on to the next table. Solon was pale with wrath. James looked relieved, and said, in a low voice, "You know, Solon, I told you it was an accident. I am very sorry for it, and I will pick it up

for you, in a moment." Solon, sullen, but somewhat mollified, at any rate silenced, condescended to assist him, and, as he worked, grew more and more ashamed of himself. At last, when they had finished, he said, not very gruffly, "I hope you will be more careful next time. I don't suppose you did mean to do it."

Mr. Fulton saw all this, though his eyes were fixed upon the other side of the room, and heard all this, though he was giving orders to another workman. He passed thoughtfully back to his office, and shut himself within. He was deep in "business."

CHAPTER II.

A FEW SUGGESTIONS.

"I Do not see how we can do without you, Mr. Warren," said Jerry, sorrowfully, as the four friends gathered around their teacher, that night, in the library. "We need somebody to tell us what is right and what is wrong. I am sure I could not go to any one else, as I do to you."

"Thank you, Jerry, for your confidence," replied his teacher. I must confess, I did not at first like the idea of going, because I wished to stay to assist you a little longer; for I am very anxious that you should commence your Christian life aright. But, then, I remembered that if it were best, God would make it my duty to stay rather than to go. I think, too, I can see why it is better for you that I should

go, since, instead of coming to me for advice, you will now be forced to go more directly to the Bible, and to God. Nor are you left without Christian friends and teachers."

"We will try to practice what you have taught us, sir," said John; "and if we do that, I am sure you will not find us, when you return, just where you leave us."

"There is no standing still," replied Mr. Warren. "You will either have grown in grace or have gone backward from your present position. This thought, that we can not remain as we are, is a very serious one, and should make us earnest to be certain that we are advancing. Like a man on a swift river current, we must force our way up stream or drift downward."

"And drifting downward is much the easier," said Jerry.

"To-night I have time but for a very few suggestions," resumed Mr. Warren; "if

they should be the last I shall ever be allowed to make to you, I beg you will not forget them. You have already resolved to do whatever duty requires of you, let its performance cost you what sacrifice or suffering it may. That promise means a great deal; I know you feel it does now; but, take care that the Tempter does not make you grow careless. He will try to do so. He will tempt you in so many unsuspected ways that it will be no easy task always to remember, that the only question for you now is, 'What ought I to do?' You will certainly fail in this contest, if you do not take unto yourself the whole armor of God,' for Satan is often transformed into an angel of light."

"I do not quite understand how that is," said James.

"It means that his arguments are SO plausible, often apparently so pious, that we are in danger of being blinded by