On Wednesday, October 23rd, Miss Lois Hill, of Betworthy Farm, was married at the Parish Church to Mr. David H. Fawkes, of Quedgely. Weddings have been fashionable in our village this year, which of course is a gratifying fact, especially to the contracting parties; but we welcome them also for the amount of good feeling they draw out between neighbours. It was very

gratifying to see the interest which this wedding, as former ones, awakened throughout the Parish. Arches and mottoes across the road and on the Churchyard gates, and the crowd which filled the Church proved that Coaley people know how to fulfil the Divine command "Rejoice with them who do rejoice." The marriage service was performed by the Vicar, assisted by the Rev. Alexander Nash, Rector of Quedgely: Miss Robinson was Organist, and the Choir was present to leal the singing. Mrs. Hill afterwards entertained a large number of friends at breakfast.

Mrs. Holland hopes to commence her Mothers' Meeting again on Monday, November 4th, at the Temperance Hall, at 2.30 p.m., and will welcome all who like to attend.

The Night School will open on Monday, November 11th, at 7

p.m.

A Meeting of the Church of England Temperance Society will be held at the School on Friday, November 15th, at 7.30 p.m., when the Rev. T. P. Ring, the Diocesan Secretary, and the Rev. C. C. Browne, Rector of Uley, will attend to explain the objects of the Society This Society is not altogether a Total Abstinence Society, but embraces moderate drinkers as well. We trust it may soon be as well known and popular in Coaley as it is in Dursley, Berkeley, Uley, etc.

On Monday, November 18th, there will be a Meeting of the Bible Society in the School at 7.30 p.m., when the Rev. J. Milward, Vicar of St. Clement's, Birmingham, and C. Hooper, Esq., of Eastington, will attend as speakers.

Through the Winter we shall have a service in Church once a fortnight, on Tuesday, at 7.30 p.m, when it is hoped special Preachers will occupy the Pulpit-the Rev. F. Barnes, Vicar of Trinity Church, Plymouth, has kindly promised to preach at the first service on Tuesday, November 12th.

Also, through the winter, the Church will be open for Baptisms on the afternoon of the last Sunday in each month, at 3 o'clock, as we fear the evening service in winter is too late and cold for infants to be brought to it.

We shall all regret that Mr. Robinson, our Schoolmaster, has left us for a school in Chester: we are much indebted to him and his family for the interest they have taken in School and Choir matters. The Managers are now looking out for a new Schoolmaster, and hope it may not be long before the post is filled again.

CHURCH REGISTER.

BAPTISMS.

Sept. 29-Constance Kate, daughter of Charles and Sarah Cooper. -John, son of John and Mary Griffin.

Oct. 20-Francis Augustus, son of George and Ellen Smith.

On Sunday, October 13th, the Rev. T. P. Ring, Local Secretary of the Church of England Temperance Society, preached both Morning and Evening in the Parish Church in behalf of the Society. The total amount of the Offertory Collections was £7. 28 4d., of which (as proposed in the Parish Magazine of last month) threefourths (£5. 6s. 9d.) was paid to the Parent Society, and one-fourth (£1. 15s. 7d.) to the Dursley Branch.

On Monday, October 14th, about 70 of the members of the Dursley Branch had tea together in the National School-room, and afterwards adjourned to the Town Hall for the Public Meeting. The hall was well filled, and Mr. Ring addressed them in a very earnest speech for about 1 hours. The amount collected after the Meeting was £1. 7s. 4d, which was given to the Dursley Branch. By this means the debt which had been incurred was nearly cleared off, and the remainder (12s. 6d.) has since been supplied through the kindness of a member, who does not wish his name to be mentioned. The Dursley Branch is, therefore, quite free from liabilities, and for the future the collections will, we trust, quite meet the expenditure.

The Quarterly Meeting of the Governors of the National Schools was held on October 30th, at which the estimated account of the receipts and expenditure to the end of the year was submitted to them. From this it appeared that the deficiency at that time would be nearly £20. The School began the year with a deficiency of £6. 10s. 7d., added to which between £7 and £8 of Annual Subscriptions have been lost by Subscribers having left the parish and by death; and also a larger expenditure than usual has been necessary in whitewashing and colouring the school-rooms and in repair of the roof. A second Offertory Collection for the Schools will be necessary to meet this deficiency.

THE WIDOW'S EVENING PRAYER.

I KINGS, XVII.

By the Author of 'Earth's Many Voices.'

LORD Jehovah, sure and never failing,

Leader of our fathers through the dreary wild,

Friend of the fecble, Help of the desolate,

Thou hast stayed the widow's heart, and fed her fainting child.

O Lord Jehovah, who would not trust in Thee?

Who that but once hath proved Thy faithful word?

Sure as returning day, so are Thy promises;

Take Thou thus my evensong, Israel's mighty Lord.

M

ANNIE PENDREATH.

CHAPTER XI.

R. WILSON'S business in London was soon satisfactorily concluded. With a full purse it is not difficult for a man to obtain all that he requires. He was in high good humour, for it was very pleasant to have his son as a companion again after such a long absence. They had a late luncheon together at the club, and then Mr. Wilson announced his intention of returning home by the next train.

'We've finished a good morning's work, Bob,' said he; there's nothing to be done in town at this dull season. Of course you'll come back with me?'

'Well, father, you see I have been away from England so long, that there are several things I must attend to at once. They may keep me in town a few hours later,' replied Robert, with an uncomfortable feeling that it was but a poor excuse.

In truth, he had been all day in a state of miserable anxiety as to how he should manage to get back to Mere, and account to poor Annie for his absence. He knew that she must be eagerly expecting him, and would be getting quite uneasy at his delay. Fortunately for him his father was in a mood to be easily satisfied.

"You must settle it as you please, Bob,' he replied; but don't forget that if you miss the six-o'clock express you'll have to stay the night in town. And now I must be off at once. How the time passes! I'a no notion it was so late!'

Robert watched him depart, longing to return with him, yet not

Annie Pendreath.

daring to arouse suspicion by stopping at Mere on the way. No, he must wait for that later train, and make the best excuse he could devise for his prolonged absence. What a wretched web of falsehoods was that in which he had become entangled! His very soul revolted from it, and yet how could he escape? He felt himself to be like a man wandering through a bog, and sinking deeper and deeper at every step.

What could be done? How was he to meet his wife that evening and tell her, either that he had changed his mind or that circumstances were altered, and he could not take her to Hurst Court? How would it be possible to explain such a decision, without either confessing the whole truth, or telling more lies? Might not Annie begin to have suspicions, and what would be the consequeno if once her trusting faith in him were shaken? He paced up and down the station, where he had driven an hour too soon, feeling utterly distracted.

After all,' he thought, 'would it not be better to throw up the game and tell everything?'

But as he remembered his wife's perfect confidence in him, and her pure, truthful, open character, he felt that he dared not risk such a betrayal. If she ceased to respect him, might she not cease to love him? Better a thousand times face his father's anger, and all its consequences, rather than let Annie know that he had deceived her.

The train was late that day, and when he reached Mere it was after eight o'clock, and almost dusk. There were several people waiting on the platform, and in his eager impatience to hurry out he did not notice a lady who was shown into the very carriage he had left.

On what slight chances do the most important results often seem to depend! And how different might the event have been, if he had paused to recognise the pale features of the weary traveller who passed so close to him!

It was not far to the Three Herons,' and he had soon reached it; as quickly as his impatient steps could carry him. In the hall he happened to catch sight of the landlady, and with a hurried nod remarked,-

'Mrs. Wilson has dined, I suppose?'

He was passing on, when her answer suddenly arrested him.

If you please, sir, Mrs. Wilson has not come in yet!'

She spoke in rather an aggrieved tone, for the good lady liked people in her house to keep to regular meals and hours.

What do you mean?" he exclaimed. 'Not come in? Why it has been dark the last hour! There must be some mistake.'

And without waiting to hear more, he rushed up two stairs at a time, and on through the dimly-lighted passage to the sitting-room. It was all in darkness.

Annic, dear!' he called, first in a low voice and then more loudly.

Perhaps she was resting and might have fallen asleep. There was no answer,-only his own words resounded through the quiet room; and then he hurriedly rang for lights.