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Show i i JTKE LIONTSV7HELPi A Story of Cromwell's Time DY AMELIA t . BARK. Author f "Tha flow nf Ornia UlTibon, "I. Thnu aad tha Othr Oiw." "The Mld of Naldxv Lana." Ltc. (Cnpnlftl. l 1. Uud A C.mnr. All H.liL rr.tv. .1 1 CHAPTER XIV fC0..ourd. "I hau n t a dotiM i,f It." rnlil Poc-tor Poc-tor Verily. Well, Hubert, did they bv nolhlr-n to nay to you?" ho aikml, turnlnf to Admiral llluhe. "They asked nifl lo treat my mot. well, anil I mild, 'I'll treat them Ilk., myaelf. I'll jrho lliem plenty of mem and drink and plenty of fliihtltiff ana prlrs motioy," and ao to their rood will we pam-ed all throurli the rlly, and, ae I live, 'twaa tho plcaantot 'prnRruei' any mortal men could do alro." Then Doetor Verily beaan to tnlU of tha Anierlran C'lilnntoa and thotr wonderful ttrowth. And aa Cromwell llatened his faeo Rrew lumlnoiia; h4 aoemod to Iwik IhroiiKh his vyobnlla, rather than with them, and when Mlo ton reaiod there waa alienee until b apoke. "I aee," he aald, "a (treat people, a taut empire, from Iho lolna of all nation! na-tion! It shall sprlrnr. And there shall be no klnit Hito. Hut tho dinlre of all lienrta shall ho toward la, and It shall he a (overt for tho opprespeil and bread aud wlno and tnoat for thoitc ready lo porlnh." Then Sid , ho seemed to ronllre tho near and the present, and ho adilid. "Twua hut yeuirnli I wrotn to that Rood man, the Nov. John Cotton of lloiiton. I biivo told him that 1 am truly ready to servo him and the rent of t to broth-ren broth-ren and tho rhurrhea with him." Wltn thoim wonla bo rono from the tnhle, and Mr. Mllti n. the l adles Mary and r'raui'es Cromwell and Jnre Bnaff-ham Bnaff-ham went Into tho xreut hall, whero Ihero wna an exi rodlrcly fine organ. In s short tlirin Mr. Million beitiiii to play and to hint?, hut tlio alrls wnlltod mi aud, down ItilMrc; to Juno of their admirers, and tl.oir now kowiih, and of lovo leitors tli.'it l.nd hicn aent thum In haslielof llowora. When tho miifllo eeatieil, tho even-InK even-InK an far spent, uiu! Cromwell sniil aa ho drew Krtineoa arid Jnro within bis tirnot, "llrlng nm tho lllblo, Mary. t- - 1 . f,' -v "Oliver, dear Oliver." Mr. Milton baa been Riving us Kiik-Itsh Kiik-Itsh aong, now we. will have lha lof'lur nitiKlo of Kins liavld." "And wo shall K"t no xrander music, sir," suld Doctor Owen, "than Is to ho found In tho Hllile. Hulillmtty Is Ilo-brow Ilo-brow by birth. We miiHt go to tho Holy Hook for words beyond our words, la thoro a man living who could have wrltton that glorious hymn. "1ird, Thou haat been our dwi II-Ing II-Ing plai-o In all goneiatlons; i " 'ileforo the mounlalna were brought forth, or ever Thou hudHt formed tho earth and tho world; evcu from overlastluii to rvurlantlng Thou art Ood !" Cnunwull did not answer; bo waa turning the leaves of tho dear, hotnoly kxiklng volume whhh hla dauvhtcr bad luld before him. Bho bttng affectionately affec-tionately over hla ahouldor, and when be had found whut be wanted, ho looked look-ed up at her and shn smiled and nodded nod-ded her approbation. Then be said: "Truly, 1 think no mortal pou hut Bt John's could hnve wrltton thorni lines; and I give not Ht. John the honor for the Holy Ono intuit buve put thorn Into bis heart, and tho hand of his ani'ol Ruld.il hla pen." And bo hc?tun to road, and the wolds fi ll lll.o a lcii il nl vision, and a grout awe Ailed the room as they droppi-d fioui Cromwell's lips. And when he coaKod thi-ro was a silence that could lie felt, a silence almost pnlnful. oru Or. Owen a silvery volcn pcnoirutml It with the wonla of the Iteno.lteiion. Then the Protector and Mrs. Cromwell klRsod the girls and tho clergymen blessed them, and thoy went to their riioms aa from the very prosencn of (od. Hut Mrs. Cromwell linaorod a long time. Him could not rest until she had soon the sliver and crystal and fine damask put away 111 safety; and she thought It no shame to look aa her lxnil did after the fraiiinouts of the abundant dinner. "I will not have them wanted," she aald to the steward, "nor given to those who need them nut. The I.ady Kllzubeih hath a lint of poor families, and It Is my will that thuy, and Uiey only, are served." "Joen she went to ker 'augntcr Cla polo's apartments, and tallied with hot about her children and her health. V'hett llioy parted It was very lata; th online sua dark and still ami Mra. Cr. owell, with careful aconomlea In hfl mind and a smile n bur hand, wt softly ali I K tho lonely, gloomy r - Mors. Her little grandson had a si. l, it fi ver; she wus But satisfied w 't I ber doiiKhter's health, and the cwiof the gnat houxi'liuld she ruled i I burden she never wholly laid f-'ivn. In this vast, melancholy pile of thsmhers, she thought of her aim-pit aim-pit home In Ht. Ives with longing and aft ctlon. Hoynl splendors had glvon re. nothing she cured for, and they la", taken from her Iho constant help and rotiipanliinhlp that In humbler ch umHtiiucrs ber good, great husband hus-band hnd given ber. Hho paused a moment before the door of his room. Slin wondered If ho was SHloep. If so, she would on no account awuken him, for In these daya ho slept far too little. Bho opened the door softly and saw him anting mo-tlonlcHS mo-tlonlcHS by thn fire, his eyes closed, bis massive form upright and perfectly perfect-ly at rest. "Oliver," she raid, "dear Oliver, you oitrht to Itn In bed and S"loep." Ills great darkling soul flashed Into his fare s look of tonib reut lovo. "I llznlioth," ho answered, "I wish that I could shop. I do Indeed. I noed It. (iod knows I noed It, but my heart wakes, and I do fear It will wake this nUht If so, thero Is no sleep for mo. You see, donroHt, how flod mingles our cup. When I watt Mr, Cromwell, I, roubl sleep from nli;hl till morning. Whon I wus Oen. Cromwell, my Inbors cove mo rest. Now that I am Lord 1'rotoitor of throo Kingdoms, sleep, alas! Is ono far from ice. In my mind I run to and fro thrnunh all the laud. I hnvn s lhounnnd plans and anxieties, Kllznhcth, my deariit; great plan. h pot worth lookinf after. It Is not." "What troubles you In particular, OHvorT" "Una of tho things that troubled my (Ileal Master, when ho wopt and prayed pray-ed utid fanned In (iethiemaue. Ho know llmt thuio whom ho loved and who ouj:lit to Btronntben anil comfort him, would soon fottiuko and doe from l lm. 1 think of tho men who havo trusted tno to lead them In every battle; bat-tle; who hover found mo wanting: tte ;nen wnh wlioiu I havo taken counsel, ';' i 1mm I havo prayed; the n'n who were n mo na Jonatlmu to Pavld, and when 1 think of them my heart Is lll.o to burnt In twain. They aro bu-iclnolni; bu-iclnolni; lo foi'unke mo. and their cold looks and formal words hurt me like a sword thrust; thoy do, Elligbeth, they do Indeed." "If you hnd made yourself King, as you might have clone, as you ounht to havo done, you would havo bl lens opposition. John Verily said so-to mo. Ho suld Englishmen were used to king, but they did rot know what to luakfl of s protector." "King! King! 1 am king In veryi truth, cull me whnt Ho y like. Anil for that matter, why rhmilil I t bo king? Doctor Owen tells me the word King rutin s from Koulg anl aionns 'the man tl.ul can.' I urn that man. F.vorythlnc In icurnpn cnntes from Kiitnu bat tic 11 old. that was their first title to klcigsbip. How many li;teii have I fought and won? I ,",.T (Wt a fclnglc Hold- how could I, the lord of Hosts being with me? As a hern of battle, thoro Is no uuin to munii be-lorn be-lorn me. Why should I not ho king over the throo countries 1 have conquered? con-quered? John Verity In rtt,t j-n)(. llshinon think a protector la a ruler for emergency. They feel ternpomry and uncertain with a protector. A kingship Is a settled oriioe." "Take the crown, Oliver. Why not," "I have no orders to take It. My angel told me when I was a boy, t halt I should become the greatest nmil , Knglaud, but he said not that I should be king. And I kuuw also from unc who nover lied to me. that this nmi will yearn aftur Itn old unman hy i am horn to do a work, to sw that will take genorutlotia t rlw hut. rc re'irn Is ot ly an Interregonm. I shall foil- il no i',t.ty" I Thou it., uis wire s hand tendur- I ly liotwei nil ..n. I." i I with In- tonce forvi r, ' T! '-re In not n man living liv-ing rati i.-ly 1 Mr.mi! tbiH place rot man or wonian living on Knglltih proitnd. I enn say In the presence of Clnil. I would hove boon cliol to have lived wn i thee under my woodxPle I all tho days of my life, io d to have kept my shoe,, ni il plowed my land rather then hear the burden of tills government." "Do you think (he I'nrltan govers-mnnt govers-mnnt will die Willi you. Oliver?" "I tnli.k It will, hut the Puritan principles will rover die. The kings of the earth ban. led togthir cannot destroy them. They will spring up and flourish like 'the grans that tar-rletb tar-rletb not for man' spring whnre none has sowed or planted them spring In the wilderness and In tho city, until they possess the whole earth. This I know, and am suro of. After all, Elisabeth, Elisa-beth, there Is nothing got by this world's lovo, and nothing lost by Us bate. This Is tho root of the matter; my position as Protector la cither of Ood, or of man. If I did not firmly bo-Hove bo-Hove It was nf (Iod, 1 would have run sway from It mnry years ago. If It be of Ooil, he will hear me up while I am In IL If It he of man It will shake and tumble. What ar all our hlstorioa but Ood manifesting that he has shnken and trampled upon everything be hna not planted?" "My dearest you are now In s good mind. Mo down and sleep In his care, for be does raro for you." And e!io put hor arme around hla nock and klased blm, and ho answered: "Thou art my comfort, and I thank Ood for thco! Whou ho laid out my llfe'a work be thought of thoe to awenten It." Bhn left him then, hcplng that be would shelter bis weariness In darkness dark-ness and In sleep. Hut bo did not. Tho words ho bad spoken, (houch so full of hope nnd courage, wanted thnt authentication au-thentication from teyond, without which thoy wore ns tinkling brna to Oliver. Ho locked his chamber door, retired his soul from nil vlslblos, aud stood solemnly hoforo (Iod, waiting to hoar whnt he would say to bltn. And In a momert all tho trnublo of outward things grow at pence with that within, for bo stood inotlutileps on thnt (lar-sllng (lar-sllng line whero mortal nnd immortal vorgo thnt lino where all Is lost In lovn for (Iod. aud tho beggar Self forgets for-gets to ark for nuylhtt'g. Tho austere swoetno-s of snerllU-e filled Ills soul, I T.,0 divlno Hymn of UenuncliKlon was on his lips. "Ho n thou wilt with me," be cried, "hut, oh, that I knew whore to find thee! Oh, (hat 1 might come Into thy presence!" Then there was suddenly granted to hla longing thai open vision, open only to tha spirit, that wondrous evidence evi-dence that very near about us lies tho ronlin of spiritual mysteries, and tho strong man bowed aud wept great tears of Joy ui.d Borrow. And after that Peace peace uuspi-akahto and full of gladness, and be alopt llko a sinless child while his angel came In s drnnm and comforted hint. For so Ood glvetb to his beloved while thoy sleep. (To be continued.) |