"Well, I don't feel much flattered at that, for the Bible says, 'the ravens shall pluck out their eyes and the young eagles shall eat them;' and I am sure that I don't feel like plucking out eyes, but more like opening them."

"What would you open them to see, Alpheus?" inquired Odora.

"I would fain open the eyes of intelligent men and women to see, where Alcohol is used as a beverage, that death is in the pot."

The girls could not help but laugh when they looked up and saw what a queer expression he had given to his face.

"Well, my dear sisters, there is one thing that I hope your bright eyes will not be open to see."

"What is that?" inquired Alba. "I hope you will not live to see the birds soar away to their cosy nests,

shaded and guarded by the green hangings of nature's own providing, nor the little foxes scampering away to their little burrows to shelter themselves from the approaching storm;" in low and tremulous tones he added, 66 and you left with not the where to lay your head."

His last words had filled the eyes of both the girls with tears. At the same time striving in vain to hide his Own emotions, after a moment's pause he continued: "This will be the case if you follow that ignis fatuus that is ahead," pointing to Mr. Willard, who was before them in a wagon.

"We will not follow him," said Odora. "We will follow the Eastern star that guided the wise men of Israel to the Babe in Bethlemem, and to them in the stable, who offered up their gifts of frankincense and myrrh. So will our dear mother, our sister,

and myself, offer the few precious jewels we gathered in the Eastern states here in the Western wilds, asking God to make diamonds of them."

Alpheus remained several days with the family after their arrival in what was then called Amherst, doing what he could to make them comfortable in their new log-house.

By the time Alpheus got ready to leave, Mr. Willard had made up his mind that Alph. was not so bad a fellow after all. As to himself he had no "malice to heart," although he had talked very unkind to him.

Alpheus took his leave, and they were left to contend alone with the inconveniences of a new country, and they contended valiantly, in doors and out, showing that the hand of industry had been at work; their household inconveniences were nothing to be compared with being deprived of books

and papers. Mrs. Willard managed to remove the latter obstacles by corresponding with Eastern editors and becoming their weekly contributor. Odora soon joined her mother in this. They wrote under assumed names and upon subjects nearest their hearts; they corresponded with temperance societies, East, begging them to send their champions into the western valley where the fields were already white for the harvest and laborers were few; and filled their mouths with arguments. Their faith rested on the immutable Word, and they leaned upon the strong arm that was able to deliver. The light that had irradiated the Eastern hemisphere promised to shed its irradiating beams, and to roll back the moral cloud of darkness that brooded over the Western world. It was a long time before much good was evidently done. De

spising not the day of small things they pressed on to the mark of the prize of the high calling. Mrs. Willard and Odora were unobtrusive in their characters, so they toiled on, not letting the left hand know what the right hand did.

Not known but as indigent farmers, their circumstances were so straitened that they were obliged to labor with their hands to obtain a livelihood. Mr. Willard in the mean time lost his health, and his intellect became so much impaired that he was a source of anxiety, as well as an additional expense, but this did not discourage them; though they were obliged to drop some of their correspondents, they had seen the great work in which they were engaged prosper in their hands, and these were all the laurels they desired. They rejoiced even when they saw at a distance the trembling