How weary Reuben felt of the dull outlook—the smoke and griminess visible everywhere! The day had been a hard one with him. The lads at the factory had been most provoking; they had contrived to get him blamed for what was in no way his fault. He had borne the undeserved rebuke without a word—he would not be so mean as to tell of the others. But his spirit smarted under a sense of injury and injustice. And now he felt that the difficulties of position were more than could be borne. He longed to return to Ashworth. Why should he not? It would be throwing away his chance; it would disappoint his mother's hopes; but would she wish him to stay on if she knew how wretched he was? Surely not! Reuben's meditations had reached this point when, rather to his surprise—for he never had visitors—some one knocked at his door. "Come in," he said. The door was opened a few inches, and a shock-headed girl looked in to say,— "Reuben Roy, I've brought ye these flowers. You're from the country, so maybe you'll like them. A lady brought a lot of bunches into our room this afternoon, and she gave me two, so here's one for you." She threw him the bunch, and was gone almost before he could say "Thank you." There were only a few flowers—a rose or two, a "sweet-william," some pinks, and a bit of "lad's love,"—but how sweet they seemed to Reuben! How they brought the old untidy piece of garden at home before his eyes! How they sharpened to almost painful intensity his longing to return to Ashworth! Never, surely, were flowers more welcome. Reuben's eyes grew moist as he sniffed their perfume; his breast heaved with a sob of which he had no cause to feel ashamed. The next minute he saw that a small ornamental card was attached to the bunch. It was one sent out by a flower mission, and on the card, clearly printed in gold letters, were the words, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it." ¹ ¹ 1 Cor. x. 13 Reuben read the words with a thrill of pleasant surprise. Was it sent to remind him that his difficulties, his trials should not be greater than he could bear, and that God, the faithful God, would help him to endure, if he would trust in Him? It seemed so, and with the thought new courage came to Reuben Roy. Certainly, the little bunch of flowers, with its encouraging message, opened a way of escape from the gloomy despondency that had possessed him. He began to wonder what had made the girl give him the flowers. He knew little of her, save that she lodged in the house and worked in the same factory as he did. She seemed a high-spirited, noisy, mischievous girl, a favourite with her companions, but one who often had to be reprimanded by the overseer.