are ignorant of the fact that the errors of others may be visited on our heads, “some forlorn and shipwrecked brother,” some poor deluded sister may be rueing the consequences (indirectly) of our shortcomings. Even of our very words--our thoughtlessness and apparently unmeaning remarks--evil may arise. The French proverb says, “_Oui et non sont bien courts à dire, mais avant que de les dire il y faut penser longtemps._” Alas, how few amongst us are there who think before they _act_, how fewer still before they speak! A precious life may be lost, a child may be rendered motherless, the hearth of the old may be made desolate, and all because of thoughtless words spoken to foolish ears; while the truth of the old historian’s words “Cupido dominandi cunctis affectibus flagrantior est,” is to a certain degree verified by the evils which a love of power and a mean jealousy of rule have entailed upon more than one deserving character in the foregoing pages. Truly, seeing that we are but links in the great chain of human events, it behoves us to take good heed, not only to our _ways_ but to the seeing that we offend not with the unruly member, which, according to high authority, never has and never can be brought under subjection. The characters in my story, whose future is darkened, and whose past has been made miserable by the great mischief which their busy tongues, their truant fancies, have wrought, can hardly (at least in the world’s opinion) be stigmatised as desperate and grievous sinners. They had _only_ not bridled the “little member, which boasteth great things,” had only _listened_ when duty should have caused them to close their ears to words which were dangerous because either too tender or too hard! Such had been amongst the sins of those whose punishment would be life-long--life-long, because for them the past is embittered by vain regrets--life-long, for neither to the mother who was false to her trust, nor to the old, the middle-aged, or the young whose faults and follies have been cited in this story, can _remorse_ be divorced from the sad paths of memory--life-long because, looking back upon the stream of life, they, with heavy hearts, could not fail to see, midst the soft rippling waves, the heavy stone that “some devil threw At their life’s mid-current, thwarting God!” THE END. LONDON: ROBSON AND SON, GREAT NORTHERN PRINTING WORKS, PANCRAS ROAD, N.W. Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber: the precess=> the process {pg 10} John Beachman=> John Beacham {pg 99} Mr. Duberley=> Mr. Duberly {pg 155} suppposing them=> supposing them {pg 166} In was nearly noon=> It was nearly noon {pg 208} said Honour, answering=> said Honor, answering {pg 252} faults tribulalation=> faults tribulation {pg 260}