Macarius's Lesson

The sunshine lay aiong the sands In lingering, level, shilling bands ; luto au open cell it shone, Where monk Macarius sat alono, And started as a shadow feil Acroas the glitter in nis cell. ' " Father," a burdened sinner said, " How 6hall my peace with God be made ? How shill I live the liie of saints, Fcr which my hungry spirit faints ? " " Fly from the sight of man, my son, So be thy Christian race begun, In solitude thv sin lauient, By night and dav thy deeds repent: Sin not in speech, thy tongue control,- So shalt thou save thy sinful soul." 'J'hat mght Macarius on his bed Heurd a aweet voice that softly said, ' Thou thinkest goodneas dwells with thee P Kise ! go to yonder town and see ! Beside the shore two women dweil Far above thee as heaveu from heil." At early dawu, with prayer and groan, Miicarius left his cell alone, And sought the city's busy roar, The craftsmen's street beside the shore, Where Claudia and Eudora sat Braiding together on a mat. With accent stern the abbot said, " What lite, O wDmen have ye led, That auy angel should come down To give to you a saintiy crown '( " With startled eyes, and lips apart, And mingled words, as one in heart : " We are our husband's wives, and try To serve them with humility. No saints, ü father, can we be, But two poor womeu, as you see." " Nay," muttered he ; " some mightier graco Has sauctitied your d welling-place. What have you offered to the Lord ? What duty done P what sin abhorred r How m the crowded, wraugling street Made of your lives an odor sweet ? " " We have done nothiug. Once we said For God's sake we would be unwed, And live as nuns in convent coll. Our husbands did not thiuk it well ; So then we only made a vow 'J'o live in Christian peace aa now, Nor let a word of strife or wrong Be heard again from either tongue." The father bowed his head and sighed. "Obedient! silent! self-deuied ! - And women, too ! Ah, Lord I see How far this life surpasseth me ! " A wiser and a better man His course from thence Macarius rail. 0 saint and abbot, sleep in peace ! 1 pray not that thy tnbe increase, For if that angel carne again To cleanse a soul from sinful stain, In what new land, beside what sea, Could two such woudrous womou be 't - Harper's Magazine for June.