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The skies did not brighten for Haldane, and he remained perplexed and despondent When one wishes to refor does not become lovely in this unfriendly world The first steps are usually the most difficult, and the earliest experience the ned that reform should be easy As it is, people are too ready to live the life which renders reform necessary The ranks of the victims of evil would be doubled did not a wholesome fear of the consequences restrain

Within a few short weeks the fortunes of the wealthy and self-confident youth had altered so greatly that now he questioned whether the world would give hinant

There was his mother's offer, it is true; but had Mrs Haldane considered the nature of this offer, even she could scarcely have made it Suppose he tried to follow out his mother's plan, and went to a city where he was unknown, could she expect an active young fellow to go to an obscure boarding-house, andforces of his nature ht employment of any kind the question would at once arise, "Who are you?" and sooner or later would coht of all this, and the prospect of vegetating in dull obscurity at hisburied alive

Moreover, he could not endure to leave Hillaton in utter defeat He was prostrate, and felt the foot of adverse fate upon his neck, but he would not acknowledge hiain his feet he would renew the struggle; and he hoped in some way to do so As yet, however, the future was a wall of darkness

Neither did he find any rest for his spiritual feet For sorasp the idea of a personal God who cared enough for hiive any practical help In spite of all that Mrs Arnot could say, his heart remained as cold and heavy as a stone within his breast

But to some extent he could appreciate the picture she had presented He saw one who, through weakness and folly, had fallen into the depths of degradation, patiently and bravely fighting his way up to a true manhood; and he had been ed to accomplish it Whether he could or no he was not sure, for his old confidence was all gone But he daily grewan honest trial, and in this effort a certain native persistency and unwillingness to yield would be of much help to him