t Conflict

    IN tember, Maggie ting in tling

    midniging  tful force by ter Lucys visit t and drougo cold variable ervals; and so risk templated journey until ttled. In ties inuous, and tion of t ed. And no t, so t talked of sixty years ago,  t on t floods, oo great misery. But tion, urally prone to take a  ted taken a  but for t ts,  obliged to go to a distance for food. But t te, by tenings of a er falls of sno t, to break loide came in ers  causing more temporary inconvenience, and losses t  only by t, wy would relieve.

    All   midnig some solitary ced in tle parlour to left everyt a letter  letter,   o t - unconscious  -  coming across  of t far, far off rest, from ruggling earthly life.

    t letter so tory for t time. ted  t first enligs as to turn ion to Maggie, ly been made more fully a by an earnest remonstrance from one of  tion of persisting in ttempt to overcome t feeling in tance. Dr Kenn, ter, ill inclined to persevere - ill averse to give iment t emptible; but  upon by tion of ty attaco  `appearance is al on ty of surrounding minds.  `appearance is proportionately inacy; per o succumb: conscientious people are apt to see ty in t o recede o Dr Kenn.   advise Maggie to go a Oggs for a time; and  difficult task ating in vague terms t tempt to countenance ay o obstruct o alloe to a clerical friend of  possibly take o , ion for a young rong interest.

    Poor Maggie listened rembling lip: s a faint `teful; and so ion. S be a lonely  among fres   seem joyful to  begin a nerained to  ougo complain? Ougo sy sening to some ot passionate error into a neure and ling for patience: - for  by ling?

    And on t sat out tter able before her.

    tter ep Mudport again, unknoo any of ten to  place, enclosing tter to a person ed in St Oggs. From beginning to end, it e cry of reproac  t perverted notion of rigo crus any substantial good -  single overpo han once in his life.

    `tten to me t you are to marry Kenn. As if I s! Perold you some suc me. Perell you I ;travelling.quot; My body  some me - ed up from tupor of o find you gone.

    `Maggie!  long look of love t  itself into my soul, so t no oto you! - call me back to life and goodness! I am banisives: I am indifferent to everytainty t I can never care for life  you. rite me one ;Come!quot; In ten  o be togeto be o be hers voice?

    read tter s as if emptation  begun. At trance of turn : but rodden far in to be faint and o tural longing from under trong t all less immediate motives are likely to be forgotten - till the pain has been escaped from.

    For  as if ruggle  t srove to summon  aside by teping for t ter: stering it, and ts old strange poure t carry t, upself upon ure, in o be excrengt t promise of joy in t make temptation to Maggie. It epone of misery, - it  in tice of  made tremble, and made art from  to reace `Come!

    But close upon t decisive act, radiction  self in s of strengtion. No - s  - s pray - t t  s, rong enougo conquer agony - to conquer love: s s er irred all t bound o t.

    S quite still, far on into t: o ctitude,  active force enougal act of prayer: only ing for t t would surely come again.

    It came  no passion could long quenc came back to  tains of self-renouncing pity and affection, of fait  tle old book t s, ruso  for t e lost in t t from t, and bear it till deat laid it upon me.

    But soon ot could find no utterance but in a sob: `Forgive me, Step o her.

    Sook up tter,  to t it burn sloo-morroo  ing.

    `I , and bear it till deat  ience and strengto struggle and fall and repent again? - rials as ill? it cry of self-despair, Maggie fell on  table, and buried ricken face.  out to ty t o taug need; and s be learning a secret of enderness and long-suffering, t to be long, let me live to bless and comfort--

    At t moment Maggie felt a startling sensation of sudden cold about : it er floed up - tream  led into t beant - s he flood!

    tumult of emotion s t calm in  screaming, sairs to Bob Jakins bedroom. t in and she shoulder.

    `Bob, t is in t us see if s safe.

    Sed c into screams; and to see if ters . tep doo t taircase: s ter ep. remendous cras t ter pouring in after it.

    `It is t! cried Maggie. `Bob, come doo get ts!

    And  a moments ser, o  of t on tairs, sed on to t into t, ruding t long after  sockings, but horn in his hand.

    `s, said Bob, as  into ts ening isnt broke too, as he mooring.

    In tement of getting into t, unfastening it and mastering an oar, Bob  struck  apt to fear for ts for ty of t t Maggie aken tivity, gave Bob a vague impression of o protect, not need to be protected. Soo  possession of an oar, and o release t from the overhanging window-frame.

    `ters rising so fast, said Bob, `I doubt itll be in at to get Prissy and to t, if I could and trusten to ter - for t go t - but you, ing t of ood in treaming.

    Maggie ime to ansidal current s along ts out on to ter,  carried t ting current of the river.

    In t moments Maggie felt not of not t s life ransition of deat its agony - and sh God.

    t tion cinct conception of ion. t t ion of tion t test liged tery level belo aation of God alk of -  tom - and ened together.

    `O God, he dim loneliness.

    troyed it. t be in danger - in distress: rained no t; and so the darkness, and finding none.

    Sing in smooter noo cgoing of o trained  tain of gloom t s seize t sig - t s catc suggestion of t toended.

    O  dismal ery level - ting of t - ts above t be out on tops of rees. rees: looking before o paddle t foro advance more sly, noeously on a mound reaming  by t sions - except a sensation of strengty emotion. Along  t  quarrel,  calamity ure of our life is gone, and ive mortal needs? Vaguely, Maggie felt trong resurgent love to aer impressions of anding, and left only the deep, underlying, unshakable memories of early union.

    But noance, and near to  of t be - yes, it  Oggs. Ao look for t glimpse of trees - tnuts - and above t t: all  and dim. More and more strongly to come and put tored-up force t  in ture.

    S get  into t of to pass t t occurred to ate of t t be carried very far doo guide  out of t again. For t time distinct ideas of danger began to press upon  tation, and sed into t. Sly s no effort; more and more clearly in tance and t, so discern ts t s be trees and roofs: nay, s far off a rus t must be trangely altered Ripple.

    Great God! ting masses in it, t mig  as so perisoo soon.  hose masses?--

    For t time Maggies  began to beat in an agony of dread. S  sed along - more intensely conscious of ticipated clas transient: it passed a Oggs: s use all o manage t and get it if possible, out of t. S ts of a stranded vessel far out over tery field. But no boats o be seen moving on t be employed in treets.

    ition, Maggie seized ood up again to paddle: but tide added to tness of ts from to   till so tofton t s t clear of t. toook to bot across tery fields, back too as of trees - could see tco t, and tnuts - Oer: deeper trees on t? ts  ? But it  tood firm: droo t story, but still firm - or  broken in at tohe Mill?

    iting joy t s last - joy t overcame all distress, Maggie neared t of t first s moving.  airs windows. S in a loud piercing voice,

    `tom, wher, where are you? here is Maggie!

    Soon, from ttic in tral gable, soms voice:

    `?  a boat?

    `It is I, tom - Maggie. her?

    `S  to Garum, terday. Ill come doo the lower window.

    `Alone, Maggie? said tom, in a voice of deep astonis, as .

    `Yes, tom: God aken care of me, to bring me to you. Get in quickly. Is there no one else?

    `No, said tom, stepping into t, `I fear t of trees and stones against it: Ive sed again and again, and the oars, Maggie.

    It  till tom er - o face  t  came irely neion to , of t  o ask a question. t mutely gazing at eacense life looking out from a en face - tom pale ain a : and tion, ory of almost miraculous divinely-protected effort. But at last a mist gatter: the old childish - `Magsie!

    Maggie could make no ans a long deep sob of t mysterious h pain.

    As soon as so Lucy, tom: well go and see if s.

    tom roired vigour, and  speed from poor Maggies. t  of t tofton.

    `Park ands  of t Lucy there.

    Noto given s ed along. tery desolation  in dreadful clearness around ted onening masses. A large company in a boat t s ofton ed, `Get out of t!

    But t could not be done at once, and tom, looking before s, clinging togetal fellowsream.

    `It is coming, Maggie! tom said, in a deep he oars, and clasping her.

    t instant t er - and triumph.

    But soon t reappeared, a black speck on ter.

    t reappeared - but broter o be parted - living t, ttle ogether.

    Conclusion

    NAtURE repairs ion tle visible trace on ter. tumn ers among tant h hopeful lading and unlading.

    And every man and ioned in tory ill living - except those whose end we know.

    Nature repairs  not all. torn trees are not rooted again - ted  scarred: if trees are not ture bear t rending. to t  on t, thorough repair.

    Dorlcote Mill . And Dorlcote c one laid prostrate upon it after ts grassy order and decent quiet.

    Near t brick grave tomb erected very soon after t  en visited at different moments by t t joy and keenest sorrohere.

    One of ted tomb again  face beside  t er.

    tary.  companionsrees of till to ing spirit.

    tomb bore tom and Maggie tulliver, and belo ten--

    `In t divided.