THE TWO GAMEKEEPERS.

(Concluded from p. 89.)

THE circumstances that led to this sad murder must now be related, and my readers will see depicted in striking contrast the effect of love and hate, good and evil. Joseph Assender was an Irishman, who had for some years been employed on Mr. ———'s large estate. After some time, he not only married the daughter of an English farmer of some respectability living in the village, but was also raised by degrees from being a common labourer, to be, first a watcher, and afterwards gamekeeper. Mr. and Mrs. Assender had no family, and might have continued to live in the comfort they had during the few first years of their union, when now and then he might be seen accompanying his wife to their distant village church, where she never failed to seek comfort and assistance, let the weather be ever so bad: her look of deep reverence being often contrasted with his slothful indifference during the service, so that it was even feared by the late Rector that he came more for man's service than for that of the great GOD. In those days money was not so plentiful, and hard work with little earnings the order of the day; but at length, as riches increased, sin increased, for Assender took to smoking, and from smoking came drinking, and with drinking idleness; and forgetful of the fourth commandment, the Sunday was to him like any other day of the week. The old rector had often warned him of his danger, and since Mr. Stuart had held the living, he had not lost an opportunity of speaking to him, but without effect; and the squire being obliged, owing to his official duties, to reside most of the year in London, was unable to attend to his affairs in the country as much as he would otherwise have desired. At length the game decreased, and poachers were more often to be seen about at night than the gamekeeper. The squire too found that his estate was not as strictly looked after as it ought to be, and though reports reached him that "Assender spent but little time in his service, and that Mrs. Assender was not the happy woman she used to be," yet kindness of heart led him to believe the work was too hard for him in his increasing years, and that it would be right to have a superior gamekeeper, and make Assender assistant or under keeper, still paying him the wages he had done. He therefore sent for Assender, told him he was not satisfied with the way in which his property was looked after and preserved," and feeling (he added) you are getting aged and not so strong as you once were, I will either give you a lighter situation in remembrance of your long servitude, or you must be

content to hold the position of under gamekeeper, retaining the same salary; for I am determined things shall not remain as they have been; with that reason I have sent to a friend in Scotland to procure me a man thoroughly understanding and following his business. I intend also placing under him four watchers instead of two, (who will assist in the woods when not required by the keeper,) as well as an under keeper; so take your choice, for I cannot be keeper myself, and of late it has been almost necessary I should." Assender standing during this time before his master, looked for once consciously ashamed of the misplaced trust that had been shown him, and thanking his honour for his kind consideration, assured him he was getting old, and not able to rough it as he used, but would, with his honour's permission, accept the office of under gamekeeper on the terms named. This certainly was a great relief to Mrs. Assender, and ought to have been to the wretched man, for they both feared, when they heard of a change being made, and the squire's coming down, that the account of Assender's drunken life must have reached him, and that he would have been, as he deserved, altogether dismissed. Accordingly Donald M'Intyre soon arrived with his wife and little boy, bringing with him the highest testimonials any man could desire, both from Lord with whom he had lived, and the episcopal clergyman of the village where he had resided in Scotland, so that everything appeared to go on most comfortably; Mrs. Assender and the M'Intyres being on very friendly terms with each other, while it was believed Assender was as little at variance with them, as with anyone else about, though he could have but few friends, owing to his bad ways, in which he did not amend, being seldom at his post. Donald M'Intyre knowing, however, that he was an old servant, and had done much the same before he came without being dismissed, never obliged him to duty, unless some strong affray was expected, as had been now and then the case; the grounds and game having, ere his arrival, been considered as almost common property. At length a year or two elapsed, and a little girl had been added to the gamekeeper's family. The game was much increased, and the squire, who only came for a few weeks in the year to shoot over his estate, declared he was satisfied with everything, and felt sure M'Intyre was doing his duty. Whether this was repeated to Assender by the squire, when he one day called at the cottage to inquire after his wife, or met the jealous man's ear by any other means, it is impossible to say. Only week by week, and month by month, he seemed more sullen, and was less and less on duty. At length one day in the following year the report came privately to M'Intyre that it was believed a large band of poachers were about, and it was

not thought unlikely they might that night be busy. He went, therefore, to the house of Mrs. Assender, where as usual her husband was not, and requested she would tell him that he should be glad if Assender would meet him at four in the afternoon, at Fox-hole Point, as he should require his help that evening, (one of the watchers being ill,) for he fancied they must be prepared for a night skirmish. Mrs. Assender promising to give the message to her husband when he came in to dinner, they parted.

On the evening in question the three men with their leader were waiting at the place appointed, for Assender, about half way up the hill, when, just as they were about to give him up, M'Intyre, owing to his superior height, espied him over a rock coming up a side path towards him, and hailed him by Assender, old fellow, here you are!"

"Yes, I'm here, true enough," was his tart reply; come to shoot the poacher I've long sworn shall die."

"Ah!

"and I'm

Saying this, he levelled his gun at M'Intyre's head; a bullet pierced his temple, and almost before the report was heard he had fallen. The three men were prevented by the rock from even seeing the wretch that had perpetrated the dreadful crime; and so far were any of them from being prepared for so tragic a scene, that, on hearing Assender's words, they believed he had expressed them in his feeling of wrath against the poachers, and joking to each other, said, as he uttered them, "How fierce the old gentleman is to-day!"

It was afterwards confessed by the dreadful murderer that he had himself raised the idea of poachers on that night, for the purpose of carrying into effect the design he declared having formed ever since the day the generous offer of his master was accepted. And thus, like Cain, he had gone about with this murderous curse of jealousy upon his heart, till he could find an opportunity of carrying out his revenge. He also owned that not even to his wife had his fearful determination ever been named; a determination first suggested, and nursed into reality by that wicked spirit whose servant he was, and to whom he was enslaved by following Satan's deadly works of disobedience, drunkenness, envy, malice, hatred, and murder.*

But to turn from this picture to one of deep interest. Mr. Stuart was not long before he again visited poor M'Intyre's cottage of peace and death, and with him went the broken-hearted and aged wife of the murderer! It would be difficult to say which wept most at that meeting; each seemed lost in the other's bitterness. The young widow was bereft for time, but happy in the prospect of eternity; but the aged widow possessed

*Gal. v. 19, 21.

not a cord that could be again strung (with regard to him she had loved) either for time or eternity: she was therefore doubly bereft! It was beautiful to hear Mrs. M'Intyre forgetting her own grief in that of her grey-haired friend, by intreating her to look steadfastly to that Spirit of Comfort she had found; assuring her the great GOD of love was a GOD of mercy, and would, for the sake of the SAVIOUR Who died on the Cross for them both, be all-sufficient in their present hour of deep affliction. Few can imagine or picture the sacredness of the scene witnessed in that hallowed cottage, when the two widows, youth and age, knelt together in prayer, whilst the Priest of GOD administered to them that bread and wine which their blessed LORD had commanded to be given and received in remembrance of His death, and their everlasting life.

It need hardly be said, in conclusion, that Donald M'Intyre was taken to his last home with respect and sorrow; whilst all those who knew and loved him followed the silent bier, saving the two widows. And as those beautiful words were read from the solemnly impressive service of the "Burial of the Dead," beginning, "Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God, of His great mercy, to take unto Himself the soul of our dear brother here departed," &c.; and continues, "in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life;" never did Mr. Stuart feel greater comfort in using them; for poor M'Intyre had (as far as his business would permit, besides taking care of the children once in the day, to allow his wife the privilege of going) lost no opportunity of attending that Church he loved, and into whose body he had been grafted by Holy Baptism, ever, in turns with Mrs. M'Intyre, partaking of that spiritual food which is offered to her members in the sacrament of the LORD'S Supper.

The penalty of a just law was in the course of time carried out with regard to the murderer, while the poor wife never felt one ray of comfort during her remaining days, except in devoting herself and her feeble powers to the one her husband had made a widow, and the children he had bereft of a father. It was desired by Mrs. M'Intyre, when her posthumous child was born, and she needed assistance with her little family, that Mrs. Assender should come and spend the rest of her short and weary life under the same roof, that they might comfort one another with the words of truth and soberness. Accordingly, when another boy was given to the young mother, this plan was adopted; and the good Rector, who often visited at the cottage, offered with Mrs. Stuart to stand godfather and godmother to the orphan child, in whose welfare they felt so deeply interested. On the holy festival, therefore, of the Circumcision of

our LORD JESUS CHRIST, the baby was baptized; being thereby made a member of CHRIST, the child of GOD, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven, and received into the congregation of CHRIST'S Church by the name of Donald Stuart.

BOAZ AND RUTH.

WHILE Elimelech shifted to Moab to avoid the famine, Boaz abode still at Bethlehem, and continued rich and powerful. He stayed at home, and found that which Elimelech went to seek and missed. The judgment of famine doth not lightly extend itself to all. Pestilence and the sword spare none; but dearth commonly plagueth the meaner sort, and baulketh the mighty. When Boaz's storehouse was empty, his fields were full, and maintained the name of Bethlehem. I do not hear Ruth stand upon the terms of her better education, or wealthy parentage; but now that GOD hath called her to want, she scorns not to lay her hand unto all homely services, and thinks it no disparagement to find her bread in other men's fields. There is no harder lesson to a generous mind, nor that more beseems it, than either to bear want or to prevent it. Base spirits give themselves over to idleness and misery, and, because they are crossed, will sullenly perish.

That good woman hath not been for nothing in the school of patience; she hath learned obedience to a poor stepmother; she was now a widow past reach of any danger of correction; besides that, penury might seem to dispense with awe. Even children do easily learn to contemn the poverty of their own parents; yet hath she inured herself to obedience, that she will not so much as go forth into the field to glean without the leave of her motherin-law, and is no less obsequious to Marah than she was to Naomi. What shall we say to those children that, in the main actions of their life, forget they have natural parents! It is a shame to see that, in mean families, want of substance causeth want of duty; and that children should think themselves privileged for irreverence because the parent is poor. Little do we know, when we go forth in the morning, what GOD means to do with us ere night. There is a providence that attends on us in all our ways, and guides us insensibly to His own ends : that Divine hand leads Ruth blindfold to the field of Boaz. That she meets with his reapers, and falls upon his land, amongst all the fields of Bethlehem, it was no praise to her election, but the gracious disposition of Him in Whom we move. His thoughts are above