THE GENERAL BAPTIST MAGAZINE. JANUARY, 1 8 6 2. THE UN TRODDEN NEAR the edge of a bleak high moor, but sheltered by a grassy knoll, stood a lone farm house. The valley before it swept away toward the south, and bent westward behind the spur of a rugged hill. A shallow stream bickered through the centre of the deep broad vale, and along its banks stood mills, a few scattered cottages, and a solitary church. A road nearly parallel with the stream, but half up the western side of the vale, ran between two low stone walls, and they, with the fringe of larch-trees above them, assisted the eye to trace its course. A winding path, with many abrupt and awkward turns, owing to the unevenness of the ground, led down from the solitary house to the road. It was mid-winter. The day had been cold and cloudy. A biting gusty north-east wind blew up the frozen dust along the winding path and the public road. The shadows of night began to gather and settle along the bottom of the deep valley, and already some few lights flickered in the mills and the cottages. A distant bark gave notice to the inmates of the lonely house up the hill side of the master's approach. Cheery voices, a blazing fire, and a VOL. III.-NEW SERIES, No. 1. | РАТН. tempting meal spread out on a clean white cloth, were the master's welcome. The meal dispatched, the evening slipt away in pleasant chat. A chapter was read from the big old family Bible, a prayer offered by the good man of the house, and then all sought much-needed repose. The wind howled a mournful lullaby, and very soon every member of the household was asleep. Now began to fall the first small dust of an approaching snow-storm. The wind grew stronger, and the snow descended more rapidly. The furious blast chased the snow about everywhere, and made it crouch and hide, as if its strength were gone, like a retreating army hurry. ing before a victorious and pursuing foe. It crept everywhere on the side of the house toward the storm where a shelter or a nestling-place could be found, and dashed away in the front, up the door-posts, on the door-handle, on the stone mullions, on the window panes, along the mortared stone-work, in tiny crevices in the wall, and even on the fragile web of a few shivering spiders under the projecting eaves. On-still oncame the snow, now grown into large flaky morsels, bigger and |