"Yet along the Church's sky
Stars are scattered, pure and high;
Yet her wasted gardens bear
Autumn violets, sweet and rare,
Relics of a Spring-time clear,
Earnests of a bright New Year." KEBLE


No more was heard or seen of Jephthah, or of Captain Venn's troop.
The garrison within Bristol was small and unenterprising, and in
point of fact the war was over. News travelled slowly, but Stead
picked up scraps at Bristol, by which he understood that things
looked very bad for the King. Moreover, Sir George Elmwood died of
his wounds; poor old Lady Elmwood did not long survive him, and the
estate, which had been left to her for her life, was sequestrated by
the Parliament, and redeemed by the next heir after Sir George, so
that there was an exchange of the Lord of the Manor. The new squire
was an elderly man, hearty and good-natured, who did not seem at all
disposed to interfere with any one on the estate. He was a
Presbyterian, and was shocked to find that the church had been unused
for three years. He had it cleaned from the accumulation of dirt and
rubbish, the broken windows mended with plain glass, and the altar
table put down in the nave, as it had been before Mr. Holworth's
time; and he presented to the living Mr. Woodley, a scholarly-looking
person, who wore a black gown and collar and bands.

The Elmwood folk were pleased to have prayers and sermon again, and
Patience was glad that the children should not grow up like heathens;