order, for fear the women folk should disarrange his master's papers.
He performed all the dusting and cleaning, and never was there a room
kept more scrupulously neat. He had a private desk for his own use
under one of the windows, in which he kept all the accounts that passed
through his hands; and it was not an unusual sight to see the Doctor
composing his startling, soul-awakening sermons at the large table in
the centre of the room, and the little shrewd-looking, grey-haired
house-steward dotting down figures quietly at the desk below the
window. His presence never disturbed his master, who often read to him
portions of the discourse he was writing, for his approval. Ralph's
applause gave him confidence; he considered his judgment in spiritual
matters more correct than his own.

'On opening the poor-box at Christmas, the rector was surprised to find
that an unusually small sum had been deposited. He could not account
for the falling off, but made up the deficiency from his own purse, and
thought no more about it.

'At Easter, the Earl and Countess of B---- always gave liberally, and
their example was followed by all the wealthy landholders in the
parish. There was always a good sprinkling of silver and gold to set
against the weekly donations of coppers and small coin, to make glad
the widows and orphans of Westcliff, to comfort the lame, the halt, and
the blind.

'The Sunday after Easter was the day Dr. Leatrim had always appointed
for the distribution of these alms to the poor. The box was opened the
morning previous, and the different sums allotted according to the
necessities of the recipients; and, to avoid all confusion, the portion
of each individual was enclosed in a sealed packet, and addressed to