The Gold that Glitters | Page 6

give her to me, any longer?"
The old man looked into the sorrowful eyes of the young man, whom
he loved as dearly as if he had been his own son.
"Dear lad," he said, "pray the Lord to bring her to Himself. That's safe
to be His will, for He willeth not the death of a sinner. But as to giving
her to thee, if I were thou, Tom, I'd leave that with Him. Meantime, thy
way's plain. `Be ye not unequally yoked together.' The command's clear
as daylight. Never get a clog to thy soul. Thou canst live without Jenny
Lavender; but couldst thou live without Jesus Christ?"
Tom shook his head, without speaking.
"To tell truth, Tom, I'm not sorry she's going away. Maybe the Lord's
sending her hence, either to open her eyes and send her back weary and
cloyed with the world she's going into so gaily now, or else to open
thine, and show thee plain, stripped of outside glitter, the real thing she
is, that thou mayest see what a sorry wife she would make to a
Christian man. No, I'm not sorry. And unless I mistake greatly, Tom,
the time's coming when thou shalt not be sorry neither. In the meantime,
`tarry thou the Lord's leisure.' If He be the chief object of thy desire, thy
desire is safe to be fulfilled. `This is the will of God, even our
sanctification.'"
They turned to the left at the top of the hill, and went a few yards along
the lane, to a little cottage embowered in ivy, which was Anthony's
home.
"Wilt thou come in, Tom, lad?"
"No, Uncle, I thank you. You've opened my eyes, but it's made 'em

smart a bit too much to face the light as yet. I'll take a sharp trudge over
the moor, and battle it out with myself."
"Take the Lord with thee, lad. Satan'll have thee down if thou doesn't.
He's strong and full o' wiles, and if he can't conquer thee in his black
robe, he'll put on a white one. There's no harm in thy saying to the Lord,
`Lord, Thou knowest that I love Jenny Lavender'; but take care that it
does not come before, `Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee.' Maybe
He's putting the same question to thee to-night, that He did to Peter at
the lake-side."
"Ay, ay, Uncle. I'll not forget. God bless thee!"
Tom wrung old Anthony's hand, and turned away.
One moment the old man paused before he went in.
"Lord, Thou lovest the lad better than I do," he said, half aloud. "Do
Thy best for him!"
Then he lifted the latch, and met a warm welcome from his wife Persis.
"Mrs Jenny, your servant!" said the smooth tones of Robin
Featherstone at the farmhouse door, about twenty hours later. "The
horse awaits your good pleasure, and will only be less proud to bear
you than I shall to ride before you."
Jenny's silly little heart fluttered at the absurd compliment.
"Farewell, Grandmother," she said, going up to the old lady. "Pray,
your blessing."
Old Mrs Lavender laid her trembling hand on the girl's head.
"May God bless thee, my maid, and make thee a blessing! I have but
one word for thee at the parting, and if thou wilt take it as thy motto for
life, thou mayest do well. `Look to the end.' Try the ground afore thou
settest down thy foot. `Many a cloudy morrow turneth out a fair day,'
and `'tis ill to get in the hundred and lose in the shire.' So look to the

end, Jenny, and be wise in time. `All that glittereth is not gold,' and all
gold does not glitter, specially when folk's eyes be shut. We say down
in my country, `There's a hill against a stack all Craven through,' and
thou'lt find it so. God keep thee!"
Jenny's father gave her a warm embrace and a hearty blessing, and his
hand went to his eyes as he turned to Robin Featherstone.
"Fare you well, Robin," said he, "and have a care of my girl."
The elegant Mr Featherstone laid his hand upon that portion of his
waistcoat which was supposed to cover his heart.
"Mr Lavender, it will be the pride of my heart to serve Mrs Jenny,
though it cost my life."
He sprang on the brown horse, and Jenny, helped by her father,
mounted the pillion behind him. Women very seldom rode alone at that
day.
Kate ran after them, as they started, with an old shoe in her hand, which
she delivered with such good (or bad) effect that it hit the horse on the
ear, and made it shy. Happily, it was a sedate old quadruped, not given
to giddy ways,