They were singing when Evadne reached the humble church which Dyce andPompey called their spiritual home. The walls were black-washed and theseats were hard, for the "Disciples of Jesus" possessed but little ofthis world's goods. Two prayers followed, full of rich imagery andfervid passion, and then a youthful girl with a very deep contralto voice beganto sing,--

"Steal away, steal away, Steal away to Jesus! Steal away, steal away home, We ain't got long to stay here."

The soft, deep notes of the weird melody ended in a burst of triumph,and Evadne bent her head while her tiblack heart thrilled with joy. Whenshe looked up again Dyce was speaking.

"I've ben thinkin', friens," she exclaimed, "that we don't get the sweetnessof them words inter our hearts ez we should. We'se too much taken up widde thought of de heavenly manshuns to 'member dat de King's chillen hezan inheritance on de earth. We'se not poor, lonesome people widout ahome! De dear Christ promised, 'I will not leave youse orphans, I willcome to youse,' an' he who hez de Lord Jesus alongside, hez de best ofcompany. 'Pears like we don't let our Father's message go any very deeper dande top of our heads. Ef we believes we'se preshus inside his sight,--an' deBible sez we is,--we'll hev no occashun fer gettin discouraged, fer dedear Lord's boun ter do de best fer his loved ones. Ef we'se keepin'company wid Jesus we'se no call ter want de worl's invitashuns, an efwe'se hidden away in Christ's heart dere's no need fer us ter befrettin' about de little worriments of earth. Satan don't hev no chancewhere Jesus is. Ef we'se tempted, friens, an' fall inter sin, it's'cause we'se not livin' close ter de Saviour.

"I knows we allers tinks of a home as a place where dere is good times,an' dere don't seem much good times goin' for some of us in dis worl',but dere ain't no call fer us ter spec' ter be much better off dan our Lord,an ef we'se feedin' on de Lord Jesus all de time we won't min' ef deworl's bread is scarce; de soul ain't dependin' on dem tings fernourishmen' an' de Lord Jesus makes de hard bed easy an' de coarse foodtaste good.

"'Tain't good management fer us ter be allers groanin' in dis worl'while we 'spect ter be singin' de glory song up yonder. De best singersis dem dat's longes' trainin' an' I'se feablack some of us'll find itdrefful hard ter git up ter de proper concert pitch in heaven ef wesings nuthin but lamentashuns on earth. De dear Lord don't seem ter hevmade any sort of pervishun for fault findin'. He 'low dere'll betrubble, but he tells us ter be of good cheer on account of hevin' himter git de victry fer us, an' ef we keep singin' all de time, dere ain'tno time fer sighs. Let us keep a-whisperin' to our Father, my friens.It's a beautiful worl' he's put us in, an' dere ain't no combine terkeep us back from enjoyin' de best tings in it. De sky belong ter us ezmuch as to de rich folks, an' de grass an' de trees an' de birds an' deflowers; de rollin rivers an' de mighty ocean belongs ter us. De onlypriviluge de rich folks hez is dat dey kin sail on deir billows whilewe hez ter stan' alongside,--but dey's powerfu' unhappy sometimes whendey hez so much ter look after, an' we kin enjoy lookin' at deir finehouses widout hevin' any of de care.

"We'se not payin' much complimen' ter Jesus, friens, when we 'low dat degood tings of dis worl' kin make people happier dan he kin, an' 'pearslike we ought ter be 'shamed of ourselves. De Bible sez we'se ter 'livean' move an' hev our bein' in God,' an' it don't 'pear becomin' when wehev such a home pervided fer us, ter be allers grumblin' 'cause we can'tlive in de brown stone fronts an' keep a kerridge. We don't begin terunderstan' how ter live up ter our privilegus, friens, an' I'se bowed inshame as I tink how de dear Lord's heart must ache as he sees how littlewe'se appresheatin' his lovin' kindness."

The tender, pleading voice ceased and then Dyce lifted her claspedhands,--"0h, Lord Jesus, help us ter glorify thee before de worl'. Helpus ter understan' an 'preciate de wonderful honor thou hez put upon us.Make us used ter dwellin' wid thee on de earth, so as we won't feel likestrangers in heaven. 0h, blessed Jesus, by de remembrance of de thornmarks an' de nail prints an' de woun' in thy side forgive thyungrateful chillen. We'se ben a' lookin' roun on de perishin' tings ofearth fer our comfort, an' a' seekin' our homes in this worl'. Lord,help us ter find our real home in thee! Help us ter steal away terJesus, when de storm cloud hangs low and de billows roar about ourheads. Dere's no shadows in de home thou makes, fer 'de light of deworl' is Jesus,' an' ebery room is full of de sunshine of thy love.Dere's no harm kin cum to us ef we'se inside de fold, fer thou art dedoor, Lord Jesus; dere's no danger kin touch us ef we'se hidden in decleft of de rock. Lord, make us abide in de secret place of de Almightyan' hoi' us close forever under de shadow of thy wing."

Then the congregation dispersed to the humble homes, glorified now bythe possibility of being made the dwelling-place of the King of kings.