Was I right?

by Mrs. O. F. Walton

I put the paper, which I found among the ferns, in my pocket, for a minute afterwards Sir William entered the room. I gave him Mr. Stanley's message, and he admired the flowers, and rang the bell for water that I might arrange them before they withered. I did not tell him that they were for me.

After breakfast Sir William asked me to read aloud to him the leading articles in a copy of the "Times" which had arrived by the mail that morning, and so it was some time before I could find an opportunity to look at my paper.

I opened it at last, as soon as I was alone, and read it more than once:

THE FLOWERS' MESSAGE.
We grew upon the very hills
Where Jesus used to stand;
We blossomed on the lonely paths
Of God's once Holy Land.
There is a city near our home—
A sad and ruined place—
For those who lived within her walls
Let slip the day of grace!
Yet beautiful in all the earth
Mount Zion used to be—
The city of the Heavenly King,
And Israel's glory she!
Now, filled with misery and sin,
Defiled by guilt and shame,
And trampled under foot by those
Of every creed and name.
Oh pray, then, for Jerusalem,
The city of our birth;
Oh shed a tear for her who was
The joy of all the earth.
The ancient promise holdeth good,
It hath not been reversed—
"Blessed is he who blesseth thee,
And he who hates is cursed."
So we from the Judean hills,
This simple message bring—
"Oh pray for poor Jerusalem,
The city of the King."
For M. L., from her friend HOWARD STANLEY.

I looked forward very much to that evening ride, and four o'clock seemed as if it would never come.

At last the horses arrived, and Sir William, Evelyn, and I mounted and rode to the Jaffa Gate.

Mr. Stanley had not come, but Miss Schwarz was there waiting for us. We had been introduced to her the day before, so she came at once and spoke to us, and we rode up and down together, looking from time to time at the gate to see if Mr. Stanley were coming.

"It is very extraordinary," said Sir William, "that he should be late! We have always found him such a very punctual man. Are you sure he said four o'clock, Miss Lindsay?"

"Oh yes," I said, "quite sure. 'Four o'clock at the Jaffa Gate,' that was what he said."

"Yes, he told me to be here at four o'clock," said Miss Schwarz; "he will come in a few minutes, I should think; shall we ride towards 'the big tree,' as we always call it? It is not really a very large tree; but you see we have no trees that deserve the name in Jerusalem, so it looks very big to us. It is only a little way, and Mr. Stanley will see us there, and we shall get some shade."