IN TERRIBLE SUSPENSE. 73

 Oh! that he had never played this senseless and,
 as he now saw, cowardly and cruel trick!
 Oh! if he could but live over again that one even-
 ing of his life, that evening the results of which were
 now to poison all his future days, how differently
 would he act!
 But, alas! his regrets and his anguish were all now
 equally unavailing.
 Poor, poor Jack! he was having a bitter lesson
 taught him, a lesson, nevertheless, which each one
 of us must learn sooner or later, one that ought to
 teach us, even though with an iron rod, wisdom and
 self-control.
 He had to learn that nothing can undo the Past,
nothing can atone for the Past. No! were we to weep
even tears of blood, yet we could not blot out one
page, nor turn back one leaf, of the Book of Time.
However our weak hands may beat the air in
passionate remorse or vain regret, yet still the Past
is; and will yet live an undying life in the memory
of our conscience. Yes, and if we are wise, we will
give thanks continually to a merciful God who has
ordained that our sins can never die to us in this
world who has ordained that they shall ever
live to us, ever scourge and chasten us, and so
make us hasten in our way along the Heavenly
Road.