A New Alarum. * 105

 

caught sight of the nearly invisible thread, and had
discovered that the wheel was winding it up, would
he have thought what the tiny machine was about!
How little would he have thought that its business
was with the infinite! that it was in connection
with the window of an eternal world—namely,
Willie’s soul—from which at a given moment it
would lift the curtains, namely, the eyelids, and
let the night of the outer world in upon the thought
and feeling of the boy! To use a likeness, the
wheel was thus ever working to draw up the slide
of a camera obscura, and let in whatever pictures
might be abroad in the dreams of the day, that
the watcher within might behold them.

Indeed, one night as he came home from visiting
a patient, soon after Willie had at length taught
his watchman his duty, Mr Macmichael did come
upon the mill, and was just going to turn the water '
off at the well, which he thought Willie had forgotten
to do, when he caught sight of the winding thread
—for the moon was full, and the Doctor was sharp-
sighted.

“What can this be now?” he said to himself.
“Some new freak of Willie’s, of course. Yes; the
thread goes right up to his window! I dare say if
I were to stop and watch I should see something
happen in consequence. But I am too tired, and
must go to bed.”

Just as he thought thus with himself, the wheel