The portion of Scripture selected for reading in family worship, on this evening, was the sublime and most consolatory third chapter of St. John's gospel; in which our blessed Lord graciously condescends to hold a conference with Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

After it was concluded, the following hymn, which had been composed by Mr. Gracelove a few days previously, was adapted to a psalm tune played by Laura on the piano, and in the singing of which all the family joined. The subject referred to the eighth verse of the chapter which had just been read :-" The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

The mystic wind that bends the tender flower,
Unseen, though felt, by man's imperfect sense,
Sweeps o'er the forest with resistless power,
Unknown its source, or whither bent, or whence.

Emblem divine of that mysterious breath
Which fills the deep recesses of the soul!

Waking to heav'nly life, from moral death,

The heart, new born, and freed from sin's control.

Such is the gracious, mighty Spirit's course!
Unseen He comes in human hearts to dwell;
He comes with heav'nly Love's constraining force;
But whence? or how? no human tongue can tell.

Oft on the whirlwind's rushing wing upborne,

Instant He strikes conviction to the mind;
Like Saul of Tarsus, whose infuriate scorn
Softens to love, by sovereign grace refined.

Yet, ah! more oft this precious, hallow'd guest
Loves to the heart in gentlest guise to come;
There, with a still, small voice, so sweet, so blest,
To talk of Christ, and call the wanderer home.

Soft as the dew on Hermon's sacred mount,

Soft as the summer's breath that fans the rose,
Descends the' etherial stream, from that blest fount
Open'd in Heaven for all of human woes.

Thus to Elkanah's son, belov'd of Heav'n!
And those twin saints in Bethany's fam'd town,
With seraph calm the grace of God was giv'n,
That warm'd their hearts a Saviour's love to own.

But whence it comes-or how-or whither goes,
To finite man is not reveal'd to know;
Suffice this truth, whence ev'ry comfort flows,
That God fills space-around-above-below!

If, then, the' all-seeing mind of God surveys
Each thought, desire, affection, motive, deed;
How pure those hearts, how holy all the ways
Of man should be, from sin and folly freed!

Oh! then, be mine this grace! deep in my breast,

Essence Divine! a throne to Jesus raise :

Let all of faith my life on earth attest,

And all in Heav'n be everlasting praise !”

Mr. Gracelove concluded the family worship by prayer. He prayed for the second advent of the Saviour of the world; that" He that hath the keys of David; He that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth," would vouchsafe to his worshipping believers, then before him, to open the kingdom of his heavenly glory; and that an abundant entrance might be administered unto them hereafter, and unto all who are of the household of faith, within its bright and everlasting portals.

Reader! "go and do thou likewise;" and so live in strict and constant obedience to the Divine Will, that, together with him who addresses you, and who devoutly prays for the same

blessedness to himself, you " may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Remember the promise that is given to such as walk with God: "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” †

* Rev. xxii. 14.

† Rev. vii. 16, 17.

CHAPTER IX.

A WEEK had now elapsed since the departure of the two boys to school, which took place a few days after the excursion narrated in the last chapter, when, one morning, Mrs Gracelove received a letter from Mrs. Sandford, an acquaintance of hers, resident on the beautiful banks of Ullswater. It contained a pressing invitation to pay her a visit; intimating that she had something of moment to communicate to her, and that she was very desirous to obtain her advice, on which she felt she could rely with such implicit confidence.

Before proceeding further, it may be as well to introduce Mrs. Sandford to the reader's notice. The parents of this lady, who were now no more, had been persons of great piety and respectability in the county of York, and had brought up a large family in those principles of religion and virtue, on which alone we can hope for blessings either to parent or child-here or hereafter.

As it not unfrequently happens among members of the same family, some are found to be less teachable than others. Such was the case with the subject of this brief memoir; who, although possessing some highly estimable qualities of temper, -being extremely amiable and of a generous disposition,yet was she deficient in the higher graces that adorn the Christian character. She was naturally more thoughtless and

volatile than were her sisters; and had, consequently, less improved the opportunities, presented equally to her as to them, of attending to the advice, and imitating the exemplary conduct of her mother, which they had more zealously followed. In addition to these obstacles to a more rapid improvement, arising from mental and physical temperament, she had the great misfortune of being married too early in life. Scarcely had she attained her eighteenth year when she left her parental roof to become mistress of her own house,— to teach and superintend others, when, from her youthful age, inexperience, and volatility, she required to be taught and superintended herself. Neither had her husband, unhappily, much more steadiness of character than his wife. There was

an assimilation of temper, as well as of taste, in the married couple; and though the gentleman was ten years older, yet the influence of natural disposition, and the temptations that were offered in the possession of a handsome independent fortune, led him astray from more serious contemplations.

Wisdom,"- as the wise man says,- "crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. O ye simple, understand wisdom." * But alas! the pleasures, and cares, and enjoyments of this life of sensual and sinful indulgence, too often incline their votaries to turn a deaf ear to the invitation, and refuse to hear the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely.

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'But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

“Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it found in the land of the living.

“The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.

"It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

* Prov. viii. 3, 5.