them, and by withdrawing altogether from their society. They called to mind, also, the still more powerful reasoning of the great apostle of the Gentiles, where he says,-" Unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some." * The gracious prayer of the blessed Saviour for the disciples He was so soon to leave was present also to their remembrance, in which our adorable Redeemer says, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." +

After much earnest prayer to God for the guidance of his Holy Spirit, in a matter presenting so much difficulty, first, as to the correctness of the principle itself, and next, as to the best mode of carrying it out in practice, it was decided that the family should keep up their acquaintance with the Statelys, but in such a way as neither to participate in their gaieties, nor take any part in those worldly amusements of which they could not but sincerely disapprove.

It was settled, therefore, that Mr. and Mrs. Gracelove should not refuse an invitation to the Hall when the family were quite alone, and when the opportunity would be offered of "casting their bread upon the waters;" knowing that, under the blessing of God, it would be " found after many days."

And now, at the hour appointed, Mrs. Stately made her appearance in an elegant close carriage, attended by two footmen in livery. After the usual salutations had passed between * 1 Cor. ix. 20-22. ↑ John xvii. 15.

her and the fair hostess, the lady proceeded at once to explain the object of her visit. "My dear Mrs. Gracelove," she said, "I have done myself the pleasure of calling on you for the purpose of inviting you and Mr. Gracelove to a dance, which I am going to give at Stately Hall. While I am quite anxious that you should be present at the party, I have felt that I dare not trust to a written invitation, in consequence of an apprehension that, differing, as I fear we do, on some points as regards the lawfulness of certain amusements, which, for my own part, I hold to be quite innocent, my invitation might have failed of success. I am come, therefore, with a personal entreaty that you will honour my soirée dansante with your presence."

"I cannot but feel obliged to you," replied Mrs. Gracelove, “for the kind motive which has induced you to call rather than to write, with the hope of affording me a gratification; but I must frankly as well as respectfully acknowledge, that you are quite right in the apprehension you entertain as regards the difference existing between us on certain topics, of which dancing is one."

"And do you, indeed, esteem it an unlawful amusement ?" said Mrs. Stately. "What a sinful generation must we then. be, for every one dances who is young; while those who have ceased to be so, sanction the practice as admiring spectators."

"I readily grant," observed our fair objector, "that the world, both in this and in many other much graver instances, gives its unqualified approbation where an infinitely higher authority denies its sanction-nay, utters its solemn denunciation. We read, my dear madam, in that sacred book whence alone I draw my rules of action, and which we are all bound implicitly to obey, the following startling declaration,— "That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination

in the sight of God." * These were the words of Christ himself."

"Having appealed to Scripture," responded the lady of fashion," which I trust we all acknowledge, you will, of all persons admit, as is most evident, that we cannot argue the question on a more solid basis. To be very candid with you, then, I will confess that I have, within the last few days, been consulting the sacred volume in strict reference to this very subject, and with the view of anticipating the objections which I apprehended you might entertain. What will What will you then say," she continued, "if I prove from the divine records themselves the truth of my position, that dancing is a perfectly lawful recreation ?"

"I rejoice sincerely," rejoined Mrs. Gracelove," to find that you rest the decision of the question on testimony so unimpeachable, because infallible; and shall listen with the deepest respect to any proof proceeding from such a source."

What answer, then, will you make," continued the fair interrogator, drawing a paper from her reticule, on which were inscribed some notes, to the passage contained in the sixth chapter of the second book of Samuel, where King David is represented as dancing before the ark ? Or what response will you make to the instance recorded in the fifteenth chapter of Exodus, where it is stated—' And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances?""

66

My reply," answered Mrs. Gracelove, opening her Bible, "is a very short one, and to my own mind most conclusive, namely, that both the instances you have cited were altogether religious ceremonies, and can, in no possible way, apply to your argument; unless you are prepared to say that the

* Luke xvi. 15.

modern practice of dancing has a reference to the worship of God. That a sentiment of religion formed the inducement to David's dancing is clearly manifest, in the very declaration of his dancing before the Lord.' And in the instance of

Miriam, the motive is as evidently demonstrated, in the verse immediately following the one you have read,-' And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.' Here was an act, my dear madam, of pure and exclusive devotion, for the purpose of celebrating one of the most stupendous instances of divine deliverance recorded in sacred history, and which has nothing in common with this worldly amusement."

"I am inclined," said Mrs. Stately,-who, with all her faults, was an amiable woman, though spoilt by the headlong opinions of her husband, and the corrupting fashions of the world-" I am inclined to concede to your construction on these two points, and I think I can afford to do so, inasmuch as I have several examples more that will bear out my line of reasoning; that is to say, do not involve the performance of any religious rite whatever. Have the goodness to turn," she continued, (looking at her paper,)" to the eleventh chapter of Judges, where you will read, that after the return of Jephthah from his conquest over the children of Ammon, 'his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances.' Here you will perceive," she said, "there is nothing either expressed or implied of a religious nature-nothing beyond the simple act of filial love and piety on the part of the daughter. She was rejoiced, as every affectionate child would be, to see her father return from the perils of war in safety and in triumph, and evinced her natural joy accordingly."

"I am ready to allow," answered our friend of the cottage,

arguing as I do for truth and not for victory, that you have more reason for dwelling on this example than on either of the two former ones. The passage is certainly silent as to any allusion to the worship of the Supreme Being. And, yet' there are many good and judicious Christians, who, nevertheless, construe it in that light, and believe that an act of thanksgiving to God, as in the case of Miriam and of David, is combined with the piety of the child. In all the three instances, you will observe that the Almighty had given a special providential success to each of his servants; to two of them in battle, and to the third in bringing up the ark of God to the tabernacle that David had pitched for it; and why may we not conclude that what is expressly declared in two of them as the result of that success, is also to be implied in the third? Still," she continued, "I am bound ingenuously to own, that the text in question may be understood as divested of that direct religious sentiment which certainly characterizes the two others."

"I cannot but compliment you on your candour, my dear Mrs. Gracelove," resumed the lady of Stately Hall; “and if you will permit me to draw your attention to two remaining examples which I find on my paper, I shall then have exhausted my quotations. Having produced these, I shall forthwith resign into your hands the decision of the question; for much as I wish to have the pleasure of seeing you, I am yet not so selfish as to desire it at the expense of your conscience."

"I am quite gratified in hearing you say so," responded our interesting friend, "and beg you will proceed with the additional illustrations which you propose to give me."

66 The passage to which I will now refer you," said the lady of the Hall," is the 31st chapter of Jeremiah, in which Jehovah condescends to promise the restoration of Israel. In

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