pass thus," said he to the countess; "you must send for her, and we must talk to her before bedtime." He reasoned with the foolish girl respecting her conduct, insisted on the impropriety of the state of mind that it evinced,-assuring her that nothing could induce him to allow his grandchildren to be taught such notions. He refused to accept any apology that did not go the length of acknowledging that the thought was wrong; and when the right impression appeared to be produced, generously gave her his hand. Was not this at once noble and Christian? wards resumed its onward course, and the passengers their places. At length the coach stopped at the gate leading to the castle to which the young lady was going; but there was not such prompt attention as she expected. All eyes seemed directed to the aged outside passenger, who was preparing to dismount. She beckoned, and was answered, "As soon as we have attended to his Lordship, we will come to you." A few words of explanation ensued; and, to her dismay, she found that the outside passenger, with whom she had thought it beneath her to dine, was not only a nobleman, but that very nobleman in whose family she hoped to be an inmate. What could she do? How could she bear the interview? She felt really ill, and the apology she sent for her non-appearance that even-viduals to betray their folly, and ing was more than pretence. The venerable peer was a considerate man, and one who knew the way in which the Scripture often speaks of the going down of the sun. "We must not allow the night to Young persons especially may here learn a lesson: highflown notions are seldom productive of advantage,-but on the contrary, as in the case above cited, may lead such unguarded and self-deceived indi incur blame, while a modest and unassuming demeanour might ensure proper consideration and respect from those who are placed in superior positions, and serve to guard against the danger of false dignity. RELIGIOUS DEPRESSION. THE best way to dispel the fears of our personal safety, is to labour for the salvation of others. Professed Christians often get into a morbid state of mind about their religious prospects: they are afraid they shall not be saved. Perhaps they will not: if that is their chief anxiety, they do not deserve to be. It is very selfish always to be thinking about. their own future happiness; and in their terrible fears they are paying the just penalty of their low ambition. But let them go out of themselves, and try to secure the salvation of others, and all their fears are gone. Then they are doing God's work, and they have no doubt of His love. and what is brass.-Rev. H. J. | finished work of Jesus has been Evans. When we get into the region of second causes, we are not far from the region that is without God.-Ibid. It is the great test-principle to go on our way, day after day, year after year, in the strength of the Lord, willing to be out of sight if He pleases, but only anxious to fill up our sphere.-Ibid. Whatever your trial, you have Jesus in it, and Jesus for it;-though it be bitter, a Father's eye, a Father's hand, a Father's heart ought to make all sweet: the eye, the hand, the heart of Him who gave his Son. Each Christian has his cross, and each has his cross-bearer. There is nothing so mean but I may sin in it; therefore, there is nothing too mean for me to pray about.Ibid. The finished work of Jesus! the only reposing point for a weary spirit. I believe many a dying pillow hath its thorns because this doctrine of the feebly held, and mixed up with human tradition. The wine hath been so mingled with water, that it has lost its power to cheer.-Ibid. "With length of days will I satisfy him." The Lord's people shall live long enough, they shall be continued in this world till they have done the work they were sent into this world for, and are ready for heaven,-and that is long enough. Who would wish to live a day longer than God has some work to do, either by him or upon him? A man may die young, and yet full of days satisfied with living.-Matthew Henry. Many miss peace because they seck it only by conquest of sin: whereas it is the fruit of forgiveness, as forgiveness is of faith. I can conceive a living man without an arm or a leg, but not without a head or a heart; so there are some truths essential to vital religion, and which all awakened souls are taught. Intelligence. THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW.Letter from a Lady, dated September 26th, one of the rescued party: "Death stared us in the face; we were fully persuaded that in twenty-four hours all would be The engineers had said so, and all knew the worst. We women over. strove to encourage each other, and to perform the light duties which had been assigned to us,--such as carrying orders to the batteries, and supplying the men with provisions, especially cups of coffee, which we prepared day and night. I had gone out to try and make myself useful, in company with | Jessie Brown, the wife of a corporal in my husband's regiment. Poor Jessie had been in a state of restless excitement all through the siege, and had fallen away visibly within the last few days. A constant fever consumed her, and her mind wandered occasionally, especially on that day, when the recollection of home seemed powerfully present to her. At last, overcome with fatigue, she lay down on the ground, wrapped in her plaid. I sat beside her, promising to awaken her when, as she said, her father should return from the ploughing.' She at length fell into a profound slumber, motionless and apparently breathless, her head resting on my lap. I myself could no longer resist the inclination to sleep, in spite of the continual roar of cannon. Suddenly I was aroused by a wild, unearthly scream, close to my ears: my companion stood upright beside me, her arms raised, and her head bent forward in the attitude of listening. A look of intense delight broke over her countenance; she grasped my hand, drew me towards her, and exclaimed, 'Dinna ye hear it? dinna ye hear it? Ay, I'm no dreamin', it's the slogan of the Highlanders! We're saved, we're saved!' Then flinging herself on her knees, she thanked God with passionate feryour. I felt utterly bewildered; my English ears heard only the roar of artillery, and I thought my poor Jessie was still raving; but she darted to the batteries, and I heard her cry incessantly to the men, 'Courage! hark to the slogan! -to the Macgregor, the grandest of them a'. Here's help at last!' To describe the effect of these words on the soldiers, would be impossible. For a moment they ceased firing, and every soul listened in intense anxiety. Gradually, however, there arose a murmur of bitter disappointment, and the wailing of the women who had flocked out began anew, as the Colonel shook his head. Our dull lowland ears heard nothing but the rattle of the musketry. A few moments more of this deathlike suspense, of this agonising hope, and Jessie, who had again sunk on the ground, sprang to her feet, and cried, in a voice so clear and piercing that it was heard along the whole line,- Will ye no believe it noo? The slogan has ceased indeed, but the Campbells are coming! d'ye hear, d'ye hear?' At that moment we seemed indeed to hear the voice of God in the distance, when the bagpipes of the Highlanders brought us tidings of deliverance, for now there was no longer any doubt of the fact. That shrill, penetrating, ceaseless sound which rose above all other sounds, would come neither from the advance of the enemy, nor from the work of the Sappers. No, it was indeed the blast of the Scottish bagpipes, now shrill and harsh, as threatening vengeance on the foe, then in softer tones, seeming to promise succour to their friends in need. Never surely was there such a scene as that which followed. Not a heart in the Residency but bowed itself before God. All, by one simultaneous impulse fell upon their knees, and nothing was heard but bursting sobs, and the murmured voice of prayer. Then all arose, and there rang out from a thousand lips a great shout of joy, which resounded far and wide, and lent new vigour to that blessed bagpipe. To our cheer of God save the Queen,' they replied in the well-known strain that moves every Scot to tears,— "Should auld acquaintance be forgot," etc. After that nothing else made any impression on me. I scarcely remember what followed. Jessie was presented to the General on his entrance into the fort, and at the officers' banquet her health was drunk by all present, while the pipers marched round the table, playing once more the familiar air of Auld lang syne."" General Havelock, in a despatch giving an account of the relief of the Lucknow garrison on the 25th of September, after describing how his gallant troops, incessantly cannonaded for twenty-four hours, fought their way inch by inch through the swarming foe, concludes as follows: "Darkness was coming, and it was proposed to halt for the night. I deem it of such importance not to leave this beleagured garrison, (not) knowing that succour was at hand, that I ordered the main body of the 78th Highlanders, and the regiment of Ferozepore to advance (the sound of the bagpipes, musical then at least, was, according to the accompanying letter, the first intimation to the inmates of the beleagured garrison that the succour so long wished for, and almost despaired of, was at length at hand). This column rushed on with a desperate by Sir James Outram and myself, Lieut. Hudson and Havelock of my staff, and, overcoming every obstacle, established itself within the enclosure of the Residency: the. garrison may be more easily conceived than described," etc. N.B.-The difficulty of sending this despatch to Cawnpore, may account for the gaps in it. PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE OF SIR COLIN CAMPBELL.-From a Letter -of-the Rev. Dr. Duff, dated Calcutta, November 7th, 1857. "Sir Colin and his staff, unaccompanied by any escort in the neighbourhood of the river Sone, came suddenly on two companies of the mutinied 32nd, who had recently killed their own officers; they were then in the act of crossing the trunk road, with fourteen elephants, two guns, and a small body of Sowars or irregular native cavalry. Sir Colin's garry, or travelling carriage, was ahead of all the others, and although the native coachman warned him of the danger, he still pushed on till an aide-de-camp directed his attention to the mutineers crossing the road at a distance of not more than five hundred yards. At first the chief would not go back, but got on the top of his garry with a glass, and only when he saw some cavalry sent to cut off his retreat, did he think it proper to stop. Had they been a few hundred yards further on the whole party must have been cut off to a man, since, having no escort, the odds opposed to them were so tremendous as to render effectual resistance impossible; as it was, their coming up with such apparent boldness, so very near to the rebels, evidently soon impressed the latter with the conviction that Sir Colin and his party formed only the advanced-guard of an avenging column; and so, after a little hesitation, they made off as fast as they could, elephants, guns, and all, while Sir Colin and his staff instantly turned back and retraced their steps for ten miles, till they came up with a bullock-train party of soldiers. What a narrow escape→→ what a providential interposition! A few minutes sooner, and the brave Sir Colin, with his whole staff, would have been ignominiously butchered. What, then, of poor distracted British India? May we not, then, hail a personal escape so remarkable, as the token of an overruling Providence, that he, who was thus marvellously delivered, himself is destined to become the instrument of signal deliverances to others, and as an agent, in the hands of a gracious God, for restoring order and tranquillity to this sadly convulsed and sorely scourged land?" |