and raving like a maniac. In the meantime, the hapless Castanza was placed, unresisting, in her living tomb: and when the masons, hired for the purpose, under the most awful vows of secrecy, had bricked up the opening, and concealed the victim from the view of mortal sight, the spectators rushed from the fatal spot with feelings which I neither can describe nor wish to understand."

Who, after reading this narrative, can doubt that Popery is still what it ever has been-a system of cruelty, persecution, and tyranny, under the guise of religion !

THE FLOWER SEED.

G. C. T.

"If a man die, shall he live again ?"—JOB. "CHARLEY, my dear, in the early spring, When I made my garden bed,

You laughed at my doing so strange a thing
As planting seeds that were dead.

"And you were sure I never should see
The leaves come bursting out;

'For O,' you thought, 'how strange it would be If all those seeds should sprout!'

"I told you to wait till the gentle dew,
The sunshine, and the shower,
Had shown us all that they could do
To draw from the seed the flower.

"And don't you remember, after awhile,

I wished you to come and see

My garden bed, and you asked with a smile,
Where all those seeds could be?

"I told you then, that every seed
Contained a living power,

Which, from the dry envelop freed,
Would soon produce a flower.

"And often since then you have watched my flowers,

While growing, you knew not how;

But a garden stranger than these bright bowers
Invites our attention now."

And the mother led her thoughtless son
To a gloomy burial ground;

And there, as they thoughtfully wandered on,
A newly-made grave they found.
Flowers were growing around the tomb,
The rose and the scented brier;

And they seemed to say, by their bright rich bloom,

That a mother's love was there.

"O, Willie's grave is a beautiful place,
Now the flowers are all in bloom;"
And when he raised his innocent face
It had lost its gathered gloom.

"But the fairest flower, my Charley, dear,
That plant has ever given,

Will spring from the seed now buried here,
And bloom in the bowers of heaven.

"The harvest day will surely appear,
When this seed will burst the sod,
And free from all that could mar it here
Shine forth by the throne of God."

J. Foster, Printer, Kirkby Lonsdale.

A BLIND GIRL AND HER BIBLE.

WOULD you know the value of the Bible? let me introduce you to a scene of deep and thrilling interest as related by a minister, an eye witness. A young woman completely blind and deaf was brought before a number of eminent surgeons, to see if anything could be done for her. Her sad condition had been produced by a violent pain in the head. The only method of com

municating with her was by tapping her hand, which signified no, and by squeezing it, which signified yes. The surgeons con. cluded that her case was incurable, and in reply to her earnest inquiries, she received the unwelcome tap. She immediately burst into tears and wept aloud in all the bitterness of anguish. What," said she, "shall I never see the light of day, or hear a human voice? Must I remain shut up in darkness and silence as long as I live?" "And had she again been able to see, she might have been pointed to the promises of the Bible, if to hear, they might have been cited for her comfort. At length a friend that was present took up the Bible and placed it to her breast. It was a touching and beautiful act. She placed her hands on it, and asked, Is this the Bible? Her hand was squeezed in reply. She immediately clasped the Bible in her hands, and held it up to her boson, and exclaimed, "This is the only comiort I have left; I shall never more be able to look upon its blessed pages, but I can think of the blessed promises I have learnt from it;" and then began to repeat some of its promises: "Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he will sustain thee." "Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee." "My grace is sufficient for thee," &c. She dried her tears, became submissive to the will of God, and was happy.

MARY'S GLEANINGS FOR THE SUNDAY-
SCHOOL.-NO. XXVIII.

THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE
PUBLICAN.

ST. LUKE Xviii. 9—14.

THE "two men" who went up into the temple to pray, were a Pharisee and a Publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed; that is, he thought he was praying, or, at least, he wished others to think so: but the words he used are not at all like a prayer. He seemed to think that he had no sins to be forgiven, and that there was no mercy which he needed. He began by saying"God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are." These words would have been very proper if he had used them with a right meaning. If he had meant to say— "O God, I thank thee that thou hast kept me from being so wicked as many others; for I know that I should have been as bad as they, if thy goodness had not prevented me" this would have been quite proper. But he took all the praise to himself. He went on to mention some of the most wicked people he could think of, and, among the rest, the poor Publican: and he boasted before God that he was not like them. He forgot that his heart was by nature no better than theirs; and that if he had been in their situation he would very likely have acted exactly as they did.

Now, my youthful readers, I do not think