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Remem

blessedness to himself, you " may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." * ber 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

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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.

"It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

"The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

"No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls; for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

"The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

"Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?"

To the momentous question, commencing and terminating the above sublime passage of Scripture, which many worldly persons, and possibly Mr. and Mrs. Sandford among the number, are inclined to propound, and in the same spirit that actuated Pilate when he asked our blessed Lord, "What is truth?" To this momentous question, I repeat, is the answer given in the concluding part of the same chapter, in thoughts and words of equal beauty and magnificence.

"God understandeth the way thereof, and He knoweth the place thereof.

"When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:

"Then did He see it, and declare it; He prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

"And unto man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding."

But alas! such divine wisdom, in its deeply spiritual character, as here described, had not yet been attained unto by the thoughtless Mrs. Sandford, and her too sympathizing husband.

It may naturally be inquired, why the lady's parents, who are represented to have been pious people, permitted their

* Job xxviii. 12-28.

daughter to contract so worldly an engagement; and the answer may be returned, that the very best of parents, with their most zealous endeavours, cannot always prevent it. Besides, a whispering rumour had been current, at the time of their marriage, that the first celebration of it had been effected at a certain notorious village on the borders of Scotland.

The result of this union had been one son and two daughters; of which latter, Clara, the eldest, had just entered her nineteenth year.

As an intimacy had subsisted between the families for so long a period, especially during the lifetime of the father and mother of Mrs. Sandford, it had not been considered desirable, by the worthy owners of Derwent Cottage, to break off the aequaintance. It is true, that their tastes and feelings, their modes of thinking and acting, did not harmonize together; and had there been no other principle in operation to prevent it, the connexion would have been given up, as regarded the family in question. But Mrs. Gracelove considered that she had a duty to perform to society, as well as towards the daughter of her departed pious friends, irrespective altogether of her mere individual feelings. As a Christian, she conceived there was an obligation imposed upon her, to exert her best endeavours for the reformation of those friends and acquaintance around her who were less favoured with spiritual knowledge than herself. Having "freely received," she felt the force of the divine injunction, " freely give." She was sensible that to "hide her candle under a bushel" was not the way to disperse the moral darkness; and that it was her imperative duty to "let her light so shine before men that they might see her good works, and glorify her Father which is in heaven." * To effect this, our benevolent friend was aware required

Matt. v. 16.

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