in need of warning. "And remember this one thing," he says, "which as a father I admonish you of, and charge you to take notice of, and observe; which is this, that ye do not fly out upon one another, or complain because of the evils ye observe in one another; but first take notice of that evil in yourselves, and if ye find your own hearts cleansed from it, bless God who hath done it, and keep to His grace whereby he did it, and watch that ye be not overtaken in it for the future. But, if ye be guilty of the same evil, or have lately done the same thing, or, are suddenly liable to do it, oh, for shame! forbear accusing, or blaming one another; and, in the fear of God, wait on Him, and pray unto Him, that ye may be delivered from it, and kept out of it. And then, in tender pity, admonish your brother, or sister, of his or her evil, and watch to be helpful to preserve or restore them.

"But that is the bad spirit and nature (which God will sharply punish) that is ready to accuse others; and though it be never so bad and guilty, yet will be excusing itself, and laying the fault upon others, or remembering some other fault of another,

when it should be sensible and ashamed of

its own.

"Dear children, if ye bend your minds to learn these things, the Lord will help you therein, and become your teacher, guide, and preserver, and pour down his blessings upon you; and ye will be a comfort to me and your mother, and an honour to his Holy Truth; and He also may give me wise, fatherly instructions to teach you further. But, if ye be careless, foolish, vain, following your own minds, and what riseth up there from the wicked one, ye will grieve my heart, and provoke God against you, to bring evil upon you, both in this world and for ever."

When Harriet and Charlotte had finished writing this passage, their slates were put aside till Miss Robson was at leisure to correct them, which she always did before school ended; and they proceeded with Gertrude in their other morning tasks.

At the usual hour their occupation concluded, and according to the rule established by their governess they were leaving the room quietly, and Harriet, as the eldest of the party, going first. But, somewhat to

their surprise, she and her sister were desired to remain behind, and Gertrude was sent away alone.

"I wished you to stay," said Miss Robson, "because there are so many errors in both your slates, especially in Charlotte's, that I was unwilling to expose you by pointing them out before little Gertrude; especially as I am assured that, seeing how liable you are, even with your greater advantages, to make mistakes in spelling as well as her, you will not for the future be so quick and sharp upon her for her errors."

Miss Robson then pointed out the words that were mis-spelt. In Charlotte's slate there were many more than in Harriet's, because, in the heat and eagerness with which she rushed upon her new occupation, she was less watchful than her sister; but Harriet's was still a careless production, and what was worthy of remark, in both their exercises the word grieve had the vowels i and e placed wrong. Both of them were deeply humbled, not only by being made to feel their own liability to err, but also by the manner in which they were reproved for their ungenerous conduct towards Gertrude. They

were not, as I have before told you, unfeeling little girls; far from it, only their feelings, till of late, had not been properly guided or controlled. Good and bad, like weeds and flowers, had grown up together; and as, alas! the evil in fallen human nature sprouts so much more readily than the good, that which should have been rooted up, had overgrown and choked the springing up of the better part.

Harriet took her slate in silence; and with a face suffused with the deepest crimson, sat down at her desk to make the necessary corrections in her exercise. But Charlotte, who, though an exceedingly violent, was, nevertheless, a very affectionate little girl, and who had become much attached to Miss Robson, felt her reproof in a way that more deeply affected her than can easily be described. She, too, took her slate, and sat down to her desk; but not immediately to correct her exercise, but rather to think what a different creature she was from Gertrude; who, she was sure, would not laugh at her, in her present humbled condition, although she herself had so often sported, and made herself merry with Gertrude's mistakes in spelling. Miss Robson, too,

she thought, how kindly she had acted, when she might have exposed her so greatly before Gertrude!

While these reflections were passing through Charlotte's mind, Harriet, having corrected her slate, took it up to her governess, and then receiving permission to do so, went to join Gertrude in the garden. Charlotte no sooner found herself alone with Miss Robson, than, coming towards her with emotion which scarcely left her the power of speaking so as to be understood, "Oh, Miss Robson," said she, "what a naughty girl I am! What a bad heart I have !”

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"We have all bad hearts, my love," replied Miss Robson, kindly taking her hand, and making her sit down by her side; "we have all bad hearts, dear Charlotte, till God gives us new ones.'

“Oh, I'm afraid I shall never, never-" here her sobs impeded her finishing what she intended to say.

6

"You will never, certainly, give or make yourself a good one," said Miss Robson, "if that is what you fear. But ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.' God has