by which I see that what I have had in this world has been greatly for my good and for the good of my family.

"You know, sir, that my trials and afflictions have been such as are hard to flesh and blood to bear. It seemed to me, for a long time, that I was the most unfortunate of wives and mothers, and the most bereaved of human creatures; and I long found it very hard, nay, impossible, to submit myself to these dispensations. But it pleased the Lord yesterday evening, when I seemed to be quite overcome with grief, to make me sensible that, instead of being the most miserable, I was one of the happiest of women, inasmuch as the salvation of all, of every one of my family, had been, as it were, begun and completed before my eyes." She then repeated all that had passed in her mind at the grave to her good pastor, and gave such reasons as would have been satisfactory to every Christian, for the assurance which she had had of the salvation of her departed friends. The holy man meditated upon what she said for a short time, and then addressed her thus:"You have reason indeed, my good woman, to thank your heavenly Father-first, for the wonderful things he has done and, secondly, for that faith, which is the gift of God, by which you are now enabled to see these things in their proper light. It is written, 'Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' Faith changes all our views of life; it makes that which was once hateful now desirable, and that which was once desirable now hateful. It makes all those things which the world loves and seeks, such as riches, honours, power, and fame, utterly despicable; and it makes a man ready to welcome disease, pain, poverty, contempt, and even death itself, provided they are rendered useful in leading the sinner to God. The faithful Christian in his lifetime," continued the minister, "has the same near views of unseen things as every man must have at death,-with this difference, that faith beholds these things with love and desire, while the view of them inspires the dying infidel with unspeakable horror."

The pious minister then pointed out to the poor widow that she had especial need of humility, inasmuch as it had been made plain to her that had she had her own desires with respect to her family, not one of those events would have happened by which the everlasting happiness of her beloved ones was sealed for ever. "It

is hard, I own, very hard,' said the minister, "for the affectionate wife and mother to consign the objects of her most tender affection to the cold grave, to worms and to corruption; but faith penetrates the veil and gloom of death. It sees the infant, whose pale sweet face seemed to be laid in a deep and eternal sleep on the lap of death, awaking again in the likeness of its Redeemer.

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"It sees the beloved husband or wife, the modest maid or pious youth, whom friends and lovers have long lamented in vain, revived again in indescribable beauty, and walking in glory, with those which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 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.'

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Thus, through faith," continued he, "women receive their dead raised to life again; and thus by faith are we made to know and feel that the Lord loves his people with an everlasting love; and that all that happeneth to them, from the beginning to the end of time, is ordered for their eternal welfare; for their salvation was ordained before the foundation of the world, and completed when the divine Redeemer cried out upon the cross It is finished!""

The good minister then took leave of the widow; but he often repeated his visit, and had great pleasure, from that time till the period of her death, to find that her faith remained bright and warm, and that she continued, when speaking of her family, to speak of them not only with cheerfulness, but with gratitude and thanksgiving. It was her constant address to parents-Fear nothing for your children but sin, and seek nothing for them but the divine blessing and favour. Put your dear little ones, by faith, in the hands of Him that died for them: withhold them not even in thought from Him who was given for sinners from the foundation of the world; and fear not but that whether your beloved ones die before you, or are permitted to outlive you, that you will be made a happy parent at the last.

MY GODMOTHER.

My godmother was a very old lady when I was born, so much so that two years after my birth she became so infirm that she never afterward left her house, excepting to crawl to the bottom of her garden, leaning upon her stick, in some fine summer's day. As she was old, so she was also poor; no one ever told me by what accident she became so poor, for she was not born in poverty, and had by her many vestiges of old magnificence; of these, however, I will speak by-and-by.

My parents knew very little of her; they were high people, and lived in some state. It was not till late in Îife that they were brought to the knowledge of the Redeemer. I thank my God, however, that they did not depart this world in unbelief; this reflection is sweet to me, beyond all that I can express: but the state of my parents has no farther to do with my story than to prove that they took little care to bring me up in the ways of holiness.

I had several brothers and sisters, some older some younger than myself, and this was again in my favour; for had I been an only child, I should probably have been too carefully watched to allow of my deriving that benefit which, through the divine mercy, I was enabled to do, by the seemingly accidental connexion which was formed between me and my godmother.

But my reader will say, if your parents were high people, and your godmother in obscurity, how happened it that they did not choose some more exalted person to be your sponsor?

I will relate the circumstance: by some it may be called a work of chance, by others an arrangement of a tender Providence. I was born in the beginning of summer many years ago; and when I was six weeks old a day was appointed for my christening, and two noble ladies and a noble lord were invited to be present and stand for me at the font.

Great were the preparations for this day: and when all the family were assembled, and the baby dressed in cambric and point, and wrapped in her satin mantle, my

lord and one of the ladies having arrived, and the carriages being all in readiness to drive to the door, for we lived in a large mansion far from the church, a difficulty arose respecting the other and the greatest lady, who, notwithstanding an assurance which she had given that she would positively be present, neither came nor sent. Every one was in a fidget; the clergyman was waiting in the church, the dinner was all in readiness, the baby in its highest beauty and deepest sleep. But the offence was marked: the countess had been known to show these airs aforetime; yet my parents had thought that she would not have exhibited them to persons of their consequence in society.

Such was the state of things when the person who was afterward my godmother was ushered into the drawing-room: the kind old lady had heard of my birth, and had taken one of her best days, for she was getting infirm even then, to come and pay her compliments to my mother, and to express her hope (and hope with her was not allied to doubt) that God would bless the little stranger; and because she did not presume to offer a gift which the world might count more precious, she had brought some of the most beautiful flowers from her small garden to present with her blessing to the little one.

And thus she entered, dressed in her only remaining gown of better days, better, I mean, as to the world's opinion; it was a green watered silk, consisting of a petticoat and train, the last of which was looped up behind; a well-saved apron of clear muslin, trimmed with lace, and a black mode cloak and bonnet, finished her equipment. She came courtesying in, under the modest shade of deep humility; that manner was, however, apparent, which cannot be mistaken and cannot be assumed, viz. :—the manner of one who was early accustomed to polished society.

She was already slightly known to my parents, and lost no time in explaining her errand; and the baby being brought forward to her, she kissed me tenderly, and laying the flowers on my feet, she pronounced a blessing on me with a fervency of devotion and tenderness of manner which brought tears into every eye. She was then withdrawing, when my lord ing whispered something to my father, and received his approbation, extended his hand to her, and said,

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"Madam, we are disappointed of one of our sponsors, and as we feel that the little baby could not easily be provided with one more anxious for its welfare than yourself, I am empowered by my friend to request you to take the vacant seat in the carriage which is to convey us to the church."

The old lady looked at my mother and at my father, as if doubting what was right; and then, as if her mind had been suddenly made up, she smiled, and permitted herself to be led away by my lord; and thus she became my godmother. Having taken the place at the font by the other godmother, she was, of course, invited to dinner, and was sent home in my lord's carriage before the close of the evening.

My mother has told me since, that when all was over, she was much vexed at this transaction; she thought it would make a curious tale; she wished it had not been, and charged my lord with having been too brisk and forward in the business; and such being her feelings, my godmother was thought little more of, but being withdrawn to her own house, to which she was soon afterward entirely confined by infirmity, her name was never mentioned, and I had attained my sixth year without even knowing that there was such a person in existence as this lady; not that my dear godmother had forgotten me, far from it, for she had sent many little notes to my mother, with nosegays of her best flowers, and earnest entreaties that I might be permitted to pay her a visit.

My dear mother, when her heart was turned to her God, told me all these things, pointing out to me at the same time the effect of pride in hardening the heart of one creature against another, and even against that sort of interest which may be appreciated by worldly people; for my mother could have lost nothing by permitting me to visit my godmother, who, though in poverty, was a perfect lady, and she might have gained some small advantages. Such, however, was the case when I attained my sixth year. I was then a little, curlyheaded, merry thing, and because my eyes were of a particularly dark, and I may now say without vanity, a brilliant blue, my father called me Violetta, and by that name I was universally known.

I had two sisters older by several years than myself, and it happened at this time that my mother sent them