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Then they would ask, "How does the person behave in present relations? Is he (or she) remarked as a dutiful, affectionate, attentive child; a kind brother or sister? for never yet was it found that the disobedient, rebellious son, or the pert, undutiful daughter, was fitted to make an affectionate, faithful, valuable husband or wife."

Then again," Is the intended party of age, temper, and habits suitable to your own? for people may be very good in themselves who are not suitable to each other; and two people who have been used to different ways of living, must have an uncommon share of good temper and forbearance if ever they make each other happy in the married life. Remember, Marriage with peace and piety is this world's paradise; with strife and disagreement, it is this world's purgatory.'

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"And then, how is it as to the one thing needful? Whatever you do, do not let this be overlooked. Without true religion you lose the best sweetness and relish of prosperity, and you have no provision whatever for meeting trials and afflictions: besides, if you could live together a century in the tenderest affection, and the most unmingled comfort, what a dreadful thing to think of death coming and separating you for ever! Be sure then you remember the Scripture rule, only in the Lord;' and expect not the blessing of God if you violate it. Ask the blessing of God on all your engagements. A prudent wife is of the Lord.' In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.'

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"When all these matters are satisfactorily settled, and your choice is fixed, be steady and faithful. Never act with levity, or say or do anything that would give each other pain. Be very prudent and circumspect in your intercourse with each other. In this respect your future comfort and confidence are at stake, as well as your fair character in the world. Let nothing that occurs now furnish matter for reproach or regret at any future time." To young married people our friends would say, your conduct be such as to render easy the duties of the other party. A wife is commanded to reverence her husband. Let his conduct be wise and holy, and then it will command reverence. " Husbands, love your wives;' then wives should be truly amiable; a man can hardly love a vixen or a slattern. If a wife wishes to keep her husband at home, she must make home comfortable to him: in order

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to do this she must be, as the apostle says, 'discreet, chaste, a keeper at home.' A giddy, gadding wife is sure to make a dissatisfied, if not a dissolute husband. Seek to promote each other's comforts, so will you best secure your own.

"Let there be no secrets, and no separate interests. Do nothing that requires concealment, and never act in such a way as to provoke it. Many a partner, of a generous and open disposition, has been driven to practise concealment, by the extravagance or unkindness of the associate."

To husbands they said-" Treat your wife always with respect. It will procure respect to you not only from her, but from all who observe it. Never use a slighting expression to her, even in jest; for slights in jest, after frequent bandyings, are apt to end in angry earnest." To both:-" Remember the design of your union-to promote each other's honour, comfort, and usefulness in this life, and preparation for a better. You are to walk together as fellow-travellers through the paths of time, whether smooth or rugged; and, as fellow-heirs of the grace of life, helping each other by prayer, counsel, sympathy, and forbearance."

It was no uncommon thing for persons to carry to our good friends complaints against bad husbands or bad wives. Such complainants generally met the reply: "Go back, then, and be yourself a better wife, (or husband,) and see if that do not prevail with him (or her) to be a better husband (or wife)." Another sound piece of advice often given them was this: "Whenever differences arise, endeavour to persuade yourself that they must have arisen from some mistake or misunderstanding of your own; never suppose the other party in fault, or that anything unkind could have been intended, but charge all the blame on yourself, and make it your business to promote reconciliation and preserve peace. This will at once mellow your own spirit, and win the other party to reconciliation and love." Another good rule is this:-Let husband and wife never be angry at the same time: by this means family fouds and discord will neither come often, nor continue long.

I may add, that by the counsels of these judicious friends, many connexions were prevented which were likely only to end in sorrow and ruin; many were formed to the satisfaction and real enjoyment of the parties; and many persons were brought to a more correct and faithful discharge of their duties, and, consequently, to a higher degree of happiness in the conjugal relation.

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THERE was one cottage in the village in which my grandfather met with more discouragement than perhaps in all

the rest.

My grandfather, an elderly gentleman, retired from business, had a good deal of leisure time on his hands, which he wisely improved and used to the best purpose in con stant visits of usefulness. The country parish in which he lived was a large one, and contained a considerable but

SEPTEMBER, 1867.

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widely scattered population of labouring men and their families. On these families my grandfather had long made a habit of calling, at some convenient time, leaving at one place a tract, at another a word or two of homely advice, at another a spice of comfort, and so on; but always and everywhere in the good-natured, benevolent, kindly, and unpretentious manner which, sooner or later, finds its way to the hearts of the poor, and to almost all hearts besides. And as my grandfather did not content himself with giving good and Christian counsel only, where real substantial help was needed, you may be sure that when his rat-tattat was heard at the cottagers' doors, those doors were generally opened with much cheerful alacrity.

There was, however, at least one exception to this rule. There was one cottage from which my grandfather always walked away sorrowful. The name of the cottager was John Adams, and he had a wife and five or six children.

John Adams was an unlucky man-so he said of himself; or, as his neighbours said for him, he was, somehow or other, "always in the wrong box." He was not altogether a lazy man, nor a dissipated man, nor an unkind man in his family. He was not a bad, quarrelsome, or spiteful neighbour; nor was he an inveterate law-breaker, as some countrymen are in one particular respect, at least. But

Well, to tell the truth, John Adams was indolent, slow, and indecisive; therefore no one cared to employ him while other hands were to be obtained. He was also, as his wife said of him, "sometimes fond of a drop;" so when he had earned a little money, it wasted away all the sooner. Then, though John Adams steered tolerably clear of the shoals and quicksands of dishonesty, he did not think it dishonest now and then to snare a hare; and, whatever he thought of it, the landowner on whose grounds the hares were caught had very strong feelings on the subject. More than once or twice, indeed, John Adams had been detected in the act of poaching, and had thus obtained anything but a good name. But even here his bad luck (I am still using his own expression)-his bad luck attended him; for while others in neighbouring parishes were far more notorious and constant poachers than John Adams, whom they had, in fact, drawn into their schemes, he had been found out while they escaped.

My grandfather's greatest disappointment, however, had

more to do with Sarah Adams than with her husband. In years gone by, before her marriage, Sarah was a well-behaved, intelligent, and, as was hoped, a pious young woman. As such my grandfather had known her, or believed her to be, when first a scholar, and afterwards a teacher in the village Sunday school, in which he took great interest. But she married rashly and foolishly, according to everybody's opinion but her own; and the results were soon seen in her gradual but decided falling away, first from the public services of the house of God, and then from all apparent regard for her spiritual interests. This was evidently the case; for my grandfather and other Christian friends who endeavoured to awaken in the young wife a sense of her danger, were met, after a time, by cold indifference, and even by more manifest signs of dislike to the subject of personal religion.

As months and years passed away, and the cares of a family increased upon her, Sarah Adams lost all her former buoyancy and regard for appearances. She became a slatternly, scolding, fretful, and discontented wife-discontented with her poor comfortless home, her children, her husband, and most of all, perhaps, with herself. She endured my grandfather's calls because sometimes, when she was in distress, which was not seldom, he gave her relief in money; but she would never listen with patience to his remonstrances and reproofs. As she had made her bed, so she must lie upon it, she used to say to him, quoting a common proverb; and often added that it was uncommonly easy for those who knew nothing of trouble and poverty to preach to those who did; but it was not so easy to listen.

Her

On more than one occasion when my grandfather kindly but determinedly introduced the subject of religion, Mrs. Adams as determinedly, but with no feelings of kindness -resentfully, indeed-requested him to forbear. thoughts were her own, she said; and she did not choose to be questioned like a child. It might be that she thought as much about religion as some other people who made such a fuss; nobody had a right to say that she didn't. Ah! Mr. G- might look round on her comfortless home and her dirty children if he liked-a parcel of squalling brats! She knew very well what that look meant; but let anybody that liked the most religious person in the land -lead the life she led, with her husband's want of luck

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