contents. Dunallan's attachment to Aspasia was the part of his story which, however, left the deepest and most unpleasing impression, and which still recurred when she attempted to fix her thoughts on other subjects. She could not disguise the truth to herself; Dunallan had been passionately attached to this woman, who seemed, by his description, to have been very charming. Catharine sighed when she recalled that description: "Such powers of conversation! Such grace! Such cultivation of mind!" "Ah!" thought she," these are the charms which irresistibly attract the heart against its better resolutions! The innocence of a country education, and of country morals, must be approved of on cool reflection; but can reflection guide the heart? Can religion dispose of the affections as it pleases?" She shook her head incredulously at the idea; " or does Dunallan's religion, which seems to consider the human heart so evil, forbid us to fix our affections at all on what is so unworthy? No; for how ardently does Churchill love his friend!" Catharine had wept over Churchill's story. "Unhappy Dunallan!" thought she; "while I supposed him wandering every where in search of pleasure, regardless of the pain he inflicted on his father, he has himself been endeavouring to fly from suffering—and from me," she could not help adding." But he must shrink from the idea of ever again being at

tached to any one; and after what he has know of real affection, how hateful to him must be the idea of a connexion for life with a creature he maj neither be able to reason nor moralize himself into loving."

Thus far only had Catharine arrived in ar ranging her ideas, when again obliged to join Mrs. Oswald.

"Well, my love," said that Lady," are you now more reconciled to Dunallan's method o making you acquainted with his sentiments ?"

"My dear Mrs. Oswald," replied Catharine earnestly, “will "will you be frank with me, and reply to a few questions I wish extremely to have an swered?"

"Certainly, my love."

"Well, then, my dear Madam, tell me first, does your religion, and Mr. Dunallan's, lead you to think every body bad, however amiable they may appear to be? Do you really believe that, if we knew the hearts of every one, we should find them all bad? For this, I think, is Mr. Dunallan's opinion, and I confess it appears to me a very shocking opinion.”

"The opinion, as you state it, my love, is certainly not Dunallan's, at least, not exactly so. Such an opinion supposes the whole world hypocrites, and those who appear most amiable only most hypocritical. This is not his opinion certainly; it is not even his opinion that we

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ought to form an unfavourable idea of any one, but upon the most positive proofs that they merit it."

"Yet, my dear Madam, both he and his friend Mr. Churchill consider the most perfect goodness to which we can attain as of no value-at least, so I understand him; but you yourself shall judge of what he says."

own.

"I am perfectly acquainted with his sentiments on that subject, my dear Catharine; they are my It is my love, in the sight of a holy God, that he believes and feels that every human creature, however amiable he may appear in the eyes ➡of his equally defective fellow-creatures, must appear worthless and guilty."

"Worthless! guilty! Do you not use very strong terms, my dear Madam ?”

"No, my dear love, I use the words of the Bible, which says that the human heart is desperately wicked.'"

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Every human heart, Madam ?”

"Yes, my love, no exception is made.”

"And can you really believe this Mrs. Oswald, and still love your fellow-creatures ?"

"My fellow-sinners, my Catharine. My belief of this ought, and sometimes does, to a painful degree, increase my love and sympathy for them."

"But I suppose, Madam, the Bible means, that,

VOL. IV.

compared to the perfections of the Divine Being, human nature is weak and insignificant."

"No, my love; for though this is assuredly the case, reproaching us on this account would have been unjust. We only deserve censure when we put our powers to an unworthy use, not because those powers are weak and limited. It is a comparison between those rules given us by God in the Bible, to direct our conduct and affections, and the manner in which we ourselves choose to direct that conduct and those affections, which proves to us that we are naturally inclined to act differently from the will of God, and to feel love, and hate, and hope and fear, for those objects which are totally different from those which God commands us to love, and hate, and fear, and desire; but I preach, and will tire you at this late hour."

"Oh, no, my dear Madam, I feel the deepest interest in conversation such as this. You seem to think that we naturally incline to disobey the commandments of God; now I think, if I only knew his will, it would delight me to obey it."

"And is there any difficulty, my love, in knowing that will on every occasion where we have to think or act ?"

"But I am not conscious of ever having intentionally acted very contrary to that will."

Mrs. Oswald smiled.

"Why do you smile, my dear Madam ?" asked Catharine blushing.

"Ah, my love, nothing could prove more forcibly to me, that you have never attempted to make that will the rule of your life. Recollect, my Catharine, the first requisition of that will,

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and all thy mind, and all thy strength.' But good night, my sweet love; may you be enabled to form just opinions on this most important, most interesting of all subjects."

Mrs. Oswald and Catharine then parted; but Catharine did not go to sleep. After dismissing Martin, she again returned to Dunallan's letter; nor did she leave it till reminded of the hour by the dawning day.

Next morning she would gladly have dismissed Martin for another hour when she came to call her, but, recollecting Mrs. Oswald's smile the night before, she got up, and, though languid and unrested, was ready to appear at the hour of prayers.

This day brought another letter from Dunallan. It was short and hurried, written just before he sailed, but full of such deep and tender concern for her, that Catharine, unable to restrain her tears, retired to her own apartment, to indulge the mingled regret and pleasure it inspired. "Why did I not know him sooner?"