her nurse.

fore, however, that awful moment arrived she requested, that she might be buried by the side of I at first objected; but my Lord insisted, that this last favour required by a child lately become so dear to him, should not be denied. Accordingly the grave of our Lucy's nurse was opened, and her little coffin placed beside that of her early guardian. We erected over them a superb marble monument, upon which the names of both were engraven, with the dates of their death.

"After the loss of my little girl I sunk into a deep melancholy. My Lord, who partook of my sorrow, was exceedingly kind to me, and gave up many of his field sports and amusements in order to devote his time to me. He allowed me also to enjoy more of my little boy's company; while the last exhortations of our departed darling were certainly neither unfelt, nor unattended by a divine blessing.

"The Scriptures now became a chief part of our studies, and we attended all the public ordinances of religion with more than usual exactness. But my Lord's advance in the Christian life was evidently more rapid than mine, and the exemplary death of his little girl was rendered more especially profitable to him.

"When a few years had abated my grief, I ceased to think so much of my Lucy, and began again to make an idol of my son, who was growing a fine youth, and discovered a serious inclination to the service of God. I now began to look forward to the time when he would make a figure the world, and promised myself much happiness

in seeing him become the father of a family, among whom I might perhaps behold another Lucy. These prospects insensibly drew me from my religious thoughts; thus making the loss of many other earthly comforts necessary to the admission of the Saviour into my ungrateful heart.

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My son, as he grew older, became more decidedly pious, as did also my Lord as he advanced in years. And now, old as I am, I remember with a delight which makes me sometimes break out into hymns of praise and thanksgiving, how sweetly these two were accustomed to commune together on heavenly subjects, and how their religious principles were evidenced by their circumspect conduct. Still however my heart remained in a state of great hardness. Sometimes indeed I had strong convictions; but, as I before observed, the world so blinded my eyes, as to render further and greater privations necessary to my eternal good.

"These salutary afflictions, though long delayed, at length overtook me. I first lost my Lord. His death was sudden, but attended with such circumstances as an humble Christian may reflect upon with satisfaction. And my son had hardly entered upon his estates and titles, when he was called away from those empty possessions to an inheritance which fadeth not away.

"With him went all my high hopes, together with all those prospects of worldly happiness which I had so long entertained; so that out of all our immense possessions, this estate only remained to me. This remnant of our former property I then looked upon as an inconsiderable

thing; but I have since felt it to be far, far above my highest deserts, and more than sufficient to supply me not only with the necessaries, but even with the choicest luxuries of life, had I been disposed to require them.

"Upon the death of my son, I immediately retired to this place, where I have now lived fiveand-thirty years, under a growing conviction, that all my past chastisements were absolutely requisite to subdue my rebellious will, and bring me to God. Yes, there has not been allotted me one correction too much, nor one stroke too heavy. More than this, I have learned to see, that in God's dealings with me he has been peculiarly, most abundantly, most amazingly merciful, yea merciful beyond even his usual mercies. I asked the honours of this world for my husband and my children, and he has given them instead thereof an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. (1 Peter i. 4.) I asked a stone

for them, and he gave them bread; I asked a serpent, and he gave them a fish. (Matt. vii. 9, 10.) Thus has he done for my husband and my children; nor has he dealt less bountifully with myself, giving me in his house and within his walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters, even an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off." (Isaiah Ivi. 5.)

When the Lady Faulconbridge had finished her affecting history, there followed a silence of some minutes; during which every one struggled to repress her own feelings, no one daring to speak, lest any thing should escape her that might increase the freshly revived sorrows of the noble

sufferer. At length Mrs. Teachum, who best knew how to express herself on this occasion, ventured to lay before her Ladyship some of those rich and powerful consolations, which she herself, in somewhat similar circumstances, had drawn from religion.

The Lady Faulconbridge was very sensible of Mrs. Teachum's kindness, and expressed a hope that their acquaintance, thus agreeably commenced, might only terminate with her death; which event, she added, her advanced age led her to suppose must be very near at hand.

Twilight, now fast approaching, reminded Mrs. Teachum that it was time to take her leave: she therefore directed her little companions to prepare themselves for their walk. But the Lady Faulconbridge would not permit them to go until she had presented each of her young visiters with some pretty little specimen of her own needlework, taken from the drawers of one of the Indian cabinets before mentioned. To one she gave an embroidered pincushion; to another, a needle-book; to a third, a little work-bag: in short, every one received some little token of remembrance from the hands of their venerable hostess. And there was not one of the young ladies who did not duly estimate her kindness; while all sincerely rejoiced on hearing that they were invited to repeat their visit in a few weeks.

During their walk home, the subject of their conversation was, of course, wholly supplied by what they had seen and heard; and all the way their young hearts glowed with an ardent desire of becoming like the lovely Lady Lucy Faulconbridge,

T

In this state of mind they retired to rest, and were thus sweetly prepared for the duties of the following day,

Sunday,

The last Day.

THIS Sweet morning was ushered in by the ringing of bells, inviting all persons to prepare for the solemn services of the day. The morning was fine, and the whole house was rendered fragrant with the odour of the fresh flowers with which every chimney-piece was adorned.

On assembling in Mrs. Teachum's presence, all neatly dressed, and every countenance beaming with holy peace and joy, the whole party cordially joined in the morning song of praise, led by their governess.

After having attended divine service twice, the little party met in the evening, as usual, in Mrs. Teachum's parlour, where they drank tea together: after which they fell into discourse upon the events of the past week, and the happiness they had enjoyed for several days past. They spoke much of those two lovely children, the Lady Lucy Faulconbridge, and the sweet Emily; nor did their governess fail to point out to them wherein the neculiar excellence of those characters consisted,