who, becoming weary of the toils of government, retired at an advanced age to his queen's palace, having first placed the crown upon the head of his beloved daughter, with the approbation of all his subjects, who long enjoyed the benefit of her well-ordered government. Nor should it be left unrecorded, that the amiable example of this admired princess produced a most desirable change in the disposition of the queen mother. The good fairy Serena came every year to see her beloved princess, when she never failed to bring with her Rosalinda's excellent governess: the king and queen also, in company with their daughter, were more than once permitted to visit the fairy at her beautiful palace in Fairy-Land. Miss Jenny Peace had scarcely finished this little story, when the bell ringing, summoned the young people to their dinner: after which Mrs. Teachum taking Miss Jenny apart, enquired of her what she had found that day for the amusement of her little companions. Miss Jenny then taking the little book from her pocket, presented it to her governess; who, retiring to her closet, occupied herself in reading it till the bell rang for school. When school was over, and the little ones were preparing for their evening walk, Mrs. Teachum took the opportunity of returning Miss Jenny's book, saying, with a smile, “ My dear Miss Jenny, I do not dislike your story, since its tendency is extremely good: but I will give you a reason why fairy-tales and tales of genii, generally speaking, however well written, can scarcely ever be rendered profitable, and therefore should be sparingly used." Here Miss Jenny coloured, and her eyes filled with tears. Upon which, Mrs. Teachum affectionately taking her hand, said, "I do not intend by this to blame you for what you have done; but I only wish, my dear child, to lead you from these trifles to better things. You are, I know, strongly impressed with the doctrine of the depravity of human nature, the need of a Saviour, and many other important truths taught in Scripture; you know also how necessary it is not to lose any opportunity of inculcating these doctrines on the minds of young people, according to that scriptural direction: For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. (Isaiah xxviii. 10. Now although," continued Mrs. Teachum, « it is not found that very young people are profited by grave discourses or deep discussions of religious subjects, and that instruction when conveyed through the medium of some beautiful story or pleasant tale, more easily insinuates itself into the youthful mind than any thing of a drier nature; yet the greatest care is necessary that the instruction thus conveyed should be perfectly agreeable to the Christian. dispensation. Fairy-tales therefore are in general an improper medium of instruction, because it would be absurd in such tales to introduce Christian principles as motives of action: and yet we are assured from the highest authority, that no one can do well without the help of the Holy Spirit." Mrs. Teachum here paused a minute, seeing that Miss Jenny Peace looked as if she did not wholly understand her, and then continued- Children, my dear, should be perpetually reminded of this important truth, that no human being can so much as think a good thought without divine help: all stories, therefore, in which persons are described as acting well without this help, have a most exceedingly evil tendency. But, since it would be wholly absurd to introduce solemn Christian doctrines into fairy-tales; on this account such tales should be very sparingly used, it being extremely difficult, if not impossible, from the reason I have specified, to render them generally useful. I do not, however," added she, "always prohibit fairy-tales, my dear child: but when you next have occasion to read to your companions, apply to me, and I will endeavour to furnish you with some story of a superior tendency to the common run of amusing tales." Miss Jenny thanked Mrs. Teachum for her instructions and kind indulgence; and promising to give her an exact account of their daily amusements, she took leave, and retired to rest. SATURDAY, The second Day. ON Miss Jenny's meeting her companions in the morning after school in the beloved arbour, she asked them how they liked the history of the princess Rosalinda. They all declared that they thought it a very pretty and diverting story. Miss Jenny then repeated to them the greater part of the conversation which had passed between herself and her governess the evening before, and endeavoured to impress upon their minds this awful truth, namely, that no human being can do well without divine assistance; and that consequently, whatever statements of a different description they might chance to find in fairy-tales, or poems, or heathen histories, should be considered as absolute misrepresentations, because mankind being naturally vile and depraved, cannot possibly do well without the assistance of the Holy Spirit. The little Misses all looked very grave on hearing what Miss Jenny said; and Miss Sukey Jen nett answered, "Indeed, Miss Jenny, all these things are so new to us, that we cannot understand them on a sudden." Miss "But we hope that you will understand these things in time, my dear friend," replied Miss Jenny; "and to this end we must pray that God will give you wisdom from above, even that divine wisdom, whose price is far above rubies." Jenny then took a little Bible out of her work-bag, and read this verse-The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor. ii. 14.) The little girls then began to discuss different parts of the story of Rosalinda: and Miss Sukey Jennett said, "I am most pleased with that part of the story where the mirror falls to pieces, and where Rosalinda sees her own figure come forward. How surprised," said Miss Sukey, "she must have been! and how little did she think of the tyranny she was about to endure!" Why," replied Miss Jenny Peace, "we none of us consider what a tyrant Self is, when it gets the upper hand; otherwise I am sure that we should be more earnest in prayer to be delivered from this enemy, which is indeed more to be feared than any other, because it is not an out-of-doors enemy, but one that is always at home." Miss |