faid Betty; "why, you were born and bred "a lady, and are now reduced to live in an alms-houfe."-" Betty, I was born and bred a finner, undeferving of the "mercies I have received."" No fuch great mercies," faid Betty. "Why, I "heard you had been turned out of doors; "that your husband had broke; and that

you had been in danger of ftarving,

"though I did not know what was be"come of you."-" It is all true, Betty, "glory be to God! it is all true."

"Well," faid Betty, "you are an odd "fort of a gentlewoman. If from a profperous condition I had been made a

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bankrupt, a widow, and a beggar, I "fhould have thought it no fuch mighty "matter to be thankful for; but there is "no accounting for tafte. The neigh"bours used to say that all your troubles "muft needs be a judgment upon you; "but I, who knew how good you were, thought it very hard you fhould fuffer

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"fo much; but now I fee you reduced to

"an alms-houfe, I beg your pardon, ma "dam, but I am afraid the neighbours "were in the right, and that fo many mif"fortunes could never have happened to had committed a great you without you

many fins to deserve them; for I always "thought that God is fo juft that he "punishes us for all our bad actions, and "rewards us for all our good ones."“So he does, Betty; but he does it in "his own way, and at his own time, and "not according to our notions of good and

evil; for his ways are not as our ways. "God, indeed, punishes the bad and re"wards the good; but he does not do it "fully and finally in this world. Indeed

" he does not fet fuch a value on outward

things as to make riches, and rank, and " beauty, and health, the rewards of piety;

that would be acting like weak and "erring men, and not like a juft and holy "God. Our belief in a future, ftate "of rewards and punishments is not al

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ways fo ftrong as it ought to be, even

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now; but how totally would our faith "fail, if we regularly faw every thing "made even in this world. We fhall ❝lofe nothing by having pay-day put off. "The longest voyages make the best returns. So far am I from thinking "that God is lefs juft, and future happinefs lefs certain, becaufe I fee the "wicked fometimes profper, and the righteous fuffer in this world, that I am "rather led to believe that God is more

just and heaven more certain: for, in "the first place, God will not put off his "favourite children with fo poor a lot as "the good things of this world; and next,

fecing that the beft men here below "do not often attain to the best things: "why it only ferves to ftrengthen my be"lief that they are not the best things in "His eye; and He has moft affuredly re"ferved for thofe that love Him fuch "good things as eye hath not feen nor "car heard. God, by keeping man in "Paradife while he was innocent, and

"turning him into this world as foon as "he had finned, gave a plain proof that "he never intended this world, even in its "happiest state, as a place of reward. My "father gave me good principles and use"ful knowledge; and while he taught me

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by a habit of constant employment, to "be, if I may fo fay, independant on the "world, yet he led me to a constant sense "of dependance on God.""I do not "fee, however," interrupted Mrs. Betty, "that your religion has been of any use "to you. It has been fo far from preferving you from trouble, that I think

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you have had more than the usual "fhare."

"No," faid Mrs. Simpfon; "nor did "Christianity ever pretend to exempt its followers from trouble; this is no part "of the promise. Nay, the contrary is "rather ftipulated; in the world ye fhall "have tribulation." But if it has not "taught me to escape forrow, I humbly "hope it has taught me how to bear it.

U 4

" If

"If it has not taught me not to feel, it has "taught me not to murmur.-I will tell

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you a little of my ftory. As my father "could fave little or nothing for me, "he was very defirous of feeing me "married to a young gentleman in the "neighbourhood, who expreffed a regard But while he was anxiously "engaged in bringing this about, my good "father died."

"for me.

"How very unlucky!" interrupted Betty.

"No, Betty," replied Mrs. Simpfon, “it "was very providential; this man, though "he maintained a decent character, had a "good fortune, and lived foberly, yet he "would not have made me happy.' "Why what could you want more of a "man?" faid Betty." Religion," returned Mrs. Simpson. "As my father "made a creditable appearance, and was

very charitable; and as I was an only "child, this gentleman concluded that "he could give me a confiderable for