Will

name into the porter's charge; which deposit, executed with celerity on one part, and accepted with low obeisance on the other; to be whirled through its repetition, until the last quarter of an hour previous to a long toilette and a late dinner, is just reserved for some less dissipated and humbler acquaintance, with whom the memory can intrust its burden of weariness, and vanity revel in its accession of newly purchased frivolities, with a long list of vacuities in expectancy! Such are the evidences which time will produce to witness a conspiracy against our reason, and the suicide of our affections. not these remembrances of buried hours show a child of God that the wretched compounds, by which he sought to obtain the flavour of enjoyment, are virtually ingredients of poison, scarcely disguised in their taste, and deadly in their effects? These truths are never more conspicuous than when shone upon by the light of distinguishing grace; as the ray falls we clearly decypher the praises of Jehovah addressed to our own utterance, in that encouraging question, "Who maketh thee to differ?" The renewed soul replies in holy language, "What have I, that I did not receive?"

Fantastic entertainments never left such a blythe impression on my temper, as the unsightly locality and intricate entrances to the abode of an aged disciple; where I frequently find myself seated in the midst of inextricable smoke and litter. Cheerfulness is certainly independent of appearance; for I cannot attempt to delineate the combination of offences against every sense, which crowd together within the precincts of this house, and that worm eaten refuge for spiders, which the aforesaid inhabitant hires, under the appellation of an apartment. Yet I can enumerate a list of many hours, spent in the barter of attentive curiosity on my part, for profitable communication on hers.

There is an ungenerous notion, that the poor are invariably actuated by selfish motives; and I was a conformist to this opinion, until my knowledge of some in the lowliest class of life gave me a right to testify, that, however prevalent the conduct which established it, there are happy contradictions to its universal justice.Betty Warner, though a claimant on the remembrance of others, has her portion augmented from the abundance of abler friends than

myself; so that our meetings have little to do with any other subject than our experience as ransomed sinners, and our hopes as pensioners on the promises of Jesus. This woman has a remarkably vigorous mind, with very acute feelings she cannot read a sentence in the Bible, but from long attendance on a ministry, where there is a copious spring of the word of God, with the aid of friends who peruse the Scripture for her learning, she has gathered a store of forcible passages; and, by the teaching of the Lord, anecdotes of the holy story, doctrines for belief, and precepts for conduct, are incorporated into her apprehension; and although not repeated with accuracy, they are usually applied with spiritual discernment. In the instance of this character, I have been struck with the high tone of correct taste, which a simple, almost an exclusive acquaintance with the divine writings, infuses over the language and imagination. Identified habits of station are, of course, inveterate; but, however rugged the pursuits and companions of life, there is an influence in the gift of grace which expunges vulgarity. Noisy tones and self-important gestures, coarse expressions (we may be

illiterate without being disgusting) and intrusive familiarity are gradually effaced, as evangelical truth is delineated on the spirit.

The prospect from Betty Warner's shattered casement is a large pear tree; its twisted boughs blackened with an unsavory atmosphere. I was pleased to hear my old friend illustrate her lonely thoughts, by images which had been caught from this unpromising object. "You are to know, my dear, I am a very nervous woman, and have been all my life; the best remedy I ever find for these hurries of the heart, next to communion with the Lord, (which privilege is at the Lord's pleasure to grant us,) but next, I say, to communion, is to fix my thoughts on somewhat which God hath made. The grand and beautiful stars, all shining in such peace and order, the quiet things in nature; nay, that old pear tree, I take many lessons from its different conditions through the year. When I hear the wind sighing at the top, and perhaps not a leaf shivered at the bottom, I see somewhat into Christ's speech, "the wind bloweth where it listeth;" some branches are shaken, others never get a breath upon them. It putteth forth fair blossoms in the spring;

and, in the summer, fine full green leaves; but autumn comes and never a pear! By this I learn another portion; how goodly we may look in our profession, and yet without fruit unto God, we only make a shadow to hinder the sunbeams from the ground we cover. You know, my dear, if a gardener were to plant a bearing tree in that spot, he would hew down the useless pear, because it chilled the growth of what has fruitful sap: here again I take heed of a pretty parable; Jesus will remove a mere professor, if he hurts one of his own young plants, and do by the carcase of faith as the gardener would by yonder tree-tear it up by the root, and give it for destruction. Now such sights as these entertain my spirit; and, while I am fastened to look into these little mysteries, my body does not vex and fret me. Depend, it does more good to weak nerves than physic."

In transcribing Betty Warner's lively similitudes, I have rather lowered the expressions than at all added to their dress: but I think this instance will evince, that no ornaments of refinement, which education gives to the reason, are so correct and satisfying as those embellishments with which grace polishes the