"Come in, my love," said Uncle Murray, kindly, "and tell me what you wanted in this room at so early an hour;" and he led Anna to the place where he had been sitting, and then took her on his knee, and she saw that he had been reading from a Bible that lay open on the table before him.

"Well, my dear Anna, what did you want?" "I wanted to read, uncle, and if you will allow me to sit down just in the corner where I usually sit, I shall not disturb you in the very least."

"Well, my love, do so," said her uncle, and then he watched her while she went to her drawer, and took out her Bible, and her little book, and then set herself in a corner beyond the chest of drawers, and turning away her face from him, found her place, and began to read. He did not interrupt her for a time; then softly approaching to where she was, he looked over her shoulder, and saw that she read the Bible. "Dear child," said he, "Do you understand what you read?"

"Not very well, uncle. I cannot understand much of this chapter."

"Should you like me to explain it to you?" "Oh yes, yes, uncle, if it would not interrupt you."

Her uncle again took her on his knee, and read the chapter, and explained it just in the

plain kind way her own Mamma used to do, and then said, "And, what does my little Anna do next?"

"I try to pray, uncle, but "

"But what, my love?"

Anna's eyes filled with tears, "you would not love me any more, if I told you what I am thinking about praying, uncle."

"Yes, Anna, I will love you whatever you tell me."

"No, uncle, you will not be able, for I 'am so often wicked now, that I do not love to pray as I used to do, because Mamma taught me that when we come to pray, we ought first to remember, and confess our sins to God, and then ask Him to wash away our sins for Christ's sake: but I have always so many sins to think of now, that I do not like to begin to pray; and I read, and read, or get verses to repeat, till it is time to go to Miss Palmer, and then I just say a few words of prayer."

"That is not right, my Anna," said her uncle, "but I cannot love you the less for this, because it makes me hope that God is teaching you what he teaches all his own children, that you have a very sinful heart; and then you will feel your need of the Physician of souls: and when you know Him, my dear Anna, I shall love you far more than I do just because you are my niece; for he is the Physician of my soul

also; and those who love him love each other for his sake. Do you know who this Physician is, my dear Anna?"

"Yes. It is Jesus Christ. Mamma taught me that."

"And do you know the office of a Physician?" "Yes. It is to heal the sick. My cousin Marianne had many physicians to attend her, but they could not heal her."

"No, because they had no power except what God gave them; and it was His will that Marianne should not recover. But you know Jesus Christ has all power in heaven and on earth; and he has promised eternal life to all who come to him. But you know you must come to him. If you wish your physician to heal you, it is necessary for you to bring your complaints to him, that he may use means to remove them. You must tell your Lord what the diseases, the sins are, which beset you, and lead you to disobey him, that he may wash away their guilt in his own blood, and give you grace, and strength in future to resist them. This is his will; for though he knows you far better than you do yourself, he has commanded you, and me, and all his people, to confess to him, to pray to him, to pour out our hearts before him, to make our requests known to him, and to do this without ceasing. Now if you cease to seek him in the way he has appointed, he will cease, my dear

Anna, to proceed in healing your diseased soul; but if you return to him, he will return to you." Anna listened to every word her uncle said. with the greatest attention, and she loved him more and more, but she made no answer.

"Shall we come to our Physician together, and ask him to receive and forgive us?" asked her uncle gently.

Anna scarcely knew what her uncle meant, but she did what he wished; and he knelt down, and made her kneel down also in his bosom, and he took one of her little hands in his, and then he confessed the sins she had told him of, and many others that Anna wondered how he knew; and then he prayed for forgiveness, till Anna could not keep from crying. He prayed too for Uncle Ross, and Aunt Ross, and all the family, just as Anna would have wished to pray for them. When he rose from his knees, he took Anna again into his bosom, and put his hand upon her head, and prayed God to bless her. He then said she should go and spend what time remained with her cousins; and as Anna crossed the passage to the school-room, she thought within her heart, "I should be sorry now not to go with my Uncle Murray."

Anna and her uncle were to travel in one of the public coaches. This coach set out at an earlier hour than it was usual for Aunt Ross to have breakfast; and when Anna was sent down

at the proper time by Miss Palmer, she found no one in the breakfast-room but her uncle and a servant, who was very carelessly preparing breakfast. Aunt Ross at last appeared, and made a slight apology; but Mr. Murray did not seem to be at all displeased. Before sitting down, he said a grace, which Uncle Ross never did; and, after a short repast, he took out his watch, and told Anna they must go. Uncle Ross's smart carriage and servants were at the door, to convey Anna and her things to the coach. Again she took leave of her cousins; again her Aunt Ross reminded her of what she must do when away; and as she left the breakfast-room, she heard her Uncle Ross call her name over the stairs. She ran up to him, and he hugged and kissed her, saying, "I could not see that cursed uncle of yours; do not forget me Anna. Farewell-farewell. What shall I do without you?"

Anna was very sorry to part with her strange, kind Uncle Ross; but Aunt Ross was calling to her to make haste.

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Plague on her screaming!" said Uncle Ross angrily, again pressing Anna to his bosom; and then, ordering her to get away, he went into his room, and flung to the door with such violence as to make the house shake.

Anna was soon in the carriage, and the servant just closing the door, when her Uncle asked whether his portmanteau had been put in. The