campaigner. More bewildered still gazed the mild Curate, when his Rev. Superior (a perfect example of good breeding,) allowed his demure face to expand with a smile, and getting up also stretched out his hand to the stranger. Pitiable also was it to witness the awe of the severely-trained young ladies, on beholding the hostess, a fair, stout, and matronly lady, rise from her post of honour, blushing like a young maiden, and stand staring also at the new co.rer. But perhaps the most pitiable sight of all to a reflecting mind, was the contempt with which the young exquisite leaned him back, and stroked his clean-shaven chin, observing as he did so, to his neighbour, a bilious ferret-looking London merchant, "Aw, what a duece of a fuss about an old soldier,some duec'd Waterloo man or other, I'll be bound." Puzzled, the officer glanced round him, and shook the hands that were thrust to him, and the host, to refreshen his memory, presented each by name; but it only served, with the sight of the hale, unchangeable host himself, to astonish him the more,-for he forgot the long years of service that had intervened, and the toil that it had taken him to win his honours and his grey hair, and wondered how it was that those whom he had left eager aspirants for the crown of manhood, had now its dents upon their brows: that the veriest children then had now mounted the dress coat, and the eyeglass: that the hoyden lasses had calmed down into bashful and beautiful girlhood: that the lovers of his day had some of them fac-similies in their sons and daughters beside them; and that others (as he was sadly told) were lying in the sea-side churchyard. Scarcely believed he that he saw the sleek and hearty, yet withall diligent minister, in the feeble old man who had recognized him. Hurriedly he looked round for the short squat figure of the country surgeon, and saw but the six foot skeleton of his successor,-joyfully, however, he shook the many hands, almost the last came the hostess forward, and the host did not introduce her, but watched the face of the visitor. Calmly the grey head was bowed-" He had not the honor." Suddenly, loudly rang out the laugh of the Squire, "Not know her, Colonel, not remember your old flame ?-why we have often talked of you, and laughed at your boyish romance,—allow me to present my wife." Eagerly the Colonel looked, and took the stretched-out hand. The lady before him was stout, was middle aged, and her hair was pent in by a motherly circle of velvet and jewels, twisted into the similitude of a turban; but shining through like a book's gilded title under the dust of years, he saw the old-old face,-remembered by him in the smoke and heat of the battle, and on the homeward passage, ever present with him-he saw it now-now and thus, he shook the hand kindly, he led the lady to her seat, sat himself near her, and retorting the jokes of the host with vivacity, rallied him in return for his jealousy,-gave an account of his late career to the old minister, snubbed the exquisite, and related an eastern love-tale to the engaged daughter of the house. But with all this near the lid of the old soldier's eyes, travail-weakened, lay a strange heavy moisture; and he whom the Duke and his country had complimented and honored for his maintenance (heroic as they were pleased to call it) of an important station in the face of an admirably served battery, and for his governance of an unruly herd of savages, could have played the woman then. Did he not give way when he reached his room that night? I say not. It is better not said, for there are those who cannot understand the tears of a man; therefore, I say not. But it was hard-hard that the time-brush should have swept away the romance-light from my memory's canvass. Che Chosen People. FOR Zion's sake-chastised of God- I'll daily wrestle at his throne Oh, Judah, art thou not his own? Yes, when his church is stir'd to pray As orient light of breaking day, As lamp that cheers the gloomy night Gentiles shall hail thy rising light, In thee as bridegroom o'er his bride, For ever more thou shalt abide The people of his choice. S. Ye Ballade of Sainte Nicholasse, A WYSE MAN OF YE EASTE YT CAME TO YE ISLE OF TO YE PEOPLE, AND WHAT A Medyævalle Laye, TOUCHINGE A CARDINALE ERROR OF YE TIMES. AFTER Michaelmasse feast, a wyse man from the easte Came o'er to ye Isle of Prydayne Sainte Nicholasse highte was this wonderfulle wighte, All red was his hatte and all red were his hose As he travayled alonge on his waye, And red as them bothe was his fatte burleye nose, "Gentle Prydaynes," quoth he, "come listen to me, 'You have wandered like sheepe from ye folde; "Let my wordes be your guide, and eschewe all beside, "So close up your eyen, and your mouthes open wide, But ye Prydaynes of olde theye were sturdye and bolde, And theye asked ye big wighte if his heade was all righte, And Sainte Nicholasse faine woulde have gone backe againe, And his tombe, theye declare, not a recorde did beare, Sceptisism contrary to Reason. BY JULIUS PARTRIGE. CONCLUDED. I HAVE in these papers indicated two independent, and as far as I am aware, original processes of reasoning, by which the absurdities. of Sceptisism are exposed, and the existence and necessity of a Divine revelation established. Not that the ordinary proofs of the truth and reasonableness of Christianity, the proofs by Miracles, by Prophecy, by testimony, by inherent evidence, have ever been for one moment shaken or undermined. Not that Sceptisism or Infidelity has ever urged an argument or a plea that could bear the test of profound reasoning. Not that all the malignity which depravity can exercise, or all the wit and grace and genius which can lend unhallowed charms to sophistry, have ever prevailed to fix one charge of inconsistency or of weakness upon the Christian system. But I have taken new ground, because, from every point of view, whether Christianity be considered as a system upon its own merits, or in relation to the necessities and wants and condition of man to whom it is addressed, it bears incontrovertible evidence that it is what it professes to be, a Divine revelation. The more it is tried by just criticism, by sound reason, by weighing of evidence, the more profound is the conviction of its simplicity, its truth, its grandeur. It harmonizes with all known moral truths, it solves all the solvable moral difficulties of the condition and destiny of man, it wreathes his brow with immortality, and fills his breast with peace. You will observe that having carried the argument up to a demonstration of the existence and necessity of a revelation, I have assumed that among all the religious systems proposed to our belief, Christianity is the only one that bears Divine credentials. If the Sceptic can be convinced of a revelation, he will not hesitate long between rival claims. He will need no very lengthened and elaborate comparison of Christianity with religious systems of human invention. At least until this position be denied, until some rival system shall be gravely propounded, and alleged on comparison to have prior claims,-given a revelation, Christianity may be safely assumed. I do not know that I can better close the subject than by a short review of the principles, or if you please, the philosophy of that Divine system which Sceptisism rejects, in its relation to the moral necessities and the actual condition of man. Man is an offender. No eloquent persuasives are needed to convince even Sceptics of the melancholy fact of his too frequent aberrations from the path of rectitude. Moral evil is too luminously traced in the feuds and strifes and sufferings and crimes of humanity, to need further argument or proof. The character of the disease is moral, therefore the remedy must also lie in morals. The great object to accomplish for man, is to restore to him the long lost resemblance to his God. What is the first step in a recovering process? The Creator, in dealing with his offending children, must first teach them to know and to lament their fault. Accordingly, in the Christian system, the confession of sin is the first indication of repentence. But to confess is only part of the process. Man must be humbled before the Almighty, by a deep and due acknowledgment of his error. It is obvious to the commonest understanding that without such an acknowledgement, there can be no moral recovery; and it is for God, the offended, to prescribe the mode, and to judge of the sincerity of man's contrition. The Christian system provides the means of appropriate humiliation. It leads the recovered soul to feel that in itself, it possesses no worthiness in the sight of God, and as a suitable and curative confession of the fact, it must plead guilty, and seek forgiveness only through the appointed mediation and intercession of another. Here is the remedy for human pride. But the moral recovery stops not here; its means are not yet fully developed. To sustain the process, the heart and affections must be won,—and it is obvious that "perfect moral recovery," the restoration of an erring soul to moral health, the clothing it with moral beauty, is impossible without an ardent love of goodness. In fact, the worst symptom of disease is the absence of that love. Christianity supplies the motive power which wins the heart. The Mediator, the Saviour, revealed in the system, suffers for the offender. He bears, unasked, the heavy burden of his guilt; and thus, in the profound philosophy of redemption, the affections, the great agent in moral recovery, are secured. But while the heart |