the innocent pleasures bestowed by the bounty of a gracious Father, is such that we ought to pity those who have it not, far more deeply than we would pity the blind or the deaf.

They had all acknowledged the truth of his observations, and I hope, my young friends, that you also both acknowledge and understand them; for, believe me, it is a very different thing to say a sentiment is true, and to feel it to be so, in such a manner as to derive from it either assistance or comfort. I have known many persons talk of the truth of religion, who yet plainly did not feel the reality of it; and I will tell you how I knew this. If they were about to pay a visit, to take a meal, to write a letter, or to attend to any matter of business, they would speak of these things as of what must be done; they would be anxious to be ready in time, and would regret if prevented; but would such be the case with their acts either of public or private devotion? Is such the case with you ? If not, the sense of which I was speaking is wanting. Pray for it, earnestly pray for it; it is the guiding star to enlighten and cheer us here, and lead us to eternal joys in Heaven.

Had Mr. Frederick returned to De Courcy Lodge in the autumn, as he expected when he

left it, he would have found all the changes which he anticipated; but other pursuits and other rambles, as he called them, engaged him until the summer of 1835, when he again made his welcome appearance, not covered with snow, as on his previous visit, but with dust, yet at each time calling for cold water, to make himself presentable to the drawing-room party. And this party was, as he said, the same in names, that he had left there so long before, but nearly risen into men and women, instead of boys and girls. Henry, however, jumped upon his knee as soon as he was seated, declaring he was not yet too tall to ride upon his shoulder, as he used to do.

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'But where shall I take you to, my fine fellow?" said Mr. Frederick," there is no lake for us to skate or slide upon now, is there?"

"Now do not laugh at our pond, uncle," said Amelia; "if not so large and grand as those you have seen lately, it is very pretty, and if we cannot slide or skate, we can row upon it."

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"Oh, yes!" exclaimed Henry with delight,

so we can; and we can have tea upon the island. May we not, mamma? do say yes."

"I have not any objection to our going there some fine evening," said Lady De Courcy, "if

you can persuade the rest of the party to approve of your plan."

Henry was sure they must all like it, and it was curious to observe how true a judgment of character, or rather of habits, is formed by a child, instinctively as it were. Henry offered to each the bribe he thought most likely to gain their consent.

"Uncle Mandeville," said he, "you will go us, will you not, to tell us the use of every

with

thing and what it is good for?"

"You have given me a difficult task," said his uncle with a smile, "but I shall be very ready to accompany you, and do my best."

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'Thank you, uncle" said Henry; and proceeding round the circle, he promised William a sunny seat under a tree, where he might read a book, should he choose to take one; and declared he would have told Edith, two or three years ago, it would be warm and comfortable for her to sit beside him; but now he knew she did not care more for such things than the rest of them.

"No, indeed," said Edith, "and I am very, very glad to have thrown off my Indian habits, and to be able to bear fatigue and cold, almost as well as my cousins."

"You have much cause for thankfulness, my dear child," said her father; "and when I look back to what you were, and think with a shudder of what you might have been, I bless Him who gave you such a home and such friends on your first arrival in England, and who, by so many other means, has strengthened you, both in body and mind."

Edith was much pleased by her father's commendation, for she recollected his looks of anxiety and distress the first winter they passed at De Courcy Lodge, when she shrank from every open door, and longed for her palanquin whenever her cousins invited her to take a walk, and she prayed in her heart, that she might always be enabled to do her duty, and struggle against selfish feelings and indulgences.

In the mean time, Henry was cruising about, as Captain Mandeville said, seeking either to enlist recruits or to press them into his service. Donald, he declared, should row all the way to the island, and, nodding archly at Anna, added, if she would go she should help him.

"Oh, then," cried Mr. Frederick, "I suppose I may expect to find Anna as fond of a romp and a ramble as ever."

Anna blushed, and looked at her aunt, who kindly answered for her,

"I hope Anna is, and always will be, sufficiently fond of exercise and self-exertion to keep herself in good health, or rather, I ought to say, to use one of the greatest means appointed for that purpose; but we have dropped the name of a romp now, and only intend to step over a style without a scream, and see a mouse run across the floor without falling into fits; in short, to be a help instead of a hindrance to herself and others."

"Most sincerely do I hope," said Mr. Frederick, warmly, "that may always be the case. If you knew," continued he, "how I have been annoyed in the course of my wanderings, by the sentimentality of some ladies, and the fears, real or pretended, of others, you would not be surprised to hear me say, I hope I may never meet with either in my own family."

"Pretended fears!" exclaimed Henry, in surprise, "how can any one pretend to have what is so troublesome and disagreeable?"

"Troublesome and disagreeable enough," replied his uncle; "but some persons fancy it makes them appear of consequence and interesting to make a fuss about trifles."

"The consequence and the interest to me," said Donald, laughing, "would be to make me