66

these follies; but she had always delighted in dancing; and on this occasion suffered her better judgment to be overruled. "It is but for once, mother," said she, and to please my uncle-nay, to avoid giving him incurable offence. Believe me, I shall not suffer my head to be turned by one night of gaiety. Pray for me, mother, that this compliance with the will of my father's brother may not produce evil consequences." My child." said the distressed mother, "I dare not so word my supplication. It is in compliance with your own will that you thus venture on the tempter's ground, and in this open act of disobedience to your heavenly Father, I cannot lend my aid to excuse or extenuate your guilt. I have prayed, I will still pray, that you may not venture further in this matter; but if you do, the responsibility must rest with yourself." "But, mother, the Scriptures say themselves, 'there is a time to dance.'' "So they say in the same place, there is a time to make war, and a time to hate.' The wise man means, that all sins and follies will have their seasons; but he does not therefore advocate sin and folly. Oh, beware, my child, and let the same Scriptures teach you, that he who hardeneth his neck under reproof shall be destroyed, and that suddenly.' These are fearful words, my child. Oh, heed my reproof, and do not harden your neck!" "Mother," said the perplexed girl, "I have promised my uncle to go to this unlucky ball, and I cannot break my promise without incurring his resentment. He has been so kind, that it would be ungrateful to thwart him in this trifle." "Oh, my daughter," said the widow, holding her hands to her ears, "let me not hear you use such awful language! Can it be you who call this sin a trifle? Go, if you will; but make no more vain attempts to pervert right reason, lest you add to your own condemnation."

It was indeed with reluctance that the affectionate daughter left her mother under such circumstanecs; but she had surrendered her better judgment for the time, and created an imaginary necessity, by which she suffered herself to be controlled. Much admired, she was so often solicited to dance that her blood became painfully overheated; and find

ing the heat of the ball-room too oppressive, her partner was conducting her into a little back porch. As she swept rapidly along, panting with heat, she encountered a servant entering with a pitcher of water, more than half intoxicated, and as he staggered out of her way, the contents of the pitcher were discharged full in her panting and overheated bosom. The sudden revulsion of physical feeling occasioned by this accident, was almost instantly fatal. A violent ague terminated in convulsions, and before the dawn of day this lovely and interesting girl expired in the arms of her almost distracted mother, breathing with her last gasp the word "SUDDENLY!"

GOD'S CARE FOR MAN'S HAPPINESS.

GOD's world, which is by his permission man's estate, has been bountifully, luxuriously planted, watered and stocked with materials, not merely for his absolute wants, but for his enjoyments, amusement, and instruction. The estate is not only planted, but ornamented, as if to suit every caprice of man's fancy. He has not only fruits, but flowers; the grassy carpet is not only spread for his feet, but it is embellished to the eye; the fruits are not only wholesome, but delicious, and every variety of taste is met. Animals are made obedient to his call, whose flesh and clothing are freely offered to his use. And Nature herself condescends to assume new forms and improved qualities at the hand of man, that her productions may please him better; while she has provided materials of infinitely various kinds, on which he may work his will to please himself. He who formed the eye has given the painter colours for his pencil, and the most exquisite patterns for imitation. He who formed the ear has constituted it an exquisite instrument of universal music, susceptible of all the car can demand, or the ingenuity of man devise for harmony and song. Then what do you think of odours? Fragrance is added to the splendours of the flower and the delicious juices of the fruit. The breeze of eastern groves moves not but with its

charge of perfume, which is alike to be inhaled by the monarch and the slave.

Q. Yet people are always saying, What a miserable world this is!

A. They say that sometimes truly, but very often thoughtlessly and ungratefully. Very true it is that there is a great deal of misery and suffering in the world, because there is a great deal of wickedness. Generally there is the greatest misery in countries where nature is the most munificent in her gifts. Eastern treasures, of the garden, field, and mine, and eastern oppression, go together. Lands the most fruitful have been laid bare by ruthless despotism. Those who say, "What a miserable world this is!" are generally such as have least reason to complain. They are often those who are full of everything, but give God thanks for nothing. Let us notice some matters which show the power, wisdom, and goodness of God, in preparing this globe as a residence for man.

We are lighted and heated by the sun, and if that were withdrawn we should perish. But that is not enough. Something more is wanted, and that is artificial fire. What could we do without it? The sun will not cook our food, nor light us at night, nor warm us sufficiently in winter. I have already spoken of fuel; but that would do us no good if we could not set fire to it. Having fire at our command, we can prepare our food, warm our bodies, fuse the metals, drive our machines, and make the darkest night and coldest winter as light and as warm as we please.

Still, as we could not take fire about with us, we should neither be warm, nor otherwise comfortable, when abroad, without clothing of various kinds. Man must face the weather, and, therefore, he must fence his body against it as well as he can. This want is also provided for: and here not only comfort, but ornament has been considered by Him who hath given us all things "richly to enjoy."

Animals have more clothing than they require, that man may be supplied from their superabundance; and the silkworm spins more of that beautiful material than seems necessary for the creatures's protection housed within it,

that man may obtain a material for the most splendid garments of his wardrobe.

The skins of animals were no doubt also formed for the double use of the brute and man. With these man first learned to clothe himself; and, even now that the loom supplies its delicate and splendid vestments, the furs of many animals are considered more splendid still, whilst their warmth generally exceeds that of other clothing.

There are many particulars well worthy of remark, as showing the care and kindness of the Creator in the elements around us, which I cannot bring into my nutshell; but I will just notice a few things in the four formerly called elements,-fire, air, earth, and water. Fire might have been denied us, or totally unmanageable: yet so easily is it procured and understood, that people the most ignorant and savage have used it in all ages. It might have been the case that the natural heat of our bodies decreased with labour; and this, in cold countries, where labour is most required, would have been an addition to the suffering of toil, far beyond that contained in the sentence, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." The labourer leaves his chill cottage in the morning, and begins his work, and with it comess-how mercifully!—a genial glow, more comfortable and more healthful than that experienced in the mansions of the rich.

As for the air, we are apt to think too little of it, because we do not see it. Let us notice a fact or two. The air is a sort of fuel to the fire, which burns with it, but without it would not burn at all. It is the air which diffuses the light of day; in fact, gives us light where otherwise it would be pitchy darkness. There would be no light for instance, in a room into which the sun did not directly shine. There would be dazzling streams of radiance where he could shed his beams in direct lines, but every other place would be perfect night; shadows at noon-day would be unmixed blackness; the sky itself would be dense blackness, except just where the luminaries would

appear.

Without air there could be no clouds, no vapour, no rain

or dew. Water would have been water alone; and dry land would have been dry indeed!

The air, too, is the sole medium of sound. Mountains might fall, but it would be in perfect silence; neither whispers nor thunders could be known.

As to the EARTH, that is the loose soil of which the ground is composed; it is made up of ingredients necessary to vegetable, and therefore to animal life. It is powdered, as it were, or reduced to small particles, that moisture may freely enter it, and the tender roots of plants penetrate it in all directions. Earth affords, besides clay to the potter, dyes to the artist, and medicines to the physician. It is the reservoir of fresh waters, and the grand storehouse of the metals and the fuel of which we have been speaking. This earth, or mould, or soil, on which we tread, yields us all our provisions from first to last; and then receives us, "ashes to ashes, and dust to dust," till we are transformed, and earth shall be our dwelling no longer.

WATER is equally with the other materials of our world formed with regard to the wants and comforts of the living. It is the food and drink of vegetables, and the sole beverage of animals when they leave the nurture of their mother. It is, too, the grand purifier and cleanser of this our home creation; and the salt of the sea is nothing else than a vast provision against the effects of the constant decay of animal and vegetable matter.

The world then is a fit and comfortable residence for man; and I may say, that infinite wisdom has been employed, and was needful, to make it so; and with this, infinite power and infinite goodness have been combined. The comfort, the enjoyment, of the teeming myriads of inferior animals of all kinds have been remembered. Do not the gnats, that dance in the sunbeam, rejoice in the sun as well as we? Have not the wants and the animal happiness of every race of creatures been cared and provided for by the same infinite Creator in whom we live, and move, and have our being? Doubt it not. The world is a residence prepared for them also; and, if this had not been so, the earth would have been

a

very imperfect