ship within your reach, I should say you were right to try, if even a part of God's worship could be joined in, without your becoming a partaker in other men's sins. But as it is, you are only breaking the Sabbath, and endangering your own souls, by persisting in your intention. You leave the blessings of the gospel behind you, for the sole purpose of showing contempt to the minister of another church. There is no zeal for God in all this, my friends, and I can assure you, there will be nothing visibly new in Fernely church to-day."

Two or three of the men listened to Mr. Graham's advice, and turned back; the rest went on, saying carelessly, "Oh never fear, we are too sound Protestants to be easily caught by Popish trash and nonsense."

Just at that moment, Mrs. Chambers' carriage drove rapidly past. She bowed low to Mary Spencer and Emma, while the latter exclaimed, "" I suppose Mrs. Chambers is going to see the images too." But Emma was wrong in this conjecture. Mrs. Chambers had heard nothing of images, but she had heard a little of Mr. Norman's doctrine from Marcella, and she thought there was something very comfortable and easy in his religion; very preferable to the terrible sentence that Mr. Sidney was always ringing in her ears, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." She would more readily bear the long life of painful penitence, (or as Mrs. Chambers read it, penance,) that Marcella spoke of, than submit to a religion which required her to renounce every long cherished sin, and to restrain and deny every wandering wish. She had never, even for fashion's sake, (as it is to

be feared too many have done,) frequented the yearly meeting, or gone out of her way to hear a popular preacher. Dancing, and cards, even private theatricals, which had been the amusement of her youth, had never been discontinued in her house; and in her seventieth year she was as devoted a slave to the world, as when she began her gay career in her seventeenth. But grey hairs, and failing strength, reminded her that some religion would be necessary, as she approached the brink of the grave, and having conceived a favourable impression of Mr. Norman's talents, she came to try if his preaching were equally pleasing to the ear, and if it proved to be so, she determined to become a constant attendant at Fernely church. Our party met with no farther interruption to their tranquillity, and the ordinances of the sanctuary gave strength for the other duties of the day, and of the week.

At seven o'clock the next morning, Mary Spencer and Emma, (the latter half reluctantly,) accompanied Lady Sophia to church, and Mary joined, with her accustomed devotion, in England's beautiful liturgy. Nothing new was introduced, and any peculiarity in Mr. Norman's manner she did not observe. The congregation was very small. Few among the pious country people could attend, without infringing on the time they had long devoted to private prayer, or family worship; others indeed there were, whose general distaste to all religious services, helped them to a ready excuse from the farm, and the merchandize. Some of these Mr. Norman persuaded by the merit of the act. A religion that holds out a heavenly inheritance, as the reward of an exact attendance upon outward

forms, and observances, seems so pleasant, and easy, that even the ungodly are often willing to give so low a price for eternal glory.

The Grahams were not there, at which Mary felt some surprise, for she knew their early and active habits, and thought that no slight reason, no mere objection to the minister, would keep them from worshipping in the house of God, whenever its doors were opened for that purpose.

Mrs. Chambers was there; this also was matter of surprise to Mary Spencer, and she hailed it as the beginning of future good to the poor old lady, who could thus retrench the hours of sloth, and selfindulgence, and drive so far every morning to church. But while Mrs. Chambers' carriage stood at Fernely church-door, morning after morning, the gaieties of the evening did not decrease; balls and card-parties quickly succeeded each other in her house, and even when her acquaintances whispered, that she had added to her other observances, the austerity of a Friday's fast, they remarked also, that these things had put no restraint upon the bitter spirit and the censorious tongue.

Nothing more occurred during this week to alter the usual course of things, except the Church Missionary meeting, which took place towards the end of it; and Mr. Norman was present at it. Emma wondered, and Mary rejoiced; for the hope, that "something good towards the Lord his God" might yet be found in the minister of Fernely, had not yet left her heart. But when the meeting was over, and they were walking home, Emma observed, "This was the coldest-most uninteresting meeting at which I ever was present; the deputation seemed

afraid to speak, lest they should stumble upon something which Mr. Norman would call dissent; and I am certain our rector took his seat in the chair, with the full determination that Mr. Sidney should not speak, lest he should preach the gospel."

"Emma, (said Lady Sophia with some asperity), you remind me of those persons of whom Jeremiah complains; All my familiars watched for my halting.' Mr. Norman thought fit to absent himself from one meeting, and you expressed great indignation at his absence; he attends another, at which every good Churchman should be present, and you are still dissatisfied."

"Because, in attending it, I believe he only acted upon that principle which I saw advocated in one of the papers, or pamphlets, that Marcella Norman sends us. The Editor, or correspondent of the paper, advised, that those who hold church principles, (as they are called,) should not withdraw from the committees, and meetings of the various societies, but remain in them, and endeavour to leaven them with their opinions. I forget the exact expressions, but there was a hint given, that it would be well when these societies could be done without altogether ;here comes Mr. Sidney; let us ask him what it really was that spoiled the meeting."

"Now Mr. Sidney," (said Lady Sophia shaking hands with him,) "Emma is anxious to have your sanction for condemning the meeting. For my own part, I think it was well attended, and ably addressed. But my two young friends are determined not to be satisfied with any thing poor Mr. Norman does."

"Twenty years ago," said Mr. Sidney,

"When I

was quite a boy, I was spending a few days with my dear old friend Mr. Warner. The first Church Missionary Meeting that ever was held in Fernely, took place then, and I shall never forget it. To me there appeared to be a halo of glory round the place in which it was held. The clergyman who addressed the meeting, was on the eve of sailing to India as a missionary, and there was a holiness, a self-consecration that pervaded the little assembly, which I look in vain for now. The jeer of the scorner, the disapprobation of the worldling, even the charge of dissent was not heeded then, and we came away resolving to spend, and be spent for Christ. How has that resolve been fulfilled? Perhaps, had our first love not decayed-our distinctiveness from the world continued, the blight that seems settling on our holy things, would have been dispersed when first it appeared. 'Let us search and try our ways; and turn again to the Lord.''

Lady Sophia felt that her question was answered. She too remembered that meeting, and the eagerness with which she formed a juvenile association in the good cause. From that day she had been a friend to missions in general, and secretary to the auxiliary societies in Fernely. But when she repeated to herself "twenty years ago," she knew that the brightness of her zeal had worn off, and the fervour of her first love decayed, and a feeling of sadness prevented her reply.

After a few moments silence, Mary said, “Do you think, Mr. Sidney, the plan lately proposed for collecting all contributions, and "-she hesitated— "giving them to the Bishops, to be disposed of as they think fit, a wise and useful plan?"