5000 persons in the prime of life, no less than 600 will die before ten years have expired; and upwards of 700 more will have passed away before the expira tion of another ten years. Should not these facts induce every parent to make that provision for his family that, in case of death, the objects of his affection should not be left to the care of a merciless world? (Right, right enough, again soliloquised Mannering; the man that can do it and does not, must be a fool- -and that's me.)

"The subject has been, perhaps, as much neglected by the religious part of the community as by others. This seems to have arisen, not from the want of care for their families on the part of religious men, but from the hesitation to avail themselves of the advantages of life insurance, lest it should imply a want of reliance on that Providence which cares for the widow and fatherless. The provisions made by life insurance are generally, however, of so moderate a character, as to be in perfect consistency with the spirit of Christianity, and strictly come within the limits of that 'providing for his own household,' which whoever neglects, is said by St. Paul to be " worse than an infidel.' This cannot justly be deemed inconsistent with the Christian profession; but an exercise of that prudence which God commands to be employed, and without which, reliance on Providence is presumption rather than the exercise of Christian faith. (That's clear enough, said Mannering.)

"In the greater number of instances in which men fail to insure their lives as a provision for their wives and children, the neglect arises from the difficulty of withdrawing from a limited income even the small sum requisite for the annual payment of the premium. This very difficulty, however, is the strongest argument that can be advanced in the support of Life Insurance. If a man, whose income solely arises from his own exertions, or from any other source terminating with his existence, finds the whole of that income absorbed in sustaining his position in society,

let him contemplate the situation of those dependant upon his labours, when, by his decease, they are suddenly cut off from their sole means of support. Who is there who would not reserve something from his present enjoyments in order to protect a beloved wife and the affectionate offspring around him, from so frightful a state of dependance upon the cold charity of the world? When it is considered, indeed, by what small increments of saving, the means of insurance may be obtained, it is surprising that any instance should exist in which it is not effected."*

If Mannering had been only half convinced by this reasoning that it was his duty to make some provision for the future, his experiences through the next few days would have brought full and entire conviction to his mind.

Some

It was cold wintry weather, we have said, and work of all kinds (factory work included) was slack. The people were not absolutely unemployed, but they were working only four days in the week, and were fearing a further diminution of remunerative labour. of the more prudent among them were prepared for this, and waited patiently the return of spring and spring orders; but the greater part of the factory people had made no provision for the rainy day,' and were consequently straitened and discontented.

When, therefore, Mannering, in the warm sympathy of his heart, took round the subscription paper, which himself had headed with five shillings, for the relief of the poor widow, the reception he met was very damping to his spirits. Instead of the ten pounds which he expected to realize, he could not get five, though he laboured incessantly, night after night, for a whole week, in his benevolent mission. And many hard reflections he was forced to hear on the improvidence of poor Cormack, in not having left his family better off; though, had these grumblers died

The extracts in this chapter are from an address issued by the British Empire Mutual Life Assurance Company.

the next day, Mannering well knew that their own families would be left equally destitute.

'It is a merciless world,' he exclaimed, when at length he gave up further exertions as hopeless. 'Poor widow Cormack, she must go to the parish, that's certain and—yes, and if I had died instead of Cormack, that's where my wife and chicks must have gone. Thank God, I am spared; and thank God, too, there's a Life Insurance Company; and as sure as my name's Jem Mannering, I'll be in it to-morrow.

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THE HISTORY OF A LIFE INSURANCE.

IN TWO CHAPTERS.

CHAPTER II.

THERE were some difficulties in the way, after all; and if Mannering had not had the spectacle of poor Mrs. Cormack, in her desolate and destitute widowhood before his mind's eye, he would probably have been driven back from his intention.

First of all, Martha was stoutly opposed to his throwing money away, as she termed it. She didn't understand it; there must be trickery in it; well, to be sure, it was very bad to be left as poor Mrs. Cormack was, with her little helpless children, poor things, but it was bad any way to lose a husband, and life insurance wouldn't hinder any one from dying, would it? Well then, she was sure no amount of money would make up for such a loss.

'Not make up for it, Martha,-no, I should trust not but they say 'a full sorrow is better than an empty one,' and a widow with sixty or a hundred pounds to help her on with, and to put her in a way of getting a living afterwards for herself and her children, is a wonderful deal more likely to be comforted

No, this wouldn't do; there would be no comfort, Martha was sure, for her, any how, if Mannering should die first: she hoped and trusted he wouldn't. But if he did, she should soon follow him, and then

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it wouldn't signify. and white-headed Bob--oh! they would be grown The children-James, Susan, up before then, and must shift for themselves as their father and mother had done before them. them a little money (supposing there was any to Leaving leave, and the Insurance Company didn't cheat them out of it)-why, it would only make them idle and wasteful, and do them more harm than good.

But how did Martha know-how could she reckon upon the children being grown up before their father would die? James suggested: and perhaps if Jemmy and Sue, and white-headed Bob should be grown up, there might be—,

O, that was all nonsense-how Mannering liked to talk, and tease, and terrify his wife in that way, to be sure. More white-headed Bobs? There! it would be time to talk about them when they did come, if they ever did. And as to James dying off hand like, in that sort of way, it was what she couldn't bear to think of, and it was not kind to talk of it in such a manner. What could he mean by it?

'Poor Cormack, you know, Martha :-he did not think of it a month ago, nor his wife neither, and yet'

But it wouldn't do-even this. Mannering, and Mannering wasn't Cormack; and if Cormack was not James should die (it was reasoning in a circle, to be sure but Martha didn't understand logic), why, then, it would be all the same to her whether she and her children went into the union, or begged their bread, or slaved for it, or starved for want of it-just exactly the same; she should be miserable any way.

'Well, then, Martha dear, said James, 'I'll just put it in another way, and say that I do it for my own comfort. I can't bear to think of dying and leaving you quite destitute, so I'll do it for my own sake. It will make me more easy like in my mind. Will that do ?'

Well, to be sure, this was another way of looking at it; and if Mannering had a mind

but