tree, which stands in the corner of it?" "Yes I see it." "Well, my poor inother was buried under that tree, and my brother John lies there too. They were both buried up in the ground, though my mother's grave was the deepest. I shall never see them again, never, never, as long as I live. Will you go with me and see the graves ?" continued he, looking at the lady with earnestness and simplicity.

The short account which the little boy gave of himself, awakened the best feelings of the young lady, and she had been devising some plan to do him good. For the present she declined visiting the grave, but continued to converse with him and gain his confidence. She found him very ignorant, having never been to school; and the instructions of a pious mother, having never been repeated or enforced by example, were nearly forgotten. A Sabbath School had never been established in the place, and whether it was practicable to establish one was doubtful-but she was determined to make the experiment.—— Accordingly she visited every little cottage in the village, and urged that the children might, the next Lord's day, be assembled and a school formed. A proposal of this kind was new and unpopular. All the old women in the place entered their protest against such innovations. For the first three Sabbaths the young lady had no scholars but her little James. But she knew that however faint may be our prospects of doing good at the commencement, we should not be discouraged. The first blow we strike may produce but little effect. The lady was sorry sho had so few scholars, but she bent all her efforts to the instruction of the little boy. But in a few weeks, the prejudices of the people began to wear away, and before the summer closed, this school embraced every child, whose age would allow it to attend. It was the second summer after the establishment of this school, and after little James had been well acquainted with his Testament and his catechism, that his health began to fail. The good young lady beheld his gradual decay with anxiety, visited him often, and always wept at parting with a pupil so dear. She used often to walk out with him, and to cheer him with her conversation. One pleasant afternoon she led him out by the hand, and at his request, visited the

Their

spot where lay his mother and little brother. graves were both covered with grass, and on the smaller grave some beautiful flowrets. It was in the cool of a serene summer's day, as they sat by the graves in silence. Neither of themable to speak. The lady gazed at the pale countenance of the lovely, boy, upon whose system a lingering disease was preying, while he looked at her with an eye that seemed to say, "I have not long to enjoy your society." Without saying a word he cut a small stick, and measured the exact length of his little brother's grave, and again seated himself by the lady. She appeared sad, while he calmly addressed her. "You see my dear Miss. S that this little grave is shorter than mine will be." She pressed his little white hand within. her own and he continued-"You know not how much I love you-how much I am obliged to you. Before you taught me I knew nothing of death-nothing about heaven, or God, or angels. I was a very wicked boy till you met me. I love you much, very much, but I would say something else." "And what would you say," inquired the lady, trying to compose her feelings. "Do you think I shall ever get well?" "Indeed I hope you will-but why ask that question?"

"Because I feel that

I shall not live long-I believe I shall soon die-I shall then be laid beside my poor mother-She will then have her two twins, one on each side of her-But do not cry Miss S, I am not afraid to die. You told me and the Testament tells me, that Christ will suffer little children to come unto him, and though I know I am a very sinful little boy, yet I think I shall be happy, for I love this Savior, who can save such a wicked boy as I am. And I sometimes think I shall soon meet mother and little brother in happiness. I know you will come too, won't you? When I am dead I wish you to tell the Sabbath Scholars how much I loved them all-tell them they must all die, and may die young, and tell them to come and measur the grave of little James, and then prepare to die."

The young lady wept, and could not answer him at that time. But she was enabled to converse with him several times afterwards, on the grounds of his hope, and was satisfied that this little lamb was indeed of the fold of Jesus. She was sitting at his bedside, and with her own

trembling hand, closed his lovely eyes as they shut in everlasting slumber. He fell asleep with a smile-without a struggle. The lady was the only sincere mourner who followed the remains of the child to the grave, and while she shed many tears on the sods which covered his lovely form, she could not but rejoice in the belief, that God had permitted her to be the feeble instrument of preparing an immortal spirit, for a mansion in the skies.

The New Coat and Old Blanket.

AN Indian and a white man, being at worship together, were both brought under conviction by the same sermon. The Indian was shortly after led to rejoice in the pardoning mercy. The white man, for a long time, was under distress of mind, and at times almost ready to despair, but at length he was brought to a comfortable experience of forgiving love. Some time after, meeting his red brother, he thus addressed him:-How is it, that I should be so long under conviction, when you found comfort so soon? "Oh brother," replied the Indian, "me-tell you; there come along a rich prince, he propose to give you a new coat; you look at your coat, and say I don't know; my coat is pretty good; I believe it will do a little longer. He then offer me a new coat; I look on my old blanket; I say, this good for nothing; I fling it right away, and accept the new coat. Just so brother, you try to keep your own righteousness for some time; you loth to give it up: but I, poor Indian, had none; therefore I glad at once to receive the righteousness of Lord Jesus Christ."

A Great Change.

SOME time since a lady whose name has been respectfully announced, and whose time has been much devoted to promote the objects of the Brittish and Foreign Seamen's Friend Society and Bethel Union, going on board a ship of war, was received by an officer on deck, not without respect, but accompanied with many of those expres

sions which unfortunately are too frequent in the lips of sailors; the lady expressed her wish that while she was on board, he would have the goodness to desist from language of that description; he professed his readiness to oblige her, and during the period of her being on board, not one oath escaped his lips. She pursued her course, distributing to the sailors her tracts and Bibles, and above all her admonitions: On her return she was accompanied by the same officer, and had an opportunity of thanking him for his kindness in attending to her request; he expressed his readiness to oblige her on any occasion, and said there was nothing she asked him to do he would not do. Then (said she) I'll thank you to read that book, giving him a Bible. He felt himself surprised, (or, if you please, taken in,) but considering that as he had given his promise, he was bound to fufil it.

The lady afterwards visiting a distant part of the country, went to the church, heard a sermon, and was returning, when the clergyman, running after her, said, "if I mistake not I am addressing such a lady ? Mentioning her name. "That is my name, said she, but I have no recollection of you." "No, Madam," said he, does not your ladyship recollect visiting such a ship, and giving an officer a Bible?" 66 Yes," ," said she, "I do." "Then, madam, I am the person, and the good effects of it are what you have seen this morning."

Extorted Testimony.

For the purpose of illustrating the secret respect which is entertained by infidels for a pure and consistent christianity, we relate the following incidents, which have never appeared in print. They may serve to show that a testimony, which under ordinary circumstances would be studiously withheld, may by the force of circumstances be extorted.

In one of the flourishing towns of a distant State, resided two gentlemen of high professional standing, but of infidel principles. In habits of the closest intimacy, they encouraged each other, not only in a determined opposi-. tion to the spread of religion, but in the most profane mockery of its doctrines, institutions and tendencies. A

third individual in the town, likewise possessing influence, but of truly christian character, was the principal object of their profane jests. They pretended to hold his reli gion in utter contempt, and often made merry in ridicu ling his superstition and fanaticism. How sincere and hearty they were in trusting their own principles may be learned from the sequel. In the course of time one of them was attacked by a fatal disease, and died without any happy change in his religious views. On opening his will, it was ascertained that he had entrusted the set tlement of his estate to the pious man, and that his infidel friend was not mentioned as an executor! If an action could speak, this spoke loudly of his distrust of infider principles, and of his secret confidence in those of christianity. He could not rely on the honesty of his boon companion, but he had no fear of the integrity of the man whose religion he had been accustomed to ridicule. We much mistake if every other infidel under similar circumstances, would not make a similar choice.

The other incident to which we referred is equally corroborative of the respect which christianity extorts from its opposers. A gentleman of our acquaintance had occasion to travel through a new and thinly settled part of the western country. His traveling companion was a gentleman of intelligence, but of infidel principles, who was fond of discussion, and ready to beguile the way in urging arguments against the truth of the christian religion. The sparse population of the country through which they were passing, was composed of rough and unconth materials, and it had been rumored that travelers had suffered violence from them when thrown within their power. As regular inns were unknown, our travelers were compelled to trust the hospitality of those of whom they could not but entertain a secret fear. On one occasion, as the evening closed in, they sought a lodging place in a log cabin, far removed from other habitations. They anticipated but little comfort, and various appearances induced them to believe, that it would be a means of safety for each of them to watch alternately through the night. As they were about to retire, however, to their rude bed, their host, whose exterior had excited their distrust, proceeding to a shelf, took down a much worn Bible; and, informing his