which he was remarkable; still, for some time victory inclined to neither side, to both alternately. The lawyer not long before had returned from Washington city, where he had spent several weeks on business, at the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Payson instituted some inquiries respecting sundry personages there and among others, the chaplain of the house of representatives.

The counselor had heard him perform the devotiona! services in that assembly. "How did you like him?" Not at all; he appeared to have more regard to those around him than he did to his Maker." Mr. Payson was very happy to see him recognise the distinction between praying to God and praying to be heard of men, and let fall a series of weighty observations on prayer, passing into a strain of remark which, without taking the form, had all the effect on the lawyer's conscience of a personal application. From a topic so unwelcome he strove to divert the conversation, and every few minutes would start something as wide from it as the east is from the west. But, as often as he wandered, his guest would dexterously and without violence bring him back; and as often as he was brought back he would wander again. At length the trying moment, which was to turn the scale, arrived. The time for the evening repast had come; a servant had entered with the tea and its accompaniments; the master of the feast became unusually eloquent, resolved to engross the conversation, to hear no question or reply, to allow no interval for "grace," and to give no indication by the eye, the hand, or the lips, that he expected or wished for such a service. Just as the distribution was on the very point of commencing, Mr. Payson interposed the question-"What writer has said the devil invented the fashion of carrying round tea, to prevent a blessing being asked?" Our host felt himself "cornered;" but making a virtue of necessity, promptly replied "I don't know what writer it is; but if you please, we will foil the devil this time: "Will you ask a blessing, sir?" A blessing of course was asked, and he brooked as wel as he could this first certain defeat, still resolved not to sustain another by the offering of thanks on closing the repast. But in this too he was disappointed. By some well-toned sentiment of his reverend guest, he was

brought into such a dilemma that he could not, without absolute rudeness, decline asking him to return thanks. And thus he contested every inch of his ground till the visit terminated. But at every stage the minister proved too much for the lawyer. He sustained his character as a minister of religion, and gained his point in every thing; and that, too, with so admirable a tact, in every way so natural and unconstrained, and with such respectful deference to his host, that the latter could not be displeased, except with himself. Mr. Payson not only acknowledged God on the reception of food, but read the scriptures and prayed before separating from the family-and did it, too, at the request of the master, though this request was made, in every successive instance, in violation of a fixed purpose.

The chagrin of this disappointment, however, eventually became the occasion of his greatest joy. His mind was never entirely at ease, till he found peace in believing. Often did he revert with devout thankfulness to God, to the visit which had occasioned his mortification; and ever after regarded with more than common veneration and respect the servant of God.whom he had once despised, and was glad to receive his ministrations in exchange for those on which he had formerly attended.

Habit.

A GENTLEMAN, one day, overtook a traveler moving slowly along under the great inconvenience of a heavy stone in his pocket. "My friend," said the gentleman, as he observed the stone weighing his coat down on one side, and greatly impeding his progress, "why do you travel with such a heavy burden at your side, I perceive you travel with much difficulty?" What! this stone in my pocket," said he, "I would not part with it for anything. "Would not! why?" said the other. "Why?" said he, "because my father carried it before me; they got along very well with it, and I wish to follow in their steps." "Do you derive any benefit from it?" asked the gentleman. "None, that I know of, only keeping up the good old custom," said he. "Did they derive any?" ask

ed the other. "I don't know, only they always carried it," said he, "and so will I."

The gentleman walked on, saying to himself, "I love, indeed, to see the good old customs of our fathers honored if it was only out of respect to their memory, but, really, if my father had carried a stone in his pocket, 1 think I should pay greater respect to his memory in laying it aside, and saying nothing about it, than by carrying such a testimony to his frailty with me through life." As he still walked on, he began to think, "now this man, unwise as he seems, is not more so than many others, perhaps not more than myself." So he began to cast about in his mind, what habits he had, which were no better than stones in his pocket. "Here, in the first place," said he, "is the use of tobacco, chewing, smoking, taking snuff-old habits-old habits-of what use are they to me? Mere stones in my pocket-worse than that-they injure my health, render me very disagreeable, are the very opposite of neatness: I'll away with them all. Here is the snuff-box-stay- it bears my father's name. Well, the snuff may go to the four winds. The box I will lay aside; but tobacco, in any of its forms, I will use no more. Thanks to a protecting Providence, my father left no tipling habits to ruin me and stain my memory. Now there is one stone thrown away, and if I have any more bad habits kept up for custom's sake, how much soever I may have become attached to them, I desire they may share the same fate."

Reader, would it not be profitable to thy body and soul to follow the above example?

Look Up.

AN old man on Long Island had occasion some years ago to lay up some money. Being exceedingly afraid that he would lose it if he trusted his treasure with any of his friends, he concluded at last that he would bury it. Accordingly, he went out in the woods one night, and selecting a large tree under which to make his deposit, he dug a large hole, carefully looked around him to see it any one was near, buried his money, replaced the earth,

strewed the leaves over the spot, that it might appear that all was as usual, and returned to the house secure in the belief that his gold was safe.

In those days deer were abundant on the Island, and it was common to shoot them in the night. The deer had places of resort, and the hunters being familiar with those places, would select a neighboring tree, and, climbing it before nightfall, would quietly await the coming of their game. It so happened that a friend of the old man, for this purpose, climbed the very tree to which he came to bury his money; and being disposed to see what the old man would do, he remained perfectly quiet, and when ready to go home, descended, dug up the bag, replaced the leaves, and carried off the treasure.

The old man performed a frequent pilgrimage to the tree, and perceiving every thing as he had left it, suspected no evil. After a long time he had occasion for his money, and to his consternation discovered that it was gone. This loss almost turned his head and broke his heart. He was ashamed to have it known that he was so miserly as to bury money, and therefore concealed his loss. But it weighed deeply upon him, deprived him of his rest, and finally sunk his spirits so low, that in his despondency, he began to doubt his hope, and to despair. A settled religious melancholy followed, and in his distress he went to his friend for counsel and sympathy. His friend had understood his case perfectly, and was ready to administer the right sort of consolation. He inquired cautiously, whether some domestic troubles had not occasioned his distress-to some arrangement in his business - but not being able to bring the old man to a voluntary confession, he asked him distinctly, if he had not met with some heavy loss of property. Thus cornered, he was compelled to tell the tale of his hid treasure, but was not willing to believe that that had any connection with his despondency. His friend invited him to his house, and delivering into his hands the lost bag, thus addressed the delighted man:

"When you buried this money, you looked all around to see that no one was near to watch your movements; but you forgot to look up. Had you looked up, you would have seen me a few feet above you, and would then have

sought a safe place, and not lost your money. Hereafter never fail when about to engage in any work, to look up.

The advice thus given was useful to the man who received it, and is of easy application. The man who is about to embark in an important business, if possessed of common prudence, will carefully examine the subject on all sides, that if any danger or difficulty is in the way, he may easily foresee and avoid it, or abandon the undertaking. But it is more important that he should look up. From above cometh down the wisdom tl.at man needs to guide him in doubt and distress, and he who has sought from heaven assistance, will seldom fail in his enterprize.

The Rev. Henry Venn.

A YEAR or two after the publication of the "Complete Duty of Man," Mr. Venn, when traveling in the West of England, observed while sitting at the window of an inn, the waiter endeavoring to assist a man who was driving some pigs on the road, whilst the rest of the servants amused themselves only with the difficulties which the man experienced from their frowardness. This benevolent trait in the waiter's character induced Mr. Venn to call him in, and to express to him the pleasure which he felt in seeing him perform this act of kindness. After showing him how pleasing to the Almighty every instance of our good-will to our fellow-creatures was, he expatiated upon the love of God in sending his Son from the purest benevolence to save mankind, he exhorted him to seek for that salvation which God, in his infinite mercy had given as the most inestimable gift to man. He promised to send him a book which he had himself published; and taking down the direction of the waiter, who was very anxious to give it, he sent him upon his return to London, a copy of "The Complete Duty of Man." Many years after this, a friend, traveling to see him, brought him a letter from this very person, who then kept a large inn in the west of England; having married his former master's daughter.

This friend told him that coming to that inn on Satur