earth had made her suffering state happy and easy to her. Now she was gone to dwell with Him" where there is fulness of joy and pleasure for evermore," Psalm xvi. 11. "where the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick; the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity." Isaiah xxxiii. 24.

Will you not seek to live the life of the righteous, that your latter end may be like Elspie's?

CHAPTER IX.

THE BAPTISM.

"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God."MARK X. 14.

THE birth of a son was an occasion of great joy in Mary's home, and many kind friends shared in her pleasure. Nelly thought it the most beautiful child she had ever beheld, and every day saw her down at the cottage nursing the infant. The Squire's lady sent a white robe for the christening. It came in a paper box, and when Mary opened it she shed tears at the thought of her mistress's kindness, in thinking about

her infant; and then the little dress looked so white and beautiful that it brought to her mind the spotless robe of our Redeemer's righteousness, and it led her to pray that the Lord Jesus would clothe the spirit of her child in the garment of salvation. Along with the dress, there was also a little pair of shoes, which one of the young ladies had knitted with her own hands; there was a paper pinned to them, and written on it, Ephesians vi. 15.' Mary turned to her Testament and found these words: "Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;" this led her again to pray that the Lord of little infants would be pleased to give His grace also to her boy in his early years, that he might tread the way that leadeth unto life everlasting, which none can walk in except their feet receive this heavenly preparation. It was not once alone that Mary prayed for these best gifts for her child; perhaps she seldom

dressed him but the thought came back to her remembrance, and the prayer rose within her heart. If the earnest desire for heavenly blessings were really in our souls, we should often find that our daily duties would lead us to pray for spiritual graces. The Apostle James says, " Ye have not, because ye ask not." If at the last we are found "naked, and poor, and blind, and miserable," the fault will be our own, and this will only make the sorrow worse. Let us then "ask and we shall receive, that our joy may be full." John xvi. 24.

A parcel came with the box ; it was sealed, and directed- For Robert's child.' The Squire had asked of Robert some days before, what name he meant to give his boy; and when they opened this parcel, it was a Bible, with the child's name written in it, in their master's fine handwriting. Robert could not speak at first; he gave it to Mary, then took it back again,

and turned over the leaves; at last he said, 'To think how many poor heathen children never see the Word of God, and that my child should have one almost as soon as he comes into the world, to be ready waiting for him; and from my master too!' Mary had often made the hearts of her parents glad by her little parcels sent to them. Robert had often given to those that were in need; and both of them had for many years helped to instruct the children of the heathen in the Word of God, by the small sums of money they had regularly given to the Church Missionary Society; they had both also been faithful servants, and now the blessing came home to their own door. It is written in the Bible, "With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again ;" and "he that watereth shall be watered also himself." Matt. vii. 2. Prov. xi. 25.

A few weeks after the infant's birth, Ro