upon her little pupil while dining with the family. Why is it that it is so rare to find a servant willing to perform this kind of office, if they are competent as Mary was to the higher office of teaching and training a child? The stores of information which she poured into this young child's mind in an interesting way, while dressing, or at meals, or walking, would surprise you, and framed the superiority of her mind; and was she less happy, less respected, or less respectable, for taking her share of these lower services? Nothing but narrowness of mind, and pride (I was going to say English pride, for we meet not with this kind of folly on the continent), could suggest such a thought. The greatest care was taken to promote her comfort, and preserve her from real injury, either as regarded over-fatigue, contact with evil, or even such a measure of occupation at her needle as would at all have interfered with her instruction of the child; and I believe that her little share of decidedly menial offices had the happiest tendency in keeping her humble; for we know that the tendency of knowledge is to puff up. There is a great demand for such young people as Mary in our 'nurseries; can not any be stirred up to follow her steps? The 'situation she occupied appears to me a peculiarly happy and honourable one. Her three years' training of the dear little child committed to her charge will, I have little doubt, tell upon her character throughout her life; and you may suppose what were the 'feelings of the parents towards one who proved such a means of blessing to their child. The tender care which was taken of her in her illness, the sympathy of every member of the family, and the grief which spread through the house at her death, testified to the honour which God puts, even in this world, upon those who keep his commandments. The history of her illness is very short. In the midst of youth, and more than her wonted measure of health and strength, indisposition, apparently of no serious character, came on, which in one short fortnight terminated in her death. It seemed like a dream, for one whom we should have thought likely to live longer than most of us, to be thus suddenly snatched away. It has been the most striking lesson not to defer preparation for death to a last sickness; for, though free from acute pain, Mary's illness was attended with such a singular loss of strength, that, from the first, she could neither read nor hear the Bible read; nor could she exert her mind to think or converse on that or any other subject. The lessons, for her needlework, for certain playthings to be brought out in turn, and put back again, so that their freshness was never worn off. Mary's love of order and neatness was indeed most remarkable, and shed a beauty and harmony over every thing she had to do with. I need hardly say it was evident in her exquisite cleanliness and nicety in the personal care of the child, and the beautiful neatness with which its clothes were put on, or folded up and put away, when not worn; in consequence of which, they looked well to the last. Her nursery, though of course the receptacle for all the va riety of fragments and litter which amuse a child, was always fit for a Queen to enter: the books were in their proper place; her prettiest things neatly set out as ornaments; any little odds and ends given to the child were sure to be converted into something pretty or amusing, and all was stowed away into its proper hidingplace. But valuable as was this quality, it was much less so than the purity, sincerity, disinterestedness, and, I may add, elevation of her mind and character. There was no temptation to teach the child to conceal any thing from her parents, for nothing was said or done in the nursery which needed concealment. Every thing entrusted to her was as much taken care of as if it had been her own property; and so remarkable was she for disinterestedness, and the absence of any thing approaching to covetousness, that I hardly like to mention the name of purloining: truly, she had in this respect "clean hands." As a proof of her exactness, I may add, that her little account of expenses, found after her death, was made up to the very day on which she was first confined to her bed. Does it not forcibly exhibit the blessedness attending a prompt and faithful discharge of the duty of every day in its day, to see this young servant of the Lord thus suddenly cut off in the midst of her days (as I shall tell you presently), and yet, as far as I can learn, nothing left undone-she was "ready." Nor did gossip find its way into her nursery. She took her dinner with the other servants, but her favourite and sole companion was one of their number, likeminded with herself, with whom she spent the Sabbath evening, in talking over the Sermons they had eagerly listened to at church, and in searching the Scriptures. One little circumstance I must not omit, viz., that Mary had the entire care of cleaning and scouring her nursery, and also waited upon her little pupil while dining with the family. Why is it that it is so rare to find a servant willing to perform this kind of office, if they are competent as Mary was to the higher office of teaching and training a child? The,stores of information which she poured into this young child's mind in an interesting way, while dressing, or at meals, or walking, would surprise you, and framed the superiority of her mind; and was she less happy, less respected, or less respectable, for taking her share of these lower services? Nothing but narrowness of mind, and pride (I was going to say English pride, for we meet not with this kind of folly on the continent), could suggest such a thought. The greatest care was taken to promote her comfort, and preserve her from real injury, either as regarded over-fatigue, contact with evil, or even such a measure of occupation at her needle as would at all have interfered with her instruction of the child; and I believe that her little share of decidedly menial offices had the happiest tendency in keeping her humble; for we know that the tendency of knowledge is to puff up. There is a great demand for such young people as Mary in our nurseries; can not any be stirred up to follow her steps? The 'situation she occupied appears to me a peculiarly happy and honourable one. Her three years' training of the dear little child committed to her charge will, I have little doubt, tell upon her character throughout her life; and you may suppose what were the feelings of the parents towards one who proved such a means of blessing to their child. The tender care which was taken of her in her illness, the sympathy of every member of the family, and the grief which spread through the house at her death, testified to the honour which God puts, even in this world, upon those who keep his commandments. The history of her illness is very short. In the midst of youth, and more than her wonted measure of health and strength, indisposition, apparently of no serious character, came on, which in one short fortnight terminated in her death. It seemed like a dream, for one whom we should have thought likely to live longer than most of us, to be thus suddenly snatched away. It has been the most striking lesson not to defer preparation for death to a last sickness; for, though free from acute pain, Mary's illness was attended with such a singular loss of strength, that, from the first, she could neither read nor hear the Bible read; nor could she exert her mind to think or converse on that or any other subject. The last day, when we had endeavoured to make her aware that her end was near, she said, I have tried to think of my Saviour, but cannot, Happy was it for her, that she had not delayed thinking of him till that hour, but had sought and found him in the time of health and strength! Need I add, that he forsook her not in the valley of the shadow of death; but kept her mind in perfect peace, staid upon him? He gave her, in a remarkable degree, patience and humility. It was touching to observe her thoughtfulness for others, when she might have been engrossed with her own sufferings. Even when the dews of death were upon her, she enquired after the slight indisposition of one of the friends watching by her bedside, remembered that it was the dinner-time of another, and seemed quite distressed that they should take so much trouble for her. At one moment, while composing herself, as she said, to a long sleep, she was overheard repeating a line of a hymn, Which she frequently repeated in the course of the day. When asked whether she was happy, she replied, "I have not a doubt or I am not trusting to any thing in myself, but to my Sa a fear. viour." Her departure was, to the last degree, peaceful. While calmly sleeping, her spirit returned to God, who gave it; and I wish I could convey to you any idea of her appearance when we all gathered round her bed immediately afterwards. She was lying on her side, with her hands across her breast; and never did sculptor represent any thing so touching and beautiful. It told us that the spirit of one who, but a few days ago, mingled with us in the ordinary employments of this life, had, in one instant, crossed the threshold of the eternal world. While we looked at her peaceful countenance, it seemed to give us some idea of that state of undisturbed peace and holiness in her Saviour's presence into which she had now entered; and oh! how eloquently did it set before us the love of Christ, and the preciousness of his salvation! If he had not drawn the sting of death, how different would have been the scene! And how different was the death he died! preceded by the agony and bloody sweat, surrounded by taunting enemies, and accompanied by the hiding of his Father's countenance, when, by the grace of God, he tasted death for every man, and thus opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers, converting the grave into a peaceful passage to eternal life! How is it that we do not live more devotedly to his glory; to whose love and sufferings we shall owe every ray of hope and joy which may beam upon us in our dying hour? . Here ends my history. I have had, you see, little to tell of the sayings and feelings of a death-bed scene. It is her doings which are left on our memories, in strong and legible characters, as an epistle of Christ, and which, perhaps, may be usefully read beyond her own little circle, by those who have, in some degree, a similar sphere of duty. I think of her chiefly under that character by which Moses was designated, so honourable to all who bear it, "the servant of the Lord;" and these words come vividly to our recollection in connection with her: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." It is great encouragement to see this "keeping of his commandments" connected with so peaceful and blessed a death. I do not mean that her exemplary life was the ground of her peace in death, God forbid! The manner in which she had instructed her little pupil in the truths of Scripture proved that she knew "all our righteousnesses" to be as "filthy rags," and that Christ alone is "the way, the truth, and the life." Only a day or two after her nurse's death, this dear child, hearing somebody speak of the comparative goodness of two individuals, said, “Nobody is good in the sight of God, only in the sight of their fellow-creatures." As evidences, however, of that faith in Christ, from which alone they can spring, these fruits of righteousness are most precious; and it is very delightful to see here and there, amidst the darkness of this benighted world, the children of God shining as lights, through Christ abiding in them, each in their respective path, whether among the higher, or the humblest and lowest walks of life, to the glory of their Father, which is in heaven. VANITY OF WORLDLY PLEASURES. I quit the world's fantastic joys, |