joyed, in the midst of severe infliction, uninterrupted communion with God, and an unclouded prospect of endless felicity. Finding her departure was near, she requested that her elder brother, to whom she was tenderly attached, might be sent for. That deeply affecting parting scene cannot, while memory retains its seat, be forgotten. "Farewell, my dear brother, I shall never see you more in this world. Farewell! Farewell!"

The evening previous to her exit from this vale of tears, her parents were kneeling by her bedside, in prayer to God for his blessing to rest upon their afflicted, yet patiently suffering, offspring, when she said, "O, my dear mother, we shall soon part; I shall soon be in a better world." "My dear," said her mother, "I hope we shall meet again." To which she replied, "We shall meet again in eternity." From this time she continued calm and collected, until Sunday, 1st February, 1852, when without a struggle or a groan, her happy spirit escaped to bliss. She was aged 15 years and 6 months.

"Our sister the haven hath gain'd,
Out-flying the tempest and wind;

Her rest she hath sooner obtain'd,
And left her companions behind."

On Sunday, 28th March, the writer had the mournful pleasure of improving her death to a large and deeply affected congregation, from "The child shall die, all Israel shall mourn for him." Truly our Israel did mourn over their loss in her death; but they sorrowed not as those without hope. "But now she is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring her back again? I shall go to her, but she shall not return to me."

66

JOHN WRIGHT.

HOW WE OUGHT TO OBEY GOD.

A NEW YEAR'S STORY.

COME, my little Fanny," said Mrs. Bartlett to her daughter, "tell me how you have spent this long anticipated New Year's-day. We have a whole hour to ourselves

before bed-time, and I suppose you have quite a history to relate to me. But I almost fear, from the story your sober face tells me, you have met with some disappointment. Have not your plans of pleasure been fully realized ?"

"O mamma, I am glad we can talk together a little while," said Fanny, taking a low seat by her mother's side. "I often think that the best part of any pleasure I enjoy, is the telling of it to you afterwards; but if anything troubles me, then still more do I hasten to you for help and comfort."

"Let it ever be so, my dear child," said Mrs. Bartlett, affectionately; " and now tell me, have you had a happy day?"

"I have had a great deal to give me pleasure, mamma, and a part of the time I have felt happy,” replied Fanny, "but to-night I am feeling so differently from what I expected;" and the little girl hesitated, and leaned her head upon her hand, looking sadly troubled. After a moment she continued. "But it was delightful to carry

those nice presents to poor old Jacob and his orphan grandchild. They were so happy and grateful, thanking me over and over again for remembering them. Jacob looked very pale and feeble, mamma-he hadn't slept all night, and his pains are increasing, the nurse said; yet he talks a great deal more about his blessings than his sufferings. Do you think he is a very good Christian? I wished, all the time I was there, that I was as good. He seems to love God just as a little child loves his father."

Yes, Fanny," replied her mother, "I think he is indeed an excellent old man. We will go and see him again soon. I fear he is near his end."

"At cousin Julia's little party, dear mamma, where I expected to enjoy so much,-O, it will grieve you to know it, but I was very naughty there, though I am so sorry and ashamed now. Sophy Hunt became angry because I didn't want to play some rude game that she proposed, and in her haste she said very vexatious things. I felt angry too, and left the girls, and stayed by myself. For

a long time I felt unkindly towards them, and put all the blame of the difficulty upon them, and tried to believe that I was not at all in fault. As it wasn't very agreeable to be alone, with nothing to do, I took out the book which my teacher had given me, and begun to read in a place where it told about Jesus' spirit towards his enemies; how meekly he bore all their taunts, their insulting words, and their angry threats, and prayed God to forgive them. Then suddenly I recollected what Mrs. Gray had said to me in the morning, and then my own resolutions for the New Year came up before me. O, how could I so have forgotten them all? I wanted to tell the girls how sorry I felt, and ask them to forgive me, but I was afraid of their proud looks, and was ashamed and miserable. I enjoyed nothing more, and came home soon after tea. O, mamma, I thought I would begin this year trying to be good all the time, and do right in all things; but even to-day I have greatly failed, and now it appears to me so great a thing to be good always, that I fear I never shall be. If for one day it is so hard, how much more will it be for a month, a year, and for my whole life time! It tires me, it discourages me, dear mamma, to think of such an effort."

"Do not cry, my dear," said Mrs. B. tenderly. “I used to feel something as you do, and I have had the same trials and disappointment that you have had to-day. Listen to me, Fanny," she continued, in a lively tone; 66 suppose I should tell you to-night you must learn all the lessons you will have for a week, what would you think?" "I should think," said the little girl more cheerfully, 66 that you had suddenly become very unlike my own, wise mamma, and were requiring an impossibility."

"Or suppose I should say to you all at breakfast tomorrow morning, Children, you had better eat and drink now all you will need for a week, instead of coming to your meals three times a day!

Fanny laughed quite gaily, saying, "How strange and foolish that would be! Quite as much so as for me to learn a whole week's lesson at one time. We must eat

and drink every day to nourish our bodies. Our minds must be strengthened little by little with study and exercise. Of course it cannot be done all at once."

"Suppose again, Fanny, the farmer should say, 'How tiresome it is to think of all the hard work I have to do this summer! Every morning to rise early and work all day for weeks and months; and then next year the same, and so on. O, how shall I accomplish all that ought to be done?' And then, if he were to give up, being discouraged, what would you think of him ?"

"Why, mamma, of course I should think just as you would of such a man-that he greatly misunderstood his duty. Nobody could expect him, nor is it possible, to do sowing, and reaping, and harvesting, all at once; but one kind of work follows another, just as one day and one week follows another. If he will each day do what he ought, then, at the close of the season, all would be done."

"You understand this plainly, I see, my darling. Now just apply it to the great business of life, the work of serving God. It is true our duty is to devote all the powers of our nature to Him, and to serve Him continually; but our duties come one by one, and there is opportunity for each and all. God does not require anything of us that we cannot do. Life itself is given to us in successive portions; one minute passes, another comes; one hour, one day goes, and another follows. Every hour brings to us its appropriate duties. If we do well the duty of each hour, Fanny, shall we not at the close of the day, have spent it all aright? You have certain lessons for each day at school. If you learn every day's lessons perfectly for a week, you will have been faithful in that particular. If the next week you do the same, and the next, and so on, do you not see that when the term ends, you will have done well all the term? It is by 'patient continuance in well-doing' that success is attained. Religion is a daily, hourly, instant service. Perform the present duty, and you are ready for the next; keep on doing simply, what is now your duty, and in this way you will be faithful unto the end.

"You remember how the Israelites were fed in the wilderness forty years with manna, that God provided every day. He did not send a large supply at once for many days, but each successive morning were they reminded of God's faithful care and love, by this provision for their necessities. Christ bids us 'take no thought for the morrow; the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.' How perfectly this injunction meets all those, who, like you, my child, are troubled about the ability to perform future duties. Day by day you are to trust God for the grace you need to serve Him. The struggle with your sinful nature must indeed be vigilantly maintained, but not in your own strength need you combat with evil. God is ever ready to help you, and He says, 'As thy day, so shall thy strength be.”

Fanny's face brightened. She felt encouraged to persevere in trying to learn and obey God's will. "Thank you, my kind mamma," said she. ."How much easier it seems to me now. I must keep asking myself, 'What is the right thing for me to do now?' And I know, mamma, for you have often told me, that the desire to please God is a fruit of the Holy Spirit wrought within us. If then God gives the desire, He will give the ability, and so we are to strive and trust!"

Fanny was silent for a few minutes, and Mrs. Bartlett waited anxiously for her to express the earnest thoughts working in her heart. "Yes, mamma," said she, at length, "I know what you are thinking, and waiting for me to say. I think I can do it sincerely. I will go the first thing to-morrow to the little girls, and tell them how sorry I feel that I did so wrongly this afternoon, and ask them to forgive me. I do not mind anything they may say-my only concern should be, to do my present duty." Fanny's conscience told her this was right, and her mother's loving kiss brought tears of joy to her eyes.

"Now, Fanny, do you feel that you will begin this year, this new, happy year, which dawns upon you in so much mercy, in serving God with all your heart? Can you trust Jesus as your Saviour now, and your Saviour