diately." Esther knew it would not do to remind her uncle of the prevarication he himself had used; he would have called it cant, straining at gnats, and swallowing camels, &c. So the subject dropped, and Brownrigg stood like a conqueror on the field of battle; and the children coming in loaded with flowers and fruits, gave a turn to the conversation, though not to thought.

There was in Brownrigg's mind a solidity and turn for reflection, which, had he been an educated man, would not have left him satisfied with mediocrity. Though his opportunities for improvement had been few, he had improved them, and was what the world would call a clever sensible man. Now, though he was as much on his guard against methodism, as he called it, as a citizen is against a pickpocket, yet he never closed his ears to what he thought a good thing; and though some of Mr. Michael's quotations from his friend Mr. Walker were such as he thought every one else would make, still that part of his discourse against indulgences and bad company was pretty good-indeed it was very good, he should think of it; and, as he was tying his neckcloth before the glass next morning, and drawing the long ends through till each matched the other to a hair's breadth, 'No, no," said he, "Jo

nathan Brownrigg is not a man to resist a good argument; if you wish a child not to be a glutton when he is a man, you ought not to cram him when he is a child. That really was a sensible thought of that Mr. Walker's, he was a person I always liked ; 'tis a pity he is aand he began whistling; and in the next minute, "Peggy, child, where's my breakfast?" and the nice little girl came in with the tea-things.

The rising families at the mill and the Brow very soon gave evidence of the benefits of orderly training; and the young Michael, who had often had his eye directed to his prayer-book by uncle Michael, began to play the tutor to little Jem, and look comically grave at her as she was playing with the spangles on a little fan which godmamma had given her, shaking his little curled head most sagely at her want of attention, on this her third visit to the house of prayer. It was indeed so very droll, that even uncle Michael himself was obliged to take out his handkerchief and turn his eyes another way, to avoid the contagion of a smile from Fanny; and as the little mentor led his young cousin from church, they heard him say, Jemmy dear, you should never play with things at church." little arch rebel looked at him with saucy indifference, as though she would have

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said, "Who made thee a ruler and a judge;" and the young Michael, like many other mentors, felt his consequence some way taken down, he could not tell how.

Rose had been very anxious for her mistress's interest, making as much butter as she possibly could, and very sharp with the key of her dairy, and which is very common in such cases, where people are too anxious to be rich, some suspicion rose in Esther's mind lest the weight of the butter should be insufficient-it never had been yet; but on this morning, as she walked through her orderly dairy, and saw her beautiful pounds of butter lay side by side, at eighteen pence each pound, her heart misgave, and she said, "This would indeed be an injury to God's cause, if the Brow farm butter should want in weight;" and when she weighed it, which she did most carefully, though it could not be said to want weight, it went so very close, that Esther reduced the three-and twenty pounds to one-and-twenty, having it all made up again to Rose's discontent, though she uttered not a single word; but after Esther went out of the dairy, Ann Medway, in passing, heard Rose say, "My mistress is a deal too particular." This was quite enough, she treasured it in her

mind, and it was laid by for some convenient opportunity.

But this care of Esther's to maintain a good conscience towards God and towards man was acknowledged even by enemies ;

one ever thought of weighing their butter but were sure to walk up, as soon as the servant appeared in the market. People were even waiting for it-both quality and quantity recommended it. The same if Michael had a horse to sell, he would be telling the defects before the person who was buying it inquired; but this brought its own blessing in confidence of character, and our hero seemed in some danger of that woe which is denounced against those of whom all men speak well. In his own bosom he had many conflicts, a deepened sense of his own depravity, and much of the internal conflict with which a sincere Christian is often harassed; and this had been strengthened by a visit to his old and reverend pastor; that he should be struggling who had been a guide and a light to others; that he should tremble, who had been feet to the lame. Oh, we have a subtle enemy, who will make even our humility a snare; but as it is frequently found under the attendance on a faithful ministry, that there is deliverance. for the captive soul, so it was here. Mi

chael had not even confided his discouragement to his bosom friend; he knew she would suffer, and he feared the contagion of doubt. In his uneasy state he would not even speak to Mr. Lascelles, but he was most fervent in prayer, and a sermon of this good man from these words was at this time a great consolation. "Deliver him from going down into the pit, for I have found a ransom.'

Mr. Lascelles dwelt so much upon the security of this ransom, the certainty that it was paid, the sufficiency of the sum, the complete satisfaction of the creditor, to whom it was due; and all this was not mere assertion, but proved by rich scripture quotation. Thus, for instance: "deliver him from going down into the pit," the desire, on the part of God, that man should be delivered, then in the fulness of time he came who should deliver, "Lo, I come to do thy will." Again: the confirmation that light was in the world, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;' then, that the whole is fully completely accomplished, was declared by those words: "It is finished." Lastly, all was clear of him who promised. Yet again, there might be doubt, there might be fear on the part of those who were to receive these blessings, let such depend on these promises,