am right. You know that you often forget such things; but I never do."

of."

"Valuable papers, Amy, I am never careless

"Yes, you are, Edward, for here is an instance of it."

"I am not convinced," said her husband.

"I should think you would sooner trust me than yourself in this case; I never make a mistake of this kind."

"If I did not recollect distinctly your keeping the journal, I probably should."

"It really is wrong in you to doubt me now. I am perfectly certain that I did not keep it. I am sure of myself upon such subjects."

Amy's color rose with her positiveness. Her husband's gentleness did not fail, however. He asked her to go and look in the place where she kept her own papers.

"I will go," she said, "to satisfy you, but solely on that account. I am perfectly certain I am right."

She ran up to her room with a quick, elated step. She opened the drawer in which her own papers were, and there the first thing she saw was her husband's journal. Sudden shame spread all over her like a hot garment. "How absurd I must appear to my husband! how can

I carry it down to him after my foolish assertions? But he will not triumph over me; he will only be sorry for my fault; he will even be generous enough to be sorry for my mortification, he is so kind; and I do deserve a punishment for my positiveness."

Amy took the manuscript to her husband, and with a quiet manner said, as she gave it to him, "I have been all wrong, and you have been all right, Edward. If I had not found the journal, I should have still been as wrong; for I was so foolishly positive. This is a great fault of mine; I am truly ashamed of it.”

Edward silently pressed her hand; and the incident was never spoken of again.

"You must not, dear Amy," said Edward, "rest your hopes of happiness with me, upon the faith that I have not many faults."

"Surely not," said Amy; "and rely upon it, I shall be complaisant enough to keep you fully in countenance. You have already seen that I am often too positive; and perhaps you have to learn another great fault of mine."

I am very sensitive to blame.”

"I should not have thought so;

did

you not voluntarily incur the censure of many worldly-minded people by coming to see me on Hospital Island?"

"Yes, and for such censure I care nothing; but I find it very hard to keep my temper when those I love blame me."

"It is right that we should value the opinion of those we love, Amy."

"O, but I am too apt to think that those I love ought not to blame me, ought not to doubt me in any thing. I am silly enough to suppose that they cannot think I am wrong."

"I shall often try you, then; I am so hasty, and so sensitive to any appearance of wrong in any one I love."

"But our happiness," said Amy, "cannot be in danger if we are only fearless and open in confessing our own, and reproving each other's faults, whether great or small.”

All who saw Edward and Amy together perceived that the evil spirit of fear, which so often mars the happiness of married life, had no place between them, but that the spirit of love and a sound mind' presided over and blessed them.

"There is one fault," said Edward, "which very intimate friends are apt to fall into, which I hope we shall avoid.”

“What is that?" replied Amy.

"It is bad manners towards each other."

"But how is that possible, Edward? you

surely would not like such company politeness as Mrs. Lovell has towards her husband?

"No, it is not the form, but the spirit and soul of good manners, that I think essential to happiness in friendship."

"But with our feelings towards each other, how is it possible we should be wanting in good manners?

"It would seem so, Amy; and yet I have often seen people who really loved each other, neglectful of the delicate attentions and courtesies of life, on the plea that their intimate friends were sure of their affection, and it was not necessary to be so scrupulous about such little things with friends."

"It seems strange to me," replied Amy. "How can they be willing to check the spring of little affections, which sweeten the cup of life as we drink it?”

"It is nevertheless true, Amy; and I have seen some of your intimate friends commit this fault towards you. I have seen them lavish their attentions and agreeableness upon strangers, and neglect you, because they thought that they were sure of your love."

"I have never noticed it," said Amy.

"I have," replied Edward; "and I have seen

the same thing between married people, and I am certain it is a deep injury to any friendship. All our virtues, our purest affections, require watchfulness; they must be cultivated and cherished."

Thus in the simplicity, and truth, and joy of Christian love, did Edward and Amy walk hand in hand, and heart in heart, along the happy way before them. Wealth was a real blessing to them, for they understood its true uses; life was a real blessing to them, for they kept in view its infinite purposes; love was a real blessing to them, for they were acquainted with its infinite joys.