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saying something else. To her question, instead of saying, "No," I answered, "Yes." "What, ma'am?" she replied. "To die," I answered, and with a tone that was frightful even to my own ears. Instead of leaving me, she looked at me kindly; yes, Amy, kindly, if you will believe it, and said to me, "Life is the gift of a good God, and not to be despised, or wickedly thrown away; but perhaps, dear, you are ill; let me take care of you." Had the marble image of Minerva, that stood by her in the entry, spoken words of wisdom to me, and extended arms of love and pity towards me, I should not have been more surprised, more moved. I burst into tears. "O, no! no!" I said, "I am only heart sick;" and hurried to my chamber; but I will never laugh at her again.

There is some terrible thing on my husband's mind; and I, who should be his bosom friend, know nothing of it; and O, I dare not ask him, he is so cold, so silent, so reserved. Amy! dear Amy! I am so lost, so bewildered, so unhappy! O, if I could but see you! my head is so confused, and my heart is so very heavy. Write to me! O, if you could but come to me! You know how I love you.

FANNY ROBERTS.

Edward and Amy were both deeply moved at reading Fanny's letter. "We are their nearest and dearest friends," said Amy; "I wish we could go to them; we might do them good. Poor Fanny! how my heart aches for her!"

"So does mine, Amy; but you know that it is out of the question for you to go at present. You must write to Fanny, and tell her that the self-sacrificing life of a mother has already commenced with you, and that if all is well, we will certainly come to New York in the spring." Edward again relapsed into an unusual silence.

"Dear Edward!" said his wife, "you have something on your mind; your brow looks troubled; what is it?"

"Only anxiety about business, Amy. How often I have wished that I had not been bred a merchant! But my mother said that it was a favorite wish of my father, that I should be an accomplished merchant."

"I have sometimes wished so too," answered his wife; " and then, again, I remember, that the very evils that belong to your profession may be turned into good. He that has it in his power to do wrong with impunity, and with the prospect of gain, yet chooses the right, by which he loses, is the most eloquent preacher of righteousness."

"Very true, Amy; but sometimes this is indeed cutting off the right hand and plucking out the right eye; and then thinking always about money and bargains has such a contracting influence upon one's mind!

"

"But how often, Edward, have I heard you say that no man has such wide and various connections with the human race, as a well-educated, upright, and active merchant! Every part of the world sends him its tribute of knowledge, as well as of riches. He sees men under all aspects; and while he may, with a certain degree of security, indulge in dishonesty, and be the enemy of his fellow-men, perhaps no man can be so true, and self-sacrificing, and efficient a philanthropist, as a Christian merchant."

"It is not always so easy as you may imagine for a merchant to act as remembering that he is under his great Task-master's eye."

"Not for all, or some men'; but for you, Edward, the difficulty would be to act otherwise. When I think of your profession, Edward, it gives me pleasure to notice that merchants in general, as they acquire property more easily, are more disposed to spend it liberally."

"Yes," said Edward, as his eye kindled at the thought; "the greater proportion of our public benefactors have been merchants. Their money

has given eyes to the blind, and ears to the deaf, health to the sick, and peace and comfort to the forsaken; it feeds and instructs the ignorant poor; it sends the glad tidings of salvation to the unbeliever and the penitent; it takes little children in its arms, and blesses them. But all this glorious power supposes wealth, Amy."

"And you, dear Edward, are rich enough to enjoy this highest of all privileges—to be the dispenser of good to others. You have cause

only for thankfulness. But the poor, the unsuccessful merchant, who has not the means of educating his children, whose spirits are broken down by failures, and whose temper is soured by what he considers the injustice or dishonesty of others, perhaps even of his own friends he is the man who, perhaps, may be excused for finding fault with his profession. My heart aches for him."

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Edward started up, and walked hastily backward and forward through the room, as if he had been seized with some sudden and intolerable pain.

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"What is the matter, Edward? said his wife. "Are you ill? "

"O, nothing; nothing of consequence," said Edward. "I happened to think of something rather unpleasant then. It is late now, I believe, and my head aches."

They retired for the night. The next day, Edward looked depressed and thoughtful, and as if he had passed a sleepless night.

troubled by his silence.

Amy was

This was the first cloud

that had rested on her husband's brow since they were married.

"He has," she said to herself," he has always confided every thing to me. He will tell me what it is that hangs so heavily upon his spirits. He will never shut me out from his sorrows, any more than his joys."

She thought, when he returned from the counting-house for the day, that he looked more free and happy, though he was still silent and thoughtful.

"Come and sit by me, Amy," said Edward to her, when they were alone in the evening. Amy sat down by her husband.

"Do you not, Amy, enjoy our handsome house, and pictures, and carriage, &c?"

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Surely, Edward; I take great pleasure in these things. Why do you ask?"

"And you love to have money enough to give to those who want it?"

"Why, what a question, Edward!

You

know I value this power more than I can tell." "And can you voluntarily resign all these luxuries, Amy?"

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