and then being helped to a seat, he said with great composure, "I'm gone," and expired reclining in her arms. The intelligence of the sad event, when communicated to the congregation, a great portion of whom had assembled to engage in public worship, produced a profound and painful impression. It also cast a deep gloom over the whole village where the deceased had laboured for the long period of forty years, and where he was well known and highly esteemed.

Thus has another worthy and venerated father of the Church passed away and left a widow and family, and flock, and the community at large, to mourn his loss. May surviving friends and relations make a right improvement of the bereavement, and may the Church at large hear God saying, "Be ye also ready, for at such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh." Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?"

In giving a brief notice of the life and labours of our departed and esteemed father, we have little to record regarding his earlier years. Almost all the men of his own generation have passed away, and almost all the reminiscences of the period referred to have perished with them, and nothing but a few vague and even conflicting traditions have been handed down, or at least have reached us. It is thus that we have received conflicting statements as to the time and place of his birth, and also the school at which he was educated. Accord ing to one account, he was born in the year 1788, at Priestland, in the parish i of Galston, and was educated at the parish school of Newmills, at that time taught by a Mr Campbell. According to another, he was born in the year 1787, on the farm of Lealoan or Lillyloan, near Darvel, and attended the Hastings' school in that village. But what is more important, we are assured that he was born of truly Christian parents, who gave every attention to train him and their other children in the fear of the Lord. They were not what might be called rich, though in pretty comfortable circumstances, and were thus able to educate two sons for the ministry. One of these however was, in the sovereignty of God, not permitted to realise his parents' wish in this respect. His name was Matthew; he became a very promising young man, but died when he was just about to enter upon a career of usefulness. The other, the late Mr Young, was the second youngest of six sons, and was from his earliest years kind and gentle, modest and unassuming, and delighted to converse upon religious subjects. Before the late Mr Rogerson was settled at Darvel, he attended the ministrations of the late Mr Brown of Crookedholm, near Kilmarnock, and some still alive remember the delightful and instructive conversation carried on by him and others in going to and in returning from public worship, on such topics as the principles of the Church, the privileges bequeathed to us by our fathers, the word of God, the sermons of the day, &c. After Mr Rogerson was settled at Darvel, he waited upon his ministrations, and between the two a firm and lasting friendship was formed, which manifested itself many years afterwards in the frequent intercourse and interchange of services which took place between them after Mr Young was settled in Laurieston.

In the year 1807, he entered the Glasgow University, and after attending the usual number of sessions there, went to Stirling and studied theology under Professor M'Millan. He seems to have applied himself with the utmost diligence and assiduity to the duties devolving upon him both at the hall and college, as the large quantity of carefully written-out manuscripts still preserved abundantly testifies. Indeed, a careful preparation for duty and punctuality in its performance were, as we may notice more fully afterwards, very remarkable features in his character. He also, during the period referred to, employed, like many other of our ministers, what spare time he had in teaching, and it was during two sessions of the hall recess that he acted as tutor in the family of Dougal Campbell, Esq., of Achlean in Argyleshire. When there he was very happy, and afterwards often looked back to, and spoke of that period of his life with great pleasure. It was then that he

H

became acquainted with Mrs Young, whose maiden name was M'Callum, and whom he married about a year after he was settled in Laurieston-a union from which he derived a large amount of domestic happiness and comfort. He also seems to have enjoyed, when in the Highlands, much pleasing and friendly intercourse with the late Dr M'Indoe of Kilmarnock, who happened to be at that time teaching in Mrs Young's father's family. After completing his studies, both literary and theological, Mr Young was licensed to preach the gospel, by what was then called the North-Western Presbytery, at a meeting held in Glasgow on the 28th October 1817. He then continued to iitinerate as a preacher for more than four years, filling the pulpits of ordained ministers when they required to be from home, and supplying with sermons what few vacancies and out stations then existed. His labours in the pulpit at that time were received with much acceptance, and he especially endeared himself to many who ever afterwards continued to esteem and love him, by his modesty and gentleness, his kind and winning manner, and by the deep, unfeigned piety which he always manifested.

When Laurieston became vacant through the melancholy death of its highly esteemed pastor, the late Mr Reid, Mr Young was soon after elected to be his successor, and was ordained to the holy office of the ministry, and set apart to the pastoral charge of the congregation by the Eastern Presbytery on the 20th of March 1822. In this new sphere of labour, Mr Young exhibited much diligence and industry. The congregation was widely scattered, spreading over a part of three counties and about thirteen or fourteen parishes, and thus required a great deal of exertion and toil. These Mr Young cheerfully bestowed. He preached twice, and sometimes thrice, on Sabbath; he visited the congregation annually, and held stated diets of public examination; he ministered carefully to the sick and the dying, not only of all belonging to his own congregation, but also of all others, who shewed any desire to obtain his services; he took an interest and a share in the management of the Sabbath school, whenever it was practicable for him to do so, and he taught for a large number of years, on a week night, a flourishing Bible class, at which many young people of both sexes, and belonging to various denominations in the place, as well as to his own congregation, attended and derived much important instruction, and we trust much spiritual profit. It was thus through these manifold and abundant labours, accompanied with the divine blessing, that the congregation of Laurieston, though never large, and though widely scattered, was enabled to present for a long time a lively and flourishing aspect. The number of young people connected with it was comparatively large, and was frequently made the subject of remark by ministers of other congregations who happened to assist at the communion, or to be otherwise present. And this truly for a long time presented a pleasing and hopeful prospect a prospect, however, that was not destined to be realised. For as these young people grew up, most of them wished for various reasons to leave the district, many going to the cities and large towns to find employment, and others emigrating to a foreign land. From this and various other causes, the congregation was greatly weakened, and ultimately became very small. One of these other causes was a difference or disagreement which broke out among the members of the congregation, by which they were divided into two parties. This continued to produce heartburnings and dispeace to a painful extent for a considerable time, and was only terminated by members belonging to both parties leaving the congregation. This, of course, lessened the membership of the congregation, but it secured, we believe, great peace and concord. Hence for the last few years of his life, Mr Young, though otherwise subjected to troubles and trials, enjoyed in connection with his congregation much real happiness.

It is thus that we have endeavoured briefly to record, so far as the materials at command have enabled us, the life and labours of our departed father. In the career he pursued, there was nothing strange or striking, nothing mate

rially different from that which many other ministers in similar circumstances are given to realise. Nor was Mr Young by any great commanding talents or outstanding features of character fitted to dazzle mankind, or to carve out for himself a special line of conduct apart from that of ordinary men. And no one knew this better than Mr Young himself, hence he never aspired to anything of the kind. Instead of this, he, either through modesty or a natural diffidence, shrunk from taking a lead or occupying that prominent place which his position and talents might justly have warranted him sometimes to do. That his talents and attainments were considerable, all who have listened to him with care and attention will be ready to admit. He had a clear logical mind, understood well the glorious plan of human redemption, and the various doctrines of grace, and he had a great gift in prayer. Hence his discourses were always well arranged, full of important matter, clothed in appropriate and even sometimes in elegant language, their only defect lying in his mode of delivery. In prayer, however, he enjoyed great freedom, and he poured forth his heart in this exercise with a fervour and pathos truly delightful. We have already referred to his great diligence and unwearied care in making preparation for whatever duties he had to perform. We noticed the large amount of manuscript exercises still preserved, written out by him during his attendance at hall and college, and we have now to state that he continued to act on the same principle, and to manifest the same diligence and care to the very end: that even the notes of the discourses which he intended to give on the day on which he died were remarkably full; and that he had also made considerable progress in preparing the action sermon which he intended to preach at the dispensation of the Lord's supper that day two weeks. What enabled him to be thus full and even beforehand with his preparations, was his regular methodical habit of allotting to everything its own time and place, and his great punctuality in attending to everything at the time and in the order allotted to it. That Mr Young lived long under the power of the gospel, and enjoyed its consolations, is well known to all who were acquainted with him; and though it is uncertain when he was first brought under religious impressions, yet it is evident from letters still extant, that it must have been early. In regard to this or other matters connected with himself, his modesty prevented him from making any outward display, and even led him at times to distrust his own experience. It is told as an evidence of his genuine humility and candour, that when, according to the usual practice before receiving licence, the question was put to him, "Are you convinced of your own personal interest in the Saviour?" he burst into tears, and with great emotion said, "that it was his great grief that he had never yet been able fully to satisfy himself on that point." But, however Mr Young might thus be diffident, and distrust his own attainments, no one who was in the least degree acquainted with him had any doubt of his genuine piety, for he was constantly manifesting it at all times and in all circumstances, in the closet, in the family, in the social circle, and in the world, unostentatiously, indeed, but just on that account all the more truly. In the closet he spent much time daily in reading, meditation, and prayer; in the family, he was most regular and exemplary in attending to domestic duties; in the chamber of the dead and at the couch of the dying, his kindness and compassion, his tenderness and sympathy, led him to put forth his utmost efforts to instruct the ignorant, to awaken the careless, to point the sin-stricken to Jesus, and to comfort the true but disconsolate disciple. In society, his religion was lively and cheerful, and often displayed itself in a very pleasing manner by the true vein of humour and rich fund of anecdote which he exhibited; and in the world he manifested himself to be the man of God, by doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with his God. Such being the general character and tenor of his life, we can easily believe what we have been told by those who had the opportunity of knowing, that his mind towards the close dwelt very much, both in his public discourses and

in his private conversation, on the comforts and consolations of the gospel, and on the joys of the heavenly world, and was thus undergoing an evident preparation for his change. "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace," Ps. xxxvii. 37.

The Children's Portion.

THIRD LETTER.

WHEN I wrote you last, I was looking forward to my holidays, and to plenty of time to send a long letter; but when they did come, how quickly they passed, -the week before them seemed as long as the three weeks' holiday altogether. The school bags were to be put right, books to be covered, and a hundred other things to be done, so that your letter was put off till it was too late. There is one which I had commenced at the close of my holidays, but it is so long since, I must begin anew.

It does not matter, I see, whether I write straight or crooked, you print it all right.

We were glad to see, in your last Magazine, the beautiful story about "Erik Jonebister," what funny names they have in these north places, and that you have got a lot of stories for us. If your friends will just go on sending you tales like these (as I hope they will do), I am sure your Magazine will be quite a favourite yet with us little folk.

Poor little Erik! it was well he was good, he had to die so soon. And but for his little boy, Erik's father might have continued bad, and went, when he died, to where the fire never goes out. So little children cannot be good too soon.

I have read of many little children who did good to others. Father has often told me if they try to do all the good they can in their own place, God does not ask any more. And all the good that is seen in the world is made by God. Sometimes he employs big people, and sometimes little ones. flower-seeds and beans which I planted last year, just grew up the same as those planted by father and the gardener.

The

I don't know whether many little children die where you live (where do you live?); a great many die here. Some that I have often talked with are dead; and in the churchyard on the hill there are a great many little graves. I wish the ministers would not forget this. Jesus, I think, did not forget this when he took the little children in his arms, and blessed them. Did you ever wonder what he said to them? When he spoke to the great multitudes of people about the Shepherd and the sheep, the farmer sowing corn on the rocks, among thorns, and on good ground, and all about the lilies and the little birds, I'm sure he would have very plain, pretty stories for the children.

It was during our holidays that Prince Albert died, and we were all so Borry. And at evening, when we thought of the big castle where the Queen lives, and her little children, and their father not with them any more, we did not have the games that we would have had if he had not died. We read, instead, a great many stories about people whose names are in the Bible, and about many whose names are not there. In the 11th chapter of Hebrews you will find the names of a great many people, and in other parts of the Bible we read about what they did. I don't think every body who has a Bible knows there are so many nice stories in it.

That about Enoch I did not understand before-how "he walked with God "-for I know nobody ever saw God, though we are told in our little hymn that

On long summer evenings, when going up the hill and seeing my shadow stretching far over the grass, or when I read about Samuel when he left home and lived with the old prophet, or Peter walking on the water to meet Jesus, I have sometimes thought about walking with God. But mother says Enoch did not see God any more than we do, but just did those things that he knew pleased God, and thus lived as if he always saw God.

And then the evening that mother asked us if we would go to the village, I looked out of the window, it was getting very dark, I was so afraid, and so was sister; but when father said he would go, then they would all go, and with our hands in his, though it was so dark, we were not a bit afraid. I think I know the meaning of faith better since that night.

There was one thing I learned too during the holidays (I wonder it did not come to my mind before), it was this, that Abraham, Ahab, Samson, David, Mary, Paul, Peter, Judas, John, and others, whom we read about in the Bible, were once little children like myself and my little brothers and sisters.

My paper, you see, is nearly done, and I will not write much more this time; besides, I expect you will have another story in your next Magazine, and will not have so much room for my letters as when you had no pages for us.

But there is one thing I had almost forgot. At our prayers at home and at the "worship," we all shut our eyes,-even little brother shuts his eyes at his prayers,-now why don't the people shut their eyes when praying in church or is it just the minister that prays, and the people only stand up! I think if the big folks in church would shut their eyes at prayer, I would shut mine too. And as the minister has to stand almost all Sabbath-day, the people should not sit down till prayer is quite finished.

And what a noise there is at prayer sometimes with money at the doorcounting it, I suppose. What heaps of coppers always in the plate! The grocer and baker are often short of coppers on Saturday, and I asked father once if that was because next day is Sabbath.

Father says it is scarcely proper for me to write in this way, but it is down, and if it is not right you will not print it. There are some other things I will have to tell you about again.

We are so glad to see that Mr Inglis, the missionary, is going to visit all the congregations. I may see him before I write another letter. M. C.

ANTI-SLAVERY CAUSE IN AMERICA, AND ITS MARTYRS.

(Continued from page 175.)

THE point of maintaining freedom of the press in the cause of the slave has very often been the ground of bitter persecution to those who maintained it, and suffering for this cause has not ceased, in some instances, even to this day. We believe very few who have read even the summary account we have been able to give of the noble Elijah P. Lovejoy, would not have gladly done or given a little, to save him if they could; but he is dead, and all that can be done for him now is to honour his name by seeking to imitate his disinterestedness and devotion. Still, our sympathies need not return to lie dormant, while there are others to claim them; and we wish to introduce to our readers a living sufferer in very similar circumstances, whom it is in their power to cheer and succour by sympathy and aid-we allude to William Shreve Bailey, of Newport, Kentucky. He started in that town as a machine maker, about the year 1849; but this business did not engross all his thoughts; his sympathies were largely called forth for the poor slaves, and he ventured, even in a slave state, to plead their cause, through the columns of a newspaper recently started in the town of Newport. These articles excited the wrath of slaveholders in the neighbourhood, who, by threats and violence, induced the proprietor of the paper to give up the name of his obnoxious contributor.