Here, a paffionate filence enfued on either part. But my wounds growing. painful and beginning to bleed afresh, was obliged to be carried back to my own. apartment.

Within a few days more, I was fo well recovered as to be able to walk about; from which time I was a conftant attendant on my beloved, and became her moft tender and affiduous nurfe-keeper.

You must have heard, my cousin, that the customs and manners of thofe times. were altogether the reverfe of what they are at prefent. Hypocrify is no longer a fault among men; all now is avowed libertinifin and open profannefs; and chil dren fcoff at the name and profeflion of that religion which their fathers revered. On the contrary, in those days, all men were either real or pretended zealots; every mechanic profeffed, like Aaron, to carry a Urim and Ehunmim about him; and no man would engage in any business or bargain, though with an intent to overreach his neighbour, without going apart,, as he faid, to confuit the Lord.

My Matty, at the fame time, was the holiest of all faints, without any parade of fanctification. Her's was a religion, of whole value fhe had the daily and hourly experience; it was indeed a religion of

power.

power. It held her, as on a rock, in the midft of a turbulent and fluctuating world: it gave her a peace of fpirit that fmiled at provocation: it gave her comfort in affiiction, patience in anguifh, exaltation in humiliation, and triumph in death.

In about five weeks after her unhappy miscarriage, fhe appeared on the recovery, though by very flow degrees, and with affiftance, at times, fat up in her bed; when her oldeft phyfician, one morning, called me apart, I am loth, Sir, faid he, very loth to acquaint you with my apprehenfions. I wifh I may be miftaken; but I fear greatly for you, I fear that your dear lady cannot recover. By the fymptoms, I conjecture that an abfcefs, or impofthume, is forming within her; but a few days will afcertain matters either for us or against us.

Had all forts of evil tidings come crowding one upon another, I fhould not have been affected as I then was affected. I could not rise from my feat to bid the doctor adieu. My knees trembled under me; a fwimming came before my eyes; and a fudden fickness relaxed andreverfed my whole frame. Alas, I had not, at that time, the refource of my Matty; I had not on the armour with which she was armed to all affues and events. I, how

ever

ever, raised my thoughts to Heaven, in a kind of helplefs acquiefcence rather than confident refignation. I ftruggled, not to appear weaker than became my manhood; and I faid to myfelt, doctors have often been mistaken.

Having recollected my ftrength and spirits the best I could, I adventured to enter my wife's apartment. She was juft raifed in her bed, from whence her pale and emaciated countenance looked forth, as the fun, toward his fetting, looks through a fickly atmosphere, in confidence of his arifing in the fulness of morning glory.

Having cautiously and dejectedly feated myself beside her, fhe reached out both her hands, and, preffing one of mine between them, I love you no longer, my Harry, the cried; I love you no longer, Your rival, at length, has conquered, I am the bride of another. And yet I love you in a measure, fince in you I love all that is him, or that is his; and that I think is much, a great deal, indeed, of all that is lovely. O, my dear, my fweet, mine only enemy, as I may fay! riches were nothing unto me, pleafures were nothing unto me, the world was nothing unto me! You, and you only, Harry, ftood between me and my heaven, between me and my God. Long, and often, and vainly, have I ftrove

I ftrove and ftruggled againft you; but my bridegroom at length, is become jealous of you; my true owner calls me from you, and takes me all to himself! Be not alarmed then, my Harry, when I tell you that I muft leave you. You will grieve for me, you will grieve greatly for me, my beloved! but, give way to the kindly shower that your Lord fhed for his Lazarus, and let the tears of humanity alleviate and lighten the weight of your affliction.--Ah, my Harry I tremble for you; what a course you have to run!--what perils! what temptations !--- Deliver him from them, my Mafter, deliver him from them all! Again, what blissful profpects

they are gone, they are vanifhed!—I fink, I die under the weight and length of fucceeding mifery!--Again it opens; all is cleared; and his end, like that of Job, is more bleffed than his beginning.

-Ah, my Harry, my Harry, your heart must be wrung by many engines; it fhall be tried in many fires; but I trust it is a golden heart, and will come forth with all its weight!

You have been dreaming, my love, I faid, you have been dreaming; and the impression still lies heavy and melancholy on your memory.

Yes, the replied, I have been dreaming

indeed;

indeed; but then my dreams are much more real than my waking vifions. When all things fenfible are fhut out, it is then that the spirit enlarges, grows conscious of its own activity, its own power and prefcience, and fees by a light whofe evidence is beyond that of the fun.

O, my angel, I cried, fhould any thing happen to you---But, I dare not look that way; for I know, I find, I feel that I could not furvive you!

You must furvive me, my Harry! nay, you will once more be married. I beheld your bride last night. Even now she ftands before me, the fifter of my fpirit, and one of the lovelieft compofitions of fin and death that ever was framed for diffolution. Her, alfo, you will lofe; and you will think, nay, you will affure yourself that no powers in heaven or earth can avail for a ray of comfort. In this life, however, you will finally, unexpectedly, and moft wonderfully be bleffed; and, foon after, we shall all meet, and be more intimately and more endearingly wedded than ever, where yet there is neither marrying nor giving in marriage.

While fhe yet fpoke, her pains, as the pains of labour, again came upon her, and went off, and again returned, after intermitting fwoonings.