"I am very sorry,” replied Eliza, colouring; "but I do not see that we have any cause to reflect upon ourselves. Who could have thought that there should be two persons so answering to each other, at one time, in a little place like this? -- "It did seem very improbable: but Mrs. Hodson, a poor, but respectable woman whom I well know, has just assured me of its truth. The poor creature came to Arundel last night: the sickness of her child had made her much longer on her journey than she expected, and all her little money was expended. This she honestly told them at the public house, and begged for a shed or shelter of any kind, to sleep in. The request was refused; but Mrs. Hodson, who had been washing there, overheard the conversation. It was her son's night to be out with the stage-wagon, and she kindly made an offer of his bed, which was, you may be sure, thankfully accepted. She was engaged to go to Sunderland, by five o'clock the next morning, to wash; and as the doctor, who attends our village, lives there, she promised to go to his house, and request him to call, since this was his day for riding over. In the meantime, finding the poor 'babe very ill, she directed the mother to Mrs. Underwood's, one of the places at which she serves, and where she has herself been kindly treated. Thus having done all she could, she set out for her daily work. It was not very early when the woman followed Mrs. Hodson's advice; for the babe was almost too ill to be left, and she was no common beggar, so that her heart sunk within her at the task. After returning, she sat for hours, expecting the promised relief, which, as we know, never arrived. The doctor has just been; he was so much engaged, he said, that he could not get here sooner. He tells them the child's complaint has been fever, which having exhausted its strength, took a favourable turn this morning; but nou. rishment should then have been immediately administered, and he fears the loss of time will prove fatal. A neighbour promised that her boy should go for the medicine, and he kindly engaged to send some port wine with it: he told them however, to get that, or a little brandy immediately, if they possibly could; and for this purpose Mrs. Hodson came to the vicarage. Q what would I not give, Eliza, that we had never seen Miss Underwood " Eliza felt really concerned; though she justified the mistake as natural and almost unavoidable; and their grandpapa kindly withheld every painful remark, till the poor babe was pronounced convalescent. It was then, that having told them the welcome news, with a smile of satisfaction, he added the following affectionate advice. "I hope, my dear children, the anxiety you have suffered, will prove a useful lesson to you through life. Never act upon conjecture as if it were certainty; and be cautious not to say any thing that can possibly injure another. Whatever you listen to, or speak of, be sure that it is heard carefully, and repeated correctly. And wherever a doubt exists, if you have any thing to do with it, examine the matter patiently, and do not fancy circumstances of a filling-up nature, in order to confirm your previous bias; nor jump to a conclusion, merely because you presume it must be so. I would not say with a gentleman, who was speaking one day on the subject of correctness,- "I would punish my child for saying he looked at a thing through this window, when he saw it from the other," but I do think, accuracy should be made a far greater point with children from their earliest years, than it usually is. In all the communications we have occasion to make, we should simply state what we fully know, and there stop. Thus half the unfounded reports, misrepresentations, and surmisings, which circulate in society, would be prevented, and with them, many evils, which are their necessary consequence.” Jane and Eliza, both thanked Mr. Robinson for these seasonable remarks. On the former the fact itself had made too strong an impression to require any comment, nor was the circumstance, with his wise application, by any means unproductive of benefit to the latter. S. S. S. ERRATA. Page 94, line 25, for God read Good. 99, line 19, for company read confusion. ADDITIONS TO THE RETROSPECT. (See page 12.) ALLOW me to supply a deficiency in my statement of favorable occurrences, contained in the "Retrospect for New Year's Day," inserted in the number of this Magazine for January last. Exclusive of the missions of the United Brethren, which commenced between 1720 and 1730, I should have mentioned the Wesleyan Missionary Society which originated in 1786, when the late much esteemed Dr. Coke and three other preachers in that connexion, sailed for England. Their first destination was Nova Scotia; but having suffered much from violent gales and a leak in the vessel, the captain anticipating, also, a want of water, changed his course and steered for the West Indies. They landed at Antigua, and agreed to commence a mission on that and some of the Islands adjacent. It is pleasing to record the success that has attended the various missions of this society. The next labourers in the field were our respected friends, the Baptists. Some ministers of that society assembled at Kettering, in October 1792, and resolved to attempt the establishment of an institution for sending the gospel to the heathen, a subscription was entered into immediately, and although only £13. 2s. 6d. was subscribed at first, yet the benevolent plan received such encouragement, that in June 1793, two valuable missionaries, Mr. Thomas and Mr. (now Dr.) Carey embarked for Bengal. This mission has been greatly owned of God, and it is said that a conversation at Bristol, after the receipt of the first letters from Messrs. Thomas and Carey, led ultimately to the formation of the London Missionary Society in 1795, which was followed in a few years after by the establishment of the Church Missionary Society, for missions to Africa and the East. In addition to the other seminaries for educating young men for the ministry, I omitted to mention the Academies at Stepney, and Bradford, which are supported by the Baptists, and from which many pious and useful ministers have gone forth, and are now usefully employed in the Lord's vineyard. May all these valuable institutions flourish, and may Christians of all denominations in dependence upon divine influence, strive together for the faith of the gospel, cheered by the blessed promise; "the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the water covers the sea." R. C. DAILY MAXIMS FOR APRIL. 1 To profess Christ is one thing; to confess Christ is another. 2 Piety is a sure protection. 3 Passion is folly. 4 Where grace reigns, sin is loathsome. *5 Hear the word with a desire and holy resolution to practise it. 6 Wickedness is a sure destruction. 7 Meekness is wisdom. 8 Regard the mind more than the outward appearance 9 An ungoverned tongue has ruined many. 10 Nothing is permanent. 11 If Christ confess us, God will not disown us. *12 Look more at Christ and less at the preacher. 13 Sin may be left and yet loved. 14 Restraining grace holds in the sinner; but renewing grace changes his nature. 15 Look beyond time. 16 Many appear righteous who are only righteous in appearance. 17 The cross was a pulpit in which Christ preached his love to the world. 18 Christ's death is the life of all believers. *19 The resurrection of Christ is the ground of our hope, and the new birth is the evidence of our interest in it. 20 Who gave his life, what grace shall He deny? 21 Seek the grace of prayer more than the gift. 22 The countenance betrays guilt. 23 The life of holiness is the most excellent life. 24 The least measure of true grace is as saving as the greatest; it saves as surely, but not so comfortably. Pleasure is transient. 25 *26 The efficacy of the word depends not upon the preacher, but upon God. 27 Conviction is not conversion. 28 Christ keeps faith in the soul, and faith keeps the soul in Christ. 29 Few arrive at old age! 30 To die like the righteous, you must live like him. Time unheeded passes by; Rapidly the scene draws nigh, When the Judge will take His seat, Wakefield. R. C. JUVENILE CHARACTERS.-No. II. PUNCTUALITY Instanced in the History of Theophilus Meredith. “He was a mighty lover of regularity and order, and managed all his concerns with exactness."-Bp. Atterbury. THE maxim which Theophilus received from his father, was, “be always punctual;" a maxim which he enforced by his own example, for Mr. Meredith was regarded by friends and foes as one of the most conscientious and regular men in his neighbourhood. Young Meredith gave early proof of his regard for his father's advice, and he attended to it in every thing. He was in school precisely as the clock struck, and was fully prepared to repeat his lessons at the instant he was called up. To do this he applied himself diligently, and suffered nothing to divert him from his lessons: by this means he repeated them distinctly and correctly, while his memory became more and more tenacious. Punctuality was no less regarded by him whenever he was sent on an errand; he never loitered in the streets, or gazed at the shop windows, or entered into a crowd, but delivered his message accurately, and quickly returned with the answer. He was entrusted with sums of money, and letters of great consequence. The same conduct acompanied him when he left his father's roof. During the first two years of his apprenticeship, it was VOL. II. 34 SERIES. M |
