well know my views on that head. Every American woman is a sovereign in her own right in her home: there

she may and must rule in all such matters; and if she orders her household, as I before said, by showing the beautiful effects which may spring from the right use of this innocent recreation, she will do more than she could in any other way to abolish the evil influences of its abuse."

"This is such a new view to me, Charles, that I must have time to think it over seriously, and return to the discussion when I have done so ;" and Mrs. Lovegood thoughtfully took up the paper, and once more looked at the article.

VII. SUNDAY OUR NATIONAL
DEFENCE.

THE principal agencies for preserving the sacred

ness of the Christian Sunday in our country are

the pulpit, the press, and personal influences."

Such was the statement made by the New-York Sabbath Committee in 1862. In this personal influence may not the women of our Republic be efficient helpers?

The following sketch of real incidents may be of some effect in showing what resulted from an opportunity improved :

--

Some years ago, it may be nearly a score, a lady who believed in "the Sabbath day to keep it holy," because God's word and his example had consecrated it a day of rest for mankind, was boarding at the M House, then one of the largest and best-appointed of those family homes in Philadelphia.

The lady, whom I will style Mrs. H, was fond of studying character; and many good opportunities were afforded her in the varieties of the genus homo that thronged this pleasant house.

Among the foreign residents were two young gentlemen from the Russian army, belonging, I believe, to the engineer corps, sent hither by the Emperor Nicholas to learn what they could of the coal-mining operations in America. I give these particulars to interest my readers in the reality of my characters.

These young Russians were liberally educated and intelligent; the youngest remarkable for his knowledge of languages and ready conversational talent.

Still it was apparent from their manners and opinions that they had come from different social positions. The elder, Baron V—, represented the nobility: the younger, Mr. P, had been taken from the people.

The emperors of Russia thus select a certain number of their young candidates for the honors of college and official appointments. Mr. P must have been one of these: his broad, massive forehead, with the straight, full, dark eyebrows, that made in their shadows his clear-blue

eyes seem always filled with light, gave to his otherwise very plain features a cast of intellectual superiority that no one could mistake.

The talents of Mr. P— fully justified the imperial selection. Mrs. H- was soon attracted by his singular naïveté and originality of character, so unlike the hurrying business mode in which we live.

He was full of brilliant fancies. His general intelligence rendered his conversation very agreeable; and, while the lady could not agree with many of his opinions, still this served to interest her more deeply in his welfare. She saw how capable he was of doing good if only he would. love the work. It thus happened that they became friends: indeed, the young Russian seemed to consider this ladyold enough to be his mother—as his particular friend, and poured into her ear all his new views of life and liberty; for he soon became a real convert to our political institutions, considered Jefferson the great hero of humanity, and all our American laws and customs he would heartily indorse, except one; he could not understand or endure our observance of Sunday.

He never tired of carrying on a crusade against the custom, always in a merry, good-humored way, and calling upon Mrs. H to take up the gauntlet in its defence.

"No theatre, no opera, no balls, on Sunday! - how can you live?" he would say. "You call this a free coun

try; but where is your freedom if every one may not act

as he pleases? You, and those who think with you, need not go to such amusements if they seem to you wrong; but the idea of controlling a whole people, of compelling them to go without what is to them a necessity, is preposterous, horrible, monstrous!"

And then he would go over his first impressions of this “Puritan humbug," as he called it; saying that both were American words, and just fitted each other. Then he described the Sundays in Paris as models for America.

It was difficult to argue with a man whose stand-point was so utterly different as to leave no common ground on which to meet, for the Bible was to him only a work of priestcraft; and therefore it happened, that, after many long conversations, he would return to the subject, apparently entirely unconvinced by any thing which the lady had said. He was always pleasant and good-humored, however, and no excited feeling ever entered into the discussions.

One bright Sunday morning, on returning from church, Mrs. H stepped into the parlor to leave a message on her way to her room. Mr. P― was seated there, reading a French novel: he sprang up, and, placing a chair for her, said, "Ah! do take pity on me. Such a triste country as yours I never did see! Tell me, I ask you once more, why are your people such fools as to keep Sunday? What good can ever come of it?"

2

"It is our national defence, Mr. P—,” said she, a sudden thought of his military life suggesting a new idea.

"Your national defence, Mrs. H-! What may that mean?" he inquired..

"How large is your standing army?" she inquired. He gave its numbers.

"And that of France?"

He named it also.

"And order could not be preserved without such a large army; at least, it would scarcely be considered safe to diminish it?

"I think not."

"You have, in the way of your profession, Mr. P———, travelled much since you came to this country; tell me, have you seen in our cities, from New Orleans to Boston, or anywhere in our land, any want of order, any need of guards, of military posts or sentinels?"

"So far from it," replied he, "that I have frequently called the attention of the baron to the perfect order which reigns everywhere, and yet without any apparent control."

"That order," said Mrs. H, "springs from our national defence, the observance of Sunday."

"You must speak plainer," said he, "before I can perceive your drift."

"I mean," said she, "that all communities, peoples, and nations must be subject to some form of control: it