Whenever this system of opinions can offer us a better hope, a surer faith, a richer treasure, a nobler support, than Christianity, then, and not till then, let it ask our confidence. It has no promise for the dying hour-no consecrating blessing for the tomb. A celebrated officer of the American Revolution-a Virginia gentleman-had unfortunately been tinctured with Infidel principles. The efforts of Mr. T. Paine to promote American liberty -the effusions of his pen-and the zeal of his life-tended to make his Infidel sentiments popular with many of our countrymen, at the era of the Revolution. This officer had often introduced the subject, strange as it may appear, to his daughter, and urged her to embrace its tenets. If Infidelity succeed with man, it cannot often master the heart of woman, for above all others, the law of her nature is trust, and she needs peculiarly the holy trust of heaven. The young lady resisted the entreaties of the father. She clung to the principles of her Saviour's religion. Disease afterwards wasted her fair form, and she drew near the closing scene. Friends loved her for her loveliness, and the father wept that early beauty should thus languish into the tomb. The work of disease was almost consummated-the light was passing from her eye, and the pulse from her heart-it was a fearful moment-the dividing moment between time and eternity.

She called the Infidel father to her bedside-and as she gently pressed his hand, and looked tenderly up into his sad countenance-she said, "Father, would you have me be an Infidel now?" There was a pause-there was a sigh-and the heartstricken man answered-" No, my daughter, no!!!"

THE ATHEIST.-The assaults of reckless men, the cavillings of sceptics, the sneers of the scoffer, from the most powerful in times past, down to the miserable atheist of the present day, have accomplished nothing. Their denunciations, and revilings, and labors, have all resulted in creating no good, in advancing no interest, in defending, or comforting, or elevating none; in administering to the wants, the sufferings, or hopes of no human being. Their labors, like their minds, are a blank-a blank as cold and comfortless, as destitute of good here or hope hereafter; a blank as dark and appalling as the void to which they would drag down and degrade the eternal and immortal soul.

CIRCUMSTANTIAL TESTIMONY.

[CONCLUDED.]

NEXT morning he again repaired to the hotel of Count Hildenrath. He found the countess and her daughter together in the drawing-room. The conversation naturally turned on the legal inquiries which were going on for the verification of his brother's death. Charlotte at first betrayed no sign of embarrassment or uneasiness.

"I believe, madam," said Ferdinand, "you are acquainted with the family of Baron Schonwald, who reside near Muhlbach?" "I have some slight acquaintance with them," replied Madame von Bergfeldt.

"Do you happen to know the daughter of the Pastor Gaeben, who lives in the neighborhood of the castle ?"

"He has several daughters."

"I mean the second daughter; Caroline, I think, is her name." "Yes, I know her. She is a charming girl, and a great favorite of mine."

"I have just learned that she is implicated, in a very serious way, in the horrible affair which we are investigating. The police has discovered"

"What! What has been discovered?" exclaimed Charlotte, her eyes staring wildly, and her cheeks turning pale. "Can it be possible! Poor Caroline! She is innocent-quite innocent! I will go immediately to Muhlbach-I must save her!"

She sank on the sofa, apparently in a state of unconsciousness. The countess rang the bell violently, and, the servants having come to her assistance, Ferdinand hurriedly rushed down the stairs, and left the house.

"The mystery is revealed," thought he, "Charlotte undertakes to prove the innocence of Caroline! This is equivalent to admitting that she knows the author of the crime! Discovery is now at hand. I need not stay longer in Berlin."

He was about to order post-horses for the purpose of departing, but in the course of the afternoon, a note was delivered to him. It was from Charlotte, who wished to have a private conversation with him.

Madame von Bergfeldt received her brother-in-law with the most perfect composure, though she had not entirely recovered from the emotion which had so suddenly overcome her in the morning. She was very desirous to know what was the charge against Caroline Gaeben, and what discovery had implicated her. Ferdinand evaded these questions by observing that the letter

he had received from Schelnitz was very vaguely expressed; and that though he stated that serious suspicions hung over the pastor's daughter, he had not stated the circumstances on which they were grounded. Charlotte informed him that it was her intention immediately to set out for Muhlbach, where she could produce testimony to prove the innocence of her young friend. Her mother was to accompany her; the count, who was suffering from severe illness, being unable to undertake so long a journey. This plan entirely coincided with Ferdinand's wishes. Resorting to a pardonable dissimulation, he pretended that it was his purpose to return home to Silesia immediately. That same night, however, he left Berlin and took the road to Muhlbach, with the view of reaching that place before the arrival of his sister-in-law.

On reaching his destination, the first thing he did was to call on Schelnitz, to whom he communicated all that had transpired at Berlin.

"I have a few additional particulars to relate to you," observed the lawyer; "I have collected them from a domestic who recently quitted the service of Baron Schonwald. The 16th of July was a Saturday; it was a festival day, and the Schonwald family went to Muhlbach. Madame Weltheim did not go with them, but she went thither in company with a lady (Madame Rosen) and her two daughters. The party reached Muhlbach in the morning, and about eleven o'clock in the forenoon Madame Weltheim left her friends, and did not rejoin them again till evening. Now," observed Schelnitz, "it would be very important to ascertain where she went and how she was employed during this interval of absence. The Schonwalds and the Rosens might possibly furnish information on that point; I therefore advise you to see them. Madame Rosen wishes to dispose of her estate. You may present yourself as a purchaser. By that means you will be sure of a favorable reception. Draw the ladies into conversation, and try to learn from them all that took place on the 16th of July."

Ferdinand followed his advice. He learned from Madame Rosen that, whilst the ladies were breakfasting at Muhlbach, a country girl brought a letter for Madame Weltheim. She stated it to be from a very old friend, a Madame Treskoff, who resided in Muhlbach, and who wished particularly to see her. Madame Weltheim hastily put on her bonnet, and departed, followed by the girl. It was night, and candles were lighted, when she returned. She seemed agitated, and the redness of her eyes denoted that she had been weeping. The ladies anxiously inquired the cause of her trouble, and she replied that her feelings had been deeply moved by finding her friend, Madame Treskoff, in great distress.

Continuing his interrogatories, Ferdinand was further informed, that though Madame Weltheim frequently wore a green silk dress, yet it was not positively remembered whether she wore it on the 16th July.

"She was much agitated on her return," observed one of the ladies, "and she had only one glove on. (These words, made Ferdinand almost leap from his chair.) This struck me as very remarkable, as she was always most precise in the details of her dress. I remarked to her that she had only one glove, to which she replied, Ah! I was not aware of it. I suppose I must have dropped it at my friend's!"

6

Ferdinand had thus learned more than he expected. Taking a hurried leave of Madame Rosen and her daughters, he went immediately to Schelnitz. The latter was of opinion that nothing now remained to be done but to denounce Charlotte von Bergfeldt as the murderess of her husband. He inquired in Muhlbach and its neighborhood whether a lady named Treskoff had lived there in the month of July. Her name was unknown to any one.

"There can be no doubt," said Schelnitz, " that Charlotte von Bergfeldt struck the fatal blow. It is useless to endeavor to sound the motives for a crime which Providence has miraculously disclosed by an unparalleled chain of concurring circumstances. She may have been prompted by jealousy-by hatred of a husband whose conduct it would appear was not free from blame— or by cupidity; for, on the death of Edward von Bergfeldt, his widow, by terms of the marriage settlement, is to possess a considerable portion of the revenues derived from the estates. But, whatever may have been the motive for the crime, Charlotte von Bergfeldt is certainly guilty."

The minutes for the evidence of prosecution were drawn up in due legal form, and laid before the ober-procurator of Coblentz. Meanwhile, Madame von Bergfeldt, accompanied by her mother, arrived there. Full of anxiety to know what proceedings had been taken against Caroline Gaeben, she called on Schelnitz, whose name and address she had learned from Ferdinand. Schelnitz referred her for information to the ober-procurator, to whom he immediately conducted her.

"Madame," said the magistrate, addressing her, " your brotherin-law has charged Caroline Gaeben with being implicated in the murder of your husband. He assures me that he can produce satisfactory proofs of her guilt; but he has not stated to me what those proofs are. I understand that you have come here for the purpose of removing the suspicions that hang over that young lady."

"I have, sir; but I cannot conceive how suspicion can possi

bly attach to Mademoiselle Gaeben. husband. She never even saw him!"

She did not know my

"How can you be certain of that, Madame? You cannot know whom your husband may have seen during your separation from him. How long is it since you yourself saw him?"

Charlotte felt that she was approaching dangerous ground. "The will of my parents," said she, "prohibited all communication between me and the Baron von Bergfeldt after our separation; I do not consider it necessary to enter upon any further explanation of that painful subject."

Resolved, if possible, to elicit something decided, the magistrate, fixing his eye sternly on her, inquired whether she had not visited Muhlbach on the 16th of July in the preceding year.

"Yes, sir," she replied, "I think I was there on that day." "How did you employ the time during the morning?" Charlotte was silent, and a livid paleness overspread her coun

tenance.

"Madame Rosen and her daughters," pursued the magistrate, "have declared that you parted from them at an early hour, and that you did not rejoin them until evening."

"I cannot understand," said Charlotte, in a faltering tone of voice, "why those ladies have been examined; nor can I guess to what all these inquiries tend."

"Permit me to observe, madam, that you have not answered the question I just now put to you, and that an answer is necessary to your justification!"

"For my justification! Then it appears I am accused! I now understand the meaning of this captious interrogatory. will not condescend to enter upon explanation. That would be beneath me. I will remain silent. Henceforth my lips are sealed on this subject. No power on earth shall draw a word from me. Now, sir, do whatever your duty may dictate! You know my determination."

The magistrate found himself obliged to sign an order for the imprisonment of Madame von Bergfeldt. Next day she was confronted with the keeper of the baths at Podewil and his wife. Both unhesitatingly recognized her to be the lady who, on the 16th of July, had presented herself at the door of their establishment. Her right hand was examined, and across the palm there was a mark which might have been caused by a cut; but the scar was so slight as to render this circumstance a matter of doubt.

An order was forwarded to Berlin for putting under seal all the papers and effects belonging to Madame von Bergfeldt. They were previously examined in the presence of a magistrate. Among the papers nothing of importance was found, but in a jewel casket