behind, who had been regularly plodding on! These sudden blazes of his genius, instead of withering my friendship, served only to ripen it, for I considered him so far above me, that they never excited my envy, or discouraged me from going quietly on in my humbler path.

"It was agreed that both of us were to be merchants, which was the trade of our fathers. But before we entered upon the active duties of our calling, we were under a promise of spending some months with Julius, a friend of Sebat's, who lived on the banks of the Jordan. The family of Julius consisted of himself, an infant child, his wife Jaachonia, and her sister Tryphosa. A happier, or a more united household than what it was when we entered it, had never been my fate to behold.

"Julius was of a frank and unsuspicious temper, yet hasty and somewhat haughty, and when his passions were roused, he had no controul over them himself, though they often yielded to the gentle influence of his wife. Jaachonia had a thoughtful and a

penetrating mind, and estimated qualities not so much by their splendour as their worth. It seemed as if she immediately saw into the real character of Niger, for she evidently slighted him, and sometimes sought to mortify his pride, while she endeavoured to raise me in my own and others estimation, by paying the greatest deference to my opinions, and by often repeating my observations. These were distinctions I was so wholly unaccustomed to, that I do not know but they increased the bashfulness they were intended to remove. Yet I felt most grateful for her kindness, and after a time my natural shyness wore off in her society, and I was able to converse with a brother's freedom. Perhaps, the secret hope that I might some time or other really claim that privilege, gave me more pleasure and confidence in her company than I should otherwise have felt.

I had not been long under the same roof with Tryphosa before she filled all my thoughts. She was, in my eyes at least, thrice shining, for beauty, sense, and

modesty, were hers. But if I wished to describe her manner, her air, her person, her voice, I need but point to Sephora. To acknowledge my weakness, and to give you an idea how strong the likeness between them must be, I have only to say, that when I turned round last night and beheld her in the cave, the first idea that rushed on my mind was Tryphosa-not herself, but her spirit, and that bloody stain on her throat seemed to me as the murderer's wound.

"But to continue my story

"I never had a thought that I did not confide to Niger, and I told him of my wishes and my hopes. He tried to laugh me out of them, and spoke disparagingly of the object of my affections. But I vindicated my choice, maintained my own opinion, and dared to entertain a thought contrary to his.

This displeased him, and he parted from me in anger, while I felt most wretched at having lost his friendship, and for the first time in my life began to think that the world

VOL. II.

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might have some rankling thorns among its sweetest flowers.

"I wandered pensively and sorrowfully down between the banks of the Jordan, and was returning homewards, as miserable as I went forth, when I saw my beloved Niger coming to meet me, and holding out his hand in token of reconciliation. My very heart sprang forward to grasp it, and I felt at that moment that no sacrifice would be too great to make, so that I might but recover his favour-but he required none, on the contrary he came to soothe me with the fondest schemes, and give my hopes a more decided form than they had yet dared to assume.

He told me that the first effort of his friendship had been to try and disengage me from my passion, and this he still thought the truest kindness, but since that endeavour had failed, and my affections seemed immoveably fixed, his next desire was to see my wishes gratified, and to do all that he could to further their success. He then reminded me of my youth, and told me it

would be wrong to acquaint Tryphosa of my regard till it had obtained the sanction of Sebat, but that he would return home before the term of our visit had expired, and obtain it for me. That, in the mean time, I might advance myself in the affections of the family. That it was evident Jaachonia already looked on me with the most friendly regard, and of course her sister would be more biassed by her opinion, than by that of any other person. He therefore advised me by the most assiduous attentions, to endeavour to secure and increase her kindness, while he would be equally watchful in seizing every opportunity of impressing Julius and Tryphosa in my favour, and of making them sensible of what he was pleased to call my unassuming worth, and those qualities which so eminently qualified me to enjoy and adorn domestic life.

"This arrangement was not only calculated to gratify my hopes, but it seemed to me to be formed with the nicest attention to the peculiarity of my feelings, and I felt it as