fidence, respect, and good-will, between servants and

their employers.

I am, my dear friend,

Your's, cordially,

MY DEAR SIR,

222N

Answer.

I AM obliged by your friendly communication; I cordially approve your suggestion, and fully enter into your views, and shall most readily, to the best of my ability, engage in performing the task which you have assigned me. Perhaps, during the progress of the plan, yourself, or your friends, may favour me with hints tending to its more efficient fulfilment. Permit me to assure you, that such will be most gratefully received by

Your faithful friend and servant,

THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN GLEANER. [It is our intention to commence the proposed Catechism in our next.]

The Motherless Family.

СНАР. І.

Character of John and Martha Hunt.-Martha becomes religious.Her concern for her family.-Character of her Children-Marg goes to service.-Mrs. Hunt's anxieties and resources.

JOHN HUNT was a sober industrious man, a carpenter by trade; he was blessed with a very excellent wife-a prudent, notable, careful, cleanly, good-tempered woman. They had eight children; yet with John's industry, and Martha's good management, and the excellent practice they had of making each child, except mere infants, do something for its own living, they were enabled to support this large family in comfort and respectability. There was only one thing in which they differed, and that was the most important thing of all-religion. When first they were married, they only thought it necessary to attend to getting an honest livelihood, maintaining a

good name among their neighbours, being affectionate to each other, and, as they had opportunity, kind to all around them. These are all very good things: without them no family can be good or happy, and for want of them, many families and neighbourhoods have been made wretched and miserable. But when Martha Hunt had been married about a year or two, it pleased God to convince, and deeply impress her mind with the conviction, that something more than all this was necessary. She was led to consider thus with herself "to be sure I have led an honest and peaceable life among my neighbours, but what have I ever done to please the God who made me? I have been careful about this world, but what have I ever thought about another, when the time comes for me to leave this? I have said my prayers, because I have been brought up from my infancy in a habit of so doing; but I have not at all considered myself as speaking in the presence of the great God, nor have I been concerned to inquire whether he would hear and answer me; these must be great and grievous sins,-is there any way in which they may be pardoned? I have been in the habit of saying, for Jesus Christ's sake,'—but what do I know about Jesus Christ? What relation do I stand in to him, or what reason have I to conclude that I shall receive any good thing from him, or for his sake ?" These anxieties led her to read the Bible, and attend more constantly and seriously than she had ever done before, on the preaching of the gospel: she also found great pleasure and profit in private prayer. It was no longer, as it used to be, saying her prayers, because she had been always used to do so, and she should think it a sin to do otherwise;' but she found a Father in secret, and it was her delight to pour out her heart before him. I am not going to describe this good woman's character, nor to relate her history: only to observe in general that religion made a great difference in her. Whatever she before did that was right, she now did in a better manner, and from a better motive; and whenever she had neglected a duty or committed a fault, she deeply regretted it, and earnestly prayed to be forgiven for the past, and enabled to act otherwise for the future.

She was now, not only a notable, careful, and affectionate wife, and a kind and tender mother, but she became deeply concerned about the spiritual welfare of those connected with her; she had learnt that the soul was infinitely more than the body, and eternity than time; so she would often entreat her dear husband to think seriously of these things; and as to the children, though no mother could possibly be more attentive to the health, cleanliness, and comfort of her children, she did not consider this as all her duty towards them;-no, as soon as ever they could speak, she taught them to lift their little hands in prayer, and lisp the sacred name of Him who made them. As they grew old enough to understand it, she would read the Bible to them, or hear them read it, and endeavour to explain it to them; and she used to pray earnestly for them, that they might early be brought to fear and love God. When there was a Sunday School set up, she took care that every one, who was old enough, should attend regularly; and she never on any account suffered them, on the Sabbath day, to play about in the streets or fields, but kept them employed in a manner suitable to the day; yet was she always so cheerful and pleasant in her manner of conversing with and instructing them, that the children never considered it a task and burden, but would often beg her to spend a little more time with them than she could well spare.

John Hunt did not quite enter into his wife's views of religion he sometimes thought that she carried things too far; but as he was sure that she both meant well, and managed well, he did not interfere with her. Indeed, when he saw the behaviour of a neighbouring family of children, who had a vain ungodly mother, he could not help thinking, that the only way to make children orderly and well behaved, was to bring them up in the fear of God; and seeing too, that Martha, the more serious and religious she became, grew at the same time the more happy and sweet tempered, and could even speak of death without shuddering, he felt sometimes a secret wish that he was truly religious himself. The elder children were now growing up in life; George was apprenticed to a shoemaker, and Thomas to a grocer in the town; but they came home

to take their meals, and to sleep, and their kind parents were very careful to make home comfortable to them, hoping that it might prove a means of keeping them from bad company, and of attaching them to domestic habits. George was a very steady dutiful boy; he preferred spending his leisure time with his own family to any other society whatever. On the week day evenings, he generally amused himself in cultivating his father's garden, and the evening of the sabbath was suitably and pleasantly employed in reading the Bible, and other good books; in singing hymns with his sister Mary, or assisting his mother in teaching the little ones. Thomas was more inclined for pleasure; he had got an acquaintance or two, who were inclined to lead him into practices and amusements which his good mother in particular could not approve, and which gave her great anxiety. She several times conversed with him very seriously and affectionately about these things; and, as he really loved his mother, he was generally melted by what she said, and promised fairly to conduct himself more to her satisfaction; but he was thoughtless and giddy, and the next time his companions enticed, he was too ready to fall into the snare. The next child was Mary, a girl of a very feeling, tender disposition, very dutiful and affectionate to her parents, and in particular so much attached to her mother, that she seemed never to be happy but when in her presence. Mrs. Hunt also observed in Mary's conduct, some pleasing traits, which led her to indulge a secret hope, that her mind was under the influence of real religion.--Would my young readers wish to know what marks they were, which led a pious mother to indulge this pleasing hope? Not so much any striking proficiency in learning, or cleverness in remembering, and repeating, and answering, (though these things are very pleasant and encouraging as far as they go,)-but habitual sincerity, tenderness of conscience, and love to secret prayer.

May every pious parent have the unspeakable satisfaction of witnessing in their beloved children such evidences of genuine grace, and they will be encouraged to hope of them that their path will prove that of the

just, which, like that of the shining light, shineth more and more unto the perfect day!

Now though it was a great pleasure to Mrs. Hunt to have her little girl at home, (a pious parent cannot possibly enjoy a greater pleasure than the society of a pious child), yet she began to think it would be for Mary's advantage to go to service. Children of a very meek and gentle spirit, who have passed all their time amidst the tenderness and indulgence of a parent's roof, are most apt to be overwhelmed with the roughness and crosses they meet with in the world, and with the real troubles of life, which they cannot hope always to escape. A wise and kind parent, aware of this, will endeavour, by accustoming them to some little changes, to fortify and strengthen their minds for the future. It was thus that Mrs. Hunt thought, when she determined, with her husband's approbation, to seek for Mary a situation in service. After some enquiry among the Sunday School teachers, a suitable place was heard of, and Mary went to it, not without shedding many tears at the thoughts of leaving home; but after a few days, when the strangeness of the scene was a little over, she found herself quite happy. Her mistress was a very kind good lady, who took pleasure in teaching her every thing that was necessary and useful, and who let her have every proper indulgence. She lent Mary many nice books to read, and sometimes read to her and instructed her in the same manner as her mother used to do. When she could be conveniently spared, Mary was sometimes permitted to go home and spend an hour or two with her parents. This she very much enjoyed; indeed it seemed more pleasure to her to converse with her parents and brothers and sisters, than even it used to be when they were always together she used to teach the little ones what she had learnt out of the books that Mrs. Stanley lent her; she would bring George a copy of some pretty hymn she had met with, which she thought he did not know; and tell Thomas some fresh example she had read of the happiness of early piety, or of the ruin of a thoughtless and vicious youth; and if any little present had been made her, she was sure to bring it home, and