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THE KEY TO THE HEART.

Be calm and rest-would he descend to speak

To prattling babes, or hear the infant lisp
His sacred name? Would he receive the youth
Whose truant steps defied the parent's care,

Or call them blessed whose wandering thoughts were filled
With fancies such as lure the childish heart?

Sweet and enticing was his gracious smile!
His look compassion spake, and love divine
Illumed His eye, and gentle words declared
His heavenly care for little ones like those :
"Oh, suffer them to come, forbid them not,
Of such my Father's kingdom is, and ye
Like them must be in innocence and love!"
Then on each head he laid his sacred hand,
And mercy dropping in the holy word
With fond compassion blessed the little throng.

Such works were His! rejoicing all who came
With richest tokens of his love and power!
He who could give to flowers a mighty tongue,
And make the lily speak celestial truth,
Who looked around and made familiar scenes
More sacred by His lessons, shed new light
On things grown old, and caused them all to spring
Before the mind in heavenly truth attired-
He well could look upon and bless the babes,
Types of those purer spirits who surround
His Father's throne, and who from sense and sin
By grace removed, for ever there shall bloom!

335

THE KEY TO THE HEART.

THE circumstance which we are about to relate occurred several years ago, and is narrated without embellishment or exaggeration, as corroborative of the sentiment that there is a key to every man's heart, which properly used will open it. Often, indeed, the infatuated transgressor, after locking his heart, has thrown the key away, and long and painful search may be requisite to its recovery; but blessed is he that finds it-blessed in all silent hours of thoughtful retrospect-blessed on earth and among the stars, now and for ever blessed is he that saves a soul from death. To save a soul is better than to create one. In the one case immortal existence is given instead of non-existence; in the other immortal misery is exchanged for immortal joy.

In the city of in the fall of 18-, lived a young man (Barnet, we shall call him), of pro

fligate habits but of respectable origin and training, but whom an expensive viciousness and acquaintanceship had reduced to the necessity of becoming a sharper in order to sustain himself and keep up appearances, or else to reform, shake off his associates, and labor for an honest living. He chose the former course. For a year or two he appears to have earned the character of a regular chevalier d'industrie, and on several occasions barely escaped the clutches of the law. Finding himself suspected and watched in his then residence, he resolved to change the field of his operation. A highly favorable opportunity soon occurred. Mr. G., the junior partner of a house in that city, engaged in an extensive business in the west and south, was about to make a collecting tour. By some means Barnet made himself acquainted with the details of Mr. G.'s business, and the

points at which he proposed stopping, and deter-
mined to set out at the same time on the same
route, to gain his acquaintance, and if possible
his confidence on the journey, and in due time
plunder his victim. The plan seemed to pro-
The travellers were
mise complete success.
soon on the best of terms. Barnet possessed
that easy affability, that unanxious, cheerful
spirit, which disarms suspicion and invites com-
municativeness; and Mr. G., glad of the compa-
ny of his townsman to relieve the silence and
tedium of the journey, frequently urged Barnet
to wait for him, when he affected to be in haste
to get on, and hesitated not at all at being his
room-mate or even bed-fellow. So artfully did
B. manage his card, that not a misgiving arose
during the whole journey but that he was on
urgent and honest business. Mr. G. was very
successful in collecting, but Barnet, not consi-
dering his friend's saddle bags quite heavy
enough, delayed. At this time G. was taken
with a sudden and alarming fit of sickness, and
Barnet was his only dependance and nurse.
raging fever, attended with delirium, set in, and
such was the violence of the disorder, acting
too upon a constitution naturally frail, that it
seemed that he must die. While in this condi-

A

tion he remembered that at a town about thirty
miles distant was settled as a physician a rela-
tive of his wife, and he felt an earnest desire to
see him. He begged, therefore, of Barnet to
take his horse, a fine fleet animal, and ride ex-
press after his relative. This seemed to B. the
right moment. Stealthily possessing himself of
the merchant's treasure, which was easily done,
he started apparently on his errand, but with
the intention of fleeing with his booty, and leav-
ing his unfortunate companion to his fate. Es-
cape seemed easy, and the amount of money in
his hands large. It was then that the better
angel reasoned with the heart of this guilty man.
It seemed to him that he could hear the deep
breathing and the heavy groans of the sick tra-
veller whom he had plundered and deserted,
and as if he heard him calling him to return and
cool his parched lips. He thought of the wife
and children of the lonely, smitten man.
awful sin against humanity which he was com-
mitting, the virtual murder he was perpetrating
upon one who had never wronged him, entered
his soul like a burning bolt. And then that
deep breathing seemed again to mingle with the
breeze, and to hang upon his ear, the most sor-
rowful and reproachful of all sounds. He
could go no farther. In an instant his purpose
was changed. With the utmost speed of which

The

his horse was capable he discharged his errand, returned, replaced the money, resumed his watching by the sick man's bed, and in a short time rejoiced to see him able to continue his journey.

Barnet's means were now exhausted. Without mentioning his situation to his companion, who now resumed his route, he gave some feigned reason for changing his own course, and the travellers parted. B set his face towards home and reached it, by working on the way, weeks after his companion had returned in renewed health from his successful tour. Poor B. found himself at home without credit, without friends, and without employment. None knew him but to scoff at him. His situation was desperate. The recollection of the crime of which he had commenced the execution, haunted him like a fiend. He could neither unbosom himself to any one, nor find relief from the sting of conscience. It was then that he resolved to do something that should expose him to imprisonment and afterwards suffer himself to be taken. With this view he committed a robbery, was taken by the police, and condemned to the state prison, and to solitary confinement for three years. Here, within this gloomy and frowning enclosure, conscience held her solemn inquisition upon his conduct and his heart, and smote with scorpion whip the trembling and self-condemned culprit. Mysterious and awful power that men call conscience! Wo to him who has incurred its curse! Like a thief in the night, silently and suddenly it shall steal upon him and demand, Pay me that thou owest," and show to him the loathsome depths of his polution and degradation. In this state of mind Barnet continued months after the prison had received him. The one idea of his degraded and guilty character filled his mind and wrought it into agony. Hope and comfort for him he seems not to have dreamed possible. In this situation he was found by one of the directors of the prison, a pious man, who was accustomed to feel a warm interest in the spiritual condition of the prisoners, and who was happily gifted with that winning manner, and that manifest benevolence of character, that are so important in such labors. He inquired judiciously and kindly into the state of Barnet's mind whom he found at first indisposed to be communicative, but after awhile he evidently gained upon his confidence. At the next interview he completely succeeded, and then, for the first time to any human being, the wretched man disclosed his whole history. His statement was so extraor

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