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they fell from his master's table, and on going one af rnoon to the young clergyman, said, 'massa, me overheard you-massa and missus Thornton, talkin' about the meanin' of "pray widout ceasin'," now will you let me give my meanin". 'Certainly,' replied the clergyman. Ned then replied, when missus tells me to go sweep parlor floor, off I go get de broom, obedient to them that has authority over me, and as I sweep de floor, pray God to sweep clean my heart. Missus tell me again, go kindle de fire. I go right off, and as I blow de coals, pray God to kindle up a holy fire in poor old slave heart; and massa tells me go in de field and hoe corn, off I go get de hoe, obedient to another that has authority over me, and as I hoe round de corn, at de same time pray that Lord Jesus Christ would hoe grace all round poor old Ned's heart, and dis me call pray widout ceasin'."

I trust I shall not be accused by my reader as indulging in unwarrantable levity, and beg leave to say, that old Ned's explanations of " pray without ceasing," remind me of two boys who were sent by their mother on a certain morning to the wood-pile to pick up chips, in order to prepare for dinner. In due time the boys arrived, and James's arms were heavily laden, while his brother's were entirely empty. The mother, at the top of her voice, cried out

"Bill, why have you disobeyed me, in coming without any chips ?"

"I'll tell you, mother," replied the boy. "Jim's feet was so big that they kivered them all up.

And believing that old Ned's explanation of "pray without ceasing" has not only fully covered the whole ground, but beautifully shows how a passage of holy scripture can beneficially bear a spiritual interpretation, which at the same time approximates literally to an impossibility.

The little boy listened very attentively to old Ned's explanation as just stated, still manifesting an unwillingness to commit himself to sleep at that hour, no doubt believing, as many children do, that mothers greatly err in issuing their early orders for bed, but not comprehending that a like rising verifies an old proverb, in imparting health, wealth, and wisdom. Sensible, however, that all his petitions proved unavailing, he threw his arms around his mother's neck and affectionately kissing her, accom

panied with a "good night-off I go to bed, and suppose, according to old Ned's views, I must pray Jesus to sleep with me." "Certainly," replied the mother. Upon which, the child very shrewdly rejoined: "well, mother, if Jesus sleeps with me, who will take care of you, father, brother, and sisters, with the Chinese, who, you told me last night, rose about this hour." This last, like the first question, was promptly answered by the mother, who so taught as to impress upon the mind the propriety of asking Christ to sleep with us, and at the same time so qualified as to understand that his omnipresent eye never sleeps.

To even slightly scan over the many passages of sacred scripture which require to be received in a spirit different from the express letter, would occupy more labor and research than is the privilege of my reader's blind afflicted servant, and the motives which have drawn forth present explanations, have first been prompted to turn the tables on those who have dared to declare that Solomon's assertion as to training up children, &c., given to him by divine inspiration was false, and secondly, to show the wisdom of those mothers, who early endeavor to instruct or teach their children to follow their Creator's directions, free from the seed of infidelity or scepticism. It s o be feared that parents and instructors do not attach sufficient importance to the word train, in educating their offspring, leaving precept (with imitating in example the faithful patriarch Abraham, an allusion to whom has already been made) in part if not entire to the work.

Having already stated that habit, though slow, strengthens with our years, and those which are indirectly as well as directly, with prompt correction on the part of parents without indulging in any false notion of tenderness, as chronicled in the 1st book of Samuel in relation to Eli and his house.

Behold the children of Eli and the child of Hannah! The venerable High Priest, though his heart yearned after the glory of God and the best interests of his church, had been unwilling to bestow upon them proper discipline which could alone control their strong and unholy-propensities. When informed of their evil doings whereby they defiled the sanctuary, he laid upon them no wholesome or salutary restraint, but with a foolish weakness left

them with a partial rebuke to pass on in the causes of sin, 66 treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath," and when at length the patience of God is exhausted, how tremendous was that curse, which like the bolt of Heaven, fell upon them.

"I will judge the house of Eli for ever, because his children made themselves vile and he restrained them not.'

Does not this example stand as an awful beacon to warn the world of God's displeasure of a neglect of parental discipline and instruction.

How beautiful is the contrast afforded in the son of Hannah, that child for whom she prayed and who had been given to her by the Lord, she lent him as long as he lived. She regarded him as a sacred trust which she must train up for God-with maternal tenderness she watched over the early developments of his character with faithful and pious instructions, guided him in the way of holiness, and how great must have been her reward when she felt as all Israel, that he was appointed of the land for a Prophet.

Again behold in these examples the result of parental fidelity and faithfulness, the child of that humble Israelite is made the means of communicating to Eli the awful designs of Jehovah towards him, who, though the High Priest of the Lord, neglected parental duties, and brought down on himself and his guilty household the vengeance of Heaven; difficulties often arise in the proper training of a child from whence better things should be expected -for instance, a father while correcting an incorrigible son receives an interference on the part of the mother, who declares in the presence of the child, the infliction not just, and therefore unnecessary, and by reversing the order, the father steps in the same way between the child and mother, and such a course of conduct on the part of the parent must materially lessen if not entirely destroy the efficacy of the intended remedy (for children are invariably fond of having restraint removed), and unless there was a direct act of inhumanity or cruelty, no interference by either party should exist, and where just censure is attributable, let it be made known in a mild and proper manner without the knowledge of the child. Children when young, in general are more ardent in

their love for the mother than the father, and often a misguided reciprocity on the part of the former defeats the salutary advice of the latter, and thus in an unexpected hour plunges the offspring into a vortex of irretrievable ruin.

The Author of our holy religion declares that a "House divided against itself cannot stand," and daily experience and observation verifies this divine assertion, which can in many instances be traced to an unfortunate, hasty and inconsiderate connexion growing out of the marriage

contract.

A few remarks on this divine as well as civil institution, I trust will not be considered an unpardonable digression from the subject more directly under considera

tion.

The female, restrained in our own country by an arbitrary law, is denied the privilege of making the first advance in selecting a partner who is to share with her in future life those joys which rest on the rose's bud, or on the downy pillow, or with her to labor at the oar of adversity in crossing life's tempestuous ocean.

Man, therefore, approaches with all his lordly power, too often alone directed by the eye in beholding superficial beauties, and not until often he is victimized by his own suicidal hands tipon Hymen's altar, does he discover the partner of his choice a curse instead of a blessingwhy-because external attractions have clouded and eclipsed an otherwise sober discriminating judgment, which would have sought after hidden intellectual beauties, unlike the former, would have brightened and strengthened with their growth, and like a happy Palemon and a lovely Lavinia, with a numerous offspring bid defiance to the storms and tempests which toss on the waves of time.

Perfect concord and agreement between husband and wife is intimately connected with a correct or sound education of a child, and a man who enjoys the advantage of a good education should never connect himself by marriage to an ignorant woman; vice versâ, a well educated woman should never throw herself in the arms of an ig

noramus.

In seeking spiritual blessings we are commanded not to be unequally yoked, likewise so properly to train up a child, let its parents be equally yoked as to intellectual

endowments, and here permit the mention of a case in point coming directly unnder my observation.

A young man scarcely twenty-two years old, possessed of an easy competency-family connexions of the first order, and whose father was one of the most learned en of his day, and had spared no pains to place his son upon the same pinnacle of literature as on that which he (the father) sto d arrested.

Sire deceased-the young man sojourned into a distint land where, regardless of a poetic effusion (which he had often read in relation to isolated external embellishments), "Women when unadorned adorned the most," gave his hand in marriage to a young lady not sixteen years old -the symmetry of whose features was not surpassed by any of her sex, but unfortunately losing her parents when but about two years old, and through the abandonment of an elder and only sister she was left an orphan, friendless and forlorn to dwell in a section of country where little or no interest was taken in improving the intellect by means of a teacher, whose proficiency even in orthography was not sufficient to direct him in spelling the word Constitution without employing a K, consequently the lady marrying unlettered had no taste to improve her mind in after life.

During twenty-five years of her married life, she presented to her husband eight living children, five of whom had at different times, during the absence of the husband been placed out as servants or kitchen scullions (the menial duties of which will be treated upon in subsequent pages of this little work, as highly honorable and commendable when connected with the duties of their own household). In opposition to the father's will, who, endeavoring to educate, or cause to be properly instructed had expended by such opposition thrice the sum it otherwise would have cost.

The children growing up rarely lost an opportunity to insult their father, and when by him reproved the mother would order both to stop, declaring she wanted no more of their contentions, which request, if based on a hope of restoring good order was also visionary-the die was cast, and five of the eldest children like Absalom put themselves in battle array, contrary to the authority of wholesome and salutary counsel from their father, and thus led