them to pull, they put to their strength. He was now wanting them to turn, and they quietly obeyed, but he finding some difficulty in getting them in the exact line for the return of the plough, immediately began to call God's curse and damnation on the horses: he lashed them with passion, and by his own unreasonable pulls and words impeded their otherwise willing steps. They turned their ears back in the most expressive attention to catch the direction of this wicked tongue, and to be prepared by the too well known language to escape the lash by anticipating his desires. At last they got into the right line, and pushed on up the hill with amazing vigour, and with the unthankful and blasphemous accompaniment of the reiterated oaths and curses of the ploughman, which distance soon took beyond our hearing.

Now, said my friend, let the romantic and the unscriptural imagination receive its confutation, and behold the innocence and purity of the countryman!

O but, you will recollect, they will say he is contaminated by the vicinity of this village to the town.

Very well, so they may, but let them say how these innocent and pure people

H

happen to take contamination? and let them extend their enquiries to the most remote parts of the kingdom-and I hesitate not to assert, that wherever God is not absolutely and avowedly worshipped in Spirit and in Truth, they will invariably find the evil nature of man broadly denying the assertion of his innocence, by the fact of the guilt of his tongue in the breach of the Third Commandment of God.

CHAPTER VI.

On entering the village, we were pleased by the sight of a neat, modest-looking woman, sitting at the door of her cottage, and a fine little girl on the step beside her. They were both sewing, and as we drew near, the girl said,

Mother, when I've done these wristbands, will you put them on that shirt for father?

Yes, Mary, if you get 'em done in time.

Then I will, mother.

But saying you will won't do 'em: you've been a long time about 'em.

But I will; I should like father to have my wristbands.

You want pleasure without trouble: he'll never wear 'em if you don't do 'em. They take a deal of doing though, mother.

Talk less and do more, and they'll get done father wants a new shirt, and we must work hard.

We were tempted to join the con

versation. Can your little girl sew neatly? I said to the mother.

She looked up, and with a pretty mild smile, said, I hope she will, Sir, with more practice.

Will you get your wristbands done, little Mary?

Yes, I will indeed—I'm sure I will.

Hush, Mary, said her mother, looking very chidingly, What do you say so much about it for? If you will, you will you've no occasion to say indeed, and I'm sure; you're not at all sure-no more am I; and I think now you won't 'do 'em.

The child looked ashamed, and hanging down her head, began to twist her work round her fingers.

May I ask why you rebuked little Mary for saying "indeed, and I'm

sure?"

Because, Sir-(look at her now)—if she'd meant what she said, when she said I will, she would have plied herself to her work;. and then she wanted to hide her idleness by making many words. She knows what her uncle tells her, to be content to say-Yea, yea, Nay, nay, and then she would learn to mind truth.

Who is her uncle? enquired my friend.

They call him John Smith, and he lives but a little way off: he's a great comfort to me, Sir, in many a sorrow; and oft instructs me how to manage my children by the rule of God's holy word, -he's my husband's brother, Sir. She sighed, and resuming her employment, I perceived she had bent her head to hide a tear, which dropt on her work and wetting the thread she was sewing with, stopt the progress of her hand a

moment.

Mary looked in her mother's face, and with a sweet expression of sympathy and love, she put her arm round her neck, and said, I'll be a good girl, mother-don't cry.

She was somewhat confused by her little girl's thus betraying her observation, and said, Well then go, dear, and get father's things ready; he'll be angry, you know, if you hav'n't remembered.

Ah, I see, said my friend, you are one of those who can testify that "man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward."

Her heart was full: she rose up with her work in her hand, evidently wishing to escape further notice, and to retreat