glowing scene in an ecstasy, the sun burst forth below the dark cloud, pouring his unendurable beams in a torrent of light full in my face, blinding for a season the enthusiastic idolater who was so engrossed in admiring the king of day, as almost to forget his Almighty Maker, the King of kings and Lord of lords!

Silent, solemn, and sublime was that glorious and gorgeous spectacle. Subdued, even to tears, I faltered a prayer to the Father of mercies, that while his glorious creation produced such entrancing emotions of wonder and joy in my heart, his grace might fit me, despite of all my unworthiness, to discern the greater glories of redemption, so that I might know him, and adore him, and love him, and obey him, and rejoice in him more and more for ever and ever!

TO THE YOUNG LADIES OF AN EXTENSIVE ESTABLISHMENT.

MY UNKNOWN YOUNG FRIENDS-How shall I address you whom I have never seen, and, most likely, never shall see, having no knowledge of your tastes, your habits, or your dispositions? Flatter you I will not; for thereby should I prove myself to be your enemy: judge you with severity I dare not; for by so doing I should condemn myself. It has been whispered to me that you read my papers, and thus a desire has arisen in my heart to say a few words to you.

Youth is usually cheerful, and I dare say that you are so; but if I write lightly, I may offend the sedate; and should I express myself very gravely, the cheerful will have no fellowship with me; they will say, "We thought the old gentleman wore a smile on his face, and a blooming bouquet in his bosom; but instead of this, he writes as though he had been gathering crabs, drinking a

draught of vinegar, and dipping his pen in mingled wormwood and gall."

Again, if I write a long letter, some of you may accuse me of being a tiresome, garrulous, gossiping old man; and if I write you a short one, “Oh! oh!” you may say; "Is this his letter? Why it is not worth the trouble he has taken to write it." So, take what course I will, my path, you see, is beset with difficulty. However, I will now tell you the way I shall proceed. That which comes uppermost in my mind shall be freely written in a kindly spirit, without my making it an object to be either very gay or very grave; very short or very long; very wise, or in a word, very any thing; giving you credit for sufficient good humour and kindness to put the best possible construction you can on my communication.

You know that it is the privilege of old men to look very wise; to shake their heads at young people, and to talk very gravely to them, pointing out how changed the world is to what it was, and how differently young folks used to act fifty summers ago to what they do now. And you

know, too, that while an old man is thus occupied, young people try their best to look grave, for which laudable effort they consider themselves at liberty, the moment they are left alone, to

indulge in a good-humoured titter at the old gentleman's odd thoughts, odd words, or odd appearance. If you do not know all this, I do.

Well, you may laugh at me as long and as loudly as you please, provided it be a goodnatured laugh, and provided also, that you will try to remember any little piece of advice I may give, which may be likely to do you good.

Not yet have I forgotten my school-days. My schoolmaster was ill-informed, hasty, and unreasonably severe ; but my schoolmistress was considerate and very kind. She used to stand at one end of the school, and address us in an affectionate manner. I was then young; and now, though so many years have been added to my days, I have not forgotten her soft, musical voice, nor the lessons of instruction she endeavoured to impress on our minds.

Now, thus it will be with some of you in future years! When he who now addresses you may be, through mercy, in a better world, you will recall your youthful days, assemble your schoolfellows once more together in your thoughts, and live over again your present pursuits. You will then feel gratification from what you remember of the admonitions of your kind instructors, mingled with regret that you have remembered so little.

And now, to what are you looking forward? Is the fair future glowing with rainbow hues? Oh, what a goodly world is this, when fancy, and hope, and expectation, have to draw its picture!

The waving trees and fairy bowers,

The verdant fields and fruits and flowers,
The sparkling rills and bubbling fountains,
Fair vales, and heaven-aspiring mountains,

are all placed so conspicuously, covered over with a bonny blue sky, and so lit up with sunshine that neither the eye nor the heart suspects that there is any thing like shadow beyond them; but for all this, my young friends, there are shadows in the world!

Think not that Old Humphrey is the man to blight your prospects; rudely to dash from your hands the cup of pleasure; or to drive away the smile from your faces. Rather would he put sunshine into your bosoms than take it away: but he is not, now, writing to please you, so much as to do you good; let him, then, speak the truth in sincerity and kindness.

Mankind have been running after earthly happiness from the days of old, and they are still keeping up the chase. I have run after it myself as hard as my neighbours, and have found myself as far behind. If one thing more than