from home, or very busy, or prevented from attending to it, or one thing or other, but generally the ready excuse that reached the husband's ears was this, "I quite forgot it." Constant dropping wears away stone, and continued neglect will diminish the truest affection. No wonder that his temper was soured, and his love changed into severity. The good man died, leaving his widow, among other things, the unwelcome remembrance that for years, by a culpable inattention to his comfort, she had robbed him of his peace, and filled up his cup of bitterness to the brim.

I knew a son, who, when at a distance from an afflicted mother, always forgot to write to her, when a letter would have given her comfort, and always remembered to write when he wished her to supply him with the means of extravagance. Was this, think you, a proof of a bad memory, or of a bad heart?

But I need not multiply instances to prove that the common-place saying, "I quite forgot it," is, in general, nothing more than the poor, thin, flimsy, transparent veil with which we try to hide our neglect of duty; and that whether we are, or are not, we ought to be, altogether ashamed of it. If we forget either what we owe to our heavenly Father, for the yearly, daily, and hourly manifestations of his goodness, or

what is due to our fellow beings of all classes around us, a time is coming when we shall have too much cause to remember it. Let, then, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, masters and men, mistresses and maids, with old Humphrey and all his readers, looking upwards for help, determine together, from this time henceforward, to have nothing at all to do with the sentence, "I quite forgot it;" not doubting that this resolve will improve our memory, our integrity, our affection, and our peace.

ON THE

FOOTMARKS IN THE SLOUGH.

If I were to give an account of half the scrapes that I get into, many a hearty laugh would be indulged in at my expense. An old man appears absolutely ridiculous, in many situations, wherein a young one would hardly excite attention. The other day, in attempting to go the nearest road to a cottage, I got so completely set in a clayey slough, that I could not, for a season, stir backwards or forwards. There I stood, waving my

hand in the air, to keep my balance, my right foot bedded up to my ankle in the clinging clay; while the other was only uplifted for a moment, afterwards to plunge to a deeper depth. Down went my foot, and up squirted the muddy water over my clean lambs'-wool stockings, as unerringly as if a well-aimed squib had been purposely directed against my legs. I certainly did cut a most deplorable figure.

It is well for me that, in such circumstances, I

can generally extract amusement from my cala mity; and, what is yet better, the merriment of my heart is frequently followed by a profitable reflection; it was thus with me in the case alluded to. Most likely I should have backed out of the bog, and given up my visit to the cottage, had not some footmarks, in the clayey slough, caught my attention; these plainly told me, that, bad as the place was, travellers had found their way through it. I took courage at the thought. "There are 'footmarks in the slough,'" said I; "somebody has been here before me."

Christian reader, if thou art in the right way to heaven, it is likely enough that thou art passing through "much tribulation;" now look well at thy condition, however sad it may appear, and see if thou canst not take comfort that there are "footmarks in the slough."

Is thine a trying condition? Art thou knocking at mercy's gate to obtain forgiveness of sins, and the hope of everlasting life, and does it not yet appear to be opened? Thine is a sorrowful condition, but keep up thy courage. There are "footmarks in the slough," ay, in the very slough in which thy feet are sticking. The Canaanitish woman passed along the same way, and was as fast set, for a time, as thou art; but mark how gloriously she came out of it. "O woman, great

is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt!" Matt. xv. 28.

"foot

Art thou in a tempted condition, urged on by a vigilant enemy to commit sin? There are marks in the slough." Mark well how Joseph escaped out of this place; keep close to his footsteps, and thou shalt escape too. "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" Gen. xxxix. 9.

Art thou in a backsliding condition, ready to give up all, because thou hast departed from the right way? There are "footmarks in the slough." Royal footmarks are before thee; the man after God's own heart came here, and bitter were his lamentations; yet he recovered his footing, and was restored unto favour: for "if we confess our sins," God "is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," 1 John i. 9.

Art thou in a rebellious condition? Is thy heart cavilling with, and replying to the Lord, under the mysterious dispensations of his providence? There are "footmarks in the slough." Jonah floundered here till he got weary of his life, and thought that he did "well to be angry," even unto death. Humble thyself under the mighty hand of God; and the Lord who spared Nineveh and Jonah, also, will deal as gently with

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