with us, that is enough; if God will in mercy prolong his life, surely that life ought to be devoted to him." "By his devotion to God," replied Father A-, "I mean that you must dedicate him to the priesthood of our Church; you must promise for him that he shall take orders, and help forward every object calculated to promote the welfare and prosperity of that Church, as far as lies in his power." It is not to be supposed, Sir, that circumstanced as they then were; enervated in mind and body, and worn down by grief and affliction, they would refuse to grasp at any proposal likely to hold out the slightest hope of my recovery. My father, indeed, told me afterwards, that he made some objections against the propriety of dedicating, in such a manner, any reasonable being without his knowledge and consent; but Father A

and my mother both assailed him together, and indeed his affection for me ranged itself on their side. The result, therefore, of the conversation was a solemn vow made by both my parents, that they would dedicate me to the priesthood, and cause me to fulfil all the other objects then specified by Father A

When the vow was made they knelt down together, and performed a certain service to the Blessed Virgin, for the purpose of employing her intercession with God to effect my recovery. When this was over, Father A--again came to my bed, felt my pulse and my skin, and seemed in a very anxious and ruminating state of mind.

CHAPTER V.

THINGS Went on in this manner until Dr. Upton's next visit, which, in consequence of the typhus fever being prevalent that year, and the great number of patients he had to attend, was not until late at night. The moment he felt my pulse, he turned to my mother, and told her to raise her heart to Him who layeth not on his creatures a burden greater than they can bear. "Your son, my dear Mrs. Butler," he said, "I trust will still be spared to you the crisis of his malady is past, and every day will find him better." The joy and gratitude of my parents now, if possible, exceeded their affliction. As soon after this happy intelligence as they and Father Awere alone, the latter addressed them thus: "I am almost afraid, my dear friends, to speak

upon this extraordinary circumstance, which we have witnessed with our own eyes; I am indeed almost afraid to speak upon it. Mr. Butler, your son is destined for something uncommon in the sacred office to which you have devoted him. You both, however, owe a debt of gratitude to the blessed queen of heaven, through whose merciful intercession this miraculous recovery has been effectedfor less than miraculous, when I consider the vow and its immediate consequences, I cannot call it. The way in which you shall pay that debt, it is not for me to point out to any one living in a country where we are struggling with a heresy which has usurped our place, and striving, in the midst of our poverty, to plant a Christian colony here and there, in secret and in silence, with a blessed hope of contributing in some degree to replace the Church in her former power. No, my friends, I will leave that to your own considerationbut I will tell you that you both have much to do yet. There is, first, the boy's own inclinations; they must be subdued; he is attached to the girl; and so is she to him; and perhaps there may be an influence exerted in an

other quarter; most parents indeed in their situation would naturally wish such a thing, it would be establishing her well in life, certainly; still these must all be guarded against; and, please God, so they shall. You have made a good vow, and God has set his seal to it; has fulfilled in some degree, even now, his part of it. You will surely perform yours, lest perhaps he, in his anger, might punish you for your omission, by taking away your son in some other, and more afflicting manner.' They then performed what is termed a Litany to the Blessed Virgin, as a thanksgiving for the mercy obtained through her means. As soon as I was perfectly recovered, Father A-, whom my father would not permit to leave us until he assisted in reconciling me to this change in my plan of life, advised my parents to have the whole matter laid before me, that I might learn the awful duty which I owed, not only to them, but to God; after that, he said it would be proper to break the matter to the Doctor's family. In a month or six weeks I was well, and ever since my recovery, the impression remaining on the minds of my father and mother was, that there was