But a curtsey, although I saw it gracefully made, seemed to me to make no natural part of this service; and, voluntarily or involuntarily, I knew not which, I answered audibly and earnestly the responses I read in my prayer book.

I suppose to honor or to please me, the nurse placed the child in my arms to be presented to the font-if by the word we understood the fine old china bowl, the heir loom of our house. I presented the babe, trembling with awe. I felt as if in answering for her, I had bound my soul by an ill understood vow.

But I saw the sign of the Cross made on the baby's brow; I heard the words--and who has heard them unmoved?-that she, the weak little bud, creeping forth to try the uncertain air of earth

-that she was to continue Christ's faithful soldier and servant to her life's end, and to fight manfully under his banner-and my childish dreams of heroism, of conflict, conquest, and glory, came flitting before me, as if they were embodied in the Glorious Army of Martyrs that were ever praising God; and as I looked at the babe that was signed with the Cross, I no longer

saw the slumbering infant, but a glorious white. robed spirit, soaring through fields of air, while beneath her were mists and clouds and strangled monsters; and above was a chant of hallelujahs, and voices that said, "We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."

And yet I knew not against what she had fought, over what she had triumphed!

I knew as little of what was meant by the World, as I did of what was meant by the sinful desires of the flesh.

Dear little Ada! I was not fourteen years old when I promised and vowed three things in thy name, and scarcely more ignorant wert thou of their meaning than was thy godmother.

Now let the music begin, and thy christening eve be celebrated with dance and song. But thou and I, my childhood's child, have passed a moment in our lives which leaves us not altogether as we were before.

CHAPTER VIII.

ANOTHER change takes place in our lives in addition to my fairy gift. My brother had received one also; he had got a tutor;—a blessing quite as unlooked for as any fairy favour,although conveyed to him by the very unfairylike medium of a stage coach.

The fact was that in a long and tiresome journey, our father had the companionship of a young English curate who was in ill health, and wanted to see something of Ireland. It was quite natural that he should invite the young man to see a place so notable as ours, and the invitation was accepted.

Who has not felt the singular influence of a

stranger's visit in a house or family? The cause of confusion, strife, and every evil work—the insensible dispenser of peace and good.

We had been happy, wildly happy, before this unexpected visitor arrived, and we were as happy after he came. But I know not what kind of charm seemed to be diffused around us it was like the influence of a blessed spirit, that shed a sort of softening, hallowing, and higher joy over all that we enjoyed.

Thought came to temper the wildness of our young imaginations; and those friendly and hitherto by us unknown guides of youthDiscipline and Experience, might have walked by our side, holding converse high with the untaught children of nature, in the graceful person of our clerical mentor. His visit was prolonged liked us, and no fear of him mingled in the reverential admiration we felt for him.

he

He spoke to our mother of the imaginativeness of our character, the poetry of our disposition; he seemed to feel, or to fear for us the results of an undirected education: finally, he began not only to take an interest in it, but, at least in my

He

brother's case, to conduct it himself. remained as our visitor on the conditions of being also Basil's tutor.

In after years we might both recall the words of wisdom, which passed indeed quickly and floatingly over my own light yet dreamy mind, but sank into his soul as seed into good ground.

Hitherto our studies had been one, but now they became a little separated, for my father peremptorily forbade me to learn a word of Latin or Greek; and our tutor used to terrify both him and our mother by insisting that the study of mathematics would be most desirable as ballast to my mind. Yet, child as I was, with what grave and kind respect would he direct my judgment.

I never was sensible of having had any mistakes corrected; yet I felt a change, and it was only long, long afterwards that I could look back to see how much I owed of thought, feeling, imagination, to that bright yet calm, that more sedate, yet equally happy period of our young lives, which were spent in the companionship of our reverend, yet youthful tutor.