astonishment finding vent in a deep sigh, he tremulously asked, "And did they ?"

"Thank GOD! not quite. They were both mercifully granted time, would they but have so employed it, for deep repentance." "But why, Aunt Mary, didn't Smith say he wouldn't go out ?” "I am glad you ask me that; it reminds me to tell you that this custom of fighting duels, as it is called, is one of the most remarkable proofs that can be brought forward of the evil consequences which may flow from too close an intimacy with that insidious wretch false shame, whom we thus find, in the story of poor Smith, brought in guilty of theft, lying, and murder, or murderous intent, which, in the eye of GOD, is the same thing.

"What remains of my tale is soon told. It having been arranged that both these criminal young men should fire at the same time, it so happened that both of them were wounded, young Beachcroft so severely, as to make his life long despaired of; and while that remained in peril, Smith was kept in close custody, in fact, in prison. Think what he must have endured between his own unhealed wounds, and the dreadful fear of suffering as a murderer; to say nothing of what comes after death! In all these sufferings his poor mother deeply shared; in fact she was nearly beside herself with grief and terror: she must have been quite so, they said, to think of going to London in order to beg him off. It was reported that she broke wildly into the room where the Prime Minister was at dinner, and threw herself at his knees-"

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Why didn't she ask the Queen ?" demanded Willie, doubtless thinking of the pretty, fair portrait which hangs over our drawingroom chimney-piece.

"Ah! but, Willie, there was no reigning queen of England then. At that time a king, as good and kind one as ever wore a crown, sat on the British throne."

"And didn't she throw herself on his knees, then?" inquired Willie, making small account of adverbs or prepositions in his generous earnestness.

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"Not exactly, Willie, dear. However, the affair was at length managed without that. Compassion for a mother's anguish, no doubt, worked silently in the prisoner's favour; and, somehow or other, he was at last set at liberty,-such liberty as it was! with a shattered joint, by means of which he was lame to the end of his days, remaining a burthen on his mother's already too narrow income.

"And now shall I tell you, Willie, how we may draw advantage from this sad story, and, indeed, from every view of human depravity? When you picture to yourself this unhappy young man, coarsely fed, meanly clothed, hobbling along the streets of his native town on his wounded leg, with his sullen, downcast looks, you should apply to yourself the words of the good Bishop Brad

ford, on observing a felon on his way to the place of executio and say, 'There goes' Willie,' but for the grace of GOD!" "

Sparing the reader a yard, (more or less,) of tributary verse which was variously inscribed on Willie's birthday offerings, I will content myself with adding the following lines, transcribed on the fly-leaf of a nice little edition of The Pilgrim's Progress,' or, as Septima most admiringly designates it, when begging him to show her the pictures, Willie's Piggy Pogey.'

Strange! that the hour man enters on

His scene of hard probation,

Should, year by year, be theme for song,
And gift, and gratulation.

Yet thus it ever was: who knows,
Her natal-day upon,

But Adam's self brought Eve a rose,
And moralized thereon?

A faultless flower that! since then
The canker-worm crept in,
Unnumber'd thorns beset the stem-
Sad types of care and sin.

Permit me, Willie, on this day
To swell thy votive throng
With gift well fitted to convey,
And point a moral song.

Not that, dear boy! I'd cloud the smile
Such youthful pilgrim wears;

I only ask his ear the while

I breathe some earnest prayers

For one in this world's wilderness
Condemned awhile to roam,
That still his feet may onward press
To an eternal home;

That him no future year in snare
Of sleep or slough may find;
That he far off may leave the fair
Of vanity behind.

That each succeeding birthday may
Advance his Christian course;
With happiness to cheer the way,
And guide him to its source.

THOUGHTS FOR S. MATTHEW'S DAY.

S. MATTHEW was called to be an Apostle and Evangelist from a position in life which was different, in many respects, from those occupied by his brethren. He was not a rich man, like S. Barnabas, neither was he of noble birth, like S. Bartholomew; nor working with his hands for his daily bread, like S. Peter or S. John. But he was engaged in a gainful trade; he was, as we should speak now, a man of business, and making money very fast. His days were not spent, like guileless Nathaniel's, in quiet contemplation "under his vine and fig-tree," nor like those of the sons of Zebedee, on the rippling waters of the beautiful lake; but he had to live on the busy quay, and amid the noisy scenes of commerce,-to mix daily with sharp, shrewd men of the world, and to be continually on his guard lest the government, whose servant he was, should suffer loss.

Neither did he enjoy, like S. Paul, a good name and reputation. He was not courted and caressed by those in authority, nor was he a member of the proud exclusive party, which arrogated to itself all the religion of the nation. On the contrary, his calling was a despised one; its name was cast out as evil, and in the common estimation was associated with all that is despicable and vile.

Now that, in spite of all this, S. Matthew was thought worthy of the Apostolate before so many who, in the eyes of the world, would have seemed more fitted for such distinction, is very remarkable, and contains matter for deep thought.

We said that S. Bartholomew had a special voice for those who were noble born. S. Matthew speaks in the same special manner to those whose calling is mixed up with the business of the world. We know very well how engrossing this is; how eager and restless men are, how entirely absorbed in their business; how all their thoughts are running upon bales of merchandise and goods trusted to the wide ocean, and gold and silver, barter and exchange, till everything seems swallowed up in the interests of this world, and no room left for the exercise of the affections on high and heavenly subjects.

And in many cases such persons would say they could not help it, that they must look after their worldly business, and that it took up so much time, that there was none left for religion; in fact, that religion was never intended for such busy, bustling beings as themselves, but must be left to persons who were able, by circumstances, to disentangle themselves from worldly cares, and, amid retirement and quiet, had nothing to distract their thoughts. And these men reconcile themselves not only to

neglecting religious exercises, but to positive and overt acts of sin. They cheat and defraud; they overreach and take unfair advantage of their unsuspecting neighbours, and, when remon 'strated with, defend themselves under the same plea, that they cannot be expected to attend to the niceties and strictnesses of religion.

Now, to such people, S. Matthew's day teaches a very useful lesson, viz., that it is possible, in the busiest life and most active calling, to have a heart right in the sight of GOD. S. Matthew, like all his class, had to do with very much that was likely to lead him astray. He was under temptation to oppress and exact exorbitantly from the weak for his own gain. He was under temptation to wink at and overlook, in the rich and powerful, fraudulent and dishonest transactions. Above all, he had much money passing through his hands. His own lawful gains were great, but there was a strong and powerful temptation to increase them by speculating with other money, to falsify his accounts, to embezzle and appropriate to himself large sums, in the hope of paying them back by and by. This was S. Matthew's trial, which pressed on him daily, as it did on his fellows. But how did S. Matthew bear the trial? His calling answers the question. Nothing is specially declared, but we cannot doubt but that he, like the good Zaccheus, was faithful, honest, and just; for had he been like many of his class, hard-hearted, oppressive, grasping, and covetous, he would never have heard CHRIST calling him, and saying, "Follow Me." S. Matthew's day seems a sort of commentary on the words of the Psalm, "LORD, who shall dwell in Thy tabernacle, or who shall rest upon Thy holy hill? Even he that leadeth an incorrupt life, and doeth the thing which is right, and speaketh the truth from his heart; he that hath used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour, and hath not slandered his neighbour. He that hath not given his money upon usury, nor taken reward against the innocent. Whoso doeth these things shall never fall."

If, then, any upon whom the business of this life presses heavily cast their eye over these pages, let them learn that, in the most bustling conditions of life, it is possible to cherish habits of contrition and devotion; that a man need not be slothful in business, because he is fervent in spirit. On the contrary, let them, as S. Matthew, do their duty towards GoD in that calling wherein He has placed them, and then, like S. Matthew, they will be rewarded. CHRIST will call them, as He did this holy Apostle, to closer devotion to His service; and though they may not hope to attain the high privileges of an apostle, evangelist, and martyr, they will not be forgotten of Him in the great day.

And next, let those who are not mixed up with the bustle and work of life, learn to judge charitably those that are. Had we seen Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom, busily engaged in his daily duty, and surrounded by all the outward signs of Mammon, we might have supposed that he was too much occupied to care much about the things of his eternal peace. Yet the event proved that we should have judged wrongly. So now, when we see people very active in the world, and the affairs of a lawful vocation, let us not, if it be possible, condemn them, or set them down as necessarily irreligious. It has been well said, by one whose praise is in all the Churches,—

"There are in this loud storming tide

Of human care and crime,
With whom the melodies abide

Of th' everlasting chime;

Who carry music in their heart

Through dusky lane and wrangling mart,

Plying their daily task with busier feet,

Because their secret souls a holy strain repeat."

Such persons have trials and temptations peculiarly their own, of which others know nothing; and the man who is apparently the most active in his worldly calling, may be daily combating successfully numberless suggestions to evil, of which his fellows are little aware. Let us then hope, wherever we can, that there is greater love for GOD than may appear on the surface.

But with ourselves we cannot be too strict, too watchful, too suspicious of danger. Are we mixed up in affairs of this world? -let us be on our guard lest they get an advantage over us. Let us beware of that love of money which is the root of all evil, and the special curse of our own day; and let us pray for grace, that, with whatever GOD may prosper us, we may at His bidding cheerfully leave it, as S. Matthew did, convinced that it is only introductory to a closer and more intimate walk with Him Who died for us, and rose again.

NOTES OF THE MONTH.
SEPTEMBER,

formerly the seventh month in the Calendar, was called by our Saxon ancestors " Gerst-monat, for that barley, which that moneth commonly yeelded, was called GERST, the name of barley being given unto it by reason of the drink therewith made, called beere, and from beerleigh it came to be berleigh,