light in doing good, and of kindliness of heart, they were not disagreeable.

“Will I come?” he said, as Mrs. K—— asked the question," Will I not? Yes, yes,-yes,yes," clapping his hands together at the repetition of every word. We waited only for the presence of Mrs. D——, who soon made her appearance, to render us a very happy party. The earnest interest which my case had excited in the good K-'s, and which, even in the midst of preparing for his degree, had induced Mr. K—~— to lose the greater part of a day in giving me a dinner, and inviting Mr. Simeon to meet me, for the sole purpose (as was avowed) of seeing what could be done for my good,-was really quite affecting to me; and made me feel so grateful and humbled, that I returned home with my mind considerably relieved, and felt better disposed than I had ever yet been, to stand it out bravely in my appointed place.

CHAPTER XV.

MAY pass over the next four or five years of my life, as producing nothing in the shape of event that had much influence upon my mental career.

The only change that had occurred in my external circumstances, was my removal from the house of Mrs. S-- into a small one of my own, where one of her daughters resided with me as a companion. I did not take A- S-with the intention of retaining her with me in that capacity; but had, in the first instance, simply asked her to make me a visit while she was out of employment; she not being one of the sisters who were engaged in the school. She had occupied a situation as teacher in a seminary near London, which she was obliged to give up on account of delicate health. I found her so useful, and, from her ardent attachment to me, so devoted to the promotion of my domestic comfort, that it would have been a great sacrifice indeed, to have parted from her, after she had once been my inmate. As it turned out, there was no

necessity for my doing so; for she obtained employment as a daily governess in a family resident in the town; an occupation which, whilst it only engrossed her mornings, left her half the day to spend with me; an arrangement which suited me as well as it did her; for I should have felt encumbered, rather than helped by her society, or that of any one else, till the latter part of the day. Under this disposition of affairs we made it out pretty well. She was, as I have said, of great use in promoting my comforts, which consisted much, (too much, indeed,) in those personal indulgences of ease, and exemption from the small troubles of housekeeping, which I was disposed to allow myself somewhat sooner than the privilege of age would have rendered it reasonable to claim them.

It may be enquired what was going on during this interval of time, in respect to my literary pursuits.

I still wrote; but it was on religious subjects.I had tried what I could do in the way of a theological novel, supposing that the dryness of the theme might be overcome by the attraction of the story; and, being really in earnest to impress my readers with what I considered as truth, I had great delight in interweaving my notions and ideas of it in the form of a fictitious narrative. But this was an error in judgment. Religion should be discussed upon its own merits, and on its own ground of truth and soberness. It should be produced for

what it is, and nothing else. Moreover, the sort of persons who most require instruction on this head, and whom we especially wish, and hope to benefit, by stealing upon their notice in disguise, and in that way inveigling them into listening to a homily, are just the people to be so angry and disgusted by being thus entrapped and disappointed, as to be made rather worse than better, by the experiment.

George the Fourth's very popular Queen Caroline, is said to have observed, in her broken English, when somebody offered her a religious novel, and which she declined to peruse, "If I have no-velle, let me have no-velle; and if I have sermone, let me have ser-mone, but don't let me have both at once;" and there was great justice, as well as shrewdness in the remark.

The ill success of my evangelical story book, decided me, thenceforth, to forego fictitious writing altogether; and for about three years previous to the period of which I am now speaking, I employed my pen upon professedly serious subjects. I wrote a little volume called "Religious Thoughts;" part of the manuscript of which, I read to Mr. Simeon at the house of Mrs. D. He was pleased with it; and pleased also, with my attention in submitting it to his notice; but still a literary lady was not the modification of female discipleship, that he best approved of, or that could be made altogether to assimilate with his will and wishes. He

was very kind to me, and invited me sometimes to make one at his dinner parties; but there was a screw loose somewhere, that prevented my being ranked amongst his favourites. The real obstacle to his satisfaction with me, arose chiefly from the narrowness of his disposition. He was too despotic, and too deficient in that generous turn of mind, which could delight and expatiate in a free interchange of thought and opinion, to bear even a "brother near the throne;" still less could he endure that a woman, and a hearer of his, should legislate for herself in the kingdom of thought, and be able, (or suppose herself to be) to pursue her appointed path, without every now and then coming to him to tell her the way.

We were too little thrown into contact with one another, for me to offend him by any obtrusion of my sentiments upon his immediate notice, neither had I any inclination to reveal them, after I discovered his latent distaste to me. It was only upon what might be called "state occasions" that I was asked to join his parties. The little coteries where experience was detailed,-the sanctum sanctorum that was open to the élite, were favoured spots, to which I was far from docile enough to obtain the entrée.

So much, in explanation of the position in which I stood towards Mr. Simeon. Mr. K- - had long since taken his degree, and quitted the place.

With respect to my old friends and acquaintance,