was reckoned "a delight, the holy of the Lord, and honourable," wherein they honoured their Maker and their Saviour, not doing their own ways, nor finding their own pleasure, nor speaking their own words. And I may truly declare that the effect of this was peace and quietness of soul, even amidst much that was sorrowful and depressing to the spirit; for have I not in charge to declare, in the words of the Creator of the universe himself, "Them that honour me I will honour ?"

And now how different a phase of "Sunday observance" was presented before me-that of the mere formalist-one whose profession of religion was but a cloak that disguised an unrenewed heart. Painful and adverse was it to my spirit to witness this, and to perceive that though the letter of my law was held in professed respect by my owner, the spirit of life and love which animates my pages was nowhere to be traced in his dealings with those whom God had committed to his charge. It is a precious thing to store the memory of the young with the word of God; but grievous was it to me to be made the involuntary instrument of torture to the minds of the children of my owner; for again and again I was retaken from the shelf I occupied, and put into the hand of one and another as a taskbook, from which they were compelled, sometimes in punishment for trivial offences, to commit to memory long chapters, taken especially from those parts of my histories and teachings which tell of the

righteous indignation of the Ruler of the world against sin and sinners: while no loving efforts were made by the severe parent to lead the minds of his children to a contemplation of His character as the kind and gentle "Shepherd of Israel," who "gathers the lambs with his arm, and carries them in his bosom;" or as the compassionate Father, who delighteth in mercy, and who pities those that fear him.

What wonder was it, then, if I often found myself looked upon with dislike and dread? The enforced acquaintance which the children had contracted with me, when, instead of being drawn to my instructions with "bands of love," they were driven by severity to receive my words into their memory, until the sight of me was associated with harsh threatening, weariness of mind, confinement, privation, and punishment-I say that this enforced acquaintance wrought in them such aversion to me and my teachings, and my great and high commission, that little hope could be entertained that my words would be hid by them in their hearts, so that they might not sin against God; or that they would take heed to their way, according to my directions; or that I should be chosen by them as a lamp unto their feet, and a light unto their path.

CHAPTER II.

THE UNWELCOME GIFT.

SEASONS revolved once and again, and still was I condemned to silence, being left unopened and unheeded. At length, when boyhood was merging into youth, it became known that a change in the outward position of the eldest son was contemplated: he was preparing to leave his home to be occupied in business. Unhappily he felt no regret or sorrow, for to him his home had not been one of love and peace; and in the words of short-sighted folly, he went away boasting of the enjoyments he would share, and the freedom from restraint which he was determined to secure when he was at his new home.

It was allotted to me to accompany him, and in a few days I was once more on my travels. I should doubtless have been left behind if the youth had had his choice; but I was put into his box by the hand of his mother: and though she too had been cumbered with much anxiety and undue eagerness for the things of this present life, yet did she shed many tears, perhaps of natural sorrow, perhaps of painful foreboding, or it may be of selfreproach and soul-remorse, while she was preparing for the entrance of her first-born son into the world.

And so the boy departed from his home, and I

saw it no more.

length it ceased;

the light of day.

The journey was long, but at and once more I was restored to

"Ah! I didn't want you," said James Greene, when he first saw me; "I have had enough of you for a while to come:" and having thus greeted me, he threw me aside with contempt.

The apartment in which I found myself was small and gloomy. Far below was a busy street, the sounds of which reached the room in a loud, continued rumble. I was once more in a large and bustling city.

At night, when my owner retired to rest, he was accompanied by another youth, somewhat older than himself; he was evidently the joint occupant of the room, and a fellow-apprentice.

They had no sooner entered the room than my young owner seated himself on the side of the bed, and laughed. "Do you always have that sort of thing here?" he asked.

"What sort of thing?" his companion, whose name I afterwards found was Norton, inquired "Why, prayers," said my owner.

"Mr. Keen always has family prayers," rejoined Albert Norton, with a look of surprise.

"I thought I should have done with that when I got away from home: but never mind. They allow us to go out in the evening, don't they?"

He was informed that some liberty was given to the apprentices in that respect.

"All right, then," said young Greene, gaily. "Now just show me how the land lies, will you? What sort of a governor have we got?"

It was encouraging to find that the older youth did not respond to such inquiries as these in the spirit in which they were put. On the contrary, he gently reproved his new companion for his levity and disrespect; and I further noted that he presently drew off from my owner, and sitting down to a small table, drew towards him a wellworn volume like myself; and, having passed some minutes in silent intercourse with it, he afterwards bent his knees in prayer.

My owner made no remark on what he saw; but carelessly putting me unopened upon the table, began to undress.

"Come, James," said young Norton, presently; "you are not so bad as you would like to make yourself out to be, I think. You have got a Bible, I see; and it has been pretty well used too. You need not give up using it now, and I hope you will not."

"If it had not been used more than I have used it," muttered my owner, "it would look brighter than it does now."

Very little more passed at this time, for the youths were soon slumbering; and in the morning when they arose, they had little time for conversa