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him a present of the flower, as an expression of his gratitude. My uncle, knowing Miss Berkeley to be a great flower-fancier, took a slip or two, and recommended the boy to present the flower to her. He did so. The lady was highly delighted, and prided herself on having a variety which she considered perfectly unique. The slips which my uncle had taken soon overtook the parent plant in size and beauty. Some one, who happened to have seen them, mischievously carried the report of them to Miss Berkeley, intending to mortify her foolish pride, but little thinking she would indulge a vindictive spirit to the injury of poor Hill and his family. She, however, carried it so far as to turn the poor man from her employment in consequence. My uncle remonstrated and interceded on his behalf, but she was inexorable. He then, out of mere compassion, gave occasional employment to the persecuted family; and ultimately John Hill became his head gardener, and was for many years a most trusty and valuable servant.

There were the two families of Seymour and Giles, who both wanted the same pew at chapel : neither would give up to the other; and both absolutely stayed away from public worship, rather than sit anywhere else. A good man, who had more wisdom and grace than either, and who, with his family, occupied the fellow-pew to that in question, spontaneously proposed to give it up, and content himself with any other accommodation that could be afforded him. So the matter was arranged. He who came in such a lovely spirit of humility, I doubt not, experienced much of the promised blessing, and was satisfied with the goodness of the Lord's house, even of his holy

temple; and I would fain hope that those who came in an improper spirit were taught to imitate so amiable and holy an example.

There were, even in the Sunday school, teachers looking shy upon one another, and some declining to continue their attendance, because they could not be superintendents, or because they were not willing to take the lower classes. The children were neglected, and the school was going to decay. Uncle Barnaby, who was much interested in the cause, invited all the teachers to tea, and talked with them of the declaration of their Redeemer, that the most lowly and humble of his disciples was the greatest in his kingdom-and of his own lovely example, who pleased not himself—and of the value of the souls of the children, and their preciousness in his eyes-until they were all melted and humbled, and went afresh to their work, quite willing to become the servants of all. Envy is best removed by humility and love.

There was Mr. Brown, who refused to assist in the formation of a benevolent society, because Mr. Jones had been consulted before him. There was Mrs. Richards, who would not become secretary to a Bible Association, because Mrs. Williams was treasurer, which she fancied was the more honourable office, and ought to have been assigned to her. There was Mr. Cook, who refused to attend a missionary meeting, though in his heart he wished to go, and wished to be one of the speakers, but stayed away simply because he had not received a special invitation. This he regarded as a personal slight, though no one else had received or expected such notice, but all had considered the advertisements and handbills of announcement, a

sufficient invitation to all true lovers of the cause. This piece of folly Uncle Barnaby reproved in the words of the excellent Matthew Henry, with which I shall conclude. The passage occurs in his commentary on Judges viii. 1,-The Ephraimites offended at not being invited to begin the attack upon Midian.

"Why did not the Ephraimites offer themselves willingly to the service? They knew that the enemy was in the country, and had heard of the forces that were raising to oppose him, to which they ought to have joined themselves, in zeal for the common cause, though they had not had a formal invitation. Those seek themselves more than God, that stand upon a point of honour to excuse themselves from doing real service to God and their generation."

NEW YEAR'S PEAL:

UNCLE BARNABY'S CHAPTER OF MORTALITY.

when

It was the last day of the year Frank and myself asked my uncle's permission to sit up and hear the midnight peal. It is a pretty general custom, I know not whether it be universal, to ring the church bells half an hour before, and half an hour after twelve o'clock at night. This is called, ringing out the old year, and ringing in the new one. Uncle said he thought we should miss our rest, and be unfitted for the engagements of the next day. Besides, as the village peal consisted only of three bells, one of them wofully cracked, so that there was not much more harmony than in the clacking of an old woman's broken pattens, he thought we should not find much entertainment. But Frank felt sure, as the night was still, and what little wind there was, was in the right direction, that we should hear the numerous and finetoned bells of the city of which was about five miles distant. Moreover, we both thought that we could bear the fatigue of sitting up late for once without injury. My uncle at last consented, and invited us to pass the evening in his library, the windows of which opened towards

Ten o'clock was the hour at which the family usually separated, and at that time we were assembled around a blazing fire. Frank asked my uncle if he knew the origin of the custom of bellringing at that season. Uncle said he did not, but that it always struck him as very incongruous; the season, he thought, demanded serious reflection rather than noisy mirth. "I do not know," said he, "how it may be with you young ones; but to an old man like me, the merry peal sounds plaintive rather than joyous. It seems, as one of our poets has said,

'but the knell of my departed hours;

and the knell, too, of my departed friendships. I have been accustomed for many years to keep a sort of obituary of friendship, and oh how rapidly the list extends! and were it not for a few dear

young ones rising up around me, how very small would be my remaining circle! How few can I number now among my living friends that were such when I began this list of the departed! and how soon will my own name be added to the latter class! As there is still an hour and a half before the peal will strike up, perhaps we may find it an interesting, though mournful employ, to look through my register."

We were both delighted with the proposal, and the book being produced, we drew still closer around the fire, and uncle began reading over his list, occasionally making a remark on the character of the deceased person, or informing us of the degree of relationship in which each stood to the family. We thus became possessed of many interesting family anecdotes, and gathered from my

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