as long as she remained under his roof, deducting only what was barely sufficient to repay him for her board.

As soon as Maria was received into the family, plans were formed for her education and training-plans upon the whole extremely good, but not being tempered with paternal tenderness, bordered rather upon too great strictness; not however so much as to render them injurious to the permanent good of the child, although her present comfort was sometimes unnecessarily affected by them.

Notwithstanding this needless severity, Maria loved her uncle and aunt; and as no indiscreet visiter or servant was allowed to interfere between the child and her protectors, Maria, whose natural disposition was mild and accommodating, never supposed that her situation was in any way different from that of most other children.

When Maria had been in this family about three years, it pleased God to gratify her uncle and aunt with what they had long earnestly desired. A little daughter was born to them, who became the distinguished darling of the whole family.

The birth of Matilda rather increased than diminished, the difficulties of Maria, inasmuch as she was required in various ways to submit to the humours and whims of the growing favourite: for although Matilda was not indulged in the commission of gross improprieties, yet her lesser faults were so winked at by her parents, as to allow her ill humours to give her cousin needless vexation on a thousand little occasions.

In the mean time, Maria was told when Matilda was unreasonable, that she must excuse her on account of her youth, and endeavour to please her, because she was a child. Thus was the due order of things continually inverted in this family, by making the elder submit to the younger; an arrangement which, as might have been expected, proved decidedly injurious to Matilda; while, through the divine blessing, Maria continually improved under the constant exercise of petty acts of self-denial. They who love to observe the dealings of the Almighty towards his children will be particularly struck with the manner in which he renders the ordinary events of life subservient to their good, preparing them for glory under circumstances apparently the most adverse to such preparation VOL. I.

M

The absence of pleasurable incidents during the youth of Maria at first tended to make her thoughtful; whence, through the leadings of the Holy Spirit, she was gradually brought to the consideration of religious subjects. And by the divine blessing, in proportion as she became more sensible of the painful circumstances attending her situation under her uncle's roof, she felt such an increasing desire for spiritual comfort and divine communion, as gradually tended to the production of that peace to which otherwise she must have remained a stranger. She was even made to see, amid all the little disagreeablenesses of her situation, that she had received such solid benefits from her uncle and aunt as she could never be sufficiently grateful for. She perceived that the education which they had given her was indeed a useful one, and that the very discipline to which they had made her submit would probably enable her to support with more patience those trials, which in the ordinary course of things she had to expect in future life. Thus the reflections which she made on these subjects were made in a spirit of charity and thankfulness; and certain it is, that no one can meditate on the inconveniences and troubles of their own life in this spirit unless divinely assisted so to do.

Maria remained in her uncle's family till she had attained her twenty-fifth year, at which time she was seen by a young gentleman lately established in the law in a neighbouring town, to whom she appeared with so many attractions as speedily determined him to solicit her uncle's permission to visit her.

Mr. Charles Hunter, for such was the name of the young man who had attached himself to Maria, was one of the younger sons of a genteel family in the neighbourhood. His patrimony was about one hundred pounds annually, together with a handsome house in the town where he resided. Added to this, his profession, at the period when he sought Maria's hand in marriage, produced him about one hundred and fifty pounds a year.

After Mr. Charles Hunter had made his mind known to Maria's uncle, and it was found that he was not disagreeable to her, and that his character upon the whole stood higher than that of the generality of young men, a council was called by the families on both sides, when all parties

being agreed upon the propriety of the marriage, calculations were made upon the income which the young people would have; which, on a reasonable computation, was found to be about three hundred and twenty pounds a-year, together with a handsome ready furnished house. It was readily decided by the old people that this might do, as Mr. Hunter had a growing profession in his hands.

The next consideration was, what establishment should be fixed upon for the young people. In all these consultations, Maria, if present, presumed to give no opinion, not knowing how far money would go in house-keeping; and Mr. Charles Hunter, being equally inexperienced as herself, had almost as little to say.

The old people, therefore, had every thing their own way; and it was natural to suppose that, on occasions of this kind, those who had known the expense of maintaining a family, might be trusted not to involve their children in difficulties. But old Mrs. Hunter, being a woman of family, and much in bondage to the pomps and vanities of this world, was more taken up, in ordering her son's establishment, with views of family consequence, than with the real comfort of her children: and, in consequence, while considering what kind of figure she should wish her son and daughter-in-law to make in the town of K-, she lost sight of their income and of what that would allow.

Her manner of speaking was generally to this effect, or something very like it. "Charles' drawing-room is well furnished; every thing in it is handsome; nothing is wanting but a mirror between the windows. There must be a mirror the room will not do without a mirror. And the best bed-room requires a carpet: there must absolutely be a carpet over a great part of the room. Another dressingtable and glass will also be wanted; the present ones are not the thing at all. If any of my son's noble clients should come to town, and he should think it necessary to offer them a bed, the room, as it now is, would be quite insufficient. My daughter-in-law must have two maid-servants-a cook, and a house-maid-it would be impossible to do with less; and to these must be added a foot-boy, to wait at table, and open the door to company. My son will have no business, if he does not make a respectable figure in the town, particularly as a married man. A professional

man, who does not keep up a creditable appearance, will never be employed: this is universally acknowledged. My son must also keep a horse: Mr. Charles Hunter cannot do without a horse."

In this manner the old lady very fluently proceeded; and being what the world calls a clever woman, that is, one who had much to say on every subject that interested her, she carried all before her. The mirror was bought, the carpets, the dressing-table, and various other needless articles not worthy of note; by which all the ready money of the young couple was swallowed up, together with several larger sums which had been received as marriage presents from the friends of the respective parties. A cook, a house-maid, and a footman, were hired and established in their several places a short time previous to the marriage. Maria's uncle and aunt in the mean time (though generally esteemed prudent persons) remained passive spectators of these imprudent proceedings, while they could not but foresee the consequences of this sinful accommodation to the world.

Thus do many persons, who in their baptismal engagement have undertaken to renounce the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, not only pursue these vanities themselves through a long life, but take an active part in plunging the young people over whom they have any influence into the same destructive course. And this may be said not only of those who are manifestly devoted to the world, but even of such as believe themselves pious, yea, and who are deemed such in religious society. Leaving, however, these reflections, we will proceed with our narrative.

All these preparations being made, the marriage took place; when, after a few weeks, Maria found herself quietly established in her new house, while her husband was again busily engaged in his professional duties. And now, being left to herself in a situation totally new to her, the young bride presently found occasion for the exercise of all those Christian graces, which had hitherto lain almost concealed beneath the pressure of that severe discipline to which she had been so long subjected in the house of her uncle. By the divine blessing she was made fully sensible of the awful responsibility of her situation; and believing the Holy Scriptures to be the only true and infallible guide

She

to a Christian course of life, she spent much of her present eisure in studying her Bible and praying over it. also about this time had opportunity of frequently hearing a truly pious minister, through whose instrumentality her views of religion were rendered more distinct and clear; in consequence of which she formed a more accurate and exalted idea of her duty as a wife.

And here let it be remarked, that, as much leisure is often within the reach of young women after their marriage, before they become liable to the cares and burdens of a small family, it would be highly commendable in them to devote a portion of that leisure to studying the duties of the new and awful situation into which they have entered, shutting themselves up in their closets, as Maria did, to meditate and pray over the sacred Scriptures, drawing from that Holy Book their rules of life, and seeking, like the holy women of old, that adorning which is not that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. (1 Peter iii. 3, 4.) But, alas! this is a time in which women for the most part think they may give themselves up to dress and vanity, to the pursuit of pleasure and the enjoyment of company; which unhappy course they frequently follow, till some severe affliction-loss of health, alienation of their husband's affections, or confusion and embarrassment in their affairs-awaken them from their dream of folly.

Maria, however, by the blessing of God, acted a different part. She had some visiters at first, whose compliments she returned with as much expedition and as little loss of time as possible. After which, as I before said, she availed herself of the leisure which followed in studying her new duties with all the seriousness they required; neither relying upon her own strength, nor confiding in her own judgment, but with earnest prayer and a continual reference to Scripture.

She found it at first irksome to look into the minutiae of

family management; and watching over the conduct of her servants was quite a severe trial to her. But the Scripture speaketh decidedly upon this subject, Let him