art can produce, touched by a perfect master. 0 music! who can hear thee without melting like thyself into somewhat celestial! Such was the raptured state of our poor Nabob-softened by his proper grief to the temperature of woman. Judge, then, how comforting it was to his soul for him to be soothed by the reflections of such an able preacher on a text from the 86th Psalm, which contains so much consolation for mental distress.

"Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and hear me : for I am poor, and in misery.

thy servant for unto thee,

Comfort the soul of

O Lord, do I lift up

It is needless to describe how the venerable man dwelt on the efficacy of prayer, and the tender mercy of God, who tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. The humbled hearer found that though his affliction was great, he ought to be thankful it was not more calamitous; and he returned to his pillow, convinced that it is the duty of mortality to be resigned to the dispensation of Providence, whose ways are beyond the plummet of man, and all pregnant with utility. In a word, he was in a temper of mind to say, on his knees, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!"

No. II.

"CUDGEL THY BRAINS NO MORE ABOUT IT."

Existence may be borne, and the deep root
Of life and sufferance make its firm abode
In bare and desolated bosoms: mute
The camel labours with the heaviest load,
And the wolf dies in silence. Not bestow'd
In vain should such example be; if they,
Things of ignoble or of savage mood,
Endure and shrink not, we of nobler clay

May temper it to bear, it is but for a day.

BYRON.

Not finding it easy to hit off an apposite title for this Number, I thought of the grave-maker's advice to his brother clown respecting the puzzling question," Who builds stronger than a mason, a shipwright, or a carpenter?" and it flowed from my pen, without further consideration. Indeed, on reflection, it occurs to me that I could not have made a more happy reference than to the grave, on a sub

ject which, in its practical effects, aims at extinguishing that selfishness, which so often produces animosity in families, engenders hatred where affection would naturally grow, and separates father and son, who, of all friends, have for each other the strongest attraction. How soon the fermentation of worldly desires would subside, were we, when under their influence, to consider that, like the rich man's soul, in the parable, ours may be called away, by the angel of death, at a moment's warning, even when we are congratulating them—“ Soul, thou hast much goods many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool! this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided ?"

laid

up for

With the price of my gems, which I so fortunately converted into money in Dublin, I made my family as comfortable as possible, and put my farm in productive condition. My calculations were all well founded. A man, who understands agriculture, can certainly provide for a large family much better in the country than in a town. Unforeseen circumstances, however, and changes in the order of

things, will often frustrate our best plans. The great distress, universally felt by the landed interest of Great Britain, commenced soon after my embarkation in farming. Many of the country banks failed; and such was the limited circulation of money, that although Providence rewarded my industry with abundant crops, I could not sell my produce so as to realize the cost of seed and labour.

I fondly hoped that every principle of justice and affection would rise up in my father's breast, and advocate my cause, as soon as passion should subside; but a year rolled away, and he took not any notice of my forlorn situation. It occurred to me, that every advance on my part, or any display of affection which I might evince for his person, would be maliciously transferred to his property by those who had created a new mind in him to my prejudice. The independent spirit, which I have long endeavoured to cherish, rose up in arms against concession. I had not returned, like a prodigal son; on the contrary, my father's invitation and promise of provision, under all circumstances, had induced me to make great sacrifices in complying with wishes, which I acknowledge were also my own.

I much fear too that a worse feeling prevented me for some time from seeking reconciliation; as I could not help sleeping on angry thoughts respecting the disposition evinced by my stepmother to persecute me to the utmost of her power. Many of the illiberal remarks uttered by her respecting my family reached our ears, and generated ill-will. In the town where I had resided was a school of superior description for girls; and it had been arranged, much to my satisfaction, that my two young sisters should reside with us, and finish their education there, with my children, as day scholars; but this judicious plan was frustrated by the jealousy of my stepmother, who threw so many obstacles in the way of its accomplishment that it fell to the ground, after the day had been appointed for my sisters to come up, and when the intention was known to all our acquaintances. This was one of the acts which produced the crisis I have mentioned.

To my surprise my sisters were not even sent as boarders to the school in question. I had the pleasure of seeing them, however, a short period after my removal, at church among the boarders of Mrs.

who has an excellent seminary in the town