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INTRODUCTION.

In offering (with the increased diffidence inseparable from a sense of undeserved favour,) to the parents and instructors of youth, whose indulgent approbation sanctioned her former little volume, its present continuation-the Authoress of "Mornings with Mama" feels as if two slight observations might be necessary. The one explanatory of the selection-for a second sriees of a subject antecedent in the order of Scripture to that embraced by the first; the other, relative to occasional deviations, (of which she is not unaware,) from the juvenile simplicity of style which she endeavoured to maintain throughout her former conversations.

Both have been, in a great measure, involuntary. The actual studies of a Sabbath school, affording the Author's chief key to the understanding and feelings of children, suggested the subject; and if, from its more elevated and spiritual nature, her explanations have insensibly risen above their former infantine

level, she is the less disposed to regret it, from the belief, that religious works, calculated to attract young persons from twelve to fourteen, are at present less abundant than those of a similar description for mere children.

For the moral and religious reflections contained in these dialogues, which have, as before, arisen spontaneously from a perusal of the chapters themselves, the Authoress fears she must be responsible; although indebted (as may readily be perceived) for much interesting information on other points, to the admirable work of Dr. Graves on the Pentateuch, and similar eminent authorities.

And now, her little contribution, such as it is, to the spiritual" nurture and admonition" of the young, is again committed, in trembling hope, to the blessing of Him, who hath said that the mere temporal refreshment of a 66 cup of cold water" given in His name to one of His "little ones," shall " in no wise

fail of its reward."

MORNINGS WITH MAMA.

SECOND SERIES.

INTRODUCTORY DIALOGUE.

MAMA. Few things, my dear Mary, have afforded me more gratification, in returning to you after a painful but necessary absence, than your eagerly expressed wish that we should resume the course of scriptural readings and conversations which interested you so much last winter. You have since read, you tell me, with greatly increased attention, and, I trust in God, with increased advantage, many portions of your Bible; but conscientiously as this duty has been enforced by those who kindly undertook for me a troublesome charge, you say you have daily and sadly missed that minuteness of inquiry and unrestrained flow of conversational illustration, only perhaps to be expected from an anxious parent. May God, who by the instinctive dili

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gence of the fowls of the air, rebukes the neglect of many a mother in providing spiritual nou- h rishment for her helpless offspring, bless to us both, endeavours begun and continued in his strength alone!

MARY. Mama! What shall we read this time? I wish I might choose.

MAMA. I am half tempted to let you do so, so fondly but partially, perhaps, do I reckon on that rational thirst for information and dawning intelligence in spiritual things which it made me so happy to observe in you, when we last talked together. What part of scripture would you wish me to level, as far as I can, to your capacity?

MARY. I am much puzzled to choose, Mama, there are so many I should like to know better. But perhaps we shall go through them all in time, and just now I want you to tell me regularly the history of the Israelites coming out of Egypt. It is very entertaining to read about them in the wilderness, and I have often tried to do it, but what happened to them is so mixed up, Mama, with laws, and names of people and places, and directions about building the tabernacle, and killing the beasts for sacrifice, that I find it hard to pick it out properly, and never know exactly which chapters concern us and which the Jews only.

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