THE following Tale, which illustrates the pre

cious dealings of Divine Providence, and the wonderful transformations produced upon the human heart by means which human wisdom contemns, is, like the foregoing story, a simple detail of facts. May its perusal urge all who read it to exert the influence with which they are intrusted, and to employ their talent, however great or small, for the glory of God and the benefit of men!

THE INFIDEL RECLAIMED.

CHAPTER I.

Ir was a lovely evening, in the month of May; the sun had just sunk beneath the western hills; a softened stream of golden luxuriant light was thrown all over the landscape; and the air, loaded with the fragrancy of unnumbered blossoms, which flung their scents upon the gale, afforded a season for calm and serious meditation.

It was just such an evening when Mrs. Nelson was seated by her parlour window, her elbow placed on her work-table, and her head supported by her hand, her attention completely absorbed by the perusal of a religious tract which lately had been given to her; when, suddenly, the door of the parlour opened, and her husband, Mr. Nelson, stood before her. As she lifted her eyes from the book at the sound of her husband's voice, she saw that anger was strongly depicted upon his coun

tenance.

"Why, in the name of reason," said Mr. Nelson, indignantly, "do you spend your time in reading those nonsensical pedler's books? Are there not good books enough in the house without reading such trash? I insist that you lay aside such engagements for the future."

Mrs. Nelson, unwilling to offend or irritate him, and fearing to enter into any contest with him on the subject of religion; immediately, with calmness, closed the book; laid it aside with a look of kindness and affectionate submission, which softened, for the time, his wrath, though it did not conquer his malignity.

Having again reprobated the perusal of such books, and, with an authoritative air, forbidden his wife again to offend in this manner, Mr. Nelson left the room.

Mrs. Nelson, it should be observed, was one of the very mildest and gentlest of her sex, whose form and temper were cast in nature's fairest mould. She had in early life become the wife of a respectable attorney; she was surrounded with all the comforts, and even the luxuries of life. Her house was large, her furniture was sumptuous, her means were ample; and by many her lot was deemed happy and enviable.

Mr. Nelson, however, was a man of haughty and overbearing temper, extremely irritable; who not only lived "without God and without hope" himself, but who would have had all others to resemble him. He publicly avowed his infidelity; and not only expressed the strongest contempt for the religion of Jesus, but entertained for all pious persons the utmost dislike, embracing every opportunity to treat them with unkindness, and to pour upon them the bitterness of his ridicule and scorn.

As this disposition gradually augmented after their marriage, it was a sore trouble to Mrs. Nelson, who, though not truly pious, could not endure to hear religion so fearfully set at naught, and whose spirit was often bowed with anguish at the harsh treatment she sometimes experienced from the husband she so tenderly loved; so that she was fain to retire and weep. Amidst all her splendour, she often deemed herself one of the most unhappy of her sex.

She had now been married something more than fifteen years; and though she meekly bore with the unkindness of her husband, and secretly mourned over his infidel principles, yet she found his harshness of temper increasing constantly, instead of diminishing. Indeed,