CHAPTER II.

Mr. Slade had in his youthful days been the subject of deep religious impressions; and as he ripened into manhood, was considered to be a young man of the highest promise. Indeed, for some months he was seriously deliberating about entering on a course of study, as preparatory for the holy ministry, when an offer from his father's partner (whose only child had just died) of a share in their business had a considerable influence in giving to his course another direction. He therefore became a merchant, concluding with his family that such was the station of life allotted him by a wise and overruling Providence.

Yet did not his abandonment of the thought of the ministry arise from any thing like disgust to piety, or religious engagements. He continued to all appearance the same consistent, devout Christian. His attendance on the services of the sanctuary was regular; he never slighted nor neglected the table of the Lord. His zeal was sober and steady, his

manners kind and courteous; indeed, his whole conversation and conduct such as betokened a man of faith unfeigned. He was regarded by all in the church as one who bade fair to be an example of excellence.

For several years did he persevere in maintaining such a deportment, during which time he became the accepted lover of a young lady, whom he considered as entitled to an immense fortune; but finding that her father (who regarded him as a fortune-hunter) would only give a small portion of that fortune on marriage, although that very portion was considerable, he broke off the connexion. Some time after, he succeeded in obtaining a renewal of the acquaintance, and asecond time deceived the object of his professed regard; who in consequence became the subject of a pining melancholy, and in a short period sank, the victim of despondency, into an untimely grave.

This conduct lessened his reputation very much in the estimation of pious persons. He withdrew from the fellowship of the church, formed his intimacies with the gay, and in a short time became a complete man of the world. Instead of frequenting as beforetime the sanctuary, he followed all the vain amuse

ments of the age; and with the giddy votaries of pleasure ran through all the round of their sinful follies, till at length piety itself became the object of his derision and disgust, and he ultimately sank into the determined, virulent apostate.

Thus does one false step plunge its subject ofttimes into difficulties from which he cannot be extricated, and he goes on floundering and floundering till he sinks into perdition. Many a fair morning has terminated in a tempestuous day. The angels now fallen began well in Paradise; but where have they ended? Lot's wife left Sodom to escape; but she looked back, and became a pillar of salt.

While engaged in this career of folly, Mr. Slade met with a lady in fashionable life, a woman of many personal attractions, but altogether destitute of piety, with whom he contracted a matrimonial alliance. By this means he was drawn so completely into the tide of worldly influence, and carried so rapidly down into its vortex, that his escape was rendered impracticable.

He had so managed as to conceal in a considerable degree from his sister and her husband, who lived at a distance, the extent of his

guilt; nor had he advanced so far in this sinful career at the time of their death as to render him in their opinions unfit for the office of guardian to their children. They trusted he would faithfully discharge to them his duty.

Such were the persons into whose hands now fell these orphans, who had been the subjects of many anxious desires, and earnest prayers. Dark indeed and mysterious, in this case, were the dispensations of Providence. But all were righteous and wise. For He who out of darkness bringeth light, who even by birds of prey could feed his famished prophet, ultimately can unravel this entangled skein of his procedure, and show he does all things well: he can employ the most unlikely means to accomplish his will, and even in this case he answered the prayers of the parents in behalf of their children, long after their decease.

It cannot be supposed that in this family the little orphans should learn even the rudiments of religion. Mrs. Slade was a kind, though a haughty and worldly woman; and as she had no children of her own, was pleased with her little protegees, and was desirous, as she termed it, "to do her duty by them;" but

wherein this duty consisted will hereafter appear; it was almost any thing but what the parents would have approved.

Almost immediately after their arrival at their uncle's house, Miss O'Brien called to see the little orphans; and, though permitted to caress and weep over them, Mr. Slade intimated his intention of disallowing any further acquaintanceship, and on an after-occasion behaved with so much rudeness as effectually prohibited her from seeing them.

Her attachment to the departed mother, however, led her to inquire as often as she could of the welfare of the children; and while she mourned over, and was sometimes almost staggered by the darkness and gloominess of the dispensation, she offered up to God unceasing prayers for their spiritual and eternal welfare.

The children were now carefully kept from any thing like religious society; every precaution was taken to keep them from the taint of evangelical sentiments; and, lest their minds should be excited to inquiry, it was even carefully concealed from them, as they rose up into life, that their father had been a