clergyman—so great was now the malignity of Mr. Slade towards religion.

Nothing of peculiar interest was observable in the early years of Mary and Jane Banner. Like other children, they had their pleasures and their pains, their pets and reconciliations; but theirs was almost one uniform, monotonous mode of life, which presents but little to record. They were instructed at school in what are termed the fashionable branches of education, and at home they were initiated into various fashionable games, and taught, above all things, to entertain a "becoming pride," to consider themselves as persons of importance, whose property would by-and-by give them a high station in the scale of society.

Religion was the subject to which their attention was never called, except to some few of its formal observances at church on the Sabbath, to which occasionally their aunt conducted them; or when their uncle poured all the contempt of his scorn and ridicule upon the truly humble and pious followers of the Redeemer.

Mary was a girl of a quick and lively temper, affectionate, but extremely volatile. Jane was more thoughtful and sedate, more mild

and gentle, yet of ready apprehension, and exceedingly retentive memory.

They had both enjoyed a tolerable share of health till Jane had nearly completed her twelfth year. At that period her health began to decline, and soon it was deemed necessary to call in the aid of a physician. But her indisposition, instead of diminishing, increased, till at length she was confined to a chamber appropriated for her use in her uncle's house, and pronounced by her medical attendant to have the most unfavourable symptoms, a diseased spine, and the indications of an approaching consumption.

At this period it was that an additional servant in their house was deemed necessary by her uncle and aunt; the confinement of Jane, who was now compelled constantly to maintain a recumbent posture, requiring the constant presence of a nurse or attendant. Mrs. Slade was too much a woman of the world to relish in any degree the duties of a sick chamber; she therefore wished to find a person to whom she might almost entirely confide the charge of her niece, herself entering the chamber once or twice in the course of the day to make inquiries, and give directions.

Margaret Simmons, the young person hired for this purpose, was exceedingly well adapted for the office now about to be committed to her. To a temper naturally mild and affectionate was superadded in her person a heart truly devoted to God. She had in early life received those instructions in a Sunday-school which produced the most deeply religious impressions upon her mind. Her conduct as a daughter was exemplary, and she was esteemed an humble, pious Christian by all her acquaintance. A diminution of her ordinary employment as a seamstress was one motive which, among many others, induced her to resolve on engaging in the capacity of waitingmaid, and on offering her services to Mrs. Slade, of whose vacant situation she had heard.

On the evening of the day on which she had been hired by Mrs. Slade, she entered upon the duties of her new and important station. Little Jane seemed to feel prepossessed at once in favour of her nurse, whose kind and winning deportment was very different from that of the other servants in the house, and before sleep closed up her eyes in the slumbers of the night, she felt as happy and familiar with

Margaret as if they had been acquainted almost for years.

As Margaret's duties required that she should be constantly with her charge, a bed was placed for her to sleep in, by the side of Jane's. But on this first night of Margaret's arrival Jane was unusually wakeful. She wondered that Margaret did not retire to rest, as she expected- almost immediately after every arrangement had been made for the night; and, peeping out from between her curtains, she saw her close a book which she had been reading, and then bow the knee in prayer to God. To her this was a strange sight indeed. She wondered at it much; for never had she been taught the necessity of secret prayer, nor was it likely she could learn a lesson of piety beneath her uncle's roof, when even a Bible was not to be found in the house.

But her surprise at witnessing the conduct of Margaret was followed with esteem and respect. Her conscience approved of that which she herself did not practise. A class of feelings to which she had hitherto been a stranger were now excited in her bosom; but she remained silent, nor was it till after Margaret had for some time retired to rest that Jane could fall asleep.

CHAPTER III.

Immediately after breakfast on the ensuing morning Mr. and Mrs. Slade visited Jane's chamber, and expressed their pleasure at witnessing the arrangements of Margaret, and the improved spirits of her charge. Soon after the surgeon attended, and dressed a painful seton which it had been deemed requisite to open as a remedy for Jane's disorder. She submitted with patience to the operation, which was extremely painful, and after a time, when left alone with her attendant, she said,

"Oh! Margaret, this seton is very painful : I can hardly help screaming aloud when the doctor touches it."

"I dare say it is, my dear Miss Jane," answered Margaret, "but you must pray to God to give you patience to bear it, and to bless it for your recovery."

This was altogether a new idea to Jane, as well as a most unusual mode of address, who after a pause said,

"Pray to God, Margaret, about my seton! why I never heard of such a thing."