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ble, it is not supposed, that because the woman had lost one piece of silver, she took no care of the other nine, as you, Henry, imagined the Shepherd did about his sheep. It only says, "she swept the house, and searched diligently till she found" that which was missing.

Henry-I see that, Mamma; but after all, I don't understand what all the parable I am rather puzzled with your

means.

two explanations, and two meanings.

Mrs. B.-I will try if I can make it clear to you. You remember the parable which we read together yesterday, of the nobleman and his servants? You remember also the punishment of the servant who brought the unemployed money in the napkin, and defended himself for not having employed it to more purpose? Henry.-Yes, Mamma, I remember all that very well.

Mrs. B.-What do you suppose would

have been the sentence of the nobleman, if, instead of bringing it unemployed, he had altogether lost it?

Henry.-I should think, Mamma, he would have punished him still more se. verely.

Mrs. B.-But suppose the servant, instead of vindicating himself, had come at once to his master, had confessed his own negligence, and begged to be pardoned for his fault; what do you think a kind master would do? Would he not forgive him his past negligence, at the same time recommending to him to search again for that which he had lost, assist him to find it, and advise him to be more careful in keeping it, and improving it for the future?

Henry. I think he would be very indulgent if he did so much for him.

Mrs. B.-Not more indulgent, my dear boy, than the merciful God is to all those who truly turn to Him with penitent hearts, acknowledging their past sins, and earnestly endeavouring to amend their lives. And now, my dears, let us consider the woman's piece of silver, as we did the talents before, as "a good

disposition, a capacity for good," and let us see what moral we can make out. In the first place, what was the woman's fault?

Henry-I do not see that she was in any fault, Mamma; she could not help losing the money, and she set about looking for it directly.

Mary.-Yes, Henry, she might; if she had minded where she put it, and what she did with it, it never would have been lost at all.

Mrs. B.-Right, my dear girl.—Her fault was carelessness and inattention to the value of that which she possessed; and depend upon it, in the moral point of view, we have need of full as much watchfulness over ourselves and our dispositions, as over our earthly possessions, which in the end are of far less value to us.

Mary. But, Mamma, I know it is necessary to be very careful to avoid a fault which one is inclined to; but if one has naturally a good disposition, one cannot lose it, can one?

Mrs. B.-Do you know Mr. called here the other day?

who

Henry. What that fretful ill tempered man, who always looks so discontented with every thing, and ready to quarrel with every body?

Mrs. B. That very fretful, discontented looking man was at school with your father, and I have heard him say, that there never was a boy who naturally had a finer temper: but from being always humoured and indulged, he became gradually selfish, impatient of contradiction; and certainly has now a temper which renders him disagreeable, not only to other people, but to himself.

Mary. But if he was always so spoilt, that was not his fault, Mamma.

Mrs. B. He is certainly very much to be pitied for having been treated so foolishly when he was a child-But I only mentioned him as an instance how the best dispositions, unless carefully watched, will, like the piece of silver, be "lost" to their owners.

It is the same

G

with the powers of the mind, memory for instance, as it is with the moral virtues; and these also, remember, it is our duty to keep up and to attend to, if we mean to be as useful in the world, as our Creator intended we should; but we are at present considering rather virtues, than talents.

Mary. Well, but Mamma, if our good dispositions are so lost, what can we do. to recover them?

Mrs. B.-What is it said in the parable that the woman did, when she discovered that she had lost the piece of silver?

Mary. She swept the house diligently till she found it.

Mrs. B.-Well, Henry, and what did your friend the shepherd do, when he discovered the loss of his sheep?

Henry. He went afer it, and left all the rest till he had found it.

Mrs. B.-Well, my loves, and so should a good Christian do, and so would a good Christian do, when he perceived that he