for a long while afterwards, of appreciating his real character, which was that, I have every reason to think, of one truly converted to God, and bearing in heart and character the impression of his new birth; for, as old John Bunyan beautifully remarks in his Pilgrim's Progress"The Lord setteth a seal upon the foreheads of those whom he hath washed in his blood, which maketh them look exceeding fair:"

During the first few days after little Alfred's arrival, he seldom spoke, and seemed rather uneasy when particularly addressed. In the mean time, I often saw the tears tremble in his eyes, notwithstanding his efforts to suppress them. But, as the sorrows of childhood speedily pass away, so when the little boy became more accustomed to those about him, the pensiveness of his manner gradually disappeared, and he became more cheerful.

At the end of a week, my father suggested, as it was not certain how soon Mr. Gisborne might arrive, or how long his absence might be protracted, that it would be well to supply the child with some employment. But before any thing of this sort could properly be done, it was necessary to ascertain what the child had already learned, and how far his mind had been cultivated: I accordingly undertook to investigate these matters, without going through the awful process of a regular examination. It was now the time of year when nature, reviving from the stern influence of winter, begins to adorn the fields and groves with every variety of budding beauty, and when every breeze is filled with the odours of the new-born flowers. I invited my little nephew to walk out with me, and, by way of encouragement, promised to take him to a narrow valley not far distant from Worinheim, which it was said had been inhabited in former times by a water nymph, who used to entice unwary travellers into her place of residence, and there destroy them.

"How," said the little boy, as he stepped out with me upon the lawn, in order to commence our walk, "how did this water nymph persuade people to come to her?"

Through the sweetness of her voice," I replied.

Ah, then," replied he, with quickness, I know well of what substance she was made, and I doubt not but her voice is as sweet now as ever it was, unless some of

the rocks or hills which surrounded her habitation are removed."

I was surprised at the acuteness of his reply, and said, "I mistake, my little boy, if you have not studied the history of the unfortunate daughter of Telles and the Air; have undoubtedly read the Metamorphoses of Ovid?" He made me repeat the question again; and then answered, "I have never heard of Ovid."

you

"Then how," I asked, “came you to fancy the water nymph was only an echo?"

"Because," he answered, "I know that there are no such things as water nymphs; but I have heard echoes many times in solitary places."

"But how do you know," I said, "that there are no such things as water nymphs? Perhaps you do not believe in fairies?"

He looked up to me with a wonderfully sweet and intelligent smile, and said, "O aunt Ellen, I know very well what things we ought to believe, and what things are only invented for entertainment."

While I was preparing to answer him, we were come to the brow of the hill on which our habitation was situated, and were approaching a temple erected in that place to the goddess of hunting, whose statue, as large as life, was set up within the temple, with her bow and quiver, and her feet covered with buskins. The ascent to this temple was by several marble steps, and I asked my little companion if he would sit down and take a view of the mountains which were seen from that spot to the greatest advantage: for a wilder or more magnificent scene than that which presented itself where we had taken our station, is perhaps not to be found throughout the Continent, unless it may be among the snowy regions of the mountains of Swisserland. Directly before us was a deep valley, through which poured a rapid mountain stream, dashing and foaming, and, as it were, fretting itself, as it made its way through numerous impediments of huge stones and rocks, which seemed to have fallen from the heights above. On the other side the valley were hills tumbled upon hills in various forms of rude magnificence; some bare and rugged; some clothed with verdure, and affording many a fragrant sheep-walk and breezy dawn; while others were black with forests of pine,

the growth of ages, dark, intertangled, and impenetrable, excepting to the wild beasts of the forest, or the most savage and lawless of the human race. Here and there a few thatched dwellings were scattered in groups, or single, and at considerable intervals, among the hills or within the valleys; and, from time to time, the tolling of a bell, or the striking of a clock, from the roof of some house, reminded us that there was something like civilization even among these desolated regions.

I know not what passed in the mind of the child while he sat contemplating the view above described; but on hearing a bell, he turned to me and said, "Are these people Christians?"

"What people?" I asked.

"The people who live in this country," he added, " are they Christians?"

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Certainly," I answered. "What made you ask the question?"

He rather hesitated, and slightly turned his eye towards the figure in the temple.

I observed this motion of his eye, and said, "You don't suppose, I imagine, that any one here worships these images? They are only put in these places for ornament."

"O!" said the little boy, seemingly satisfied with the explanation; but again returning to the charge--" is it not wicked, aunt Ellen, to make images?"

"Wicked!" I answered, "why should it be wicked?” "Because of the second commandment," he answered. "You know that the second commandment says-Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth.'"

"And is this the whole of the second commandment ?" I asked.

"No," said the little boy, "there is more- Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them: for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, and visit the sins of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep my commandments.'""'

Strange to say, I found myself quite embarrassed with this child's questions, and began to feel myself a little un

easy in my situation. I therefore made no further reply to his inquiries respecting images, but referred him to his tutor, and, in pursuit of the object for which I had sought this tete-a-tete, I inquired of him what his studies had been before he left England?

At the name of England his colour heightened, and he hesitated a moment; but at length he informed me that he had been taught to read the Hebrew Bible and the Greek Testament, though he still knew only little of either of them. I then questioned him respecting the Greek; and was surprised to find that his knowledge of the language was by no means despicable, considering his tender age.

I then proceeded to question him on the subject of history, and found that he was far from being ignorant on that point; though his knowledge was of a kind which in some degree confounded me, and left the game wholly in his own hands: notwithstanding which I found no great difficulty in concealing his triumph from him, so great was the amiable simplicity of his nature. I had commenced my inquiries by asking if he had ever learned history; and upon his replying in the affirmative, I inquired if he could give me the outline of any one history which he had studied. He immediately and without hesitation obeyed; and taking up the history of Assyria, he traced the whole story of that people, from their forerunner, Ashur, son of Shem, down to the time of our Saviour.

I was certainly amazed, and almost afraid to question him further, lest I should betray my own ignorance; however I ventured to put a few other questions to him, and was astonished to find him almost equally clear on many other branches of ancient history, insomuch that he was enabled to trace almost every leading family of mankind up to the sons and grandsons of Noah, showing a perfect acquaintance with the Scripture name of almost every nation which had existed before the Christian era, and how they were connected with each other in their great progenitors. All this he explained to me, not with the air of one who knows more than the person to whom he is speaking, but as believing me able to correct him if he made a mistake, and, indeed, as if half afraid of my censures in case of any error.

Much as I was amazed and interested by his communi

cations, and even puzzled to conceive by what luminous arrangement so young a creature could have been brought to receive, retain, and retail so much information, I was not sorry to quit this subject of history, where I might have been said to walk upon thorns, every moment dreading some home push which might compel me to betray my ignorance; and feeling at the same time that so constant a reference to Scripture, and this mode of treating the high and mighty nations of antiquity (the haughty Assyrians, the self-sufficient Grecians, and the Roman conquerors of the world) merely as so many families of wayward children, all under the immediate control and disposal of the Father of all men, produced such an instantaneous and powerful effect in lowering my notions of human glory, I at length became so thoroughly disconcerted, as really for a moment to feel half offended at the innocent cause of my perplexity. Neither is it improbable, that I might have commenced some discussion with him upon this new mode of learning history, had I not been admonished of the folly of entering into the lists of disputation with such a champion, by his suddenly drawing his hand from mine, for the purpose of throwing himself head over heels down a little descent, which the delicate softness of the verdure and the very gradual slope of the hill pointed out as a very safe and proper theatre for such an exploit.

The motion was so quick, that it seemed but a moment from the time of his withdrawing his hand out of mine before he appeared at the bottom of the slope, standing erect, and measuring with his eye the space of ground over which he had made his somerset, his whole face glowing with health and delight. Gay, however, as he appeared to be in the enjoyment of those feelings, he allowed me to take his hand when I came close to him, and made no objection to walk quietly by my side, answering such questions as I further chose to put to him. But it is probable, that I had not quite recovered my good humour when I renewed our discourse, for I perceived the little boy look very earnestly at me when I spoke.

"I wonder," I said, "I am amazed, that your tutor does not teach you Latin, Alfred. It is the finest language that was ever written or spoken, and boasts some of the finest authors in the world."