things which they saw or heard of when they were young; for as the world became fuller of inhabitants, the age of mankind was gradually shortened. HARRIETTE. Don't you think it a great pity that the age of mankind should be so much shortened?"! ANNE. .. Certainly not. Though many people complain of the shortness of life, any term of years would meet with the same objections from them, since death would still come at last. The longer our chance of life, the less careful mankind would be to spend every moment to the best advantage. The indolent would always imagine they had opportunities in store to make up for lost time; the wicked would always think they had years of futurity to which they might postpone their amendment. The terror and remorse which the guilty now feel, when they see their companions in sin cut off in the midst of their days, or arrived at the natural period of their brief existence, beyond which they themselves cannot hope long to linger, would then, from the unfre quency of deaths, be seldom called forth. Bad habits would have more time to fix themselves in the character; good dispositions more temptations to combat; and if prolonged existence would thus bring with it so many evils to the ill-disposed, surely it cannot be desired by the good, whose wished-for home is the world to come; whose term of years, however scanty, is sufficient, if well spent, to secure them an everlasting inheritance there; and whose prolonged life, however beneficial to their fellow-creatures, only detains them from the possession of a blessed immortality. ON A TASTE FOR DEVOTION. "Thy hopes shall animate my drooping soul, ANNE. WHAT are you reading, Frances? FRANCES. Elizabeth Smith's "Remains." What a charming young woman she must have been! She seems to have excelled in every elegant accomplishment, and in many abstruse sciences as well as in every feminine virtue. ANNE. She does indeed! yet I think the most admirable feature in her character is her piety. It is delightful to see a young person so highly gifted, not arrogating any merit or praise to herself, but ascribing all honour to God. K FRANCES. (reading). Mrs. Elizabeth Hamilton says of her, "So superior were the native graces of her mind to the ornaments which embellished it, that the acquirements which in others would have been admired as astonishing, were in her sometimes almost unobserved. But whoever compared her character with a higher standard than that of the world, must have been sensible of its near approach to perfection; and while they bestowed on it the admiration so justly due, they would be led to reflect with gratitude, that the model on which all her virtues were formed, is within the reach of all who with equal sincerity endeavour to mould themselves to its likeness." ANNE. The spirit of devotion which pervades some of her Reflections is delightful. Great actions are so often performed from little motives, of vanity, self-complacency, and similar feelings, that I sometimes hardly feel inclined to yield them the admiration they generally meet with, and which seems, at first sight, so justly their due. But when I find a spirit of piety pervading any one's most secret reflec tions, there is hardly any duty which I could not give them credit for performing. FRANCES. But do you think it is in every one's power to attain this feeling of devotion? ANNE. Undoubtedly. If we have clear and just ideas of God's great power and wisdom, and particularly his goodness (which we may all obtain by studying the works of Nature, and reading the Bible attentively), it is almost impossible not to feel a warm affection and deep reverence for that Being who has showered down such blessings on us. It surely lies in our own power to think of him. continually, to thank him for every blessing which we have received, and mentally to entreat him to assist us in every distress. I think this is no task, but a great pleasure. FRANCES. Yes, I think so too. ANNE. When any of us are fortunate enough to secure the sympathy of some one deservedly dear, who will enter into all our pursuits, our |