"Lamb's book of life, he himself declares, shall "never be blotted out from those annals of eternity. "When a flight of years has mouldered the trium

phal column into dust; when the brazen statue "perishes under the corroding hand of time, those "honours still continue, still are blooming and in"corruptible in the world of glory." Therefore,

Make the extended skies your tomb,

Let stars record your worth:

Ye know vain mortals all must die,

As nature's sickliest birth.

Would bounteous heaven indulge my pray❜r,

I frame a nobler choice;

Nor living, wish the pompous pije,

Nor dead, regret the loss.

A MORNING'S VISIT

From Dr. Johnson to Mrs. Cruikshank.

FROM a conviction of my ministerial duty to visit the families of those who compose my congregation, I called upon an aged woman who had long made a profession of religion. Although she received me cordially, it was too evident that she was under considerable embarrassment of mind. After accepting a chair, and making some general inquiries concerning the health of her family, I expressed my sentiments on the happiness of those who trusted in the Lord, and who enjoyed some share of the smiles of the blessed Saviour, especially in their advanced age.

"Yes, Sir," said Mrs. Cruikshank, " that is very true, but it is not quite so with me. Last night I was thinking about David's words, Thou hast showed thy people hard things, and makest them drink of the wine of astonishment. Indeed I meet with many hard things, and my cup is full of affliction,

and sometimes it runs over. Dear, Sir, I am overloaded, and wish I could obtain some relief, for I am an old woman, and cannot bear so many heavy things."

"My friend," replied the minister, " you have lived so many years, you cannot but know that this world is full of sin and misery, but then the greater part of our afflictions chiefly arise from our own sinful natures. But notwithstanding this, you certainly must be convinced that the Saviour is full of compassion, and able to support his children under their heaviest afflictions. You are exhorted and encouraged in the Gospel to cast your burdens upon the Lord, with this good assurance, that he will sustain you."

"Yes, to be sure, Doctor, what you say is very right, but for all that, I am so overloaded that my mind is confused; I cannot bear it much longer."

"You say, Madam, that you are overloaded. By this, I suppose you to mean that you have more than your share of trouble, and that you would be contented to bear what you call a load, provided you had no more. If this be the case, I take it for granted, that you must have weighed or measured what you may call the over-part, as well as the load. I will ask you if God has informed you how much makes a load for you to bear? by so doing, I shall be the better able to offer you my advice on the over-part of your burden."

"Why indeed, Sir," said she, "one trouble comes after another, and makes the weight the greater, and it seems there is no end to them. I once had a sufficiency to support me, but not now; I had friends that were very kind, but now they seldom come near me; I have lost my eldest daughter by death, and my only son has left me and gone to sea; persons that owed me money have failed, and others promise to pay, but I can get nothing from All these things pinch me very much in my

them. old age."

"I really sympathize with you under these changes and losses, Mrs. Cruikshank; they must be the more oppressive to persons in advanced age than to those ín more early life. But as a professor of religion, it does not appear, if I may use your own expression, that you can say you are overloaded with patience and submission to the will of your heavenly Father. If you could see his hand in removing your children, and drying up the streams of earthly supplies, it would lead you to greater confidence in his providence, grace, and love; while, with composure, you would meditate how very soon you may pass away from this world, no more to return."

"Well, well! my good minister," replied Mrs. C. "I know what you say is right enough, but I must tell you, that when you knocked at my door I was a little out of humour, for you know that young people say that old folks are sooner put out of temper than others.' You must know, Sir, that

my maid Betty had disobeyed my orders. I went very early this morning and bought the best pair of fowls in the market, and on my return ordered Betty to stuff and roast them very nicely; but to please her own whim, and save herself the trouble, she put them both into the pot to boil."

your

"Certainly, Madam," said the Doctor, servant was to blame for disobeying your orders; but I much question whether good old Anna the prophetess, or either of the three Mary's, whose names are recorded in the New Testament, would have allowed themselves to have been discomposed and put out of humour between roasting and boiling! However, I suppose that young people do not go very wide of the mark, when they imagine clderly people to be sooner discomposed than others, for certainly their nerves must grow feeble; and perhaps this may be more frequently the case with old ladies than with gentlemen."

Well, to be sure, Sir," acknowledged Mrs. C. "we ought to be more upon our guard; and after all, perhaps it will not make very great odds about the boiling, for Betty is a very good cook, only she is apt to make a little too much sauce with her tongue. Wont you stay and dine with me to day? I shall, Sir, be extremely happy in your company.'

The Doctor replied, "I sincerely thank you, Madam, for your invitation, but my previous engagements forbid my enjoying that pleasure, and I can