be a farthing richer for having spent two years and ten months in this sad place." "But," I asked, "have you no relaxation from this lonely life? Are you never allowed to leave this spot?" "Only," he replied, "to fetch provisions from the town; and Heaven be praised, sometimes to visit the House of God. These duties we take by turns, in parties of three or four, for two months at a time; so that, for two whole months (and think what it must be in the winter!), one is literally confined to this wild, howling, dismal cliff and guard-house.” "What can be the reason of your being kept so strictly?" I inquired. “That we may have no communication with the smugglers, who have sometimes entered into a league with the coast-blockade-men, to assist each other, and share whatever could be conveyed inland in safety. This makes our officers so hard upon us, God forgive them, for they have killed many a brave fellow by inches. Well, I must not complain, for sorrow has I trust, through God's grace, softened my heart, and I really think that I shall have reason to bless my trials here to the longest day I have to live. Although I was brought up religiously, yet I never felt religion truly and deeply in my heart until lately. I valued myself on being free from open sin, and forgot that pride, and self-will, and disobedience to the known desires of my parents, were as truly sins in the eye of God as drunkenness or debauchery, and that these defiled the mind as much as the other the body. I am now looking happily forward to my return home; and I hope that the Almighty will help me to submit all my wishes to my parents, and to be a comfort to them as long as we all remain together on earth. My mother wrote me word only the other day, that Susan is not married and is grown steadier; so who knows but that I may win her yet?" So saying, he gave two or three bounds in the air, and wishing me good night, ran to meet a comrade, who was advancing to relieve his guard. I, musing on all that I had seen and heard, returned as quickly as I could to Eastbourne. Ten years after my visit to Beachy Head, I was travelling near Ashbourne, in Derbyshire, when an accident happened to the carriage, and I was obliged to stop at a small village until the vehicle could be repaired. I was standing near the blacksmith's shop, watching the progress of the work, when a respectable-looking man came up to me, and said, "Do you remember me, sir? You spoke to me once, as I was looking out for smugglers on Beachy Head." Ten years had given so manly a character to the slim youth of twenty-four, that I should scarcely have recognised my friend of Beachy Head, had he not recalled the circumstances of our meeting. He had such a married look, that I felt convinced he had entered into the holy state. To my inquiries, he replied, "Susan and I have been happy together for nearly ten years. You will hardly believe it, sir; but from the moment I left home, she became as steady as a woman of forty. She has told me since, that she never believed I was in earnest about going, and that when she found I was really gone, she was sobered as it were by seeing the consequences of her light conduct, and through the blessing of God, she resolved to change entirely. So she went to live with my parents (her own had been dead some time), and said she would be a daughter to them in the room of the son, of whom she had deprived them. The cheerful piety of my dear father and mother made her see that religion was no gloomy thing, but full of peace and joy; and by degrees she was led to place her whole trust in the merits of her Saviour, and to rely on Him for power to do well. Such being the case, it is no wonder that her conduct has been ever since admirable and consistent. A true and affectionate daughter she was to the old couple, for three long years; but she made them promise not to tell me that she had lived with them, for she felt a maidenly modesty and fear, lest I should come back changed in my regard for her. However, I soon shewed that I loved her more than ever, and my parents gave a joyful consent to our union. So you see, Sir, I owe all my happiness to that very place which I hated so much; for if I had never gone there, perhaps Susan would never have been the good wife and mother she is now. Oh, God has been very gracious unto us, and has led us by a path that we knew not! Do, Sir, come to our farm,-it is not far off,—and see how happy we are." I went; and now let my reader imagine to himself or to herself, the delightful home, the pretty half-matron wife, the prattling rosy children (six in number), the neat tea-equipage, and the bowl of strawberries and cream; for I have no doubt but that he or she will complete the picture much more satisfactorily than I could. ELIAN GRAY. BY MARY HOWITT. "OH! Elian Gray, rise up, rise " up!" His neighbours cried, still dost thou sleep? The bloody Indians are come down, Flames rise from the near English town;And hark!-the warwhoop, wild and deep!" "I sleep not," said the ancient man, "I know not what may be his will, But when I rose up to depart, 'Fly not-thou hast no cause to fear, Thy place of duty still is here;' Like lightning-words passed through my heart. |